Alabama

The brainchild of Dr. David G. Bronner and funded by Retirement Systems of Alabama, the trail was created to boost tourism and the state’s economy. It seems to be doing just that as golfers continue to flock to courses located in Anniston, Auburn, Birmingham, Dothan, Greenville, Huntsville, Mobile, Point Clear, Prattville, Hoover and the Muscle Shoals/Florence area.

Golf World magazine ranked the Grand National in Auburn/Opelika as the top public course in the nation. Located near Montgomery, the three 18-hole courses at Capitol Hill in Prattville are favorites among golf aficionados. The average green fee along the trail is $50.

1-800-949-4444, www.rtjgolf.com.

2. Noccalula Falls Park

The Gadsden park’s 90-foot waterfall gets its name from the legend of a young Cherokee woman who dove to her death in the name of love. A statue of her stands next to the falls.

Walking paths provide a good view of the cascading water. Locals suggest visiting after a heavy rain, because the roar and mist of the falls will likely be at their peak. Yet, there’s more to see.

The mini golf course is just steps away from the falls. Sheila, an African lion, is one of several residents in the park’s animal habitat. Train-loving kids may want to hop aboard the replica C.P. Huntington train, which takes guests on a 1-mile ride around the grounds. During the holiday season, the property gets decked out in lights for the annual Christmas at the Falls event.

1500 Noccalula Road, Gadsden. 1-256-543-7412, www.cityofgadsden.com.

3. Magnolia Springs Bed & Breakfast

A vintage-style Southern getaway can be had approximately 9 miles north of Gulf Shores. Magnolia Springs remains one of the last towns in America with postal service by boat. That vintage air resonates throughout the tiny community, all the way down the oak-lined street that leads to this acclaimed bed-and-breakfast.

The former 19th-century plantation home with the wraparound porch offers five guest rooms. Owner David Worthington balances rustic with refinement, including cozy heart-pine floors and stained glass.

Area attractions, such as the undeveloped beaches of the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, are easily within reach. Special packages can include a hot air balloon ride and a guided boat tour along the Alabama coastal waterways.

14469 Oak St., Magnolia Springs. 1-800-965-7321, www.magnoliasprings.com.

4. USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park

The 175-acre park, which looks out onto Mobile Bay, lays claim to the USS Alabama. The battleship serves as a memorial to the service men and women of Alabama who served in the armed forces of the United States.

Self-guided tours allow guests to explore 12 decks of the super-size ship, including the engine room and bridge. A theater on board plays a film featuring reflections from some former crew members. The nearby aircraft pavilion features a bulk of the park’s aircraft, including a Vietnam River Patrol Boat.

The submarine USS Drum remains the oldest U.S. submarine on public display; it saw battle off the coast of Japan during World War II. The remainder of the park features an array of Coast Guard vessels, aircraft, military vehicles, Vietnam and Korean War memorials, a picnic area and a fishing pier.

You’ll see plenty of families milling about the park. That’s appropriate given the fact the USS Alabama may have never arrived if it weren’t for kids. In the 1960s, a group of Alabama schoolchildren raised a chunk of the initial money needed to help bring the battleship to Mobile Bay.

2703 Battleship Parkway, Mobile. 1-251-433-2703, www.ussalabama.com.

5. Sloss Furnaces

The towering smokestacks and massive machinery of Sloss Furnaces serve as a monument to the Industrial Revolution. For almost 90 years, Sloss Furnaces produced iron, and it’s been a museum since 1983.

Today folks can walk among approximately 40 buildings and the giant relics, including a pair of 400-ton blast furnaces. Free one-hour guided tours are given at 1, 2 and 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Self-guided tours can be taken with the aid of a cellphone Tuesdays through Sundays. Live iron pours occur in the fall and spring.

Want to make some ceramics, learn how to create a cast-iron bowl or acquire some creative welding skills? Classes and special events take place regularly. Concerts are known to rock among the ruins, too.

20 32nd St. N., Birmingham. 1-205-324-1911, www.slossfurnaces.com.

6. Cathedral Caverns State Park

As a roadside attraction, Cathedral Caverns, which sits 35 miles east of Huntsville, has more going for it than just its majestic interior. The cave stays 60 degrees all year, making it an even more attractive pit stop in the warmer months and not terribly cold during the chillier ones.

Visitors enter the cave through its enormous opening, which measures 126 feet wide and 25 feet high. A tour guide, usually equipped with trivia and quips, takes you on a 1.3-mile excursion into the cave. The trip takes place along a paved walkway, and it typically lasts between 75 and 90 minutes.

But make sure you’re up for the task. Cathedral Caverns has some pretty steep inclines and declines. The sites inside are plentiful. Staff members claim that a particular stalagmite, the looming one they call Goliath, is the largest of its kind in the world.

637 Cave Road, Woodville. 1-256-728-8193, www.alapark.com/cathedralcaverns.

7. Highlands Bar

and Grill

Chef Frank Stitt has received too many accolades by the James Beard Foundation to mention. That’s reason enough to dine at this convergence of French and Southern cuisines located in Birmingham’s Southside.

For more than 30 years, Stitt has been garnering a reputation, his versions of soft-shell crab, quail, Southern veggies and other dishes doing the heavy lifting. The meals land on white tablecloths where business types jaw over deals and couples gaze into each other’s eyes.

Cocktail fans prop their elbows on the marble bar, the stage for talented ’tenders to create the establishment’s trademark martini. Highlands is also known for its local ingredients, discerning wine list and desserts such as the crème brûlée. Guys, don’t forget the jacket.

2011 11th Ave. S., Birmingham. 1-205-939-1400, www.highlandsbarandgrill.com.

8. Alabama Shakespeare Festival

On paper, Montgomery may read like an odd place to honor the Bard, but this professional theater mecca delivers approximately 10 productions each year.

The venue boasts a pair of theaters. Larger productions mount on the Festival Stage, which seats nearly 800. The more intimate Octagon Stage accommodates more than 260 audience members.

An array of choices abound, including Broadway musicals, shows geared toward kids and plays by Shakespeare himself. Its Southern Writers’ Project gives contemporary scribes the opportunity to take their creations to the next level.

It all comes together at the Festival of New Plays Weekend each spring. Those looking for dinner and drinks before or after a show can step into the Black Swan Bar and Bistro. This on-site restaurant is open Thursday through Saturday evenings.

1 Festival Drive, Montgomery. 1-334-271-5353, www.asf.net.

9. Cheaha State Park

The highest point in the state — it’s actually a foothill of the Appalachian Mountains — Cheaha Mountain stands more than 2,400 feet above sea level.

Campers pitch tents, while others opt to bunk at the hotel or rent a cabin or chalet. Visitors descend upon the park for its mountain bike and hiking trails. You can find swimmers splashing about in the man-made lake, jumping off the diving platform, renting paddle boats or simply chilling on the beach. Fishing can be had, too.

Peruse a collection of artifacts in the Indian Relic Museum. A short hike outside the park into the neighboring Talladega National Forest will reveal scenic waterfalls. The park often attracts NASCAR fans as Talladega Superspeedway is approximately 30 miles away.

2141 Bunker Loop Highway 281, Delta. 1-256-488-5115, www.alapark.com/cheaharesort/

10. Orange Beach and Gulf Shores

Orange Beach and Gulf Shores get serious props for the pearly white sand and aquamarine waters.

Tourists flock to their resorts and condos, arguably because the area allows just enough commercialism for a little kitschy fun. You can hop on the Ferris wheel at the Wharf, check out the animals at the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo and scream your lungs out while riding the wooden roller coaster at Waterville USA.

A trip to Gulf Shores wouldn’t be complete without a stop at the Hangout, a sprawling indoor-outdoor restaurant and bar. It plays host to the Hangout Music Fest each spring, which typically draws 35,000 fans.

More than 200,000 people converge at Gulf Shores Public Beach each October for the four-day National Shrimp Festival. The touristy glitz, however, can almost be avoided entirely. Deep-sea fishing, scuba diving, golf and nature trails are available.

Approximately six hours southwest of Atlanta. www.gulfshores.com.

Hidden gem: Russell Cave National Monument

More and more visitors are discovering Russell Cave, but that’s nothing new. People have been hanging out there for more than 10,000 years.

And archaeologists aren’t the only ones digging Russell Cave. Guests learn more about the area’s prehistoric inhabitants with guided cave shelter tours, lantern hikes, nature walks and other experiences. More knowledge can be found at the on-site museum. Who knew those ancient residents buried their dogs? Artifacts and reproductions of items found in Russell Cave are on display.

Rangers are known to give prehistoric tool and weapon demonstrations. Guests have the opportunity to throw a spear and use a pump drill. Bird watchers flap their wings over the 115 species of birds residing on Montague Mountain. And fans of flora visit the wildflower meadow and its technicolor perennials.

Russell Cave National Monument, 3729 County Road 98, Bridgeport. 256-495-2672, www.nps.gov/ruca/index.htm.