Alabama lies in the Deep South, as its nickname, the 'Heart of Dixie', proclaims. It is rich in all that the South is known for-natural beauty, down-home food and hospitality, but it carries the proud legacy of the civil rights struggle as well. The state was the site of the landmark
Montgomery bus boycott and the 'Freedom March' led by Dr
Martin Luther King.
Alabama's varying landscape and personality make it a destination of both non-stop activity and laid-back escape. At its southern tip, the sugar-white sand and crystal clear waters of the Gulf Coast beckon. Alabama's beaches, unlike
those of neighboring
Florida, are free of amusement parks and large-scale commercialization. Instead, there are the stately antebellum mansions and gardens of Mobile as well as the rolling farmlands and quiet towns of the southeast.
Further north, the pace of life picks up in sleek
Birmingham, with its great jazz, and the
Talladega Superspeedway, which can seem like a small city itself during
NASCAR racing events. Alabama's northernmost region is situated at the foothills of the
Appalachian Mountains, overflowing with stunning views, lakes, waterfalls and caverns. In autumn, when trees blaze red and gold, it is a paradise for campers, hikers and mountain bikers.
The state has a strong, sometimes fanatical, sports culture as well. It is home to the country's most heated rivalry in American college football, between the
University of Alabama's Crimson Tide and the
Auburn University Tigers. During the
Iron Bowl, when the two come together in a season-ending clash, the entire state enters into a frenzy of competitive spirit.
