As part of my summer series - Travel Oracles 50 States - I am revisiting each os the fifty American states as an overview on travel culture and history. Today: Alabama

Joined: Became the 22nd state on December 14, 1819. A former slave state, it was admitted into the confederacy March 13, 1861, but later rejoined the Union in July 13, 1868

Population: 4.893 million (2020)

Original Indigenous Peoples: Alabama's indigenous history can be traced back more than 10,000 years, to the Paleoindian Period. Today’s largest groups are The Cherokee and the Muskogee peoples. The Muskogee peoples included the Choctaw, the Creek, and the Chickasaw tribes.

First Settlers: In 1702 the French founded the first permanent European settlement in Alabama, at Fort Louis, north of present-day Mobile

History moment: Alabama is home to significant landmarks from the American Civil Rights Movement: The city of Birmingham's 16th Street Baptist Church, now a museum, was a protest headquarters in the 1960s. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s church and the Rosa Parks Museum. On 25 March 1965, Martin Luther King led thousands of nonviolent demonstrators to the steps of the capitol in Montgomery, Alabama, after a 5-day, 54-mile march.

Known for: Civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Rosa Parks & the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Peanuts, gulf coast beaches, college football

Cities: Most populous Include Birmingham, Montgomery, Mobile, Huntsville and Tuscaloosa, home of the University of Alabama

Movie setting: Selma, Sweet Home Alabama, Big Fish, Fried Green Tomatoes, Forest Gump, To Kill A Mockingbird

Musicians from: Nat King Cole, Hank Williams, The Commodores, Wilson Pickett, Emmylou Harris

Surprising facts: The U.S. Space & Rocket Center, home to Space Camp and the visitor center for NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, is in Huntsville, Alabama (Something I only learned sitting next to two NASA engineers on a flight once - they told me nearly everyone in their family were engineers too, working for center).

Sweet Home Alabama is how the song goes, though it is a state with a complicated past. However, with its abundant natural beauty and exciting city revivals - like many cities in the south, luring creative entrepreneurs are returning home - there are interesting things ahead. Alabama is a blend of thought-provoking history, modern cities, from Huntsville where the Saturn rocket was designed, to Montgomery to Birmingham to rural adventures. Just keep in mind what season you visit per your preference as the Summers are very hot and humid, yes, but its year-round mild climate also means winter temperatures rarely get cold. Let’s travel to Alabama.

My Experience: I have driven through the state on a few occasions, with stops in Montgomery and Mobile but would like to go back to explore more. Also I had the best shrimp & grits, and peach cobbler of my life here, not to mention experiencing exceptional Southern hospitality.

Birmingham: Alabama’s largest city has emerged from its gritty, segregated, industrial past to modern destination with plenty of creative and entrepreneurial momentum. Today, as you retrace the steps of demonstrators who changed the course of American history on the Civil Rights Heritage Trail, you’ll find a city experiencing exciting change, with new life into downtown and Southern cooking getting global makeovers. It is also home to the nation’s first bike-share program that incorporates electric pedal-assisted bikes - also, both Food & Wine Magazine and Southern Living are both based here. Things to see & do: Visit Birmingham civil rights institute (I would suggest a guided history walking tour in the city as well), Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, Vulcan Park & Museum, bike around Rotary Trail that will lead you to Railroad Park or a bigger trek around Red Mountain Park, dine & drink around Five Points South where the idyllic neighborhood of Highland Park collides with the University of Alabama (lots of pubs and top restaurants)

Montgomery: Alabama’s capital also has revitalized neighborhoods and excellent museums and other sites that focus on the evolution of civil rights. It is both the first Confederate capital and the birthplace of the civil rights movement; it is where Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger; and where The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. emerged as the movement’s leader. Today, new investment is revitalizing abandoned buildings downtown and Queen Anne mansions in nearby neighborhoods, continues to move the city forward into the future. Things to see & do: Visit the Legacy museum, National Memorial for Peace and Justice, Rosa Parks Library and Museum, Dexter Parsonage Museum - Dr. Martin Luther King home, Civil Rights Memorial Center, Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, grab a drink in the downtown entertainment district and generally eat your way through the city (keep room for dessert!)

And more: Explore rural Alabama, or try a BBQ tour around the state (and the South), and make stops in smaller towns like Mobile along the way.

Food & Drink: Alabama is known for its barbecue, like many southern states, and even has it's own unique White BBQ Sauce. But it's also well-known for many other southern and soul food favorites like Fried Green Tomatoes, Classic Southern Smothered Pork Chops, Collard Greens, Fried Chicken, Shrimp & Grits, and Tomato Pie.

Current US ranking and opportunities for the future: Per the annual US News report, Alabama sits in the bottom five in terms of education and healthcare, and they don’t fair much better in terms of economy or environment. They are currently ranked #46 out of 50 in 2021, up from #49 in 2019 with its main challenges being around education, economy and healthcare.. However, with the influx of creatives, entrepreneurs, engineers, inexpensive housing, and companies relocating to the state, anything is possible.

Travel Oracles 50 States: Alabama