Fairhope, Alabama, is a small city on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay that is rich in arts, crafts and small family owned businesses. Fairhope is beautifully landscaped and it is said that the City spends more on potted plants and street side plantings seasonally than Mobile, its nearest metropolitan city. When Fairhope was founded it is said the "City Leaders" called the town "Fairhope"; since they thought that it would have a fair chance of surviving. The City was organized as a Single Tax Colony and owns large blocks of the city. The Tax Colony leases its lands for development and maintenance by perpetual 99-year leases. This idea was felt to prevent land speculation and excessively high values placed on the land. Fairhope's shops are heavily boutique without large corporate store owners. A variety of entertainment is available from karaoke bars to exceptional dining. Besides the Spring Arts and Crafts Fair which features booths by artists from all over the Southeast USA, there are sailboat regattas, bayside Pops Concerts in the summer, Chamber music concerts, Mardi Gras parades, a spring Dogwood Festival and 5 K & 10 K runs. Boating activities are always at the center stage with its Historic Pier, Yacht Clubs and many public launches for recreational and fishing boats. There are miles of walking, jogging, running and bicycling paths throughout the bayside areas. This extensive path dedicated to non-automotive traffic runs along the street at the entrance to the Dragon Pointe property. This dedicated pathway extends 7 miles to the north of Dragon Pointe to Interstate 10 and south by "The Grand Hotel" to Weeks Bay a distance of approximately 7 miles. Numerous public parks, picnic areas, tennis courts and golf courses are available. The concentration of exceptional Golf Courses in the area is probably second only to boating activities in attracting people to visit the area.

 If one travels north along the eastern shore of Mobile Bay through the city of Spanish Fort (north side of I-10) and about 5 miles north on US 225 one can visit the historic site of Blakely Park. It overlooks the Delta and the Tensaw River. Blakely Park was the site of the first frontier settlement on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay. It is also the site of a civil war battle. This battle is reenacted each year in the spring by a few of the civil war aficionados. Further north along the eastern shore Delta along the banks of the Tensaw River is the gravesite of the famous Indian Chief, Red Eagle.

In nearby Mobile, Alabama, on the old causeway (US Highway's 98 and 90) is the Battleship Park and Museum with vintage W.W. II ships and airplanes for touring. The display includes the battleship, USS Alabama, the submarine, USS Drum, a B-52 bomber, fighter planes helicopters and other World War II relics. Housed in the Museum is one of the 12 SR - 71 "Blackbirds" during the Cold War as a long-range strategic reconnaissance aircraft replacing its successor the U-2 airplane. It is possibly the most advanced design to date flying over 85,000 feet high and Mach 3.2 (over 2,000 miles per hour). A public pier is also available in the park for fishing.

In Mobile, Historic Fort Conde is located at the first exit after traveling west through the I-10 tunnel under the Mobile River. As parts of this Fort have been fully restored, tourists experience some of the security issues on Mobile Bay in bygone days. The museum has civil war and pre-civil war relics. A period historic house, the Conde-Charlotte house and a restored 1836 mansion which now serves as a boutique hotel is located here.

The Historic Mobile Homes tour occurs in the spring and features many of the historic privately owned and lived in homes. There are several period historic houses in Mobile that are available for tours year-round. These include Oakleigh and the Carlen House in the Garden District, the Richards-DAR, Bishop Portier and the Conde-Charlotte houses in downtown and the Bragg-Mitchell houses in the midtown section of Mobile. There are several pre-civil war houses located in the Springhill area of Mobile that are private homes. The exception is the one owned and used by the Jesuits at Springhill College, Stewartfield.

 In the Springhill section of Mobile near the campus of The University of South Alabama is the new beautiful contemporary Mobile Museum of Fine Arts. The City of Mobile Museum is located in a historic building in the downtown area on Government Street. Among its treasures are an extensive Mardi Gras collection and a collection of historic horse drawn carriages and wagons. An extensive network of City Public and University Libraries are available to the public (University of South Alabama, University of Mobile, Springhill College and Faulkner University). Springhill College was established in 1830 and was a functional college before the University of Alabama. The Jesuits took over the running of the college in 1847 at the request of the Bishop and continue to run it today. The campus is one of the most beautiful college campuses with its "Avenue of Spanish Live Oaks".

The Arthur R. Outlaw Convention Center, Exploreum and I-Max theatre are located in the downtown area at the foot of Government Street (US Highways 98 / 90) near Fort Conde. There are several Art Galleries downtown that sell original art by local Artists. Of note are two co-op Art Galleries, Cathedral Square and Artology located on Dauphin Street in the downtown district.

By traveling south of Mobile near Theodore, Alabama one can visit the World Famous Bellingrath Gardens and Home. This Garden is a year round spectacle of flowers and plantings. For the gardener, flower or plant lover, it is a wonderful experience. There are over thirty (30) acres of magnificent landscape including trees, azaleas, camellias, roses, seasonal flowering plantings, walkways, gazebos, ponds, themed gardens, riverside views and a boathouse with pier. The vintage Bellingrath House was designed by the early twentieth century Mobile architect, George Rogers. The home is beautifully appointed and is full of antique furniture, silver and china. A separate Museum building houses one of the largest private collections of Boehm porcelains and was donated by the Delchamps family. Mr. Bellingrath was an owner in Coca Cola bottling company.

When one travels 1.7 miles south of Dragon Pointe along the eastern shore of Mobile Bay ones arrives at the world class "Grand Hotel", a Marriott Resort. It was privately owned until recent years. The Grand, as it is referred to locally, is magnificently set in Point Clear, Alabama, on property that juts out into the Mobile Bay at Jubilee point where in the summer outdoor dining and dancing is enjoyed. The hotel is historic dating back to the mid-nineteenth century. It has been beautifully restored by its current owner, Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA). There are extensive beautifully landscaped grounds with camellias, azaleas, hydrangeas and gorgeous moss draped Spanish Live Oaks. The dining is superb with the dining room overlooking Jubilee point and the Bay. The recent extensive renovations include new Spa and Beach Clubs, swimming pools and additional guest rooms. Bicycles, sailboats, wave-runners, motorboats and yachts are available for rent. The Hotel maintains regulation tennis courts and golf courses for its guest and members.

Travel east from the Grand Hotel to Foley, Alabama, along Scenic Highway 98 and south along US 59 to the Tanger Discount Mall. There are over 250 national brand store outlets. If you continue south on US 59, you will arrive on the Gulf of Mexico and the sugar white sand beaches of the Alabama coast at Gulf Shores, Alabama. If one goes east from here you go through Orange Beach and eventually into Florida and Pensacola. After you cross the Alabama Point bridge over the Perdido Bay outlet you will see Ono Island on the North side. Ono Island reportedly got its name because of the difficulty getting utilities served to the Island as neither Florida nor Alabama would undertake the cost. Today the Island's real estate is some of the most expensive on the Gulf.

Traveling west from Gulf Shores along the Gulf takes you to the tip of Alabama's peninsula, Fort Morgan. This Fort, along with its sister Fort across the inlet channel into Mobile Bay, Fort Gains on Dauphin Island, played historic roles in the protection of the Mobile Bay during the Civil War and before. Both Forts are open to the public as parks and can be toured. A ferry is available for car so that one can continue over the inlet of the Bay to Dauphin Island. If you wish to take the Ferry to Fort Gaines for a tour be sure to call and check the schedule as the Ferry's schedule may change. A great day trip would be to visit Fort Morgan in the morning followed by a Ferry ride across Mobile Bay to visit Fort Gaines and than to travel north in South Mobile County to spend the afternoon at Bellingrath gardens and home. The return to Dragon Pointe in the evening by US I-10 east would take about an hour. Dauphin Island was inaccessible by car until early 1954 when the State built the current causeway connecting the Island to the South Mobile County mainland. Today the Island is mostly a residential and fishing resort.