Expert: Leslie Johnston - 5/19/2008

Question
What unique places are available for short trips from Birmingham?

Answer
Dear Joanne,

Wow! That is a very cool question. I will assume you mean trips an hour or less from Birmingham.

* Noccalulu Falls in Gadsden is very nice and has a tragic tale about an Indian princess.
* Ave Maria Grotto in Cullman has miniature replicas of cathedrals all over the world.
* You can tour the Mercedes Plant in Vance or go to Moundville in Tuscaloosa. Moundville is the site of an Indian burial ground.
* DeSoto Caverns is in Childersburg. You can tour the caves. Bring sturdy shoes and a sweater!
* The American Village in Montevallo is a recreation of buildings from Colonial times and has actors who portray people such as Ben Franklin.
* Of course, Montgomery has all kinds of Civil Rights landmarks and Alabama history. You can also visit Hank Williams' grave.
* If you like wine, Talladega and Harpersville both have wineries.
* You can tour the Honda plant in Lincoln. There's also lots of cool stuff in Anniston.

I'm not sure if you are aiming for outdoors activities or indoors, but these are just a few of the places you can find listed on www.touralabama.com

I would also recommend the book "Alabama curiosities : quirky characters, roadside oddities & other offbeat stuff" by Andy Duncan. The Birmingham Public Library owns several copies.

Please let me know if you need more information. Thanks for writing.

Leslie