Towering oak trees shade the streets of this idyllic town on serene Mobile Bay. Fairhope’s downtown area is compact and vibrant, channeling a French Quarter feel with its colorful buildings, second-level wrought-iron balconies, and brick courtyards surrounding ornate fountains. Days here are spent on charter fishing boats searching the bay for the daily catch, or biking through town to the Municipal Pier, where local fishermen regale visitors with stories—and sometimes even offer a bit of their bounty.