Week off. No pay. What to do?
This reality has been playing out in households all across the country, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mine included.
My wife, Jennifer, and I recently took our weeks “off” simultaneously. We wanted to have a great, fun week with our girls — AnnahLilly, 10, and Carolina Rose, 7 — but there were some challenges to consider. We wanted to be fiscally responsible — let’s not spend hundreds of dollars, thank you very much. And then there’s the issue of social distancing. There are also so many places in Alabama that we’ve heard about or seen in pictures that we’ve wanted to experience since moving here in 2012.
We added it all up and an Alabama-cation week of day trips was born. We explored our state’s natural beauty and saw some other fun sites along the way. And no place was more than two hours from our Homewood home.
So here’s where we went, what it cost (excluding gas money), the approximate mileage to each location from our house and some tips we learned along the way:
Dismals Canyon
On an hourlong night tour of Dismals Canyon, we saw the tiny bioluminescent creatures called Dismalites, larvae of an insect related to fungus gnats. They were stunning. Picture everyone on the tour turning off their flashlights, then your eyes adjust to witness these glowworms lighting up the rock faces. Glowworms are finicky creatures and unique to only a few places on Earth — Australia, New Zealand and Alabama. Our guide said the ones here glow from both their head and tails while their Down Under cousins glow from just their tails. To book your tour, you need to call the Sunday of the week you want to go. And bring a flashlight — a red light is optimal, if you have it, since it’s easier for your eyes to adjust once you turn them off.
Where: 901 CR-8, Phil Campbell, (205) 993-4559
How far: 105 miles
Cost: $10, adults; $7.75, children, ages 4-12; we did a private tour (subject to guide availability, and not really “private”; there were a few other families with us) for an additional $20; regular tours with a max of 15 people are held Saturday nights.
Bonus tip: They also offer camp sites and plenty of trails to hike during the day.
Along the way: We added about 30 minutes to the trip to go through Cullman to see one of Alabama’s many covered bridges — Clarkson Covered Bridge. That was free.
Starlite Stables
The girls have been wanting to take horseback riding lessons, so we ventured to this Odenville spot. Say hello to Brownie and Little Man if you go.
Where: 1426 CR-16, Odenville
How far: 33 miles
Cost: It’s $35 for a 30-minute lesson. There’s also a six-lesson package for $180.
More info: Search Starlite Stables on Facebook, or call (205) 790-6792.
Alabama Safari Park
Llamas, bison and gazelles — oh my. This meandering drive-thru feeding of wild animals was super fun. It’s not for the faint of heart, though. These animals will put their heads right into your car window looking for food. We bought three food buckets and that was just about the right amount. Just hold onto them tightly!
Where: 1664 Venable Road, Hope Hull
How far: 103 miles
Cost: $21.95, adults; $16.95, children; $3 off each admission Monday through Friday; $4.95 per bucket of food
Bonus tip: The ostriches can come off as being little aggressive, so be a extra cautious.
More info: alabamasafaripark.com
Along the way: On the way home, we ventured into Montgomery to get Korean takeout at So Gong Dong Tofu & BBQ (1633 Eastern Blvd., (334) 593-8400). Be sure to get the kimchi pancakes. Then we stopped to get a picture outside the state Capitol and read the historical marker outside the First White House of the Confederacy across the street.
Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge
The largest known stand of the shoals lily (known here as the Cahaba lily) was a sight to see. The only other places in the world where this species is found are in South Carolina and Georgia, but it’s most abundant here. Each blossom opens overnight and lasts for one day, its most prevalent period between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. We ventured out on foot to get a closer look, too. Just be careful: Some of the rocks can be slippery and you can’t always see what’s under the water. And don’t do anything silly that would harm the lilies or other flora, please.
Where: To get down right along the river, GPS to River Trace, West Blocton. There will be some open spots where you can park on the side, but hang on until you see a little beach area with a tree swing. The first good spot you come to has a rope swing, too.
How far: 49 miles
Cost: Free
More info: fws.gov/refuge/Cahaba_River, (256) 848-6833
Noccalula Falls
A statue at the top honors Cherokee Princess Noccalula. Legend has it she jumped to her death from the top of the falls. Her father, the village chief, wouldn’t allow her to marry her true love, instead setting up a marriage with a nearby village’s wealthy chief. The distraught princess is said to have leapt to her death on her wedding day.
We would have checked out Noccalula Park, but pets are prohibited and we brought our dog. There is still a way to experience the falls. Park at the nearby Jack’s and walk over to check out the falls from above. If you’re up for a hike and want to get under the falls, here’s how: Walk across the pedestrian bridge toward the campground and take the path immediately to the left. Walk on down; the campground will be on your right. Follow the path until you get to the end of the campground. On your left will be a trash can, tree stump and a path through the woods. Take that path. Keep in mind that it’s pretty steep. Once you get to the bottom of the path, go left and follow the rock line until you get to the falls; that stretch isn’t so steep. Bring your hiking shoes, and be warned that it’s wet, muddy and very slippery under the falls.
Where: Navigate to the Jack’s restaurant at 1502 Noccalula Road, Gadsden.
How far: 66 miles
Cost: Admission to the park is $6 for adults, $4 for children between 4 and 12.
More info: noccalulafallspark.com
Oak Mountain State Park
We rented two stand-up paddleboards and a single kayak from Flip Side Watersports and spent two hours on the water. Once we got into the middle of the water and around the bend, it seemed like we had the lake to ourselves. We swam and enjoyed the birds on the shoreline. There is also a beach here, but it was a little too crowded on the day we went.
Where: Navigate to Flip Side, 8195 B John Findlay III Drive, Birmingham.
How far: 13 miles
Cost: Park admission was $5 per adult, $2 per child under 12. At Flip Side, it cost us $20 per vessel, including life vests and paddles, for the first hour, plus $10 each vessel for each additional hour.
More info: alapark.com/parks/oak-mountain-state-park, flipsideal.com