BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA HOTELS
By Lynn Grisard Fullman
BIRMINGHAM HOTELS
Your family will be amazed at all that Birmingham offers. With mild
year-round climate, the north-central Alabama city is a logical
springboard for exploring nearby attractions in Montevallo
(American Village that teaches about our nation's beginnings),
Tuscaloosa (home to the University of Alabama, the Paul "Bear"
Bryant Museum, a great children's museum); Cheaha Mountain
(the state's highest point), Bessemer (with Visionland Theme and
Water Park) and Vance (with the only Mercedes-Benz museum
outside Germany).
Once you begin traipsing around Birmingham, you'll likely be
surprised at all that the progressive southern city has to offer.
Begin by checking out the city's most visible landmark. Standing
atop Red Mountain, Vulcan is the largest cast-metal statue in the
world. Pantless from behind, the newly renovated statue and
surrounding park reopened in early 2004. Ride the elevator to the
statue's top for a view of downtown, then enjoy a shade-covered
picnic below.
In downtown Birmingham, McWane Center is a hands-on, creative
place in a renovated department store. Permanent and visiting
exhibits and an IMAX theater are captivating to inquiring minds of
all ages. Here kids may touch, tug, pull, romp and learn about
science, space, fish, streams, and newspapering.
BIRMINGHAM HOTELS
The lessons are haunting downtown at the Birmingham Civil
Rights Institute which remembers key events in the civil-rights
struggle. Self-guided tours end with a view of the adjacent
Sixteenth Street Baptist Church where four young girls were killed
in a 1963 bombing that turned the nation's and the world's
attention to Birmingham. Exhibits focus on the history of
African-American life and the struggle for civil rights.
A couple of blocks south, the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame salutes
jazz artists with ties to Alabama. Interactive exhibits make it a fun
place for children to learn about legends such as Nat King Cole,
Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton and Erskine Hawkins.
While downtown, check out the Birmingham Museum of Art. The
Southeast's largest municipal museum holds a nationally-
recognized permanent collection of more than 21,000 works of art
dating from ancient to modern times, from cultures across the
globe. Save time for the Sculpture Garden and linger in the
American Art, Asian, Wedgwood, Contemporary Art, 18th Century
French Painting and Decorative Arts, Renaissance Art, and Native
American Art collections. A few blocks away, the Alabama Sports
Hall of Fame and Museum remembers great athletes -- Hank
Aaron, "Bear" Bryant, Joe Louis, Willie Mays, Joe Namath, Jesse
Owens, among them -- who were born or played in Alabama.
Near the airport, the Southern Museum of Flight showcases
vintage aircraft, engines and models and pays tribute to aviation
pioneers. Save time for the kids' area with loads of Legos and
several flight simulators.
South of town, the Birmingham Zoo is home to hundreds of wild
animals. Visit the alligator swamp. Feed the lorikeets in an
interactive aviary. Check out a naturalistic exhibit with giraffes,
greater kudu, gazelles and ostriches. Take a ride aboard a
miniature train and pet creatures in the children's zoo.
Romp, play and explore at Ruffner Mountain, the country's second
largest urban nature preserve. The 1,000-acre urban forest is five
minutes east of the city center. Several miles of hiking trails trace
the ridgetop and valleys; one trail ends at a spectacular overlook
with a view of the city. Check out the small nature center with
educational exhibits and gift shop, then enjoy a covered picnic
pavilion.
Hike, bike, swim, stay overnight in a cabin at Alabama's largest
state park. South of downtown, Oak Mountain State Park has
vacation cottages, golf, improved camping, picnicking, tennis,
swimming, boating, fishing, hiking, backpacking, a demonstration
farm and horseback riding facilities.
If your family likes to shop, you'll enjoy The Summit with stores
such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Parisian and Old Navy; the Riverchase
Galleria anchored by Rich's, Parisian, JC Penny, McRae's and
Sears, and Colonial Brookwood Village with Parisian and Rich's.
You'd be wise to pack your appetite when visiting Birmingham.
Nowhere are the fried green tomatoes better than at the Irondale
Cafe that inspired writer/actress Fannie Flagg's "Fried Green
Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe." After that down-home food,
head to Highlands Bar and Grill owned by Frank Stitt whom Bon
Appetit magazine called "Alabama's hottest chef." You'll find great
Greek food at Nabeel's Cafe in Homewood and ribs known the
world over at Dreamland Barbecue. In 2005, the state celebrates
the Year of the Food with a host of special events and festivals.
If you want to swing through town, tee off at Oxmoor Valley Golf
Course. Part of the state-wide Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, the
public, 54-hole course is carved from the peaks and valleys of the
Appalachians. (The eight-course, 324-hole trail includes courses
in Huntsville, Anniston/Gadsden, Auburn/Opelika, Greenville,
Dothan, Mobile and Prattville.)
You'll likely leave Birmingham wishing for more time to explore.
But, not to worry. You can return. And, when you do, you surely will
be welcome; because Birmingham is known for its southern
hospitality.
For more information, contact the Greater Birmingham Convention
and Visitors Bureau at 888-SO-SWEET (U.S. only); 205-458-8000
(outside U.S.) or log onto www.sweetbirmingham.com. For
Alabama information, call 800-ALABAMA or log onto
www.800alabama.com.
BIRMINGHAM HOTELS
CHEAP BIRMINGHAM HOTELS
BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA HOTELS
BIRMINGHAM HOTELS
CHEAP BIRMINGHAM HOTELS
BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA HOTELS
BIRMINGHAM HOTELS
CHEAP BIRMINGHAM HOTELS
BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA HOTELS
By Lynn Grisard Fullman
BIRMINGHAM HOTELS
Your family will be amazed at all that Birmingham offers. With mild
year-round climate, the north-central Alabama city is a logical
springboard for exploring nearby attractions in Montevallo
(American Village that teaches about our nation's beginnings),
Tuscaloosa (home to the University of Alabama, the Paul "Bear"
Bryant Museum, a great children's museum); Cheaha Mountain
(the state's highest point), Bessemer (with Visionland Theme and
Water Park) and Vance (with the only Mercedes-Benz museum
outside Germany).
Once you begin traipsing around Birmingham, you'll likely be
surprised at all that the progressive southern city has to offer.
Begin by checking out the city's most visible landmark. Standing
atop Red Mountain, Vulcan is the largest cast-metal statue in the
world. Pantless from behind, the newly renovated statue and
surrounding park reopened in early 2004. Ride the elevator to the
statue's top for a view of downtown, then enjoy a shade-covered
picnic below.
In downtown Birmingham, McWane Center is a hands-on, creative
place in a renovated department store. Permanent and visiting
exhibits and an IMAX theater are captivating to inquiring minds of
all ages. Here kids may touch, tug, pull, romp and learn about
science, space, fish, streams, and newspapering.
BIRMINGHAM HOTELS
The lessons are haunting downtown at the Birmingham Civil
Rights Institute which remembers key events in the civil-rights
struggle. Self-guided tours end with a view of the adjacent
Sixteenth Street Baptist Church where four young girls were killed
in a 1963 bombing that turned the nation's and the world's
attention to Birmingham. Exhibits focus on the history of
African-American life and the struggle for civil rights.
A couple of blocks south, the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame salutes
jazz artists with ties to Alabama. Interactive exhibits make it a fun
place for children to learn about legends such as Nat King Cole,
Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton and Erskine Hawkins.
While downtown, check out the Birmingham Museum of Art. The
Southeast's largest municipal museum holds a nationally-
recognized permanent collection of more than 21,000 works of art
dating from ancient to modern times, from cultures across the
globe. Save time for the Sculpture Garden and linger in the
American Art, Asian, Wedgwood, Contemporary Art, 18th Century
French Painting and Decorative Arts, Renaissance Art, and Native
American Art collections. A few blocks away, the Alabama Sports
Hall of Fame and Museum remembers great athletes -- Hank
Aaron, "Bear" Bryant, Joe Louis, Willie Mays, Joe Namath, Jesse
Owens, among them -- who were born or played in Alabama.
Near the airport, the Southern Museum of Flight showcases
vintage aircraft, engines and models and pays tribute to aviation
pioneers. Save time for the kids' area with loads of Legos and
several flight simulators.
South of town, the Birmingham Zoo is home to hundreds of wild
animals. Visit the alligator swamp. Feed the lorikeets in an
interactive aviary. Check out a naturalistic exhibit with giraffes,
greater kudu, gazelles and ostriches. Take a ride aboard a
miniature train and pet creatures in the children's zoo.
Romp, play and explore at Ruffner Mountain, the country's second
largest urban nature preserve. The 1,000-acre urban forest is five
minutes east of the city center. Several miles of hiking trails trace
the ridgetop and valleys; one trail ends at a spectacular overlook
with a view of the city. Check out the small nature center with
educational exhibits and gift shop, then enjoy a covered picnic
pavilion.
Hike, bike, swim, stay overnight in a cabin at Alabama's largest
state park. South of downtown, Oak Mountain State Park has
vacation cottages, golf, improved camping, picnicking, tennis,
swimming, boating, fishing, hiking, backpacking, a demonstration
farm and horseback riding facilities.
If your family likes to shop, you'll enjoy The Summit with stores
such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Parisian and Old Navy; the Riverchase
Galleria anchored by Rich's, Parisian, JC Penny, McRae's and
Sears, and Colonial Brookwood Village with Parisian and Rich's.
You'd be wise to pack your appetite when visiting Birmingham.
Nowhere are the fried green tomatoes better than at the Irondale
Cafe that inspired writer/actress Fannie Flagg's "Fried Green
Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe." After that down-home food,
head to Highlands Bar and Grill owned by Frank Stitt whom Bon
Appetit magazine called "Alabama's hottest chef." You'll find great
Greek food at Nabeel's Cafe in Homewood and ribs known the
world over at Dreamland Barbecue. In 2005, the state celebrates
the Year of the Food with a host of special events and festivals.
If you want to swing through town, tee off at Oxmoor Valley Golf
Course. Part of the state-wide Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, the
public, 54-hole course is carved from the peaks and valleys of the
Appalachians. (The eight-course, 324-hole trail includes courses
in Huntsville, Anniston/Gadsden, Auburn/Opelika, Greenville,
Dothan, Mobile and Prattville.)
You'll likely leave Birmingham wishing for more time to explore.
But, not to worry. You can return. And, when you do, you surely will
be welcome; because Birmingham is known for its southern
hospitality.
For more information, contact the Greater Birmingham Convention
and Visitors Bureau at 888-SO-SWEET (U.S. only); 205-458-8000
(outside U.S.) or log onto www.sweetbirmingham.com. For
Alabama information, call 800-ALABAMA or log onto
www.800alabama.com.
BIRMINGHAM HOTELS
CHEAP BIRMINGHAM HOTELS
BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA HOTELS
BIRMINGHAM HOTELS
CHEAP BIRMINGHAM HOTELS
BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA HOTELS
BIRMINGHAM HOTELS
CHEAP BIRMINGHAM HOTELS
BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA HOTELS
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