Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
www.nps.gov/cuis
; tent sites per person $4)
, a campground set among magnificent verdant
oaks.
Note: there are no stores or waste bins on the island. Eat before arriving or bring
lunch, and take your trash with you.
ALABAMA
Football and history are two things Southerners never stop discussing, and Alabama is
the perfect prism for both. It was home to one of gridiron's most legendary coaches, Paul
'Bear' Bryant, and to Jefferson Davis, the first president of the Confederacy in 1861 (the
year the Civil War began).
More significantly, in the 1950s and '60s, Alabama became a civil rights battleground
pitting racial segregationists against nonviolent activists who demanded freedom. The
ripple effects were felt in legislation that affected the entire country, and exploring this
state provides powerful insight into uniquely American racial dynamics, and the United
States' checkered history as a whole.
Geographically, Alabama has a surprising diversity of landscapes, from leafy foothills
in the north to the subtropical Gulf Coast down south. And let's not forget endearing
Birmingham, a shining light of progress in a state that all too often seems to be shadow
boxing with its own demons.
Information
and has a website with extensive tourism options.
with camping facilities ranging from primitive ($12) to RV hookups ($26). Advanced re-
servations are suggested for weekends and holidays.
ALABAMA FACTS
Nickname
the Heart of Dixie
Population
4.8 million
Area
52,419 sq miles
Capital city
Montgomery (population 205,600)
