Mother's Day in Mobile
	On Saturday, May 7, 2005, Anita and I went to Mobile, Alabama to see the display of Dead Sea Scrolls at the Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center. We also took in a show at the IMAX Theater, but for me the highlight of the trip was the opportunity to stay at the Riverview Plaza Hotel, high above the CSX mainline through Mobile. Here's a picture from their web page showing the wonderful view one has of the Mobile River and, more importantly, the mainline of the CSX Railroad. We stayed in room 2610, just two floors down from the top. The view was GREAT!
	We'd just walked into the room when a south-bound intermodal went by below. 1:45pm.
	As high as we were (26th floor) we were able to see the USS Alabama across the river. 1:46pm.
	A north-bound stack train (on near track) meets it's south-bound conterpart. 1:53pm.
	Back in our room after a fine lunch at a local brew pub, we found another meet right in front of us. Notice the beautiful park, just steps away from the hotel. It's a great place for morning pictures of the trains. The tan brick building in the center-right is the CSX station here in Mobile. 3:13pm. UPDATE: On Monday, August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Gulf Coast between New Orleans and Pass Christian, Mississippi. Devastation was widespread with the effects of this huge category four hurricane being felt as far east as Panama City, Florida. The strong tidal surge again pushed water up Mobile bay. Click Here for a picture of this tranquil-appearing locale at the height of the storm. The picture is from the website of the United Transportation Union.
	Southbound Intermodal train approaching the crossovers at Choctaw. 3:14pm.
	Looking back at the Riverview Plaza Hotel from the park across the street. In the left foreground is the Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center. 6:33pm.
	A north-bound train comes out of the "tunnel" beneath the Convention Center. 7:02pm.
	Sunday morning, a brightly-lit picture of the Riverview Plaza Hotel. Anita is standing in the window of our room on the 26th floor. Happy Mother's Day! 8:47am.
	A view from the park, with the Riverview Plaza Hotel in the background. The statue is of Pierre le Moyne, Sieur D'Iberville (1661-1706), a Canadian-born French explorer of this region who in 1703 was named the first governor of Louisiana. A biography can be found here. 8:52am.
	The same picture as above. The arrow points to our room, where Anita is enjoying the beautiful view.
	A north-bound intermodal train prepares to dive into the tunnel under the Convention Center. 8:58am.
	Since we were up and at 'em so early, it was still early when we left town. Here's another picture of the USS Alabama, BB 60, from the east side as we drove east on the causeway. 10:22am.
	...and a last view of the hotel. We hope you enjoy seeing pictures from our "mini-adventure" and have no hesitation in recommending that you consider staying at the Riverview on your next visit to Mobile. From here we drove through LA (Lower Alabama) and on to Pensacola, where we stopped at the Alabama Gulf Coast Railyard for a couple of pix.
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