La Quinta Road Trip: Alabama Bound, Find Nearby Hotels

Birmingham-Bound Birmingham to Bessemer, Alabama Steeped in the history of the 1960s, Birmingham, Alabama, is home to elegant hotels, top-flight golf courses, museums, and landmarks that appeal to the entire family. This Birmingham vacation starts east of the city Irondale, Alabama, home to the Irondale Cafe, famous for its fried green tomatoes and inspiration for the movie. After breakfast, go just north of Birmingham's Civil Rights District to the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and the Birmingham Museum of Art. Then check out the charming Crowne Plaza---The Redmont, Birmingham's oldest operating hotel. The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church document the explosive events of the 1960s that helped launch the civil rights movement in America, while south of the district, fantastic views can be had up Red Mountain, where the statue of Vulcan keeps a close watch on all. Travel farther south to the city of Hoover, Alabama, and enjoy a round of golf on a Robert Trent Jones course at the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa, or finish your Birmingham, Alabama, vacation with a visit to the state's largest park, Oak Mountain, in the city of Pelham, for fishing, horseback riding, mountain biking, or relaxing on the lakeside beach. Use our route planner to find hotels for your next trip.
		BEST OF THE ROAD: Alabama Crossing the Heart of Dixie Arizona Desert Adventures Florida Cruising the Florida Coast Florida's Cultural West Coast Louisiana Let the Good Times Roll New York Cultivating New York Texas Culture in Cowboyland Head for the Hill Country MORE ROAD TRIPS: Alabama Alabama Coasting Birmingham Bound History and Music Mississippi/Alabama Gulf Shore Sunbathed Shopping on Mobile Bay Arizona Arizona to Santa Fe Via the Four Corners Jerome, the Town that Wouldn't Die Phoenix and the Old West California La Jolla Jewel Weekend Los Angeles OffRamp Florida Beyond the Theme Parks Florida Everglades and Alligator Alley Landing in Lakeland Oldest City St. Augustine Day Tour Georgia Gothic Savannah Mostly Macon Illinois TheatreTown Chicago Louisiana Kicking It Up in Cajun Country Massachusetts Headache-Free Boston Maryland Back Streets of Baltimore Michigan That Car of Yours Built a Lot of House New Jersey New Jersey Pinelands Ohio From the Cuyahoga to Cleveland Oklahoma Northeast Oklahoma Via Route 66 Oregon Oregon's Oregon Trail Country Texas Funky Folk Art Menageries Riddle of Wichita Falls The Mother Road Through the Lone Star State Tyler: The Yellow Rose of Texas Vermont Knocking Around Burlington Washington Oregon/Washington Scenic Coast Seattle: It's Not Just Grunge Wisconsin Milwaukee Beer and Brats

Southern Museum of Flight 4343 73rd St. North Birmingham, AL 35206	The Southern Museum of Flight preserves equipment and information from the Southeast's aviation history, ranging from military to civilian and homebuilt aircraft. An 11-foot model of the WWII aircraft carrier USS Enterprise is the centerpiece of the Model Gallery.

Ruffner Mountain Nature Center 1214 81st St. South Birmingham, AL 35206	Outdoor explorations await at the 1,011-acre urban nature preserve Ruffner Mountain Nature Center. Eleven miles of paths are available for hiking and bird-watching.

Irondale Cafe 1906 First Ave. North Irondale, AL 35210	Fried green tomatoes are served at the Irondale Cafe, which inspired writer/actress Fannie Flagg's book-gone-movie Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe.

Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark 20 32nd St N Birmingham, AL 35222 Call (205) 324-1911	Handwrought works of metal art by local blacksmiths are available in the shop at Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark.

Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Museum 2150 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. North Birmingham, AL 35203	The Alabama Sports Hall of Fame pays homage to the state's great sports heroes, from Hank Aaron and Davey Allison to Charles Barkley.

The Birmingham Shop 2200 Ninth Ave. North Birmingham, AL 35203	Vulcan statuettes, letter openers, and wine corks are reminders of the city's most noted landmark, the god of the forge. You'll find these and other Birmingham-related items (including watches and t-shirts) in The Birmingham Shop, which is owned and operated by the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Birmingham Museum of Art 2000 Eighth Ave N Birmingham, AL 35203 Call (205) 254-2566	The Birmingham Museum of Art showcases works from ancient to modern times and has the largest museum collection of Wedgwood ceramic outside England. There are more than 9,000 objects in the museum's decorative arts collection, ranging from folk arts and quilts to decorative cast iron and silver.

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute 520 16th St North Birmingham, AL 35203 Call (205) 328-9696	A starkly realistic lesson in history weaves throughout the city's Civil Rights District, which includes the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and adjacent Kelly Ingram Park. Once a gathering place for civil rights demonstrations, the park today is dotted with poignant sculptures recalling key events, including the May 1963 incident when police dogs and firehoses were turned on marchers. Self-guided audio tours are available at the Institute.

Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame 1631 4th Ave N Birmingham, AL 35203 Call (205) 254-2731	The Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame honors jazz greats, including Nat King Cole, Lionel Hampton, and Duke Ellington, who have ties to Alabama.

McWane Science Center 200 19th St N Birmingham, AL 35203 Call (205) 714-8300	McWane is packed with four floors of educational, fun, hands-on exhibits for youngsters, ranging from ScienceQuest and the World of Water Aquariums to an IMAX theater.

Sixteenth Street Baptist Church 1530 Sixth Ave. North Birmingham, AL 35203	Located in the Civil Rights District is the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, site of the 1963 Ku Klux Klan bombing in which four young black girls died.

Highlands Bar and Grill 2011 11th Ave. South Birmingham, AL 35205	Classic French food prepared using local meats, seafood, and organic produce are on the menu created by Frank Stitt, the James Beard Award winning-chef at Highlands Bar and Grill. Appetizers include stone baked grits, and Alabama pork with red pepper and onion marmalades.

Cobb Lane Bed and Breakfast 1309 19th St. South Birmingham, AL 35205	With eight guest rooms and within walking distance of Five Points South's restaurants and entertainment venues, Cobb Lane Bed and Breakfast is the city's lone bed-and-breakfast.

Arlington Antebellum Home & Gardens 331 Cotton Ave. SW Birmingham, AL 35211 Call (205) 780-5656	Not founded until after the Civil War, Birmingham has a single pre-civil War mansion, Arlington Antebellum Home & Gardens. Built between 1845 and 1850, the restored two-story Greek Revival mansion served as headquarters for Union troops who later burned the University of Alabama, some 50 miles southwest in Tuscaloosa.

Vulcan Park and Museum 1701 Valley View Dr. Birmingham, AL 35209	Birmingham's most visible landmark is the towering statue of Vulcan, the mythical god of metalworking, which stands atop Red Mountain. Second in size only to the Statue of Liberty, the statue is the centerpiece of a 10-acre urban green space and was Birmingham's entry in the 1904 World's Fair, where it took top honors. It is a romantic place to share a picnic and to watch downtown lights twinkle.

Birmingham Zoo 2630 Cahaba Rd Birmingham, AL 35223 Call (205) 879-0409	The Birmingham Zoo houses hundreds of rare and exotic animals. Also at the zoo are a mini-train, children's zoo, picnic tables, and snack bar. During December, the zoo transforms into a winter wonderland awash in more than a half-million twinkling lights.

Birmingham Botanical Gardens 2612 Lane Park Rd. Birmingham, AL 35223	With flora and fauna from around the world, the 67-acre Birmingham Botanical Gardens includes a Japanese garden with a teahouse, an Alabama woodlands area, and a Bog Garden, with wetland habitats and native plants.

The Summit 214 Summit Boulevard (I-459 at US 280) Birmingham, AL 35243	With scores of stores and restaurants, The Summit includes Saks Fifth Avenue, Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, Ann Taylor, and Williams-Sonoma. If you're hungry, California Pizza Kitchen, Cheesecake Factory, and other eateries beckon.

Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort 4000 Grand Ave. Hoover, AL 35226	Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa, open since August 2005, boasts an 18-hole Robert Trent Jones championship golf course, part of the statewide trail of public courses known as the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Overnight visitors enjoy 259 guest rooms, a European spa, indoor pool, fitness center, and restaurants.

Riverchase Galleria 3000 Riverchase Galleria (I-459 at US 31) Hoover, AL 35244	With 200 stores and 11 restaurants under a nine-story glass atrium, the Riverchase Galleria is anchored by the Wynfrey Hotel, which offers overnight packages for shoppers.

Oak Mountain State Park 200 Terrace Drive Pelham, AL 35124 Call (205) 620-2522	Oak Mountain State Park is Alabama's largest state park, featuring golf, mountain-biking trails, fishing, boating, horseback riding, a petting zoo, a lakeside beach, and a wildlife rehabilitation center where visitors can take self-guided tours.

WaterMark Place 4500 Katie's Way Bessemer, AL 35022	Nearby Alabama Adventure is the outlet shopping mall, WaterMark Place, with some 30 stores, including Gap Outlet, Lane Bryant, and Tommy Hilfiger.

Alabama Adventure 4599 Alabama Adventure Pkwy Bessemer, AL 35022 Call (205) 481-4750	Enjoy wooden rollercoasters, whitewater raft rides, wave pools, a pirate ship, and a 120-feet high Ferris wheel at Alabama Adventure. Gentler, old-time attractions are available at the park's Celebration Street.

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