Good Morning America!
Seems we're starting our day SideTracked in Mobile, Alabama. Won't you join us for a bit of early morning banter all about geocaching and such, on this intercalary day? Bring your breakfast food and drink of choice, as we start the day while admiring the beautiful architecture of the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Passenger Terminal.
We'll meet in the parking lot at GZ for a short tailgate breakfast, geochat, and trackable discovery/trading. Look for the driftwood gray, GMC pickup from Montana, with a trackable decal on the windshield.
The Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Passenger Terminal
Architect P. Thornton Marye designed the Mission Revival style terminal for the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. It was completed in 1907, at a total cost of $575,000. The Mobile and Ohio merged with the Gulf, Mobile and Northern Railroad in 1940 to form the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad. The last GM&O passenger trains into Mobile terminal station were the Gulf Coast Rebels on October 14, 1958.
The station was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 15, 1975. The Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad vacated the old terminal building in 1986 and for fifteen years it suffered from demolition-by-neglect. The Alabama Historical Commission and the Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation named it as one of their "Places in Peril" in 1996. In 2001 the City of Mobile and a private company invested more than $18 million to restore the local landmark, with the developer taking advantage of the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentive program. Today the building houses private offices and the city's The Wave Transit System.
SideTracked
This term originally referred to a train being put on a side track to allow another train use of the main track. It now also means someone being distracted from an immediate or important issue. "She was sidetracked by an FTF in the middle of her trip."
About SideTracked Caches
SideTracked caches are a popular series familiar to anyone that has been caching in the United Kingdom. SideTracked caches are intended to provide a quick cache n' dash near train stations. More information can be found at the SideTracked Website.