Closed for 31 Years, The Battle House Is Alive and Well

The Battle House Hotel is a gem that was closed for 31 years. Two years ago the retirement systems of Alabama, (in other words the pension funds of state workers), invested heavily into many tourism facilities such as cruise ship terminals and hotels in the region. That makes sense I'm sure to people who live here, keeping their money in the state doing good.

This hotel's lobby has a round glass ceiling and up at the top you can walk around and look down from wraparound balconies. Debutantes make their debuts strolling down the wide staircases of the Chrystal room, and the balconies that face North Royal Street are cherished especially during the Mardi Gras parade. We toured the Presidential Suite, with its own outdoor firepit and hottub, with views of the river and the vast downtown. We were told that when the CEO of the retirement system first saw this elegant suite, he said no, no, no, it's not good enough. So he made them redo it to be even more dramatic and Presidential.

At an elegant dinner, we were served a sumptous meal including Kobe beef, diver scallops, and fish flown in from Europe. We got to know eachother and talked about our business and laughed about press trips we have been on.

This city is looking at the future with shades on...they're pumped up about the new steel mill and excited about these hotels that now provide more than 6200 rooms in the city. Perfect to house people who are coming to their new convention center, right on the Mobile River.

Going to Mobile, Alabama to See What I Can See

Another snowstorm has come and gone, today we are left with the glimmer, shine and colder temps that make it all even more beautiful. I had a busy day yesterday in the office, making plans to travel to Atlanta to the Travelcom show and finalizing my trip the week before to Mobile Alabama.

I've never set foot in the state of Alabama...I will be hosted by the tourism dept who will take me to this gulf coast city with several other journalists. I am sure that there are cool things there that I don't know about yet...and that the downtown is lively and fun. I am always optimistic that there will be neat things to write about on any trip...and my trip last June to Pittsburgh proved that even places that to some are down and out can be revealed as having a lot to do and beauty to behold. I like that I am optimistic about places...hey, how could I be a travel editor and not be?

This morning I was jolted out of bed by the wails of baby Sophie. Kate was giving her a bath and with outside temperatures in the low teens, this 2-month old gal was cold and not happy. So she wailed like I've never heard her wail. I often think about contemporaries of mine who have their own tiny babies to raise at my age. Thank God that when I was young I had my own little ones so now I can turn back over and sleep when the baby cries. It's Kate's baby and a grandpa doesn't have to do anything except hold her every so often...and I like that.