Huntsville -- One of Most Popular Destinations in Alabama

Added: 04/04/2006

Alabama is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. The North Alabama is home for Huntsville-Decatur area. The North region is mostly mountainous, with the Tennessee River cutting a large valley creating numerous creeks, streams, rivers, mountains, and lakes. Alabama is a very beautiful state that offers many places to visit. So with that in mind, let's take a look at Huntsville - one of the most popular destinations in Alabama.

Alabama is the 30th largest state in the United States. The states bordering Alabama include: Tennessee to the north; Georgia to the east; Florida to the south; and Mississippi to the west. Alabama has coastline at the Gulf of Mexico in the extreme southern edge of the state. The Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area is the most populated Sub-Region of North Alabama, and is the second fastest growing region in the State of Alabama. The CSA is situated along the Tennessee River, and is made up of two separate Metropolitan Areas: Huntsville Metropolitan Area, and Decatur Metropolitan Area. Huntsville is the largest city in the area.

Pioneer John Hunt, for whom the city is named, occupied a cabin alongside a spring here in 1805. A town soon flourished and was the largest in the Alabama Territory by 1819. In 1811, Huntsville became the first incorporated town in Alabama. Nowadays, it is the high-tech city which sprawls at the foot of a mountain in North Alabama and is equally at home in the 19th century or the 21st. It is one of the most recognized cities in the Southeast - consistently named as one of the best places to live and work by a variety of national publications.

The city is regularly named as a premier location for both business and quality of life. Technology, space, and defense industries have a major presence in Huntsville with the Army's Redstone Arsenal, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, and Cummings Research Park. The city combines the rich heritage of Southern hospitality with innovative high-tech ventures and cultural diversity.

Huntsville's tourist attractions reflect the heritage of Alabama's first English-speaking city, the strife of the American Civil War, and the accomplishments of America's rocket scientists. Huntsville's visitor attractions offer a wealth of activities for the native and international visitor alike. Visitors who want to be "astronauts for a day" can sample astronaut training activities at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. The hands-on showcase of space technology is the state's largest tourist attraction.

A variety of city museums downtown and an outstanding symphony orchestra offer rich cultural opportunities. The legendary Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, which encompasses 21 courses in eight cities in Alabama, begins here at the 54-hole Hampton Cove Golf Course. Alabama now ranks fifth in the nation for public golf courses per resident.
Adjacent to the space museum is the beautiful Huntsville Botanical Garden which features floral and aquatic gardens. Despite becoming the space capital of America, Huntsville maintains close contact with its past.

The literal birthplace, "the big spring," still flows from a rock bluff underneath the 1835 Regions Bank. A new three-story building to house the Huntsville Museum of Art has been built in Big Spring Park. Air travelers arrive at the Huntsville International Airport just 12 miles west of Huntsville.

Roanoke is another beautiful spot in Alabama. It's a quiet, peaceful community nestled in the historic hills of Randolph County. While here, visitors can enjoy a wide range of recreational activities - wonderful fishing, golf, and youth team activities available to all.

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