Swamps, snakes & swing

What happens when you have to go to Alabama for work 

Alabama can be a problem child, but my reasons for visiting the Heart of Dixie are none too problematic — unless you take issue with furniture or alligators. The agency I work for is currently rebranding an Alabama-based furniture manufacturer. In the months we’ve been working together, our Milwaukee team has visited that furniture company’s home just outside of Mobile three times — twice to work, once to celebrate.

 

During this third trip to launch the rebrand, my coworkers and I were treated to something a little bit crazy-cool. First up was a tour of Alligator Alley, a swamp sanctuary for toothy titans and other wildlife. We saw gators lumber out of the water, then collapse with a plop on the shore, ready to feed. 

We later held a baby alligator named Chewy — a recipe for a gaggle of giddy Wisconsinites. Honest question: Are gators just the squirrels of the south? Were we wrong to have been so enamored? No matter. We also let a Red-Tailed Boa slither across our shoulders à la Britney Spears. It was an experience. 

During a boardwalk stroll through the swampland, we lost our minds over the electric shock of green around us. Turns out, swamps are otherworldly in their beauty, like an 80s fantasy flick come to life. All that’s missing are Jim Henson puppets and David Bowie. 

For work-trip sustenance, we dined on dry-aged ribeyes, oysters on the half-shell, and flutes of bubbly at Jesse’s, a jewel of southern dining. But our three-peat favorite is Bluegill, a rustic waterfront spot full of fresh seafood, live music, and sunset views of Mobile Bay. Most recently, the music made the experience. 

The Mobile Big Band Society brought upwards of 16 brass players and vocalists crooning American standbys like “Beyond the Sea,” “In the Mood,” and “Moon River.” Swoon. Better still, jump-n-jivers from a local swing club commandeered the dance floor. It was a scene from another era. One fella even asked me to dance. I obliged, but drew the line at swing-flips. 

The club leader attempted to recruit my coworker Jumana and me for her troupe of dapper ladies and gents. We had to break it to her that we were out-of-towners, flying out at 7am the next day. On the wish list for our next Alabama trip, should there be one: airboat rides and white sand beaches.