Alabama/Mississippi Road Trip (Day 6 & Conclusion)
Bragg-Mitchell Mansion
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
This was it. After venturing into two new states, seeing the Gulf Coast for the first time, and gaining many new experiences, my trip had come to an end. Later that night I would be going to sleep in my own bed back in North Carolina. All I had left to do was make the long drive from Mobile, Alabama. Well, almost. There was still one more thing I wanted to see in Mobile.
The very first thing on the list, though, was breakfast. Because I didn’t wake up in time the previous day to enjoy the popular Fort Conde Inn breakfast, I wanted to make sure that didn’t happen again. So, I set my alarm to be up in plenty of time to make it downstairs to the dining room before the chefs stopped preparing breakfast. Aside from the history and quaintness of the place, their breakfast is one of the things guests best remember them for. With names of each meal in French, I gazed over the menu and felt like I was at an upscale French restaurant. Thankfully, the descriptions of each item were in English.
I read each description and ordered the “Monte Conde.” After reading Forget the Monte Cristo! Our opulence is showing with this savory sweet breakfast sandwich. Thick cut hickory smoked bacon, Canadian bacon, and a blend of cheeses melt together between two rich slices of powdered sugar dusted French toast, with our peach berry compote for the perfect marriage of flavors, I was as curious as much as I was excited. And when it arrived, it did not disappoint! It was one of the best breakfasts I’ve had in a long time and the perfect way to start out a day.
Now, before I left Mobile, I wanted to see one thing. On every trip I go on, I love to take pictures, and I usually end up with one that I feel is my best picture…one that may potentially get printed out and framed. Throughout the whole trip, I felt that the place I was getting ready to go to had the potential to capture that picture. It was the Bragg-Mitchell mansion.
Built in 1855, it was the home of Judge John Bragg for 25 years. After that it was owned by a few different families until 1925, when the Mitchell family purchased it, restored it, and lived there for 40 years. I was very excited to see it because in all the pictures I saw of it before my trip it looked absolutely beautiful. I didn’t actually plan on booking a reservation to go inside to tour it, but simply just wanted to walk around the property and get pictures of it. And that’s what I did.
Bragg-Mitchell Mansion
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
For someone who loves history and historic houses, visiting this house was awesome. It was every bit as beautiful as it was in the pictures, and just being in its presence felt like being on a movie set. The gorgeous house, the big yard filled with old towering oak trees, and the entire atmosphere made me feel like I was dropped into another era. As I walked around the property snapping pictures, it was difficult not to imagine what life must have been like in that house a century and a half ago. And I did end up getting that picture.
Finally, it was time to hit the road. I braced myself for the long, long drive that awaited and didn’t really look forward to it. I like driving and all, but after a long road trip like that, you just wish you could snap your fingers and be home. But since that’s not possible, I made my way through several torrential downpours, road construction, the Atlanta rush-hour traffic, and finally made it home around 11:00 that night. Totally worn out, it felt good to be home.
But what a trip it was! Like I mentioned in the opening of this series of blogs, this was the first time I had ever taken a road trip alone. While it would have been cool if others would have gotten to go with me, there was something very special about being able to take a trip like that alone. Not that I’d want to do that all the time, but it was a different type of experience that I think allowed me to fully live in the moment the entire time…because every moment was 100% MY moment. It’s something that I think would be good for people to experience every once in a while.
I was also able to experience many things that I’ll never forget for the rest of my life. I’ll never forget seeing the University of Alabama football stadium for the first time. I’ll never forget spending a couple hours in a juke joint that’s been host to live blues music for decades. I’ll never forget the beautiful uniqueness of the land of the Mississippi Delta that’s helped shape American history for centuries. I’ll never forget swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. I’ll never forget being blown away by the magnificence of downtown Mobile. That’s the great thing about traveling to new places. Every experience is brand new, leaving initial impressions that you’ll take with you for the rest of your life. And Alabama and Mississippi certainly provided plenty of those.
Garett