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Started By
Message
north alabama/huntsville need suggestions to fill out a week (review)
Posted on 9/16/25 at 5:50 pm
Posted on 9/16/25 at 5:50 pm
we will be in huntsville 10/23-26 for shows at orion. i'd like to fill out the week either pre or post with something cool...outdoors/camping/mountains etc. we will be driving from hammond but unfortunately ive not seen or found anything worth staying overnight to do in between. if anyone feels otherwise i'm all ears...its a pretty shitty drive
i was thinking maybe Chattanooga for a night and then north georgia? never been there (GA) some i'm clueless.
any help appreciated. we are open ended on return date but obviously i have that long shitty drive back so 2-3 hrs from huntsville is all i want to consider. i see the other thread on ellijay GA...is that a 2-3 day visit?
i was thinking maybe Chattanooga for a night and then north georgia? never been there (GA) some i'm clueless.
any help appreciated. we are open ended on return date but obviously i have that long shitty drive back so 2-3 hrs from huntsville is all i want to consider. i see the other thread on ellijay GA...is that a 2-3 day visit?
This post was edited on 10/27/25 at 11:16 am
9
Posted on 9/17/25 at 6:41 am to cgrand
Here’s a suggestion on top of Lookout Mtn where the hang gliders go off. And great for stargazing.
https://www.airbnb.com/l/0HuGWxy3
It is very close to Cloudland Canyon which is very cool:
https://gastateparks.org/CloudlandCanyon
Elijay and that whole area are also beautiful. Lot of foliage and apple picking around that time of year.
Another option would be the Shoals/Florence.
https://www.airbnb.com/l/0HuGWxy3
It is very close to Cloudland Canyon which is very cool:
https://gastateparks.org/CloudlandCanyon
Elijay and that whole area are also beautiful. Lot of foliage and apple picking around that time of year.
Another option would be the Shoals/Florence.
Posted on 9/17/25 at 7:08 am to cgrand
Stop by Mentone, Alabama and go to Desoto Falls and eat at the Wildflower Cafe.
Posted on 9/17/25 at 7:13 am to cgrand
In between: Bear Creek Lake Cabins
We stayed here one Fall for a fishing tourney. Small lake and won’t be crowded since they are drawing it down.
Rattlesnake Saloon and Lodge
Another in between stop. We’ve been to the saloon which is a cool venue set in a cave, but never stayed there. My wife wants to stay in one of the silo based cabins.
Florence, AL is our favorite North Alabama town. They do a first Friday every month where they block off downtown and have bands, vendors, etc. They have two boutique hotels downtown: GunRunner and The Stricklin. Both are excellent. Check to see if the local college has a home game that weekend.
Plenty to do closer to Huntsville. There’s a kayak service on the Flint River. Not sure if they are open this late in the year. Little River Canyon State Park isn’t that far from there along with Guntersville Lake. Go checkout the Unclaimed Baggage place in Scottsboro.
North Georgia has a ton of stuff too. I’d check my calendar to see when the Apple Festival was in Ellijay.
We stayed here one Fall for a fishing tourney. Small lake and won’t be crowded since they are drawing it down.
Rattlesnake Saloon and Lodge
Another in between stop. We’ve been to the saloon which is a cool venue set in a cave, but never stayed there. My wife wants to stay in one of the silo based cabins.
Florence, AL is our favorite North Alabama town. They do a first Friday every month where they block off downtown and have bands, vendors, etc. They have two boutique hotels downtown: GunRunner and The Stricklin. Both are excellent. Check to see if the local college has a home game that weekend.
Plenty to do closer to Huntsville. There’s a kayak service on the Flint River. Not sure if they are open this late in the year. Little River Canyon State Park isn’t that far from there along with Guntersville Lake. Go checkout the Unclaimed Baggage place in Scottsboro.
North Georgia has a ton of stuff too. I’d check my calendar to see when the Apple Festival was in Ellijay.
Posted on 9/17/25 at 9:36 am to Aubie Spr96
good stuff
thanks all!
thanks all!
Posted on 9/17/25 at 3:25 pm to cgrand
Both Jack Daniels and George Dickel are within 90 minutes of Huntsville.
Posted on 9/18/25 at 4:09 am to MAROON
How are those tours? Thought about it probably a hundred times but just never built in a stop.
Posted on 9/18/25 at 7:21 am to cgrand
Little River Canyon is about 80 miles from Huntsville and is a pretty cool place. I think it's the deepest canyon east of the Mississippi River and also has some really cool waterfalls and such. If we are lucky, the trees might be turning...
Little River Canyon
Little River Canyon
This post was edited on 9/18/25 at 7:23 am
Posted on 9/18/25 at 10:07 am to cgrand
Hike the Walls of Jericho.
Posted on 9/18/25 at 8:52 pm to cgrand
I was born and raised in HSV, lived here all my 60 years.
I know you are a music buff, Muscle Shoals is a good day trip, about an hour drive from west HSV area where the Orion is.
FAME Studio and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio both offer tours and are really cool historic places (you probably already know their history).
The Alabama Music Hall of Fame is also in the same area, and is a pretty cool place. You could make a day of those three with some lunch/dinner thrown in.
I would not waste my time at Unclaimed Baggage in Scottsboro. It has become a tourist trap in the last 10-15 years. Overpriced junk like you find at estate sales nowadays. If you aren't the first ones to stumble across the new stuff, anything you find is picked over by folks like Antique Tiger...
Chattanooga is another good day trip, especially if you have any interest in Civil War history. The Tennessee Aquarium is a must see also, if you have any interest in that kind of thing. You can easily spend a half day at the aquarium, and easily spend another half day/full day around the Lookout Mountain/Civil War history type things.
If you have never been while in HSV the US Space and Rocket Center is another place you can kill half a day or more if that kind of thing interests you.
I know from seeing your posts that you like the gardening type stuff also. HSV Botanical Gardens is a really nice place and has a Scarecrow Trail exhibit running through Halloween, and it is about a 10 minute drive from the MidCity/Orion area.
Hope you find some fun shite to do and enjoy the BS show.
We have tickets for Thursday, saw him here last year, and are looking forward to another great night of music!
I know you are a music buff, Muscle Shoals is a good day trip, about an hour drive from west HSV area where the Orion is.
FAME Studio and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio both offer tours and are really cool historic places (you probably already know their history).
The Alabama Music Hall of Fame is also in the same area, and is a pretty cool place. You could make a day of those three with some lunch/dinner thrown in.
I would not waste my time at Unclaimed Baggage in Scottsboro. It has become a tourist trap in the last 10-15 years. Overpriced junk like you find at estate sales nowadays. If you aren't the first ones to stumble across the new stuff, anything you find is picked over by folks like Antique Tiger...
Chattanooga is another good day trip, especially if you have any interest in Civil War history. The Tennessee Aquarium is a must see also, if you have any interest in that kind of thing. You can easily spend a half day at the aquarium, and easily spend another half day/full day around the Lookout Mountain/Civil War history type things.
If you have never been while in HSV the US Space and Rocket Center is another place you can kill half a day or more if that kind of thing interests you.
I know from seeing your posts that you like the gardening type stuff also. HSV Botanical Gardens is a really nice place and has a Scarecrow Trail exhibit running through Halloween, and it is about a 10 minute drive from the MidCity/Orion area.
Hope you find some fun shite to do and enjoy the BS show.
We have tickets for Thursday, saw him here last year, and are looking forward to another great night of music!
Posted on 9/19/25 at 6:19 am to tiggerfan02 2021
thanks a lot that’s good stuff
last year the weather was perfect hoping for similar. I’m very excited for this visit
last year the weather was perfect hoping for similar. I’m very excited for this visit
Posted on 9/19/25 at 10:29 am to cgrand
Lot of good suggestions already.
I mentioned it in a different thread but for unique things to see there's the Ave Maria Grotto in Culman. One of the monks built miniatures of old world religious sites, Biblical locations, and other world famous places (the Alamo, Leaning Tower of Pizza, etc )
Also, check out Big Bob Gibson's bbq in Decatur. They are supposedly the inventors of the Alabama white BBQ sauce.
I mentioned it in a different thread but for unique things to see there's the Ave Maria Grotto in Culman. One of the monks built miniatures of old world religious sites, Biblical locations, and other world famous places (the Alamo, Leaning Tower of Pizza, etc )
Also, check out Big Bob Gibson's bbq in Decatur. They are supposedly the inventors of the Alabama white BBQ sauce.
Posted on 9/19/25 at 5:58 pm to PJinAtl
quote:
Ave Maria Grotto in Culman.
This is a good stop. I know three families from Culman. Not that big of a town.
Posted on 9/21/25 at 2:17 pm to cgrand
Not sure if it would interfere with your show dates in Huntsville but if you do go to Chattanooga on Saturday 10/25, it is Wine Over Water - an outdoor wine tasting event. Will be a little different this year. It's usually on the Walnut St. pedestrian bridge but since it is being refurbished, it is on the North Shore of Chattanooga in Renaissance park. The relocation probably isn't too bad. There are several good bars, restaurants on the north shore within easy walking distance and it is a cool area of town. This is one of my favorite events in the area.
I agree with other poster that outdoor stuff at Little River canyon, Cloudland Canyon are great. Canyon Grill near Cloudland Canyon has always been a nice meal (BYOB last time I was there) and McLemore Cove for a round of golf and dinner at their restaurant would be nice add on.
I agree with other poster that outdoor stuff at Little River canyon, Cloudland Canyon are great. Canyon Grill near Cloudland Canyon has always been a nice meal (BYOB last time I was there) and McLemore Cove for a round of golf and dinner at their restaurant would be nice add on.
Posted on 9/22/25 at 11:09 am to tiggerfan02 2021
quote:
If you have never been while in HSV the US Space and Rocket Center is another place you can kill half a day or more if that kind of thing interests you.
I know from seeing your posts that you like the gardening type stuff also. HSV Botanical Gardens is a really nice place and has a Scarecrow Trail exhibit running through Halloween, and it is about a 10 minute drive from the MidCity/Orion area.
I visited my daughter (no pics) which she was doing a clinical rotation in Huntsville. We did both these things during my visit. There's a City Pass or something similar that lets you buy a multi ticket for them. We really enjoyed the Botanical Gardens. It was a great place to walk around in the morning.
We did not really enjoy the US Space and Rocket Center. They were doing a lot of renovation then and some things weren't really open. They also seemed like they were mostly geared towards kids visits. There were a bunch of rides that you pay extra for and other kids things. They had a few original ships, etc, but that just really wasn't the focus of the place. I think we were there 2 hours and just not that impressed. It was only a year ago April, so not that long ago.
If you like caves, we went to Cathedral Caverns and really enjoyed it a lot. My daughter wasn't expecting to like it, but she liked it as well. It's a very large cave and has one of the largest natural openings.
Posted on 10/27/25 at 11:35 am to cgrand
just got home yesterday, had a great time. We decided to come back early and go to Houston for a show 10/30, so the trip was just Tuscaloosa, Huntsville & Birmingham
Spent tue night in Tuscaloosa we stayed at the wood manor guest house, SUPER nice and the price was right. Huge guest room in an old mansion that’s been converted to b&b. Highly recommend. Tuscaloosa is very nice, and everyone was friendly. We ate at Chucks Fish which was good (not great) and got peanuts and beers at the peanut bar next door. Coffee and breakfast at heritage house by the river, excellent
Drove the scenic route to Huntsville thru the Bankhead National Forest, and stopped to hike the natural bridge at 13 & 74. This was a beautiful hike with incredible rock formations including the showstopper:
if in the area, do not miss. We had the place to ourselves it was fantastic.
in Huntsville we stayed at the placemaker apartment building right across the street from the Orion Amphitheater. This area is great…nothing like this in Louisiana. Evidently it’s an old mall site that’s been completely redeveloped and only about 1/2 way done so far.
We ate at salt factory pub, blue oak BBQ and Tupelo Honey, all of which are in the development. Salt Factory was way better than it needed to be, blue oak was very good and Tupelo was just OK.
We ventured out to Cathedral Caverns state park, outstanding. Easy outing and well worth it. These are the biggest cavern rooms I’ve ever seen.
other outings were the Huntsville botanical gardens, Scott’s apple orchard, and the big farmers market. If you are into gardening don’t miss the botanical gardens…one of the nicest and best laid out I’ve seen. Most of the plantings are naturalized so it’s like walking in the woods. The gardens also include the most incredible and creative outdoor art piece I’ve ever seen, anywhere. I won’t spoil it but if you go, make sure you go all the way into the troll garden…what you will see will blow your mind.
We loaded up on apples, cider, vinegar, pecans and preserves at the orchard and market.
if you are a live music fan, put Orion Amphitheater on your must visit list. It’s the best urban venue we’ve been to. Really well designed and operated
from Huntsville we drove straight thru with a stop in Birmingham for a beer run at hop city and brunch at La Fete. That was the best meal of the trip, 10/10 on that.
Fun trip, north AL is wonderful
Spent tue night in Tuscaloosa we stayed at the wood manor guest house, SUPER nice and the price was right. Huge guest room in an old mansion that’s been converted to b&b. Highly recommend. Tuscaloosa is very nice, and everyone was friendly. We ate at Chucks Fish which was good (not great) and got peanuts and beers at the peanut bar next door. Coffee and breakfast at heritage house by the river, excellent
Drove the scenic route to Huntsville thru the Bankhead National Forest, and stopped to hike the natural bridge at 13 & 74. This was a beautiful hike with incredible rock formations including the showstopper:
if in the area, do not miss. We had the place to ourselves it was fantastic.
in Huntsville we stayed at the placemaker apartment building right across the street from the Orion Amphitheater. This area is great…nothing like this in Louisiana. Evidently it’s an old mall site that’s been completely redeveloped and only about 1/2 way done so far.
We ate at salt factory pub, blue oak BBQ and Tupelo Honey, all of which are in the development. Salt Factory was way better than it needed to be, blue oak was very good and Tupelo was just OK.
We ventured out to Cathedral Caverns state park, outstanding. Easy outing and well worth it. These are the biggest cavern rooms I’ve ever seen.
other outings were the Huntsville botanical gardens, Scott’s apple orchard, and the big farmers market. If you are into gardening don’t miss the botanical gardens…one of the nicest and best laid out I’ve seen. Most of the plantings are naturalized so it’s like walking in the woods. The gardens also include the most incredible and creative outdoor art piece I’ve ever seen, anywhere. I won’t spoil it but if you go, make sure you go all the way into the troll garden…what you will see will blow your mind.
We loaded up on apples, cider, vinegar, pecans and preserves at the orchard and market.
if you are a live music fan, put Orion Amphitheater on your must visit list. It’s the best urban venue we’ve been to. Really well designed and operated
from Huntsville we drove straight thru with a stop in Birmingham for a beer run at hop city and brunch at La Fete. That was the best meal of the trip, 10/10 on that.
Fun trip, north AL is wonderful
This post was edited on 10/27/25 at 12:25 pm
Posted on 10/27/25 at 6:59 pm to cgrand
quote:
heritage house
First coffeehouse in Tuscaloosa. Was on the Strip forever.
quote:
La Fete
One of my favorites.
Posted on 10/30/25 at 9:49 pm to cgrand
(no message)
This post was edited on 11/17/25 at 3:21 pm
Posted on 10/31/25 at 9:54 am to dirtsandwich
quote:
La Fete
One of my favorites.
It is fantastic. It and The Essential (same owners) really do a good job.
Posted on 10/31/25 at 9:49 pm to GoCrazyAuburn
still thinking about the fried potatoes at la fete.
the meal we had was spectacular
the meal we had was spectacular
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