Why Alabama Deserves a Spot on Your Travel Map
Alabama is a destination that surprises in the best way. Its moss‑draped waterways, soulful soundtrack, and vibrant coastal culture create a sense of place that’s impossible to forget — and the warmth of its people is a highlight all its own. This article uncovers Alabama’s unexpected magic.
When I mentioned I was off to Alabama, the customs agent paused, curious. I couldn’t blame him — most people don’t realize how much this state has to offer. From soulful music and coastal cuisine to beaches that sparkle like powdered sugar, Alabama is a destination that surprises in the best way.
Here are some of my favourite takeaways from a recent visit to Alabama that left me wanting more.
Alabama North is a paradise for music lovers.
From Gospel, blues, folk, and country, the music of Northern Alabama is as varied as the names of the artists who hail from this southern state: Hank Williams Sr., Lionel Ritchie, Nat King Cole, Jimmy Buffett, Alabama Shakes. Then there are those who made pilgrimages here, including Aretha Franklin, Rod Stewart, the Osmonds, Mac Davis, Duane Allman, the Rolling Stones, Bob Segar, Paul Simon and many, many more, to record at its famous studios, like Muscle Shoals Sound Studio and FAME Studios.
The state has created the Music Trail of North Alabama Passport to make it easy for music enthusiasts to visit museums, venues, festivals and stops on the trail that put Alabama music on the world map and other places like the Historic Roxy Theatre that hosts a lively bi-monthly music show featuring country, rock ’n’ roll, blues, and gospel. And the incredible 8000-seat outdoor Orion Amphitheatre in Huntsville, which regularly hosts big-name acts.
Sign up for the free “Trail”, and you’ll get the full rundown on all 24 stops — plus your smartphone will ping you with info as you arrive at each one. Hit more than 12 of the stops in one year, and the folks at Northern Alabama Tourism will send you a little thanks-for-stopping-in prize.
Photo: Music Shoals Sound Studio. (Courtesy Music Trail of North Alabama)
America also has an Amazon, and it’s not the virtual retailer.
Spanning roughly 250,000 acres of wetlands, rivers, and bayous, and supporting hundreds of species of plants and animals, many found nowhere else in the U.S., the Mobile–Tensaw River Delta, commonly referred to as “America’s Amazon”, is one of the most ecologically rich river systems in North America, comparable to the Amazon Basin in miniature.
Visitors can kayak, take an airboat, bird-watch, see rare and endangered animals, and view the beautiful moss-draped trees. Those visiting during the day may not be aware of how many alligators inhabit the river, but it is said that when you visit at night, you can’t help noticing, and perhaps feel uneasy about the sheer number of eyeballs, right at the waterline, looking back at you. If you prefer solid ground, you can also hike along the shore.
Photo: Jet boating on the Tensaw River Delta. (Courtesy Visit Mobile Alabama)
In 1860, the last known slave ship arrived in America.
Fifty-two years after the international slave trade was outlawed, a schooner named The Clotilda slipped into Mobile Bay under the cover of darkness and unloaded just over 100 African men, women, and children. This illegal 1860 voyage was financed by white landowner, Timothy Meaher, who accepted a bet just to prove that he could do it.
It is of note. While Meaher was busy destroying the evidence – having the ship set fire to and sinking it to the bottom of the bay, the newly arrived Africans who stepped off the ship naked, with no possessions, were left to fend for themselves. The community they began, north of Mobile, named Africatown, is where their stories live on today in the African Heritage House.
The Alabama cities of Selma, Birmingham, and Montgomery are well-known destinations on the Civil Rights Trail for pilgrimages to honour the Black Americans who stood up and fought for rights from the Western World’s shameful history of slavery and persecution of people whose ancestors were once slaves, but the museum, which opened in 2023, is also well worth a visit.
Mardi Gras is a Mobile first!
Mobile, Alabama, is proud to be the birthplace of Mardi Gras. In fact, the city describes itself as “Born to Celebrate”. The celebration that leads up to Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of Lent, began in 1703 — more than one hundred years before the Territory of Orleans became the state of Louisiana in 1812. So, anyone saying Louisiana’s celebrations are the GOAT is just plain wrong.
Mobile, Alabama, has a Mardi Gras museum, a Mardi Gras square, and, of course, parades (yes, more than one), music, and revelry that are said to be not only more fun but also more family-friendly than those of New Orleans.
Some downtown hotels are so popular during Mardi Gras that reservations are bequeathed to surviving family members. One in particular reportedly has a 16-year wait list for a room during the annual festival. It is not unusual to see Mardi Gras beads hanging from trees in the city. They live on where they landed, a testament to the two and a half weeks of fun that take over the city and surrounding neighbourhoods each year, leading up to Lent.
Photos: The Mobile Carnival Museum. Mardi Gras beads dangling from trees, shrubs, and wherever they may fall, are a constant sight in Mobile. (Courtesy Mobile Carnival Museum)
Spacecamp in Alabama?
Every kid who has ever looked up at the night sky in awe and wonder would love to attend Spacecamp. And anyone who is now an adult likely retains that sense of amazement with the cosmos. The U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, offers a full range of immersive astronaut‑training experience camps, 52 weeks a year, and they are open to people from all around the world and of all ages. You can drop the kids off for a week, send them by plane to be met by a SpaceCamp “Crew Trainers” at the airport, or stay and take your own space or robotics training camp.
But isn’t Cape Canaveral, Florida, the home of NASA? Well, it turns out that after the war, many German rocket engineers were brought to the U.S. to develop missile and space-launch technology. The Marshal Space Flight Center in Huntsville is one of NASA’s most important facilities, and continues to play a key role in the space program, even Artemis.
There is no better place to inspire a new generation of kids and reignite the passion for science and technology in adults than the cradle of America’s Space program.
Photos: Courtesy U.S. Space and Rocket Center
Who knew that grits were so tasty?
The name sounds overly stereotypical of the South, so much so that you can almost hear it being said with a Southern drawl. As a northerner, I kinda know what they are, but it’s just something that is not on our culinary radar. So, what the heck are grits?
The Southern equivalent of polenta, grits are white or yellow cornmeal that is simmered slowly in broth or other liquids to produce a creamy, mild-tasting bed for savoury toppings like shrimp. Shrimp and grits are Southern cuisine’s gift to the world.
It appears that the French food influencers MICHELIN have swept through US states in the last year and have a guide of “MICHELIN RECOMMENDED” restaurants. The good news is that most of these restaurants don’t have months-long waiting lists, and the guide is a real gem for visitors looking for a great dining experience in an unfamiliar destination without having to apply for another credit card to finance it.
Getting back to grits. I’m still trying to get my head around the Southern breakfast of biscuits and grits. Maybe, a little maple syrup over those grits, and this northerner would oblige!
Photo: Courtesy The Noble South
Does whiskey really go well with lemonade?
The brand might not be widely known north of the Mason-Dixon line, but if they ever decided to sell single-serve cans of Clyde May’s Whiskey with lemonade, they’d have a hit—not that their Alabama-made whiskey isn’t already a local favourite.
The Alabama native began making moonshine to support his family 70 years ago —some 55 years before it became legal in 2001. Clyde was a stickler for getting the taste just right. His quest led him to begin ageing his it in barrels and adding oven-dried apple slices to smooth things out. Today, “Alabama Style Whiskey” is the way Clyde May perfected it, apple flavouring and all. In 2024, it was recognized as the official state spirit of Alabama.
Clyde May’s family continues the tradition of distilling his spirits, although these days they don’t have to hide in the bush to do it! A return visit to Alabama will include a trip to Troy for a guided tour and a tasting of both the Whiskey and their Bourbon.
Photo: My introduction to Clyde May Whiskey at a tasting in Mobile, Alabama.
You don’t have to go to Mexico to experience sugar-white sandy beaches.
Yup, Alabama is a beach vacation destination. Where the southern coast of Alabama touches the Gulf of Mexico, the waters are turquoise, and the sand is white. Dubbed the natural coast, the area has seen a complete revival since the devastating 2010 oil spill. The area boasts everything from exciting watersports to simply relaxing on the beach.
But it’s not just the idyllic beach setting that attracts families; bird watchers from all over flock to this well-known bird migration corridor. From late March through April, the beaches of Alabama offer a resting spot for birds who have made the voyage across the Gulf. Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge is a 28.33 km² (about the size of 5,000 Canadian football fields) area where 370 species of birds have been identified during migration season.
Nature lovers can take advantage of the Eagle Cottages at Gulf Stage Park, a National Geographic Unique Lodge of the world property that meets high standards of sustainability, conservation, and community engagement. An alternative to beachfront condos and hotels, the environmentally rich area includes 45 kilometres of trails, a protected coastal ecosystem with beaches, marshes, dunes, and pine forests all in the quiet, immersive setting.
With its one‑of‑a‑kind architecture, welcoming locals, and a sense of optimism woven into everyday life, Alabama stands out as a place where tradition and progress meet. The state’s economic upswing is especially visible in Mobile, which has secured the return of daily Amtrak service and is preparing to open a striking new airport on the waterfront just minutes from downtown. It’s a fitting finale for a destination that continues to surprise — in all the best ways.
Start planning your trip now! Visit https://www.mobile.org/ for more information.
For more U.S. destinations, check out our articles here.
