Content produced in partnership with Alabama Tourism
Alabama is the heart of an epic Southern USA road trip. Travel south on Interstate 65 from Nashville to Sweet Home Alabama. First up is Muscle Shoals, home to the famous recording studios where Aretha Franklin, the Rolling Stones, Etta James, and others recorded hit songs, earning it the nickname the “Hit Recording Capital of the World.” In Huntsville, visit the U.S. Space & Rocket Center—the world’s largest space museum—and enjoy an immersive experience in “Rocket City.”
In North Alabama, explore thousands of waterfalls, hiking and biking trails, state parks, wineries, and excellent restaurants. In Central Alabama, savour award-winning cuisine in Birmingham, known as the “Dinner Table of the South,” and visit Barber Vintage Motorsports, the world’s largest motorcycle museum. Explore the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Kelly Ingram Park, and the 16th Street Baptist Church—all part of the National Civil Rights District. In Montgomery, walk in the footsteps of giants like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and see the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church and the Rosa Parks Museum on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail, along with numerous museums in a friendly, walkable downtown.
Reach the southern end of I-65 in Mobile, a key port city for over three centuries, the birthplace of Mardi Gras in America, and one of the country’s oldest cities. Stroll through picturesque antebellum homes and neighbourhoods, visit the historic USS Alabama Battleship & Memorial Park, and explore Africatown, the only surviving community in America founded by Africans and a cultural landmark. Go a few miles east to the beach resort cities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, where vast stretches of sugar-white sand beaches meet the warm Gulf waters. New Orleans is just a short drive west of Mobile.
Alabama and New Orleans Create a Perfect Twin City Getaway. For an easy twin city train holiday, Alabama is the ideal spot. New Orleans and Alabama share a common history, culture, and cuisine. Fly into New Orleans, explore the city, and take the Amtrak Mardi GrasService to Mobile, where you can experience the birthplace of Mardi Gras in America and visit the Mobile Carnival Museum year-round. Savour fresh seafood and flavourful dishes influenced by Spanish, French, and African cultures in Mobile, a city “Born to Celebrate”! Add Alabama’s beaches for a few more days of relaxing on the sugar-white sands of the Gulf.
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