Alabama Places to Visit
Vacation Ideas

The Lookout Mountain Parkway is considered a national treasure and one of America’s Scenic Drives. Some places to stop along the way include Little Canyon National Preserve, Desoto State Park, Rock City (known for it’s incredible rock formations), Noccula Falls Park (90-foot waterfall). Another spot along the trip is Ruby Falls where you can take a guide tour of the 145-foot underground waterfall.

The beaches are a beautifully bright white, like sugar, and the water is a bright emerald color. I stayed at the Perdido Beach Resort which is a beautiful hotel with two restaurants and a generous indoor/outdoor swimming pool.

Within ten minutes driving distance there is a wonderful restaurant called the Oyster House and about twenty minutes away there is a huge outlet mall. My mother and girlfriend loved spending the day combing through the Nike, Gap and Old Navy stores located at the outlet.

Though they enjoy a day of perusing stores I enjoy the Gulf State Park where you can fish or simply watch the breeze blow across the dune grass. For the money, Orange Beach is the best spot I can think of for a vacation. It's family friendly and there's something there to satisfy all the members of my family.

The 20-mile long Conecuh Hiking Trail is right there for easy access. Along the trail you will find the Blue Springs which is a large natural springs with clear cold water. Snaking through the Conecuh National Forest cypress and dogwood trees is a 50-mile section of the Blackwater River. The river is shallow, sandy bottomed and slow moving. This makes it a popular place to explore the forest in a canoe.

Visit the Bellingrath Gardens for 65 acres of azaleas, roses, chrysanthemums and other flowers for year round beauty. This is an especially wonderful place to visit during December for the Magic Christmas in Lights display. Visit the waterfront shops and attractions downtown. Some notable things to see in Mobile include the battleship USS Alabama docked at the waterfront; Fort Conde a reconstruction of a 1720 era French fort; the Phoenix Fire Museum; Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

The Little River Canyon National Preserve is also popular for fishing, biking and canoeing. In the Backcountry Area there are 23 miles of dirt roads that provide a great place for mountain biking and horseback riding. The canyons provide an excellent place for rock climbing but be aware that the difficulty level is very high so it is considered mostly for expert level climbers.

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