Alabama Off The Beaten Path

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Treetop Nature Trail

by RhondaRuth

This is easy to miss, so look for it! Right in Oak Mountain State Park. By the way, it's right across the street from parking lot at the beach on the Lake.You can stroll along a broad, elevated boardwalk that winds through the trees in a secluded woodland valley. We found this boardwalk a pretty nice idea to keep you off the ground and the possible encounter with a snake. Nope, you don't want to meet a snake! The birds here are living in spacious, naturally-furnished cages in the treetops, along the elevated boardwalk, so that you can see them as they should be seen-in the wild.Each bird has a special reason for being there. The Alabama Wildlife Center have cared for these birds that were brought to the Center with serious injuries and which would have prevented them from surviving in the wild. Now healthy, though physically imparied, the birds live a sheltered existence in a natural...

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A resident of the Treetop Nature Trail

by RhondaRuth

Had to show you my best picture taken of a Hawk at the Treetop Nature Trail. The others were not as clear because of their ability to blend into their surroundings. We enjoyed seeing each resident from afar anyway and reading about them. This is a really nice place to take children to learn to understand and appreciate these magnificent wild predators. They had Hawks, Turkey Vultures, Great Horned Owl, Black Vulture and Barred Owls.

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Scottsboro's Gold Mine

by seagoingJLW

In Scottsboro, there is the Unclaimed Baggage Store which has loads of items from luggage lost in flight. Founded in 1970 it soon became a full time venture. Incorporated in 1978, it turned into one of the great hidden bargain centers.Over a million items pass through the store annually.This is only one department. They have everything you can think of.

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Natchez Trace Parkway

by Gloriann

The Natchez Trace Parkway takes you through the northwest corner of the state of Alabama and is a very scenic drive. I enjoy traveling on the Natchez Trace Parkway, which goes from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee. The Trace only goes through a small part of Alabama, but I think it is one of the most scenic. Get off the Trace before it gets dark because there are no street lights along the roads and when it gets dark you can't see your hand in front of your face. The speed limit is slower on the Trace than on the Interstates, but it is worth going slower to enjoy the scenery and historical stops along the way.

Russell Cave National Monument

by Stephen-KarenConn

For more than 9,000 years there is a record of human habitation in this cave which is in the mountains of North Alabama, near the Tennessee border. It is one of the oldest and best preserved archeological sites in the eastern United States.Russell Cave National Mounument was established on May 11, 1961, on 310 acres of land donated by the National Geographic Society to the American people. This photo was taken on are earlier visit to Russell Cave with my son, Jeromy, before restrictions were placed on entering the lower part of the cave. The fog is caused by the cool water of the stream meeting the hot humid outside air. Today an upper entrance has a boardwalk and visitors are allowed to take either self-guided or ranger conducted tours.Russell Cave is reached via I-24, about 38 miles west of Chattanooga, TN. Take the South Pittsburg exit, turn south on US-72 and follow to Bridgeport,...

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Fort Gaines

by JREllison

The first construction attempt for fortification of the Mobile Bay area was following the War of 1812. Several attempts were made, each less than successful. In 1853 a fort was filially constructed which Congress named for General Edmund Pendleton Gaines.From Interstate 10 take exit 17 south onto State Highway 193. Follow Highway 193 for 23 miles, cross the bridge onto Dauphin Island.

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Bald Cypress Swamps

by traveldave

One of the most distinctive habitat types of the American South are the bald cypress swamps. A member of the redwood family, the bald cypress is one of the few firs that is deciduous. They are aquatic trees, growing in the very wet swampy soil of river systems, flood-plain lakes, and deep swamps. The trunks of bald cypress are enlarged at the base, spreading into ridges and buttresses. Another unique feature of the trees is the cone-shaped "knees" that protrude from submerged root systems to allow the trees to get oxygen.Called "wood eternal" because of the heartwood's resistance to decay, bald cypress is used for heavy construction, including docks, warehouses, boats, bridges, and general millwork.There are some bald cypress swamps in the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, including the one pictured above.

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Hank Williams Sr grave

by Gloriann

Driving through Montgomery, Alabama one time we remembered that the country singer Hank Williams was buried there. We stopped and asked for directions to the cemetery and drove to it. There are beautiful monuments there at the graves of Hank and his wife, Audrey.SEE PICTURES IN MY TRAVELOGUE

Jones Archaeological Museum at Moundsville

by leafmcgowan

A small yet informative museum located in the center of the Moundsville park, this museum and giftshop is bound to have something to teach you or for you to take home with you.The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was born during the turmoil of the Great Depression. Hundreds of thousands of young men were out of work, and wasteful exploitation of the environment had devoured millions of acres across America. In 1933, as part of his "New Deal" program, President Franklin D Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation Corps in an effort to save these "two wasted resources, the young men and the land." The CCC's contribution to Moundsville were immense. They helped archaeologists excavate over 45,000 square feet of the site, unearthing more than 1,000 whole ceramic vessels. They cleaned, cleared, and restored the badly deteriorating mounds. The CCC also brought erosion under control at the...

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Moundsville, Alabama

by leafmcgowan

South on Hwy 69 from I-20, entering the small country town of "Moundsville", most famous for its Mississippian Pyramid/mound culture ceremonial and ritual complex also called the same as the town - "Moundsville". This is the home to one of the best preserved archaeological sites of its kind in North America. At the height of its empire, Moundsville was the largest and most powerful political and religious center in the Southeast. Nobles at Moundville ruled over thousands of people, harnessing their manpower to build these mounds and fostering a thriving economy based on corn agriculture. With the rise of large scale corn agriculture around AD 800, however, Southeastern Indians began settling in large villages and a rich and complex culture arose. Archaeologists call these people Mississippians because their culture originated in the Mississippi River Valley, spreading outward to sites...

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Top 3 Hotels in Alabama

The Battle House: A Renaissance Hotel  Mobile

 2 Reviews and 150 Opinions  the original battle house hotel was built on the site of general andrew jackson's headquarters... 

 Hotels in Mobile

Hyatt Place Birmingham Inverness  Birmingham

 1 Review and 62 Opinions  the hyatt place is located in central downtown birmingham. the hyatt place has an excellent location... 

 Hotels in Birmingham

Drury Inn & Suites Montgomery  Montgomery

 1 Review and 96 Opinions  the drury inn & suites is a very good moderately priced hotel located south of downtown. the drury... 

 Hotels in Montgomery

Questions and Answers

kellybum profile photo

Q:  Thinking of New Orleans and Gulf Shores next April. Can anyone give me any advice re weather, accommodation etc please? We may... 

TexasDave profile photo

A: The weather in NO and the Gulf coast is great in April, but not exactly swimming weather, unless you are a Polar Bear Club member :) some people do get in the water but... 

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