Nightlife

Despite being hit with a double whammy, first Hurricane Katrina and most recently the BP oil spill, Mobile, Alabama, on the gulf coast, has bounced back in a big way to again become one of America's top tourist attractions.  We were here recently for the 16th annual BayFest Music Festival where 125 musical acts performed on nine stages in downtown Mobile to over 200,000 screaming fans.  Motley Crue, Mary J. Blige, Baby Face Edmonds, Reba McEntire, and Earth, Wind and Fire headlined the three day festival.  Our two favorites were Reba McEntire, who performed many of her 34 no. 1 hits including 'Somebody Should Leave' and 'One Promise Too Late'.  Reba has sold over 55 million albums. Our other favorite performance was by Earth, Wind and Fire.  The group, which has been around since 1969, performed our two favorite hits, 'Shining Star' and 'Let's Groove'.  Before the concert, we went back stage and had a Meet and Greet with the band which was very exciting.  
We were hosted graciously by The Grand Hotel Marriott Resort in Point Clear, Alabama, a property that has been around since 1836.  The hotel recently underwent a $37 million dollar renovation due to damage from Hurricane Katrina.  Despite being closed for nine months, The Grand Hotel is back, bigger than ever, including a top-of-the-line spa.  The hotel has 405 rooms on 550 magnificently landscaped acres.  Many of the guest rooms have sweeping views of Mobile Bay where you could watch the fabulous sunsets.  The hotel's restaurant, rated one of the best in Alabama, is noted for its southern hospitality menu.  Our favorite was the Gulf crab omelette.  The dish was recently named one of Mobile's 100 top foods to taste before you die.  We gladly checked it off our list with one 99 more dishes to try!  For more information on the hotel go to www.MarriottGrand.com.  For information on the music festival go to www.BayFest.com.
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