Located at 1st Avenue and 20th Street in downtown…read more It's where the first few 3-4 store buildings were located while it was a small city and boomed into the bigger city it is today with a series of higher story buildings popping up in quick successions. Do no follow the address here on Yelp. So totally off base, must be a joke. Use your Google or Apple Maps instead! Their empire building is here. Mostly valet oak turn around here.

Interesting sidewalk marker in downtown Birmingham Alabama that marks itself the heaviest corner on…read moreearth. I stumbled upon this by accident while on a vacation trip with my family from Lousiville to Destin. We stopped over in Birmingham as a halfway point and this marker was at the corner of the hotel we stayed at. Naturally intrigued by the name I googled what it meant it had to do with the once surrounding buildings on wan corner being so big. Overall interesting and neat call back to do American and Birmingham history. Not much to look at as it just a marking on the ground. But cool nonetheless.

A little off the beaten path, but a worthy stop on our vacation journey…read more Upon crossing the bridge and parking, we were greeted by a kind gentleman who had a table set up (selling shirts, books, etc). He introduced himself (I forget his name) and told the story of Bloody Sunday and his family ties to that event. That kicked into a meaningful conversation, which I am thankful for. We then walked the bridge, which was a heavy moment for us (as midwesterners who are mostly sheltered from this sort of history). Upon returning to our car, we struck up some more conversation, and got to meet "Mr. Smith". I didn't understand much of what he said, but I could feel the history in this man. He had a been a saxophone player, and had been around quite some time. He was a genuine spirit, and I am glad to have met him. We left some money on the table, and went on our way.

We visited and crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, AL on Jan 9, 2026 as part of Road…read moreScholar's "The Civil Rights Movement - Atlanta, Montgomery, Selma, Birmingham" program. The experience would be perfect if it wasn't raining that day. But we made the best of it. First, we gathered at Songs of Selma for a group photo. Then we took the walkway next to it to cross the bridge. I went across the road to the walkway on the opposite side to better capture the group as they were crossing. I'd have gotten more footage if I wasn't also holding an umbrella over my head at the same time. That wasn't fun. The crossing ended at the Civil Rights Memorial Park, south of the Alabama River. In all, the crossing took 6 minutes. Footage of the crossing is in the video "Day 6: Crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge" on my YouTube channel, in playlist "2026-1: The Civil Rights Movement - Atlanta, Montgomery, Selma, Birmingham". Also on my playlist is the video "Selma Bridge Experience 01.09.2026", posted by our tour guide of the same crossing. If opportunity presents itself in the future, I'd like to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge again... when it isn't raining.

SUMMATION: A bit impressive photo opportunity, but that is all. There is nothing else much to do…read morein Lineville. Cheaha State Park was the main local attraction, but it recently closed [1]. NAME: Old Lineville Water Tower SIZE: 100 feet tall and held 75,000 gallons. TITLE: "Snap and Go" [Yelp, Parguera Pirate review #419, 22 July 2015] ALABAMA TRIP REVIEW NUMBER: 32 RATING: Good (3.5/5) OWNER: City of Lineville LOCALITY: College Street, Lineville, Alabama 36266 LATITUDE, LONGITUDE: 33°18'51.1"N, 85°45'13.4"W DIFFICULTY LOCATING: This landmark high in the air is difficult to miss. DIRECTIONS: In Lineville at the Highway 9 and Highway 49 intersection and traffic light turn north onto 49 (Cheaha Road). Go past First United Methodist Church on the right. Just after the First Baptist Church on the left, turn right onto East College Street and the Water Tower is ~80 yards on the right-side of the road. PARKING: No lot, only grassy area OCCASION: 50th High School Reunion HOURS OF OPERATION: 24/7/365, no fence FEES: none VIEW: You can look up at it, but cannot climb on it, or go inside. LAYOUT: Resembles a medieval sentry tower or castle turret. AWARDS: Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage (1 April 1976, Alabama Historical Commission). This is 1 of only 6 (0.4% of those in state) in Clay County and the only one in Lineville). HISTORY: Growing up, I thought our water tower was nice, but I did not realize it was so old and unique. Tower construction began in 1916 and was completed in 1917 by R. T. Aderholt of College Park, Georgia. This is the 5th oldest water tower in Alabama. Lineville history (East, 2010; Wilson, 2011). FOOTNOTES: [1] This is very sad. See my review of the park. REFERENCES: East, D. C. 2010. A brief historical sketch of Lineville, Alabama. 16 pp, http://alabamaclaycounty.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/A-HISTORY-OF-LINEVILLE-ALABAMA.pdf Wilson, C. M. 2011. Lineville. In: Encyclopedia of Alabama. Alabama Humanities Foundation. http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-3019

Cheaha State Park is NOT closed. We have certain aspects of the park that close during the winter…read moreseason, but the park is open.

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!

Saturday, March 8th, Tony and I visited the John Wesley Hall Grist Mill at Tannehill State Park…read more OMG..it was so pretty there. I just loved the water, it was so clear. reminded me when i was a small kid and used to play in the water at my grandma's house. I wish there were some blooming flowers there, it would have been so beautiful. The mill itself was closed, but we were able to walk around it and check it out. If you go to the park be sure to check it out.

We often visit during the day but decided to make a couple of camping trips. It had decent…read morefacilities, the bathhouses are ran down but usable. If you are looking for a darker campground, this is absolutely not the place. They have so many white lights throughout the campground at night it is blinding. I would recommend buying completely blackout curtains and hoping they darken the lights some.

We come here very often as it is a great place to get some exercise and we can bring our dog. We…read morerecently visited on a Trade Day weekend and it was fun but extremely crowded. It states on their website and on various signs around the park to not bring your dogs in to the trade day area but I noticed a couple of people were walking theirs around. I plan to follow up with them to get some clarification. Overall, this makes for a fun day and it is really cool to see all of the old mills.

This is hands down one of our favorite libraries!…read more There's a ton of something for EVERYONE! They have teens section, kids section, a theatre I'm talking the works but the family section is why I'd say it's the BEST! The family section features soo baby things to do. For breastfeeding moms, there's a nursery for privacy. For moms with littles, there's an outside play area that's included. There's also classes for littles but register in advance because they do fill up. They also have tons of things to do throughout the month and a cute brochure to take home so you know what's happening when. Highly recommend (even if you're not a local and just stopping by).

I had a great experience with the Hoover Public Library! I placed a book on hold that had to be…read moretransferred from another library in the Birmingham area, and the process was smooth from start to finish. I received timely notifications, and the pickup was quick and easy once it arrived. The staff was friendly and helpful, and everything felt well-organized. It's so convenient being able to access books from other locations without any hassle!

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.

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

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.