Not much to see except the beautiful view at this ridge…read more You can go down these stone steps with all these bushes around... Wasn't trying to go down the steps and have anyone ask if I'm alright

There isn't much to see here, but if you are in the area, stop by. There is a big drop off so if…read moreyou have children with you, keep an eye on them. There is parking right there so you can hop out, walk down a little path, and there you are. The area in general is cool for the amazing views down into the valley any time of year.

On Sunday March 2nd, Tony and I enjoyed the "Little River Canyon Rim Scenic Drive" located outside…read moreof Fort Payne, and OMG..the scenic overlooks are gorgeous, breathe-taking and best of all ...FREE.. Grace's High Falls Overlook visited by us on March 2, 2014. It is so lovely here. Considered the Grand Canyon of the East, Little River Canyon Rim Scenic Drive outside Fort Payne, AL..Here's a close-up picture of Graces High Falls. This 'high' waterfall plunges past river-carved sandstone.

Great place for a family get together or picnic. Somewhat off of the beaten path. It will be…read morebeautiful there in a few weeks when the trees start to bud.

Love the bridge. Came during a rain storm and it was worth it. Can't wait to take a hike along the…read moreriver.

Swann Covered Bridge, also called Joy Covered Bridge or Swann-Joy Covered Bridge, is the longest of…read morethree remaining covered bridges located in Blount County as well as the longest covered bridge in the state of Alabama. INTERESTING NOTE - Since it was located on property owned by Swann Farms, it was generally called the Swann Bridge, although some residents also called it the Joy Bridge because it was on the road leading to Joy. [source ~ exploresouthernhistory.com] ~ HISTORY Swann Covered Bridge is 324 feet long and crosses the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River. It was completed/open for traffic in 1933 using the Town lattice truss system over three spans and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 20, 1981. It is the 2nd oldest of the three remaining covered bridges in the county (Easley & Horton Mill) even though construction for Horton Mill began in 1894. It was closed in 2009 after 76 years of continual use, but was restored and reopened to motor vehicle traffic in October of 2012. It was closed again in 2018 after being damaged from a motor vehicle accident, but reopened by December of the same year. All three covered bridges were restored starting in 2011 at a total restoration cost of approximately $540,000. Part of the money for these projects came from the federal National Historic Covered Bridge Preservation Program. [source ~ Wikipedia] Once upon a time as many as 12,000 covered bridges once existed in the United States. By 2018 there were less than one thousand, with Pennsylvania having the most at about 219, Ohio second with about 142 and Indiana third with about 130. SIDE NOTE: Did you know a covered wooden bridge can outlast a metal bridge? ~ THE EXPERIENCE Looking for things to do, we decided to travel to Alabama and visit a few landmarks and explore some of its natural beauty. Simply put, Swann's Covered Bridge is located in one of the most stunning settings I've seen of any covered bridge. Geologically, Locust Fork seems to have carved a wide canyon through this section of Alabama on its way to Black Warrior River. The results are tall cliffs & beautiful scenic views. There is a beach like feeling below the bridge with a thick layer of sand that locals seem to enjoy visiting. While there we actually met several other families out visiting off-the-grid locations for a little COVID-19 relief. Everyone just grateful to be able to get out while still maintaining social distancing protocols (although I must admit we learned children forget quickly when they see other kids, no matter how much you've reminded them). One guy told me that covered bridges initially became popular because horses didn't like crossing over wide open bridges. I'd never heard that before, but thought it was very interesting. I suppose that made it difficult for people traveling via horse drawn carriages. Sadly, many of our nations historic covered bridges were destroyed not by time or weather, but by vandals. So in 2015, after graffiti was found on nearby Easley bridges interior, security cameras were installed to help deter vandalism. ~ FACTS AT A GLANCE Year built: 1933 Construction method: Town Lattice Refurbished: 2012 Length: 324 ft Deck Width: 16.1 ft Horizontal Clearance: 10 ft (guesstimate) Vertical Clearance: 13 ft Under Clearance: 27 ft Open to vehicular traffic: YES [May 2020] FUN FACT - There is a Covered Bridge Festival held the fourth weekend of each October spotlighting Blount's three remaining Covered Bridges. It also includes arts & crafts, a pancake breakfast, car show, kids fun zone, entertainment, 5K run, quilt show, river walk and more. Not sure if they will host the 2020 edition of the festival, so best to call the County directly. ~ FINAL THOUGHTS Whether you are a covered bridge enthusiast like me, or you are looking for a great place to take interesting photos (such as engagement or pregnancy pics), or you just wanna find a place to explore the outdoors without a lot of people... this is a fantastic little spot to add to your drive, and your photo collection. After all, it is practically a destination all by itself with a relaxing beach just below its floor. Truly wish I had planned more time here! 2020 / 28

Attended a rotary trail party in April 2025. There was live music, great food, and drinks from…read moredifferent local vendors. The trail is really great place to walk or run to view a beautiful scenery.

Rotary Trail is a wonderful path in downtown Birmingham, Alabama that brings a serene place and a…read moreplace to communicate with nature in the middle of the asphalt and steel of a modern city. This place is a genuine oasis in the middle of the city and I was amazed at how easily the weight of stress from my soul and removed any heaviness of my heart. Rotary Trail is an amazing place and is just another great piece of the puzzle that is Birmingham, Alabama. We need places like Rotary Trail, places to gather in respite and recreation. This is an absolutely wonderful place and just another reason that Birmingham, Alabama is one of my favorite cities in the United States. I will give Rotary Trail five stars and I will definitely give it my strongest recommendation. If you are in the Birmingham, Alabama area, go check this out.

My group said we should go to this event that I had never been to. We drove up from Birmingham that…read moreevening and spent so many hours there walking around together and riding that tiny train once too. I was surprised the whole time bc it was not something I would think to care about except for taking my kids to when they little many years ago. However it was actually so enjoyable and neat to be at. It is filled with so many people clearly for a reason. I'd recommend anyone go to it even if they think it's not their type of thing. It is very cool for sure. Also, the last thing we did was hop on that little train( which I didn't care to do at all without little kids with me) yet it was a shocker how that man driving the train who shares about all things throughout the event that you get to see again from a different view on that train...he was super awesome. I actually would have ridden that train and listened to that man over and over and over again. He was fun to hear from. It is not super expensive so do not resist to do it. Gather up your group or just you and your spouse or for take your kids if they are still young. This is for sure a fun enjoyable thing to go see.

NOCCALULA!!! Yes we are back! Yep. Today is Ty's birthday and he loves this park. But, we have a…read moreNewcomer, Donner has never been here before, She so excited. We are a party of 5 and you are super dry today!!! But, we see Mr. Crane! Hey Mr. Crane. Where are the ducks hiding? There is not a one in sight. Either way, it's hot , so we look around and keep it moving in this heat.

When I think of Five Points South, I always think of the famous Frank Fleming sculpture fountain!…read moreIt was installed in 1992 and is entitled "The Storyteller." It honors the life of pre-Columbian art dealer and anthropologist Malcolm McRae and was commissioned by his Mother, Jane. Jane had proposed dedicating a public garden in front of their church, Highlands Methodist Church at Five Points Circle, in his memory. With the encouragement of Cecil Roberts and Mayor Richard Arrington (and his assistant Ann Adams), her idea blossomed into a public commission for a sculptural fountain. The sculpture's Ram represents McRae. This area was incorporated as the Town of Highland in 1887, and today is lauded as a vibrant, retail, entertainment district, and a premier neighborhood and culinary destination. It is known for its annual St. Patrick's parade. I always thought 5 Points South was just the intersection of five streets at the sculptural fountain; however, it is more expansive than I knew! 5 Points' restaurants include Highlands Bar and Grill, Hot and Hot Fish Club, Bottega, Galley & Garden, and Ocean. I've enjoyed dining at Bottega, Hot and Hot, and Ocean. Zydeco is a fun 3-level concert venue and bar I've frequented over the years. In town for a special occasion, I got my hair blown out and styled in Five Points. There is a Historic Five Points Walking Tour that focuses on the historical and architectural nature of the area's temples, churches, apartment buildings, and more. It truly is a walkable part of Birmingham! You can download the brochure at https://fivepointsbham.com/wpcontent/uploads/2018/10/walking-tour.pdf

I really love seeing covered bridges and especially when they're in excellent condition and easy to…read moreaccess. This one is located just off I-20 west of Atlanta and it's a nice little drive. The bridge is in very good condition, completed in 1850 or so. It is the oldest existing covered bridge in all of Alabama! Originally located on Coldwater Creek and allegedly built by slaves, it was relocated to here and the original site now has a boring concrete and steel bridge. This bridge was fully restored in 1990 and is in excellent condition. The bridge is no longer open to vehiclular traffic but you can absolutely walk through it and think back to what it must have been to drive your horse-drawn wagon across this bridge. [Review 2281 of 2024 - 242 in Alabama - 23297 overall]

I've completely run out of historic covered bridges in Georgia, so I thought I'd spend a lazy…read moreSaturday afternoon amusing myself by driving around central Alabama. The first of my many stops was here in Oxford. Coldwater Covered Bridge was built in 1850 and is located at Oxford Lake Park just behind the Oxford Civic Center. It was relocated here in 1990 from its original location (about 8 miles west) and spans a small creek created by the overflow water from Oxford Lake. The bridge is 63-feet long and uses a hybrid combination of the Multiple King Post and Town Lattice truss systems. At 165 years of age, it is the oldest surviving covered bridge in the state of Alabama. It is also known as Hughes Mill Covered Bridge due to its proximity to Hughes Saw & Lumber Mill when it was first built. Although the bridge was severely damaged in 1920, repairs made it possible to keep the bridge functional for vehicular traffic. It was eventually replaced in 1974 by a concrete bridge, then totally restored before being relocated to its current home. The park and bridge can actually be seen from Interstate 20 and only takes you out of the way by a few minutes if you choose to stop here. Just take exit 185 for Hwy 21 (Oxford/Anniston) and go north to Recreation Road (currently there is a McDonald's on the corner). Follow it until you see the Civic Center and park on the lake side. Enjoy!

Movies on the mountain continues to be a fun time. Madagascar, popcorn, perfect weather. Funny…read moreenough, I still don't mind going to catch an animated movie by myself at my big age. lol Life is meant to be enjoyed and I'm taking advantage of doing so. Fun family, friend or solo event.

Vulcan Park and Museum is an excellent spot for panoramic views of Birmingham and an easy addition…read moreto any visit to the city. It's just a short drive from downtown, and one of the best perks is that parking is free and you can walk around the statue grounds without paying anything. Even if you don't go inside, the overlook alone is worth the trip for the skyline views and photo opportunities. If you're interested in the history behind the statue and its restoration, there's a museum on site that adds a lot of context. Admission is $8, and that ticket also lets you take the elevator up inside the statue to about three-quarters of the way to the top, which gives you even higher and more impressive views of the city. Overall, it's a great mix of scenery and local history. Whether you just want a quick stop for the views or a deeper dive into Birmingham's past, it's a worthwhile visit.