Alabama Road Trip: Where History Meets Hospitality

After flying into Nashville International Airport (BNA), rent a car and start your Alabama road trip. Begin in Huntsville, nicknamed “Rocket City” for its history of innovation in space exploration. Start at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center to admire notable spacecraft and learn about what it takes to be an astronaut. Before you leave, catch an immersive show in the INTUITIVE Planetarium. Just ten minutes away, visit the Huntsville Botanical Garden, home to one of the largest butterfly houses in the country and a collection of wonderfully themed gardens. Round out your day with an evening at the Downtown Quigley Arts & Entertainment District. Pop into the charming boutiques, stop into one of the local restaurants for a bite to eat, or grab a coffee or craft beer to enjoy on a walking tour of the district’s Secret Art Trail.

From Huntsville, it’s only about an hour to Muscle Shoals, often called the “Hit Recording Capital of the World”. There, you’ll find FAME Recording Studios, one of the USA’s most pivotal music studio – it’s where the funky “Muscle Shoals sound” of the ‘60s was born and where influential artists like Aretha Franklin, the Allman Brothers and Willie Nelson recorded some of their biggest hits. Just a couple of miles away is Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, nicknamed the “Abbey Road of Alabama”. Founded in 1969 by the Swampers, the renowned studio musicians who helped create the Muscle Shoals sound at FAME, this newer studio continued the area’s tradition of musical excellence. Both venues offer guided tours of their offices and studios daily.

Next, head to Florence to see the W.C. Handy Birthplace, Museum and Library. Housed in the log cabin where the "Father of the Blues" himself was born, this museum preserves artifacts from his life and explores the profound impact of his music on U.S. culture. Tuck in for the night at a luxurious room in the GunRunner Boutique Hotel or a music-themed suite at the Renaissance Shoals Hotel & Spa.

Venture two hours southeast of Muscle Shoals until you reach Birmingham. Your first stop in town is the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, where you’ll admire the world’s largest motorcycle collection as well as restored vintage sports cars. Check the calendar before you visit and plan to catch a spectator motorsport event at the Barber Motorsports Park onsite.

Birmingham was a center point for activists during the Civil Rights Movement of the mid-20th century, and many pivotal sites and stories are commemorated at stops along the U.S. Civil Rights Trail. One of the standout attractions along the trail is the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, part of the larger Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument. This Smithsonian-affiliated museum explores Black history in Birmingham through multimedia galleries and artifacts, including the jail cell where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” Continue your exploration at Kelly Ingram Park, the site of many student Civil Rights protests. Today, sculptures and interpretive signage commemorate the events of the Children's March of 1963 which was met with police violence.

From Birmingham, drive an hour and a half to the capital city of Montgomery, where Hank Williams, Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. all made history. A great first stop is the Hank Williams Museum, where you’ll find artifacts from the life and legacy of the influential Alabama-born country singer, including his signature blue Cadillac. Like Birmingham, Montgomery is home to many U.S. Civil Rights Trail locations, including the Rosa Parks Museum and the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church. Your journey continues at the Legacy Museum, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice and the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park, three impactful sites that provide insightful experiences for those wishing to learn more about the fight to end slavery and racial discrimination in the USA. The trio, known as the Legacy Sites, offer free shuttle service between them. After exploring these pivotal histories, cap off your day whitewater rafting at Montgomery Whitewater, listening to music at Jerry’s Juke Joint or taking a peaceful boat ride along the Alabama River on the Harriott II Riverboat.

Venture south to Mobile, a welcoming melting pot of culture on the Gulf of America. The city’s French, Spanish, British and African influences are perhaps most evident downtown, where you can explore local history at the Conde-Charlotte Museum, discover the origins of Mardi Gras at the Mobile Carnival Museum and admire picturesque oak trees and decorative iron benches in Bienville Square. Stop for lunch to enjoy freshly caught seafood, delivered to local restaurants daily. From there, spend some time in Africatown. This neighborhood is only remaining community in the United States built by African men and women who arrived on the last slave ship to enter the USA; visit the Africatown Heritage House to learn more about this legacy at award-winning gallery Clotilda: the Exhibition. Enjoy breathtaking views of the Mobile Tensaw River Delta on an airboat, kayak or boat tour. It’s one of the largest wetlands in the USA and is so ecologically diverse it’s been nicknamed “America's Amazon.” More fresh air awaits a short ferry ride away on Dauphin Island, a birding paradise boasting white sand beaches.

Your Alabama road trip comes to an end at the popular beachfront towns Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. With 51 kilometers of white sand Gulf Coast beaches, this area feels like paradise. Take a sightseeing cruise on the turquoise waters to spot dolphins or just enjoy colorful sunset views. History buffs can’t miss a visit to the Fort Morgan State Historic Site, an 1834-built military outpost that played a role in the Civil War, Spanish American War and World Wars I and II. Take a tour of the concrete artillery batteries and see preserved artifacts in an onsite military history museum. Round out your day at The Wharf Entertainment District, where waterfront shopping and dining opportunities abound. You can see a show at the Wharf Amphitheater, ride the Ferris wheel and end your night with a laser light show.

Keep your Southern road trip going with a connection to New Orleans, Louisiana. Drive back to Mobile to catch the Amtrak Mardi Gras Service, a twice-daily passenger train to New Orleans with several stops along the Mississippi Gulf Coast in between. Spend some time exploring the historic architecture and musical streets of New Orleans before taking your flight home from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY).