Georgia Magazine - October 2010 - (Page 25)

Alabama! DeSoto Caverns Park in Childersburg offers Alabama’s answer to Carlsbad, from big caves to the world’s largest cast-iron statue atop Red Mountain. In Birmingham, Vulcan Park and Museum tells the city’s story. Naturally, there is a tribute to musical heroes. At Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, you can get to know Erskine Hawkins who penned the jazz classic “Tuxedo Junction.” Plus, don’t miss visiting the Birmingham Zoo and the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Cullman has Ave Maria Grotto, and nearby Hanceville has the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament. History is remembered at the site of two of the area’s Civil War battles, Clarkson Covered Bridge, unique in its own right, at the site of the Battle of Hog Mountain, and Crooked Creek Civil War Museum where the Battle of Crooked Creek was fought. Helen Keller’s home, Ivy Green, is Tuscumbia’s favorite shrine. Dating back to 1820, it’s an historical treasure that exemplifies personal triumph over physical adversities. The Helen Keller Festival is held in Spring Park in June, and the “The Miracle Worker” is performed each June and July. Close by, you’ll find a tribute to our four-legged friends, the Coon Dog Cemetery. The nearby Alabama Music Hall of Fame honors Alabama’s musical heritage. Take a short hop to Muscle Shoals, Alabama’s hottest musical scene in the ’60s and ’70s. Local recording studios are still operating and offer tours. While you’re in a musical frame of mind, catch W.C. Handy Home, Museum and Library in Florence dedicated to Alabama’s “Father of the Blues.” The Rosenbaum House is there too. It’s the only Frank Lloyd Wrightdesigned structure in Alabama. Country music band Alabama’s stomping MONTGOMERY CVB ground is Fort Payne. You can look back on their career at the Alabama Fan Club and Museum. And the Fort Payne Depot Museum will take you back even further. Built in 1891, the depot, housed in one of Alabama’s most beautiful buildings, served as a train station until 1970. Natural attractions are everywhere in Fort Payne. After all, you’re in the Appalachian foothills. Little River Canyon National Preserve protects some of the deepest gorges east of the Mississippi. The “Grand Canyon of the East,” carved by the Little River, flows down Lookout Mountain. Stop and play at DeSoto State Park. Ranked as one of the nation’s top 10 by Camping Life Magazine, it’s filled with waterfalls, canyons and the 1,000-foot Azalea Cascades Boardwalk Trail. For another dose of nature at its finest in Grove Oak, visit Buck’s Pocket State Park, so named because it’s located in a secluded pocket of the Appalachian Mountains. Here, you can picnic high on a canyon rim and watch for bald eagles. Check and see if your lost luggage ended up in Scottsboro’s Unclaimed Baggage Center. Even if it didn’t, you can find some bargains here. But there’s more in Jackson County. The Walls of Jericho, a large, bowl-shaped natural rock amphitheater, comprises more than 12,510 acres of nature in Alabama, with an additional 8,943 acres in Tennessee; Pisgah Gorge has three spectacular waterfalls; and, for spelunkers, Jackson County has more caves per square mile than any county in America—5,500 charted so far. Alabama’s only national monument, Russell Cave National Monument, is nearby at the end of a 12-mile hiking trail surrounded by 310 acres of pristine woodlands. Huntsville has something for everyone. Constitution Village, where Alabama drew up its original state constitution, is next door to Early Works, a fun trip into yesteryear for kids. For nature lovers, Huntsville Botanical Garden is a delightful blooming paradise. Next stop is the Huntsville Historic Depot, where you can experience railroad life in the 1860s. Decipher graffiti left by soldiers during the Civil War. Ride the mini-train and view the beautifully restored trains, automobiles and fire engine. After all that history, it’s time for a culture break. The Huntsville Museum of Art has been listed in the “Top 10” destinations by the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel. Since Huntsville is known as Rocket City, it offers a lot of science fun. Sci-Quest has 40,000 square feet with more than 100 hands-on exhibits (Continued on page 27) Governor’s Mansion, Montgomery October 2010 More online at www.georgiamagazine.org DeSoto Caverns Park, Childersburg 25 DESOTO CAVE RNS PARK http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - October 2010

Georgia Magazine - October 2010
Contents
Viewpoint
Mailbox
Picture This?
Georgia News
Calendar
Currents
Special Energy Report
Branching Out
Unforgettable Alabama!
Restoring Warplanes and Honoring Veterans
My Georgia
Georgia Gardens
Georgia Cooks
Cookbook of the Month
Snapshot

Georgia Magazine - October 2010