Taking a trip to Amish country was quite interesting. I lived in Pennsylvania for 3 months a long…read moretime ago and never saw any Amish, so this was completely new to me. We stopped at the Welcome Center but they weren't offering any wagon tours on the day we visited. So, we took a look around the shop instead. I bought a spiral wind spinner but nothing else appealed to me, mostly looked like donations. Some things were hand made but overall, it felt like it was more of a Goodwill than anything. It was cluttered and unorganized. My grandma and aunt wanted to use the restrooms on site but said they were extremely dirty and decided to use a local gas station's instead. The Amish are very nice people but there are rules. Don't take photos of them, some believe it takes their souls and others believe it expresses individualism. If you aren't Amish, be prepared to have people staring at you and the kids are not supposed to talk to anyone unless making a sale. Overall, everything was affordable and during our drive around, we purchased some peanut brittle, jams, and jarred veggies. Just bring cash, of course. It would be nice to come back and take a wagon tour but it also feels weird that our modern-day culture sees the Amish as some sort of entertainment. So, I'm very indifferent about this experience.

This whole area is so fun to come to .. we've had many things custom built by the Amish . The food…read morearound here is delicious . You can find all kinda stuff . Antiques , homemade baskets , quilts ... jams , cutting boards . All kind of treasures

We are residents of Florence and have attended this walk a few times, it never gets old! The walk…read moreleader Debra Glass is also a resident and local historian, she is very engaging and informative. She is a great story teller with lots of local haunted history info and tales of the local history. There's always a crowd for these, which shows how popular they are, Debra also does a Haunted walk of UNA, which is also awesome. Get signed up when they become available in October, you won't be sorry.

From the owner: A spine chilling night awaits you in the company of a masterful storyteller who will entertain you…read morewith tales steeped in legend, folklore, and truth. As twilight creeps over the homes and hidden courtyards of historic downtown Florence, prepare yourself to witness the mysterious and inexplicable. We shall see you as darkness descends....

The flora, fauna, and typography of this canyon are not very different from any other hiking area I…read morehave hiked in Alabama. It's very similar to Bankhead National Forest. The size of the sheer bluffs (and many of the rocks) at Dismals is fairly unique, though. We visited this past weekend and I thought the whole experience was okay. It's not a National Park, or a National Forest, Dismals is a "National Natural Landmark" that is privately owned. The cost in my humble opinion to hike (without a guide) the Dismals *and* take the night tour with a guide is expensive! It was approximately $28.00 per adult. The trail is around 1.5 miles - at least the trail we explored in the daytime before taking the night tour. The creek running through the base was deep enough that there needed to be ways to cross it that were navigable, preferably with handrails. In photos, I've seen concrete blocks, which would have been okay (note, not handrails) but there were no concrete block crossing at areas we needed/wanted to get across the water. There were random pieces of wood, even fallen trees and my husband, who is both a "daredevil" and in great shape, managed to traverse the waters to see the other side, but he did land in the water (on his feet) and absolutely soaked his shoes and socks. The three of us opted to backtrack and not deal with the water. To me, this is very poor planning on the part of the Dismals owners. The trail map we got from the "General Store" had landmarks which were just "cute" names for the features, like "The Pulpit" and "Witches Den" - to me, they were fairly unremarkable "landmarks." Fast forward to the night tour which was scheduled for 9:00 PM. We were told to arrive at 8:30 and if everyone was early, we could start early. I did not note the time we started, however, it was about a 45 minute hike. Parts of this hike were in total, 100 percent darkness to ensure we had the utmost opportunity to view the "Dismalites." That's fine, except, I'm not a fan of walking in uneven/unfamiliar terrain in the pitch dark, with my husband dragging me forward in a group of 13 people counting the guide. This was unnerving and I moved at a snail's pace, and held up those who were stuck behind me. Also, I was hanging onto the rail with one hand and couldn't physically rubberneck around to try to catch a view of a glowworm. I think I saw a total of twelve glow worms. After exiting the night tour trails, we saw firefly larvae that glowed in the shallow water at the entrance to the trail. To me, this was the highlight of the glowing visuals. Another con is the numerous wooden staircases at the Dismals trail's entrance/exit. There is absolutely no way these are constructed to code! These stairs are so narrow in depth that my size 8 ladies shoes, (which is an average women's shoe size) hung off the edge about 2 inches, forcing me to "duck walk" down the stairs. Even if they are built to code, the stair treads are completely worn off, providing absolutely no traction whatsoever. The guide told us due to the "drought" the Dismalite glowworms were not out in abundance. If you keep your expectations low, and really enjoy a sandstone gorge/canyon, and are not risk averse, you will have a nice time here. Our tour guide did a good job providing information that was geared towards the audience which included age ranges from children to senior citizens. I can't comment on the "General Store" food options because we didn't eat anything there, or the campsites (note, the on-site cabins are closed and unavailable). The sole restroom which is a little walk from the General Store and is clean with a barely working hand dryer and no paper towels. The parking lot is ridiculously small with each space being beyond small. The owners of the Dismals need to invest in their property to make it worthwhile, easy to traverse, and safe for their visitors.

Parents Beware Before Approving School Field Trips Here…read more I want to share my recent experience as a concerned parent. Our children's school scheduled a field trip to Dismals Canyon and collected payment for the students. Parents were originally told that we could attend for a $20 fee -- but at the very last minute, the site informed the school that parents would no longer be allowed to go. When I contacted the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce (who were kind and helpful), they reached out to Dismals Canyon for clarification. The canyon's staff claimed the decision was due to parking limitations, parents distracting the kids from learning, and tight spaces. However, this change was communicated only after money had already been collected and plans were finalized. Parents deserve transparency, especially when it involves children's safety at a location with cliffs, caves, and water features. I strongly urge other parents and schools to ask clear written confirmation of parent policies before sending children on field trips here. Families should not be excluded or misled after payments and plans have been made.

We just returned from the Shawshank/Christmas Story movie tour with Angie! I've always believed…read more"the Joy was in the journey"... Angie is definitely the Joy in the journey!!! She makes everyone feel so good and as if she planned this trip just for each one alone when we know she does it for us all. She is hospitality extraordinaire! She goes beyond to make sure we are taken care of first...you will find your Joy from the moment you meet her be it on phone or your first step on the bus. We can't wait for our next trip with her!!!! And you will be blessed having Angie on your journey!!

Angie is amazing. She goes above and beyond to make sure that every single trip is everything it…read morecan be. She tries to cater to each individual need while still making sure no one feels slighted or left out. We have traveled with her since 2018 and see no end in sight.

The Rocket City Rover is soo much fun!!! We are from out of town and every time we visit…read moreHuntsville, my teenage daughter asks to ride the Rocket City Rover. Finally in Dec 2002, we did it! We took the "Carols and Cocoa " tour, which is family friendly. My two teenagers had so much fun! Singing carols, pedaling, seeing the Christmas lights and drinking hot cocoa. The staff were outstanding! They were so much fun! I definitely recommend this!!

Great and super fun as always! Easy to communicate with and they give you options on planning your…read moreroute.

This place took a hit from COVID. They apparently had a restaurant out front that is now closed …read more They had a goat milk ice cream that I had heard was amazing. We sampled all the products currently available. They change periodically. The cheese spreads were original, veggie, pumpkin, fig, honey and red pepper. They were all fantastic. We bought one of each plus a Greek Kiss cheese wrapped in grape leaves and a Southern Bell with pecans and bourbon flavors. All of it was so good I'm sure we will use it quick and be back. You really should visit or order online. I for one am hoping they can open a restaurant somewhere in the area using their products. I really want to try that ice cream or a cheesecake. Check them out. You won't be disappointed.

BC is the type of place where you can enjoy as a Sunday Drive destination. After reading other…read moreYelper's reviews, I opted out of the tour so this review is only for the café, and products. The quaint town of Elkmont features Belle Chevre (and apparently another goat cheese farm that is going to go to the winner of an essay contest). Parking is ample and I believe the owner is a graphic designer as well as artisan cheese maker, so the design is spot on! I love the logo and the look and feel of the café. On the checkout counter of the café, are the samples. The lady doles out the samples on a wooden spoon reminiscent of a tongue depressor. I didn't care for that. However, they have crackers that you may break into squares for your samples. Win! I tried all the goat cheese samples and loved the fig, the coffee, and the pimento cheese the most, and then the "regular" is really good too. Behind where you sample cheese (meaning behind your back) is a refrigerator containing the items for purchase, and you can buy the cheesecake (my family's fav) at the sample and checkout counter. I ordered a grilled pimento cheese BLT and it was really delicious! I don't recall the price (8.00 maybe?) but it was hot and delivered in a~ 15 minutes. I purchased several of the cheeses that are in jars at room temperature and we really enjoyed one of them (I believe it was the Tuscan Chevre that we all liked, but it may have been the Greek Kiss 'Grape Leaved' Discs). I also purchased the cranberries and walnuts disk of cheese. The cheese wrapped in grape leaves was really good, but not the grape leaf. It was tough, but imparted a delicious flavor! I've been told that Isom's Orchard on 72 in Athens carries BC's products and that Costco in Huntsville does, but don't quote me on that. Go here, it's so quaint, you are missing out if you don't take the pretty drive and try this good cheese!

A fun small-medium sized zoo than you can walk through in about two hours…read more The giraffe enclosure was nice that you could get so up close with them. We didn't do the drive thru area since they were busy with field trips. The gift shop is a lot cheaper than larger zoos.

As I was passing through I stopped in to find out more about this place. You can see some of the…read moreanimals from the road. The lady was very nice and it was quite busy. She explained to me that they had a walking tour as well as a drive through. They even give you buckets of food so you can feed the animals, apparently they come right up to you. I didn't take the tour but she invited me to continue to take a look around. Everyone looked like they were enjoying themselves and I didn't hear any wild animals on the loose. Maybe next time I'll take the drive through tour, if things go wrong I know I can't outrun an animal but I can certainly out drive one.

This is a really cool park. It was decorated for Christmas but we were there during the day. Down…read moreby the river there are a mirage of ducks. There is a food stand where you can put a quarter in and get a handful of corn to feed them. Do that and they will follow you around. They were well behaved ducks, not obnoxious in any way. We were here in December. There are concessions, merry go round and little train that would. E operating in the summer. We were just traveling thru after visiting the Helen Keller house and grounds and happened to find this park. Glad we did.

An amazing park to while away a bit of time. I especially liked the waterfall.the setting is serene…read morewith fountains, water wheels, ducks, a statue to commemorate the Trail of Tears and more besides the waterfalls. The park was quite busy on my day there. It was a particularly beautiful Tursday afternoon and people were just enjoying being alive and spending time in this beautiful park. Large trees kept the sun at bay in places, plus provided a beautiful contrast to walking through nature's landscape, walking between brilliant sunshine and the serene calmness of a step in the shadows. I sit in a little picnic area as I write this, enjoying not only the scenery that surrounds me and the calming sound of the waterfall, but the calmness that this park evoked within me, a realization how brilliant the gift of life truly is.

I have visited here twice on field trips with my students. I love this museum! There's so much to…read morelearn and if you're into science like me, this is definitely your place. There are self-guided tours, guided tours for groups and hands-on classroom experiences. You can meet an actual NASA scientist, learn about our solar system in the planetarium, and enjoy the various rides that are included with admission. There are other fun things to do but I believe those events/rides cost extra. You can even enjoy lunch under the trees or in the food court area inside. Pro Tip: Plan to visit at least two days to take it all in! It's definitely an out of this world experience!

If you have even the slightest interest in space, this place is a must-see!…read more The U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville is the largest space museum in the world -- and it shows. From the moment you walk in, you're immersed in the story of humanity's journey beyond Earth. The exhibits walk you through our humble beginnings in rocketry, the intensity of the Space Race against the Soviets, the tragedy of Apollo 1, and the evolution of technology that eventually put humans on the Moon. You'll see command modules, landers, rovers, military applications, the role animals played in early testing, quarantine procedures after splashdown, and in-depth looks at International Space Station and Skylab. And then there's the jaw-dropping moment when you enter the massive building housing the fully displayed Saturn V rocket. It's hard to put into words how enormous and impressive it is stretched out above you. Seeing it in its entirety is worth the visit alone. We easily spent five hours here -- arriving shortly after opening and leaving about an hour before closing -- and still felt like we could have spent more time reading and exploring. There are over 1,500 artifacts on display. Every corner has something fascinating. One of my favorite parts? Actual rocket scientists were onsite at the Saturn V exhibit, ready and excited to answer questions. Talking to people who genuinely worked in the field adds a depth you just can't replicate with signage alone. I also highly recommend catching a show in the planetarium. We saw the presentation on the James Webb Space Telescope, and it was incredible. Pro tip: get there about 20 minutes early and line up. The shows are popular, and early arrival means better seats. Bonus -- you can bring in popcorn, candy, soda, or Icees if you're feeling snacky. Parking is huge and well organized. While they cap attendance each day at several hundred visitors, we had no issue getting tickets. The onsite cafeteria looked large with several food options. I noticed vegetarian choices but didn't confirm vegan availability. If I had one small critique, it would be that I wish there were even more actual flown-in-space artifacts. There are some, but many displays are trainers and simulators. That said, I understand that many space-flown items aren't recoverable, so replicas and trainers make sense. I also appreciated that the museum doesn't stop in the past. It brings the story into the present, covering modern space ventures like Blue Origin and SpaceX. Bottom line: this place is absolutely worth the trip. Plan for at least four hours -- five if you really want to dive in. There is so much to read, see, and experience. Space nerd or not, you'll leave inspired.