Red Mountain Park: The Ideal Weekend Destination!

Looking for a way to enjoy this fantastic Memorial Day Weekend?

You need to visit Red Mountain Park.

On Sunday, My husband Chris and I set off for grand adventure: Zip Lining at the park (along with our giveaway winners, the Haleys.) We dumped our kids with the grandparents at Church, and as they would be spending the night, we had an entire date day and night ahead of us.

So clearly, we skipped with giddiness, Hansel-And-Gretel-Style, down the trail.



Aside from the Zip Lining, the trails alone are a fantastic reason to visit the park. Winding along the ridges of Red Mountain, there are currently ten miles of trails with two scenic overlooks and three historic Ore Mines. There’s even a treehouse that I have yet to discover – I have a feeling that I'll come across something new on every visit to the park!

It was a perfect day for our adventures - slightly hazy, on the verge of rain but never even sprinkling, and feeling nearly temperatureless.

(At least that’s what we call it, regardless of it’s scientific incorrectness.)

We arrived, signed our waiver agreeing that we would sue not for, among other things, panic and/or hurt feelings, death, or unwelcome touching (SPOILER: none of which happened), then hiked to the zip lining location with our two guides, David and Katie. The walk was relaxing, the forest was breathtaking, and the platforms high in the trees beckoned.




I got hooked up and to the top of the first platform. I was swimming in excitement – I adore heights of all kinds.



I looked down at Chris, who isn’t quite as in love with heights as I, but fortunately, he seemed equally excited.



We zipped across the first line, and it was amazing. We went much faster than I thought we would, and landing (and staying landed) was a challenge in itself (one which, by the end of the course, I found myself to be quite the expert at. Not that I would brag.)

After the first zip was a rope bridge. And by rope, I mean a singular piece of rope.



It was somehow easier than I expected, and then we were back to zipping.

Chris managed to get one photo of me zipping, though not nearly as graceful and free-feeling as I imagined that I looked.



I promise. I really looked like this on every other zip.



Three of the zip lines were very long, and let us coast at up to sixty feet in the air. It was indescribably exhilarating to fly through.





The course (which consisted of seven zip lines, the rope bridge, and one rope swing) ended at the Hugh Kaul Beanstalk Forest, the other adventure available at Red Mountain Park. Seeing the course got me excited to try it, as well.




We rappelled off of the last platform breathless, excited, and more than a little shiny.



I am so excited that Birmingham now has the wealth that is Red Mountain Park, and I plan to spend many days there this summer exploring their fantastic trails and adventures. I hope you join us!

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Disclosure: I was given two passes to try the zip lines, as well as two to give away on my blog. But I’ve been itching to try it for a while anyway, and will definitely be zipping again. All opinions are my own.

Hidden Alabama Gem: High Falls Park.

My family has visited Buck’s Pocket State Park in North Alabama annually since I was six years old. I have enjoyed introducing my own children to our hidden state park, and just visited again this past weekend.

While we were there, My Dad wanted to visit a nearby scenic spot, High Falls Park in Geraldine, Alabama. I had no idea it existed, but Dad had seen the signs for it on the way in and wanted to see what it was.

He and I drove less than ten minutes away from our regularly attended park and pulled up into a parking lot with several other cars, which actually surprised us.

If we didn’t know of this place, how did others?

Apparently we aren’t the most informed people in the state.

We walked down a path and got our first peek at the falls. Even though it was low water season, it was stunning:
 
There were people braver than us climbing and jumping off of the rocks, seemingly having a fantastic time:


We walked across the foot bridge, which was set upon the foundations of a former covered bridge.


When we looked to our left, we saw a calm stream.


To our right, the top of the falls.


There were paths on the other side of the bridge, offering beautiful views in every direction.


We walked back across and to the top of the falls.


To the right of the falls was a stunning natural stone arch, much more impressive than any man-engineered arch.

 
There was the clothes-strewing rock,


And a group of people rotating from top to bottom (at a very fast pace), and enjoying the beautiful vistas.

 

According to the information at the park, the base of the falls also starts an amazing whitewater kayaking run, including a Class VI section.

Clearly, I need to get some courage and come back, both for the jumping and the kayaking.

Amy's Extraordinary Alabama: Fort McClellan

By Amy

"Why is it I only realize how much I miss the foothills of my childhood when I return for a visit?" I posted this question on twitter and Facebook during a recent visit to my parents'. To which a dear friend replied: "that's why they call it home."

I travel ninety miles to visit my parents every couple of months. A few weeks ago when I went I took a new route for part of the journey. One that took me through an old military base that closed in 1999. As I drove through an area of Fort McClellan I had never seen I was struck by how time had changed the area surrounding my childhood home.

I visited the base as a child. My dad as a member of the National Guard had privileges on base, but my visual knowledge of the base was limited. Driving along an area in the eastern part I realized the government owned some of the most beautiful land in our county. Untouched by habitation or development.

When it was announced in 1997 that Fort McClellan would close everyone worried what impact it would have economically. I haven't studied the economic impact now twelve years later, but it seems that the county is doing as well as any other area in the country considering all things. While a portion of the base belongs to the Alabama National Guard the majority of it has been given to the city. Many of the homes are being remodeled. Businesses are moving in.

I saw signs of growth. Base homes remodeled and sold. The senior officers area known as Buckner Circle showing signs of life. These more upscale homes of the base restored and now home to civilian families. Bicycles and swing sets dot the back yards.

Time has transformed these areas.

Yet other areas remain abandoned. As the detour wound me through the base I was struck by the dichotomy, the juxtaposition of it all. Vines overgrown, grass too high around buildings now empty with stories untold.

Time transformed. Time abandoned.

To view more of these photos visit the set on my Flickr here. I'll also be sharing more photos I took from other areas of the county in the coming days.

Staycation Ideas in Gadsden

By Micha



With the gas prices rising taking a vacation hundreds of miles from home may not be in the budget. That doesn’t mean that you have to sit at home all summer. There are many inexpensive places to go and things to do in Gadsden.

Gadsden is well known for Riverfest every June and as a part of the World's Longest Yard Sale, but those aren't the only source of Summer fun. Find seven different places to explore in Gadsden for under $10 a person at Staycation Fun in Gadsden.

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Do you have great places to visit and inexpensive vacation ideas in your part of Alabama? Share them with us at Alabama Bloggers!

Visiting Pisgah – Gorham’s Bluff.

When people start listing off the great destinations in our state, Pisgah is not usually on the top of the list.

But if you’re looking for a stunning panorama and a cozy place to retreat to, it should be.

My husband and I made our first trip to Pisgah when we stayed at Gorham’s Bluff for our tenth anniversary a couple of weeks ago. Part Bed and Breakfast, part cottage community, it is completely fabulous.

The views down into the valley are stunning:

And the Bed and Breakfast is delightfully eerie on a foggy day…

And the perfect southern mansion on a clear day.

Thanks to the excellent service of Executive Chef Keith Izydore, the meals provided are worth the trip by themselves.

We enjoyed the Full American Package, which is all three meals (which I highly recommend, since once you get to Gorham’s Bluff, you're at least 20 miles from any other eating establishment.)

Our lunch was a gourmet boxed lunch that we enjoyed in our cottage,

and we ate our dinner and breakfast in the Bed and Breakfast’s main Dining Room.

Although we would have stayed at the Bed and Breakfast had their been a room available, we ended up in a cottage, and we were so glad we did – having our own space really helped us relax and retreat.

All of the vistas are spectacular,

as is the architecture of the houses.

There are also plenty of nature trails, some even going down into the bluff where a waterfall can be found:

Pisgah is near Scottsboro, Alabama, and a little over two hours from Birmingham. If you’re looking for a gorgeous place to take a weekend trip, I highly recommend it!

What great Alabama vacation secrets do you know?

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I was not compensated in any way, or even requested to write this review. My opinions are always my own.