Uniquely Alabama: The State's Best Vacation Spots

"Uniquely Alabama" is an occasional series where Patch tries to find the answers to questions about life in Alabama. Have a question about the Yellowhammer State that needs answering? Send it to michael.seale@patch.com.

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Believe it or not, summer vacation is quickly approaching and Alabamians will start making plans for trips to take as the weather warms up and school gets out for the summer. And while there are plenty of places to go on vacation outside the state, Alabama has just about everything you need right here within the state lines.

Alabama offers a unique topography — perhaps unbeknownst to those outside the state — in that we have some of the most beautiful white-sand beaches in the country, dozens of fantastic lakes for boating, fishing and swimming and gorgeous mountains in the northeast corner of the state at the foot of the Appalachians.

Keep in mind, the Centers for Disease Control recommends delaying travel until you are fully vaccinated, because travel increases your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19. If you are not fully vaccinated and must travel, follow CDC’s recommendations for unvaccinated people.

Alabama Beaches

So where do people like to vacation in Alabama? Well, let's start with our beaches. The white, sandy beaches of the coastal towns of Orange Beach, Gulf Shores and Dauphin Island along the Gulf of Mexico are popular vacation destinations for Alabamians and out-of-state tourists alike.

Orange Beach offers some of the best seafood restaurants in the state, and I would be remiss if I did not also mention that famous Flora-Bama Bar & Grill on the Alabama-Florida line. The Flora-Bama has been a popular spot for Spring Breakers for decades and can even get somewhat rowdy during peak times of the summer.

Gulf Shores, just a few miles over from Orange Beach, offers expansive beaches and a little less congestion than Orange Beach, and even features the historic Fort Morgan, a masonry fort built between 1819 and 1833 where Mobile Bay meets the Gulf of Mexico.

Speaking of less congestion, for those who want a sleepier beach vacation without the night life and party crowd, Dauphin Island, often dubbed the "Sunset Capital of the World," is a tiny barrier island off the coast of Mobile where the Mississippi Sound and Mobile Bay meet the Gulf of Mexico. There are no stoplights along the 14-mile island, and no high-rise condo complexes or hotels.

Head for the Mountains

Not a beach person? Okay, how about visiting some of Alabama's mountain regions. Mentone, in northeast Alabama, is home to not only Desoto Falls, but also is home to Alabama's lone ski resort, the Cloudmont Golf & Ski Resort.

The Lake Life

Alabama's lakes are also popular vacation destinations, with some of the best fishing in the region. In fact, the Bassmaster's Classic is often held at Guntersville Lake — Alabama’s largest lake, which sits between the cities of Guntersville and Bridgeport in the northern part of the state — and the area around the lake offers plenty of lodging, including Guntersville State Park.

Lewis-Smith Lake is one of the cleanest lakes in the country, and is beloved by boating and water sports enthusiasts. And on a personal note, my wife and I have on numerous occasions rented a house on the lake for a weekend or two through VRBO.

The Crazy Tourist, one of my favorite websites for researching vacation spots, has a fantastic rundown of some of Alabama's best lakes.

Tee Time

I can't leave out the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail for the golf enthusiasts out there. The trail stretches throughout the state and includes 468 holes on 26 courses in 11 different Alabama cities — the largest golf course construction project in the country — and includes beautiful courses that are not only fun, but challenging as well.

My favorites along the trail include The Shoals, nestled between the Wheeler and Wilson dams on the Tennessee River, and Ross Bridge in Hoover.

So there you have it. Sure, Disney World is fun and the Grand Canyon is a sight to behold, but I am not kidding when I say you can have yourself a fantastic vacation without ever leaving the state of Alabama. Yes, I may be biased as a life-long Alabamian, but trust me on this. I wouldn't steer you in the wrong direction.