Plan your trip to Boaz, AL

Known simultaneously for its role in both the Confederacy and in the Civil Rights Movement, Alabama has something to offer any history buff. Montgomery, the state’s capital, was the first capital of the Confederate States of America; a marker still commemorates the spot where Jefferson Davis was sworn in as the Confederacy’s first and only president. Just blocks from there is the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was once a pastor.

It may surprise some to learn about Alabama’s lush and diverse geography. In the north, the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains make for a great hike, especially in the Sipsey Wilderness. Although Alabama may have the shortest coastline of all the Deep South states, its Gulf Coast is a very popular getaway, with great golf courses, charter boats for deep-sea fishing and miles of sugar white sand for lounging.

The Heart of Dixie is also home to one of the fiercest rivalries in college football. Visitors would be wise to avoid choosing sides when it comes to the Auburn University/ University of Alabama debate unless you are very ready to defend your decision. While in Alabama, stop in Huntsville, home of the Marshall Space Flight Center. Birmingham, the state’s largest city, and Mobile are both worthwhile urban destinations.