Northern Alabama has a little bit of everything for your next vacation, from a top space program museum to forests and a scenic canyon, from historical museums to friendly towns.
www.spacecamp.com
Whether you’ll have kids in tow or not, you’ll want to head to the U.S. Space &Rocket Center in Huntsville. Ride a launch simulator and see Mercury and Gemini capsule trainers, the Apollo 16 capsule and a life-size replica of the Apollo Saturn V. And see what it takes for your youngsters to attend Space Camp.
www.huntsville.org
Check out some of the other things to see and do in Huntsville, home of attractions including historical museums, parks and gardens. Rail fans can head for the Huntsville Depot &Museum. And if this is going to be the home base for your travels in the area, this Web site also has tips for places to stay and eat.
www.touralabama.org/regions/mountains
Then it’s time to get out and explore. Alabama Mountains Region from the state travel department has links to some of the high points, such as the scenic Little River Canyon National Preserve. There’s also a handy map you can enlarge, and a search function to locate details on attractions and events. Bookmark this Web site for future reference on Alabama’s other tourist regions.
www.alabamatravel.org/tourism.html
See a town in the area that you might want to explore? The Alabama Travel Council has a set of links to local tourism offices in towns across the state.
www.alapark.com
Alabama State Parks has an array of destinations in the northern part of the state, including the new Cathedral Caverns and Lake Guntersville, where you can hike, golf, fish or just enjoy the scenery. If hiking is your thing, look to the bottom of the page and click on “Trails.”
www.dcnr.state.al.us
Take along your fishing gear, or consider hunting. The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has what you need to know about licenses and regulations. And if you just want to hunt with your camera, click on “Watchable Wildlife” for the North Alabama Birding Trail or the Highland Flyers Trail.
gorp.away.com/gorp/location/al/al.htm
www.rvpark.com/alabama.htm
For more outdoors tips, GORP’s Alabama section can tell you about the region’s rivers, national forests and more. And if you’re thinking of carrying a tent, towing a camper or driving an RV, Alabama Campgrounds and RV Parks has tips on places to pitch or park.
Roger Petterson, Associated Press
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