One tank trip: Gadsden, Ala.

With the Coosa River at its heart and the Appalachian foothills at its edge, Gadsden was voted America’s Most Livable City in 2000. It’s a very visit-able city, too, with its historic downtown, nearby parks, a cultural arts center and the riverfront.

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Mary G. Hardin Center for Cultural Arts

The exterior of the Mary G. Hardin Center for Cultural Arts. On the left is the entrance to The Imagination Place Children’s Museum. Inside the Hardin Center is a popular restaurant — The Courtyard Cafe.

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see caption/LISA LOWE STAUFFER / AJC Special

The Open Window makes for a nice spot to stop during a stroll for people seeking pottery, cookware or gadgets for the kitchen.

Alabama travel stories

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Don’t Miss:

• Downtown: (www.downtowngadsden.org) Old-fashioned street lamps, wide sidewalks, historic buildings and boutiques make Broad Street a great place to stroll. Storefronts become a “virtual museum,” with displays from the Gadsden Museum of Art. Check out the Open Window (528 Broad St., 256-439-9440, www.theopenwindowgourmet.com) for pottery, cookware and gadgets for the kitchen. Nearby, the Museum Trading Co. (530 Broad St., 256-543-8100) sells one-of-a-kind artwork and jewelry.

• Mary G. Hardin Center for Cultural Arts: A courtyard connects several arts spaces at Fifth and Broad streets (www.culturalarts.org). If you’re traveling with kids, visit the Imagination Place Children’s Museum, a learning playground with lots of interactive stations.

(9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday. $5 adults, $4 children)

• The Gadsden Museum of Art: The institution is dedicated to local history and Southern artists with its collections of fine art and historic artifacts, as well as changing exhibits. (Note: The Gadsden Museum of Art will be closed Jan. 14 - March 9 for renovations.) 515 Broad St.,

256-546-7365, www.gadsden museum.com. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Free, donations welcome.

• Noccalula Falls Park: (reopens in March) Alabama’s No. 1 natural tourist attraction centers on a 90-foot waterfall complete with its legend of doomed Cherokee lovers. Visitors can tour the park by train, play miniature golf, see a pioneer village or wander through Noccalula’s botanical gardens. There’s also a 200-space RV campground. 1500 Noccalula Road, 256-549-4663. $6 adults, $3 children (4-12), mini golf extra. Daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (until 7 p.m. in summer), $15-20 camping.

• Lookout Mountain Parkway. The 93-mile scenic drive begins in Gadsden, passes through Georgia and ends near Chattanooga. It hosts “the world’s longest yard sale” in August. (www.127sale.com).

• Golf: Golfers have two scenic choices. The Silver Lakes Course (part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail) is a few miles south of Gadsden, at the edge of the Talledega National Forest, with views of the Appalachian foothills. (1 SunBelt Parkway, Glencoe. $43-$64 greens fees. 256-892-3268, www.rtjgolf.com/courses/silver_lakes). Twin Bridges Golf Course, a par 72, 18-hole course along the Coosa River, was designed by Gene Bates. It’s been designated an Audubon International Silver Signature Sanctuary for natural resource conservation. (901 River Bend Drive. $23-$42 greens fees. 256-549-4866, www.twinbridgesgolf.com)

• Riverfront: Walk along and across the Coosa River to a small island via the James D. Martin Wildlife Park & Walking Trail. To get there, follow U.S. 431 to Gadsden Mall. The boardwalk is behind the mall.

Lisa Lowe Stauffer is the author of www.Sweet-Tea-Travels.com, an online travel guide to the southeastern United States.