A true college town, Auburn is anchored by the university of the same name and is known by many as “The Loveliest Village on the Plains”, a nickname on loan from a 1770 poem written by Oliver Goldsmith. The main gateway to downtown is Toomer’s Corner, with quaint shops on one side and the college campus on the other. Flanked by several large oak trees, the corner is often subjected to relentless toilet paper rolling by football fans wanting to take part in one of the greatest victory celebrations in the sport. The landmark Toomer’s Drugs store has been operating continuously since 1896, albeit under a handful of different owners. The small shop now functions as a half-gift shop, half-soda fountain. Auburn merch galore lines the walls of what was once a seating area and, on hot Alabama days, folks can cool off with a variety of ice cream flavors or with Toomer’s delicious fresh-squeezed lemonade. Other attractions in the area include the Auburn Raptor Center and Davis Arboretum.

The Little River flows down the back of Lookout Mountain, making it one of the longest mountaintop rivers in North America. Carving a gorge as it winds towards the Coosa River, it tumbles over three stunning waterfalls and makes up the 15,000+ acre Little River Canyon National Preserve. The most notable of these is the eponymous Little River Falls, which cascades 45 feet over an escarpment just off AL-35, easily the most accessible and most iconic part of the park. Another sight to see is Grace’s High Falls, Alabama’s highest waterfall at 133 feet. Whitewater rafting is, logically, a big part of recreation in the area. An eight-mile hiking trail, often strenuous, also weaves alongside the canyon.

This little city in northeast Alabama is the home of the Unclaimed Baggage Center, a nationally acclaimed destination that boasts more than 50,000 square feet of lost and unclaimed airline luggage. The warehouse features different sections with different items, from clothing to tech, and even has a little museum highlighting some of the craziest items. Opened in 1970, the center has two full buildings and hosts over a million visitors every year. Just west of town is Cathedral Caverns State Park, an impressive underground cave system that boasts one of the largest natural entrances in the world and one of the largest stalagmites – nicknamed Goliath – in the world.

The site of the horrid Bloody Sunday, a sorrowful day in March 1965 when policemen and others brutally attacked demonstrators marching to Montgomery, Selma and its infamous Edmund Pettus Bridge was one of the most culturally significant places in the Civil Rights Movement. The bridge still crosses the Alabama River today, allowing visitors to walk across it and feel the true emotional weight of this significant structure. An interpretive center is situated at its north end. The town is also the start of the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail, an informative driving route that primarily follows US-80 to the state capital.