You usually don't think of Alabama as a state that has a lot of tourism like its neighbor Florida. Nonetheless, it does have access to the Gulf of Mexico. The Tensaw and Mobile Rivers join forces just north of the city of Mobile and pour their waters into the 70-mile long Mobile bay. The Mobile bay empties with an almost 30-mile wide mouth into the Gulf of Mexico.
Mobile is located on the northern part of Mobile Bay, approximately 130 miles east of New Orleans and 40 miles west of the Florida border. It is a city of some 200,000 inhabitants. Originally founded in 1702 by the French, it was occupied by the Spanish and the English before becoming part of the United states in the War of 1812. It is one of the busiest gulf ports and has traditionally been the center of the cotton export trade. Today there is also traffic from offshore drilling.
If you want to stay in the city itself, there are several fine resort type accommodations. The Marriott Renaissance Mobile Riverview Plaza Hotel is located directly on the waterfront, within walking distance of the Arthur R.Outlaw convention center. It has a pool and outdoor spa to help keep you entertained. It is near the Robert Trent Jones golf trail.
The Best Western chain of hotels also has a fun hotel in the center of Mobile. The Battleship Inn is located directly on Mobile Bay and is within short walking distance of the battleship Alabama, one of Mobile's most visited tourist attractions. While not strictly a resort hotel, it does have a pool and the many museums, parks, and other attractions of the city are right on hand.
About 40 miles south of Mobile, a finger-like spit of land reaches into the bay from the Florida side. This finger points to Dauphin Island, located in the center of Mobile Bay. From Orange Beach down the Dicie Graves Parkway to the ferry to Dauphin Island there are a wide variety of beachfront resort type hotels run both by hotel chains as well as independents. There also condos to rent both on the mainland and the island. This area is only 40 minutes from the port of Mobile.
