Who doesn’t want to know the best things to do when on vacation? Everybody. I’m well-versed in things to do in South Florida, my hometown of Wisconsin, my college city of Madrid, and my current job location in Havana, Cuba, but I’m not familiar with everywhere. That’s why when I was asked about Alabama and in particular Mobile, Alabama, I enlisted the help of my peer travel writer, Marc Dubois.

Here are Marc’s 5 Things to Visit in Mobile!

It doesn’t matter whether you are headed to Mobile for a getaway with a loved one, or you are traveling through on your way somewhere else, there is always something to do for everyone of every age. It’s one of those genteel southern places with an eventful past, food you’ll never want to leave behind and enough activities in nature to keep even the most city-wise person busy. It’s previously been known as the Paris of the South, thanks to the previous port and cotton trade that kept it in the top 10 wealthiest cities in the USA.

When you get to Mobile, you can feel the southern vibe the second you arrive, from the friendly people to the Mardi Gras celebrations and jazz clubs. So, whether you’re staying at the Comfort Inn Mobile or you’re touring in a camper van on your road trip, you need to figure out where the best places to visit are. No worries – below, we’ve got five of the top attractions in Mobile for you to visit.

Mobile Bay. Have you ever ridden a Duck? Not the flapping, quacking, tasty kind, but the vehicular kind. These amazing vehicles can get you off the road and into the water seamlessly, meaning that you can travel around Mobile Bay with ease. You can tour the waterfront of the city, the cruise dock, and the USS Alabama, which you can learn more about here.

The Delta. The facility here is amazing, with interactive exhibits, brilliant animal shows, and staff that are only too happy to show you everything that you want to see. The best part? It’s totally free. It’s just a ten-minute drive from the historic town, and you can see the celebrations of the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta, which is the second largest river system, aside from the Mississippi.

Kayaking. Boating is one of the best activities that you can do in the rivers of Mobile, and on the Bartram Canal Trail, you can have a good time alligator and bird watching while you laze along on a kayak. You can do a tour paddling around the Delta, which is a great way to get stuck into nature.

Sunset Cruise. It’s not as cliché and corny as you’d imagine. They can be romantic, they can be breathtaking and they can even be more serene than you ever thought possible. The scenery of a bright red sunset can be something you’ll never see in the same way again.

Mardi Gras. You need to be in Mobile for the carnival if you can manage it. Mobile is actually the birthplace of Mardi Gras, and there’s even a museum to prove its origin! The colors, the culture, and the whole experience is one that you should really experience at least once in life, and you can get that with Mobile.

Taking your time to head to the South during your trip is going to imprint on your memories for the rest of your life. Why wait around?

**Post contributed by Marc Debois, who is originally from New Orleans, but now calls Alabama home.**