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The people of Alabama never get tired of discussing such popular topics as racing and football. In addition, this region is proud of its fascinating and intricate history. There are many different landscapes on its territory, which begin at the spurs of the Appalachian Mountains and stretch to the subtropical coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Modern Alabama has inherited pre-war architecture, which many tourists come to see. The oldest carnival in the United States is Mardi Gras, which is held in Alabama. Thousands of travelers come for this event. Therefore, in this state you can always meet tourists from other countries.

Peculiarities

A feature of the state of Alabama is its space side. Almost every tourist can visit the Space Camp, this is a unique attraction. This place is especially liked by children because they love to explore the city of astronautics, where you can learn all the questions of space professions. The museum of the same name has a rich collection of spacecraft, where you can see the work of American astronauts and scientists.

What to see in Alabama

Dauphin Island is the main tourist attraction in Alabama. Here you can see several bird sanctuaries. At the same time, the Audubon Bird Sanctuary, which is spread over an area of ​​66 hectares, is considered the most important reserve. This is the best place for bird watching. Their rich variety is simply amazing. To date, about 347 species of birds have been recorded on this island. During the spring migration season, Dauphin Island is a stopover for many neotropical birds that migrate from the Yucatan Peninsula across the Gulf of Mexico. In addition, near Dauphin Island is Fort Gaines, which was built in 1821. The civil war took place in this historical place.

The Dauphin Island Sea Lab Aquarium is also worth a visit. Several historical sites deserve special attention. However, tourists are most attracted to the semi-desert beaches of the island, from where beautiful landscapes open up. Another historic fort in Mobile Bay, built in 1834, is Fort Morgan. Many scientists believe that this object is the best example of military architecture in the New World.

Cities in Alabama

The city of Montgomery is the administrative center of the state, and it also ranks second in terms of population. The city has a large-scale railway junction equipped with infrastructure. This state capital is considered an educational and commercial center. The main university of Alabama and five colleges are located in this city.

Despite the fact that Montgomery is the capital, the state has the city of Birmingham, which is no less popular. In terms of population, Birmingham surpasses even the capital of Alabama itself. There are approximately half a million people who work both in Birmingham itself and also in its surroundings. Basically, most of the population works in local industrial enterprises.

If you get to Huntsville, you can see the base of the US Space Center, this place is both a theme park and a science museum. Visitors are told about the development of the American lunar rocket, the Apollo mission, the space race, as well as other programs and developments in the field of astronautics. In addition, if you come to the NASA Space Center, you can relax on the rides, in the cinema or watch a special video presentation.

Alabama is a southern state and its official nickname is "Heart of the South". The name is taken from the language of one of the local Indian tribes, who called themselves "Alabama". These places were inhabited by several tribes before the Europeans; after the white people seized their territories, the Indians fought desperately, but were forced to leave for other states. Alabama is included in the list of states of the so-called Far, or Deep South - these are territories that are completely dependent on some kind of agriculture. The warm climate and humidity made Alabama a convenient place for growing cotton, so there were a lot of plantations, and therefore black slaves.

In addition to the obsession with football and racing - two topics that southerners never tire of discussing - Alabama boasts of its intricate and fascinating history. This territory was controlled by a variety of peoples - from the Indians to the Spaniards, but in the end Alabama became the 22nd state of the United States. A variety of landscapes - from the spurs of the Appalachian Mountains to the subtropical coast of the Gulf of Mexico, interesting architecture, museums (for example, the Space History Museum in Huntsville or the Carnival Museum in Mobile), nature in national reserves, water parks and America's oldest Mardi Gras carnival in Mobile attract Alabama has thousands of travelers from all over the world.

Major cities: Montgomery (capital), Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile, Tuscaloosa, Auburn, Dothan.

Alabama is the setting for To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Red Chief by O. Henry, and the movie Forrest Gump.

How to get there

• by car

You can get to Alabama through any of the neighboring states: a dense network of wide and small highways makes it possible to optimally plan a route to see everything that you have planned.

• by bus

Greyhound Lines is a carrier that connects cities and towns across the state. This company has bus stops in Anniston, Birmingham, Dothan, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery, Opelika, Selma, Troya, Tuscaloosa and Tuskegee.

• By train

Alabama is connected to other states by railroads, so you can get there from any city in the country.

• by plane

The largest international airport in the state is located in Birmingham. There are no direct flights from Russia to Alabama, usually 1-2 transfers are needed. You can fly here from Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia and other major US cities. Private flights are served by Huntsville International Airport and Mobile and Montgomery Regional Airports.

Search for flights to Birmingham, USA (nearest airport to Alabama)

Alabama Hotels

Entertainment and attractions in Alabama

Dauphin Island

One of the main attractions of the whole of Alabama is Dauphin Island in the Gulf of Mexico near the city of Mobile. There are several bird sanctuaries, the main of which is Audubon Bird Sanctuary with an area of ​​66 hectares. Dauphin Island is the best place for bird watching, the diversity of which is simply amazing (347 species recorded). During spring migration, Dauphin Island is the first stopping point for many neotropical birds that cross the bay from the Yucatán Peninsula.

In addition, Fort Gaines (1821), marked by the events of the American Civil War, and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab with an aquarium are located in Mobile Bay on Dauphin Island. It has its own airport and pier, several historical sites and restaurants, but most tourists are attracted by the "semi-desert" beaches of the island.

Coast of Dauphin Island

Birmingham

The symbol of the city of Birmingham and the largest cast-iron statue in the world is a giant (17 m) monument depicting Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and blacksmithing, erected in 1904. Now this "icon" of the country's metallurgical industry stands proudly in the center of the restored and expanded park and is now an integral part of the Vulcan Park & ​​Museum. At the Vulcan Museum, visitors will learn about Birmingham's legendary past during the discovery of coal, limestone and iron ore, as well as the life of ordinary miners.

US Space and Rocket Center

The US Space and Rocket Center is based in Huntsville - a science museum and a theme park at the same time. Here, visitors can learn about Huntsville's role in the American lunar rocket, the space race, the Apollo mission, the Space Shuttle program, and future NASA International Space Station missions, follow the milestones of space exploration, and see how engineers, scientists, and astronauts train in one from space camps. In addition, the space center has an IMAX cinema, rides, exhibitions and video presentations.

Hank Williams Museum

Montgomery is home to the Hank Williams Museum, dedicated to the short life and career of the American country singer. Among his personal belongings, a 1952 Cadillac stands out, in the back seat of which the singer died at the age of 29. Noteworthy are the Francis and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum, the museum of American black rights activist Rosa Parks, and the Museum of Fine Arts with works by American artists and sculptors.

Miniature city-park "Ave Maria Grotto"

In Cullman, it is worth visiting "Ave Maria Grotto" - a park with reduced copies of 125 religious buildings of the world. The overwhelming majority of the miniatures of the park are Roman Catholic churches and monasteries: St. Peter's Basilica, Montecassino Abbey and the grotto of the Holy Virgin Mary in Lourdes, the Alamo Mission Chapel in San Antonio. In addition, you can see mini-replicas of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Spanish missions, German castles, South African shrines, and even one pagan temple and the power plant of St. Bernard Abbey, where brother Joseph, the monk who created "Ave Maria Grotto", scattered coal with a shovel .

Mini-city "Ave Maria Grotto"

Beaches

The most popular beaches in Alabama are the beaches of the coastal cities of Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, famous for their white sand.

National parks and reserves

Alabama is home to several nature reserves and natural areas, including Little River Canyon National Wildlife Refuge near Fort Payne, Horseshoe Bend National Military Park near Alexander City, Russell's Cave near Bridgeport, Talladega Forest, and William B. Bankhead Forest. And one of the most unusual places in Alabama is the Wetumpka crater (Elmore County) with a diameter of 7.6 km and an age of about 83 million years.

The state of Alabama is located in the southeast of the United States with the main city of Montgomery. To the north lies the border with the state of Tennessee, to the east is Georgia, to the south - Florida, the western neighbor of Alabama is the state of Mississippi. The southern part of Alabama goes to the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

A large territory of the state is occupied by endless plains, in the northeast they are replaced by a long ridge of the Appalachian mountain ranges with the highest mountain Chiha and dense impenetrable forests.

The climate is mostly oceanic subtropical. Winters are quite warm, summers are hot with heavy rainfall.

The bulk of the population of Alabama are English-speaking whites, the rest - blacks, Indians, Spaniards.

State history

Before the advent of European colonizers, the lands of Alabama were inhabited by the Choctaw and Creek Indians.

In the middle of the 16th century, the Spaniards and French came here. The first European settlements began to appear on the territory of the modern state. As a result, part of the state became part of the Spanish colony, and part became the property of the French kingdom. At the end of the 18th century, France gave its colony to Great Britain. And a few decades later, the British were forced to return it to the United States. In 1813, the Spanish colony became part of the United States. And in 1819, Alabama was given the title of state.

For a long time, bloody wars were waged between the European invaders and the indigenous people. The final defeat of the Indians suffered in the battle of Horshu Bend. A huge stream of white emigrants rushed to Alabama. As a result, plantation slavery developed.

The flourishing of the economy and industry of the state began only at the end of the 20th century.

Currently, Alabama is a large industrial, historical and cultural region, with a fairly developed infrastructure.

State Attractions

The first stop in Alabama is Dauphin Island. There are several bird sanctuaries on its territory. In the small bay of Mobile is Fort Gaines, preserved from the time of the Civil War. And nearby nestled a large Marine laboratory. Its main decoration is a huge aquarium. On the territory of the island there are several cozy restaurants, historical museums and a small airport. A favorite place for tourists are its "half-abandoned" beaches.

Incredible interest is the city of Birmingham. His calling card is a huge cast-iron statue of Vulcan - God-smith, God of fire. Around the monument there is a magnificent park complex. The Volcano Museum operates on its territory, visiting which you can learn a lot of interesting things about the history and development of the city.

The famous US Space Center, located in the city of Huntsville, attracts great attention. Inside is a large themed museum. Here you can learn a lot about the development of American space, the production and testing of rockets.

The Hank William Museum, located in Montgomery, has gained great fame in Alabama. The exposition of the museum and its numerous exhibits are dedicated to the life and work of the famous American country singer.

A unique miniature "Ave Maria Grotto" was created in the city of Cullman. It is a tiny town that has gathered on its territory several dozen of the world's most famous buildings. Among them are the Leaning Tower of Pisa, ancient castles, Roman monasteries, the Alamo Chapel, St. Peter's Cathedral and many others.

One of Alabama's most scenic spots is its Little River Canyon Nature Reserve. It strikes with the diversity of flora and fauna. Of great interest is the natural monument "Russell's Cave". No less exciting is a trip to the crater of the Wetumpka volcano.

Recreation and entertainment

The famous resorts of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach attract lovers of extreme sports and beach holidays. Connoisseurs of a relaxing holiday will be able to soak up the sun or go fishing, and take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city. More active tourists are given the opportunity to try their hand at diving, sailing, surfing, yachting, windsurfing, kiting.

The most notorious brave men are given a chance to test themselves in paragliding, rafting, parachuting, kayaking and aircraft control.

And the magnificent ski resort in Menton gives you the opportunity to go skiing or snowboarding.

For health tourism enthusiasts, Chilton County is the place to go. On its territory there are several dozen healing mineral springs.

Fans of holidays and festivals must visit Montgomery.

Alabama is the birthplace of the famous American singer Hank William, as well as the famous football coach Beer Bryant.

Locals call Alabama the "Oatmeal State." It is known that the soldiers of the Confederate, during the Civil War, sewn to their uniforms small yellow patches, reminiscent of the wings of bunting. Hence the name of the state.

Did I ever think that one day I would end up in such assholes in the state of Alabama?! I couldn't even imagine. Although, to be honest, much that now seems familiar and ordinary, 20 years ago I would have seemed completely unrealistic and unrealistic.
Alabama, frankly, I was not shocked by anything. Nevertheless, visiting this state was curious and informative.

So Alabama.

Like the names of many other US states, the name of the state of Alabama comes from the name of the Indian people Alabama who lived on the lands of the present state of Alabama, in the upper reaches of the Alabama River.

Alabama has been a state since 1819 (the 22nd state).

The population of the state is about 5 million.

The state's official nicknames are "Heart of the South", "Cotton State".

For a long time, plantation slavery was the backbone of the state's economy. The development of industry began towards the end of the 19th century, but monoculture (cotton) led to a widespread depression in agriculture, exacerbated in 1915 by the invasion of cotton weevils.
Changes in the economy in the 1930s led to the development of energy and ferrous metallurgy.

This state is mentioned several times in literature and cinema:

Harper Lee's book To Kill a Mockingbird is set in Maycomb, Alabama.

Forrest Gump, the hero of the film of the same name, was born in the fictional Greenbow County, Alabama and attended the University of Alabama

In this state, the actions of O. Henry's book "The Leader of the Redskins" take place.

The band Lynyrd Skynyrd wrote the song "Sweet home Alabama", which they dedicated to the state of Alabama.

One of my favorite films is set in this state - Jonathan Lynn's wonderful comedy My Cousin Vinny, which is a must see in English. You can hear a southern American accent there. It was funny to hear such an accent from the people around us in Alabama, it felt like we were watching the sequel to this movie.

In the short episode below, the characters are introduced to the local food - grits (corn porridge). We had almost the same scene when we ordered a dish based on the picture, assuming that it included mashed potatoes. The waitress, when I asked what it was on the plate, asked us in response what hole we came from if we don’t know what grits is))

Montgomery is the capital and second most populous city of Alabama.

As the state capital, Montgomery influenced politics on a national level.
On February 4, 1861, representatives from Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina met in Montgomery to create the Confederate States of America. Montgomery was named the nation's first capital, and Jefferson Davis took office as president on the steps of the Confederate Capitol.

On April 12, 1865, after the Battle of Selma, Northern troops under the command of Major General James Wilson captured Montgomery.

The crosses on the grass are graves.

Flags of all the states of America flutter around the Capitol. The tallest, but lower than the American, flag of Alabama.

Passing by the flags, I noticed one of them, which somehow attracted me. She took a closer look at it when the wind blew it: a blue flag with yellow stars scattered on it. The drawing of the stars seemed to me similar to the constellation Ursa Major. I wonder what kind of flag this is and what state it symbolizes? Later I found the answer to my question.

It turned out to be the flag of Alaska. It was designed in 1926 by Benny Benson, a 13-year-old native of Alaska of Russian-Aleutian-Swedish origin, and in 1927 adopted as the official symbol of the Territory of Alaska, which became a state on January 3, 1959.

Eight gold (yellow) five-pointed stars are depicted on a blue background: seven stars depict the constellation Ursa Major, and one depicts the North Star in the upper right corner.

The Big Dipper symbolizes power, and the North Star symbolizes the north (Alaska is the northernmost state of the USA).

Alabama is the birthplace of iconic American country music artist Hank Williams.
He lived part of his life in Montgomery, where his museum is now located.

He lived only 29 years.

One of the attractions of the city is the Baptist Church on Dexter Avenue, pastored by Martin Luther King, the most famous African-American Baptist preacher, a bright speaker, the leader of the Black Civil Rights Movement in the United States.

In Montgomery, he led a major black protest against racial segregation in public transportation following the December 1955 incident with Rosa Parks. The Montgomery bus boycott, which lasted 381 days, despite the resistance of the authorities and racists, led to the success of the action - the US Supreme Court declared segregation in Alabama unconstitutional.

In general, the town is clean and pleasant. However, from the mid-1970s, Montgomery entered a period of decline. The departure of white residents to the suburbs led to a reduction in the tax base, an increase in the number of African Americans and the formation of vast black ghettos - to an increase in crime and unsanitary conditions, which, in turn, pushed the remaining whites to move.

In recent years, Montgomery has been actively trying to diversify its economy. Active restoration is underway in the city center. Previously abandoned buildings are being repaired, places for public recreation on the embankment are being created.

We went to look at the most expensive hotel in the city:

Well, yes, the lobby is impressive in its own way.

It is interesting to compare it with the fairly cheap hotel where we stayed. See how they contrast!

This is also a lobby. But how much nicer and cozier it is! At first glance, you can't even tell that this is a hotel!

Here is a brief introduction to Alabama and its capital, the city of Montgomery.

The Alabama Journey Continues!

State of Alabama

Alabama is located south of Tennessee, between the more eastern Georgia and the more western state of Mississippi. The eastern part of southern Alabama borders on Florida, and a small western section of the southern border is washed by the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The territory of Alabama is 131,334 square kilometers, in its jurisdiction is part of the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The state owes its name to the Alabama River, which, translated from the language of the Choctaw Indians, the indigenous inhabitants of these places, means "collector of plants." Obviously, this was the name of one of the Indian tribes.

The state's population is over 4.3 million, with more than a quarter of Alabamas being black Americans, making Alabama one of the "blackest" states in the US. Approximately 60 percent of the population lives in cities. The state capital is Montgomery with a population of about 190,000. In 1861, this city became the temporary capital of the Confederate South, for which both the city and the entire state are sometimes called the "cradle of the Confederation." In terms of population, Montgomery is ahead of the largest city in the state of Birmingham (300 thousand inhabitants), the same industrial working city as its older namesake in the UK, and Mobile (197 thousand inhabitants), the main port of Alabama.

The terrain in Alabama gradually declines from north to south. In the north of the state, the southern spurs of the Appalachian Mountains rise, but most of the state lies on the Mexican Lowland. Some of the central regions resemble hilly prairies, and in the Mobile River Delta, which flows into the Gulf, lie the most fertile lands of the state, included in the "black belt" (a strip of black soil) that runs along the Gulf of Mexico.

The state is located in the subtropical zone, which determines its climatic conditions: winters are short, without frost, but with heavy rains, and summers are long and very warm. Due to the softening action of the Atlantic Ocean, sweltering heat is rare here.

The state is called the "heart of Dixie", investing in this concept the idea of ​​​​the traditions of the slave-owning South, which fully manifested itself in the life of Alabama. The state owes this nickname to a song born among black slaves, which was so loved by Confederate soldiers and which was their battle anthem. According to one version, Dixie was a kind and fair owner of one of the Alabama plantations, who did not offend his slaves. Slaves and planters have long since passed into history, but some Alabama towns still retain their former southern charm, combining ease, elegant dignity and hospitality in their atmosphere.

The traditional crop grown in Alabama is cotton - from the beginning of the 19th to the beginning of the 20th century, it was he who determined the well-being of its inhabitants. Today, peanut and corn plantations also bring in significant income, but much of the previously cultivated land has been abandoned, overgrown with grass and began to be used as pasture for livestock. This did not happen because of the negligence of the locals. At the beginning of the 20th century, hordes of weevils attacked the cotton fields of Alabama, and those farmers who did not go bankrupt were forced to switch to animal husbandry and poultry farming. And yet, some former agricultural land was swallowed up by forests: nature took its toll, because previously almost all of Alabama was covered with pine forests that were cut down for plantations. Mass felling of the forest gave impetus to the development of the state's oldest industry - woodworking. Woodworking and paper making are now important to the state's economy, but now no one will thoughtlessly cut down the overgrown forests. It turned out that commercial wood can be obtained from artificial plantations, where they grow mainly fast-growing southern pine. New trees are being planted in place of clearings.

Alabama's industry began to develop fully only in the second half of the 20th century. On the territory of the state there are deposits of iron ore and coal, which made it possible to expand the production of iron and steel. However, in the 1970s, iron ore mining in the state ceased, and the existing smelters began to bring it from other places. The production of iron and steel gave Alabama a leading position among the states of the American South. Alabama's coal mines are the deepest in the US. The state ranks first in the US in terms of bauxite mining. The production of oil and gas from fields located in the southern part of the state, which began in the 1990s, also plays an important role. In Alabama, there are also food and light industries that operate mainly on local raw materials. The state is famous for the production of cotton yarn and cotton fabrics, as well as products from them and the products of tanneries. At the same time, rolled aluminum and copper, computers and all kinds of peripheral devices for them, space and aviation equipment, and car tires are produced here.

The first Europeans to set foot on the land of Alabama at the beginning of the 16th century were members of the Spanish expedition Panfilo de Narvaez, who explored the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. In 1539, the bloody De Soto passed here, arousing the hatred of the indigenous population. Because of his senseless cruelty, the Spaniards never managed to establish their settlements in Alabama. But the Indians borrowed horses and cattle from failed colonists. The real colonization of Alabama began with the arrival of the French in Louisiana, but the first French fort, Fort Louis, appeared on Alabama soil only in 1702. Seventeen years later, the first African slaves were brought to these lands, who were forced to clear forests for plantations and cultivate cotton on them. In 1763, Alabama passed to Britain, then for two decades, from 1783 to 1813, Spain again owned it, after which it went to the United States. Alabama received state status in 1819, but during the conflict between the North and the South, it was among the eleven renegade states that formed the Confederacy of the Southern States, but returned to the United States in 1868, retaining its historical serial number of the 22nd state.