Huntsville, Alabama

Well, what are you waiting for?

In the land of southern hospitality and rib-sticking meals, there’s quite an adventure awaiting you. Historic landmarks like the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, with one of only three worldwide displays of an authentic Saturn V moon rocket, and the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park are top attractions.

To best enjoy the temperate climate, take a side-trip to one of several botanical gardens or Bellingrath Gardens and Home just outside Mobile where there’s something in bloom every day of the year. For a cultural outing, the collection of museums and galleries is breathtaking.

You can’t make a trip to Mobile without anticipating the possibility of a Mobile Bay jubilee, when floods of crab, shrimp, flounder and other demersal fish surge to the shallow coastal waters. These jubilees occur up to several times a year, usually on a summer morning before sunrise with a gentle easterly wind and last only a few hours. Locals flock to the oceanside with baskets to scoop enough for a feast!

Foodies will relish Alabama’s culinary scene with a number of James Beard Award nominees and winners creating delectable plates, big and small.  As the country’s leading food expert in his time, James Beard once said, “Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” Although he wasn’t a Southerner, he sure thought like one!

From soul food to seafood, Alabama tables are set with the fresh local fare, whether from the farm or the Gulf Coast. All pair well with great meetings and good times. You’ll probably want to wash it down with a big glass of sweet iced tea.

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