All sorts of history were written in this section of Alabama. The city of Mobile is one of the oldest in the state. Its mansions and museums tell of French, Spanish, English and Cajun influences on the city. A piece of naval history floats in Mobile Bay. The USS Alabama sits at anchor welcoming visitors who explore the “Lucky A,” which earned nine battle stars during 37 months of active duty during World War II without suffering casualties or significant damage.

Also in this part of the state is Fort Mims, the site of a massacre that triggered the beginning of the Creek Indian War. Not too far away, a war ended when the last major battle of the Civil War was fought at Spanish Fort. The battle there ended after Lee’s surrender hundreds of miles away in Virginia.

Fairhope, with its shops and art galleries, and Magnolia Springs, where some residents still get their mail delivered by boat, are cities where visitors can convince themselves that the rat race is millions of miles and light years away. Gulf Shores and Orange Beach offer more modern pursuits. Boats, jet skis, go-carts, amusement parks and water slides all pick up the pace after quiet strolls in the quaint towns that dot the Eastern Shore of the bay.

Inland from the bay and the Gulf, literary history comes to life in the town of Monroeville. Harper Lee and Truman Capote are among the many authors who have come from this part of the state and written their way into the libraries of the nation.