Who Was Bienville? The Man Behind Mobile, Alabama
Updated May 2026 If you have ever taken one of our tours, you have probably heard us say the word “Bienville” about a hundred times. And if you are visiting Mobile for the first time, there is a good chance you assumed the city itself was named Bienville. It happens all the time, and it…
How Mobile’s Pelican Girls Finally Got a Historical Marker
Published May 2026 The short version: For more than three centuries, the story of the Pelican Girls of Mobile sat almost entirely unmarked in the city they helped save. In late 2025, that finally changed. Bella Myers, a tour guide with Bienville Bites, partnered with Dr. Allison Henry to research, write, and advocate for…
Wintzell’s Oyster House: The Story Behind Mobile’s Oldest Oyster Bar
Updated May 2026 On September 11, 2010, a man from Hoover, Alabama named Ken Orndoff sat down at the oyster bar inside Wintzell’s Oyster House on Dauphin Street and ate 421 raw oysters in thirty-four minutes. His name is still on the wall. That’s the kind of place Wintzell’s is. The kind of place where…
10 Best Christmas Party Venues in Downtown Mobile, Alabama
Updated May 2026 The short version: The best Christmas party venues in downtown Mobile, Alabama include the Bienville Bites Food Tour (a private walking experience for groups of 8 to 30), Parc Le Tralour, Moe’s Original BBQ, Grace on Dauphin, Las Floriditas, The Hatch, Cedar Street Social Club, Iron Hand Brewing, Chuck’s Fish, and…
The Perfect Day Trip from New Orleans: Take the Train to Mobile, Alabama
Updated May 2026 The short version: The Amtrak Mardi Gras Service makes it easy to reach Mobile, Alabama from New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The eastbound train arrives around 11:18 AM and the last train back leaves at 4:30 PM, giving you about five hours in the city. We’ve turned that…
22 Best Things to Do in Mobile, Alabama (A Local’s Guide)
Updated May 2026 The three things to know before you go: Mardi Gras started in Mobile in 1703, fifteen years before New Orleans existed. The modern shipping container was invented here. And you can walk the entire historic downtown in an afternoon. Mobile rewards visitors who know where to look, and after years…
10 Hidden Gems in Mobile, Alabama (That Most Visitors Miss)
Updated May 2026 The short version: Most visitors to Mobile see the USS Alabama, walk Dauphin Street, and head home. They miss the best parts. These ten spots are the ones I point out on the tour that make people stop and say, “I had no idea.” Some are hiding in plain sight downtown;…
Downtown Mobile: A Walking Guide to 300 Years of History
Updated May 2026 Mobile was founded in 1702, which makes its downtown one of the oldest in America, older than New Orleans, older than the United States itself. You can walk the heart of it in an afternoon, and almost every building you pass has a story. This is a self-guided walk through that history,…
How to Start a Food Tour Business (Step-by-Step Guide)
Updated May 2026 The short version: Starting a food tour business comes down to five things: validating that your city can support one, building relationships with restaurant partners, designing an experience people will rave about, handling the legal and logistical setup (insurance, booking software, group sizes), and marketing it so people actually show…
Alabama’s Signature Dishes (And Where to Try Them in Mobile)
Updated May 2026 Quick fact: Alabama’s food didn’t come from cookbooks. It came from the Gulf, the cotton fields, the enslaved cooks, the Native peoples, and three centuries of French, Spanish, and British rule all layering on top of each other. Taste these dishes in the right places in Mobile, and you’re tasting history….
12 Best Outdoor Dining Spots in Downtown Mobile, AL
Updated May 2026 The short version: Mobile has the kind of weather that makes eating outside an event. From a rooftop with a 34th-floor view of the bay, to a patio right on the Mardi Gras parade route, to taco swings outside a coffee shop, here are twelve outdoor dining spots in downtown Mobile…
How to Become an Azalea Trail Maid
Updated May 2026 The short version: Each year, fifty high school senior girls from Mobile County are selected as Azalea Trail Maids, the official hostesses of Mobile, Alabama. The selection process is competitive and centers on a high-stakes interview where candidates are judged on poise, communication, and their knowledge of the city they would…