On December 14th, National Alabama Day recognizes the Heart of Dixie.

The 22nd state to join the union, Alabama has played pivotal roles in U.S. history, scientific advancements and its magnificent landscapes attract visitors from far and wide.

Alabama enjoys 60 miles of shoreline along the Gulf Coast. While the coastal region is dotted with swamps and bayous, it also includes beautiful sandy beaches. Move northward from the coast, and the lowlands provide the fertile soils of the Black Belt, land that long yielded productive cotton crops. The Northern half of the state is dominated by the forested hills and valleys of the Appalachians.

As the original capital of the Confederacy until May of 1861 during the American Civil War, the small town of Montgomery set the stage for the secessionist government. Nearly 100 years later, the Civil Rights Movement would find a home and erupt across the state marching its vision to the rest of the country.

Official Alabama

State Capital – Montgomey
State Nickname – The Yellowhammer State,
State Motto – We Dare Defend our Rights
State Bird – Northern Flicker
State Game Bird – Eastern Wild Turkey
State Amphibian – Red Hills Salamander
State Flower – Camellia
State Fish – Large Mouth Bass
State Crustacean – Brown Shrimp
State Fruit – Peach
State Fossil – Basilosaurus cetoides
State Mineral – Hematite
State Tree – Southern Longleaf Pine
State Song – Alabama
State Quilt – Pine Burr Quilt

Agriculture, Military and Meat & Three

Bringing diversity to agriculture at a time when the boll weevil was wreaking havoc on cotton crops, George Washington Carver provided the opportunity for successful planting and harvesting of a legume that continues to be popular not only in the south but across the United States. The peanut brought new farming methods and agricultural stability to a suffering southern industry.

Home of the Tuskegee Airmen, the 332nd Fighter Group, the first African American military aviators, the science team that helped put man on the moon, and the first African American woman in space, Alabama is another state that keeps looking to the sky.

In Alabama, and all across Southern states, the meat and three will fill you up with more satisfying comfort food than you can find anywhere other than your mother’s kitchen. The restaurant style includes a mouth-watering homemade meat of your choosing – crispy fried chicken, juicy sweet ham or tender roast beef – and then a selection of three sides. A roll and dessert are usually included as well. All this is served in a relaxed, downhome atmosphere.

Alabama Flavor

Fried Catfish
Shrimp
Grits
Boiled Peanuts
Fried Okra
Fried Pickles
Biscuits and Chocolate Gravy
Peach Cobbler
Pecan Pie
Banana Pudding

For a complete list of Illinois State and National Parks & Historic Sites visit www.alapark.com and www.nps.gov.  Check out a few of the featured sites around the state below.

Birmingham Civil Rights

Muscle Shoals

Selma to Montgomery

Buck’s Pocket State Park – Grove Oak
Cathedral Caverns State Park – Woodville
Chewacla State Park – Auburn
Gulf State Park – Gulf Shores
Lake Guntersville State Park – Guntersville
Monte Sano State Park – Huntsville

MUSEUMS

Old Alabama Town – Montgomery
Alabama Museum of Natural History – Tuscaloosa
Moundville Archaeological Site – Moundville
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute – Birmingham
Museum of Alabama – Montgomery
The Hank Williams Museum – Montgomery
GulfQuest Maritime Museum – Mobile
Rosa Parks Museum – Montgomery
Southern Museum of Flight – Birmingham
Fort Conde – Mobile
U.S. Space & Rocket Center – Huntsville
Pioneer Museum of Alabama – Troy
Fort Gaines – Dauphin Island

Hidden Treasures

F.Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum – Montgomery

Never Sink Preserve – Fackler

Alabama Booksmith – Homewood

Tinglewood Carvings – Montevallo

Hodges Meteorite Landing Site – Oak Grove

USS Alabama Battleship Park – Mobile

Famous People

William Weatherford – Creek Chief – (1781 – March 24, 1824)

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Helen Keller – Author/Activist – (June 27, 1880 – June 1, 1968)

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Lafayette Guild – Surgeon – (November 25, 1825 – July 4, 1870)

Alva Belmont – Philanthropist/Activist – (January 17, 1853 – January 26, 1933)

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Luther Duncan – Educator – (October 14, 1875 – July 26, 1947)

Rosa Parks – Activist – (February 4, 1913 – October 24, 2005)

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Jesse Owens – Track and Field Athlete – (September 12, 1913 – March 31, 1980)

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Joe Louis – Pugilist – (May 13, 1914 – April 12, 1981)

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Harper Lee – Author – (April 28, 1926 – February 19, 2016)

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Jim Nabors – Actor/Comedian – (June 12, 1930 – November 30 , 2017)

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Hank Williams – Singer/Songwriter/Musician/ – (September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953)

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Condoleezza Rice – Secretary of State – (November 14, 1954 -)

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Ozzie Smith – Baseball Player – (December 26, 1954)

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Mae Jemison – Engineer/Astronaut -(October 17, 1956 -)

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