ALABAMA
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Alabama’s State Parks Inexpensive way to 'Staycation"
You don’t have to go far from home for rest and relaxation! Enjoy a comfortable and affordable getaway – without having to spend a fortune on flights or fuel. How? Many of Alabama’s State Parks offer overnight accommodations – from rustic to rather ritzy – in lodge hotel rooms, chalets, cabins, and cottages.
Where? The fabulous, fun-filled family vacation destinations – the Fab Five – include Lakepoint (Eufala), Cheaha (Delta), DeSoto (Fort Payne), Lake Guntersville (Guntersville), and Joe Wheeler (Rogersville).
What to do? Alabama’s State Parks offer all kinds of activities – you can enjoy fishing, swimming, boating, golf, hiking and biking trails, playgrounds and picnic areas. Some even have pools, hot tubs and restaurants, and most parks have special events planned for each season.
Want more info on Alabama’s State Parks? Check web site www.alapark.com/
Black Belt Tourism Guide Published
a 42-page visitors‚ guide focused on the many historic, cultural and scenic destinations in Alabama's Black Belt region is available at Alabama Welcome Centers as well as Chambers of Commerce and tourism organizations. For more information, check www.TourismBlackBelt.asp
BIRMINGHAM
Chez Fonfon Profiled by City Scene
Chez Fonfon is noted for its pastries which were featured in the Alabama Tourism Department's '100 dishes to eat in Alabama before you die' brochure. An excerpt follows:
This, the youngest of Frank Stitt's four restaurants on Birmingham's Southside, briefly transports diners to a French bistro. The decor is upscale French cafe, bright and cheery with gaslights, antique furniture and vintage French prints. The menu is largely in French, giving the knowledgeable staff ample opportunity to guide and explain. Chez Fonfon's pastries appear on the list of 100 dishes to eat in Alabama before you die, so we felt honor bound to try something from the dessert list. Gingerbread Cheesecake sounded different and seasonal, so we decided to give it try. The light brown concoction was amazingly light, even with the dollops of whipped cream gracing the top. The gingerbread flavor was subtle and quite tasty. We got a kick out of the maple leaf shaped gingerbread cookie that leaned against the cheesecake. Was it just a garnish, or was it a baked homage to our French-speaking Canadian neighbors? Made at Bottega, Chez Fonfon's sister restaurant around the bend on Highland Avenue, the cheesecake was a fitting end to a delightful meal. www.al.com/entertainment/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/entertainment
DECATUR
Decatur Performing Arts Center opened
The former St. Ann Catholic Church in downtown Decatur has been transformed into a performing arts center. The non-profit group plans to turn it into 'a little Carnegie Hall' suitable for concerts, plays, weddings, meetings and places of worship. Decatur needs a venue to supplement the Princess Theatre Center for the Performing Arts, Butler said, and this facility will be about half the size of the 677-seat Princess. For more information check web site www.decaturdaily.com
HUNTSVILLE
Largest Alabama State Flag
A 60-foot Alabama state flag, the largest ever made, has been unveiled at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville near the new Saturn V center. An American flag flies nearby. The Alabama flag was presented by the state tourism department as the Huntsville community observes the 50th anniversary of the launch of America's first satellite atop a Huntsville rocket. www.spacecamp.com/saturnv
MOBILE
More soon!
MONTGOMERY
Renaissance Hotel & Spa celebrates Alabama artists
The new Renaissance Hotel & Spa opened in downtown Montgomery featuring the works of Nall and other Alabama artists.
TUSCALOOSA
Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail
The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail (www.rtjgolf.com, 800/949-4444) put the state on the golf world map in 1992 with the noble idea of creating accessible, first-rate public courses. The Trail now boasts 464 holes spanning the length of the state, from the verdant rolling hills of the north to the pine-lined wetlands in the south. Golf seems to thrive on Alabama's fertile soil. Now that a bunch of new Alabama courses have been built to expand the Trail, the golfing bounty of the state is flourishing even more.
Ol' Colony
Ol'Colony in Tuscaloosa is among the best municipal courses in the U.S. Owned by Tuscaloosa County, Ol' Colony is a strategic layout requiring a bit of pondering and chin-scratching before giving your ball a whack willy-nilly. Though not overly long at 6,464 yards, tall pines and beefy oaks gobble up wayward drives as doglegs tempt you to cut the corner at your peril.