The Heart of Dixie - Alabama. (USA part ii, chapter i)

Alabama State Flag

Background.
Ask most Americans and the typical reply your will get is that there is nothing in Alabama that is of special interest to the tourist.  Yet tourism happens to be the biggest business in the state, generating well over US$ 10 billion in revenue each year.

The key to Alabama's attractiveness as a tourist destination is above all its rural and agricultural orientation punched with great hospitality, delectable cuisine, top notch hotels and resorts, and a globally known events calender with many festivals and performances thrown in.

De Soto Falls Alabama, northern Alabama

For tortured souls tired of city lights, Alabama is the place to reclaim your sang-froid. From the fresh crisp air of the mountain and lakes of north-central Alabama to the glistening sun soaked beaches of the state's southern Gulf Coast. Alabama has a whole dazzling array of attractions to offer the tourist seeking solace in Nature's arms. It is also a state with a rich history and heritage. So whether it's just a weekend trip or a longer holiday, a break or holiday in Alabama doesn't have to hurt your pocket - you can have a wonderful time at a much lower cost than other destinations.

From museums to flea markets, from golf to motor sports or greyhound racing, from battleship Alabama to the US Army Aviation Museum, and even natural history museums and the estuarium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Alabama has something to offer tourists and visitors of every taste and predilection.

USS Alabama (battleship)

For bargain hunters, Fleamarket Mobile offers the biggest opportunity with it being the the largest such market on the Gulf Coast. Similarly for those interested in education and museums, there is something for everyone. Natural history, political history or military history - you name it and there are museums that will satisfy your curiosity.

For culture lovers there is the Alabama Shakespeare Festival which is the only the only professional theatre is the USA that has a live-in acting troupe which stages a rotating repertory of classical works. Then there is the F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum, and don't forget Ivy Green, the birthplace of the legendary Helen Keller.

There is a lot for sports lovers too. While the Alabama Sport Hall of Fame highlights the feats of such sporting greats as Jesse Owens, the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and the Barber Vintage Motorsports Park and Museum are a must visit for petrol-heads. And of course there is the Birmingham Greyhound Race Track for those interested in dog racing.

Alabama beaches are possibly the best on the Gulf Coast

For a stage that has given the World such literary
masterpieces as "To Kill A Mockingbird", there is a lot for the literary minded. But leaving aside the more serious stuff, the stout-hearted tourist looking for literary entertainment of the macabre kind can also try their luck at collecting the innumerable ghost stories that Alabama people are wont to tell. So if you are looking for an outing that you can enjoy without bothering too much about the hole in your pocket, just think about Alabama.

Getting there.
You can fly into the USA to one of its major international hubs. There are then onward connections to either Birmingham, Alabama's largest city or to Montgomery, the state capital.

For airlines, available flights, and the best prices to Alabama just click on:

www.globaltraveldeals.biz

You can book straight on line through the website.

Where to stay.
There are over 850 hotels to choose from in Alabama, from 1 star up to 4 star. Prices range from £22.00 per night up to £163.00 per night. To see a complete run down of the hotels why not click on:

www.globaltraveldeals.biz

All hotels listed on www.globaltraveldeals.biz also have guest ratings and photos of key features of each hotel listed.

And finally.....
During my research for Alabama and other US states, there is so much information that I will have to do each US state in chapters. In chapter ii I will be covering the three distinctive areas of Alabama. So until the next post,

Bon voyage!