Happy Thursday friends, Heather here again! We might be sending our babies off to school but I am still over here reminiscing over our summer memories. I hope that you enjoyed Part 1 of our “Sweet Home Alabama Summer” posted a couple weeks ago. Today I am bringing five more counties from our trips around our state…Cullman, Walker, Jefferson, Dekalb and Cherokee.

CULLMAN AND WALKER COUNTIES

In Cullman county I discovered my love for covered bridges with the Clarkson Covered Bridge as our first stop. I think a covered bridge can send you back in time faster than just about anything! We also visited Brother Jospeh’s Ave Maria Grotto exploring over 125 miniature reproductions of famous religious sites. Before heading towards Walker county we stopped at All Steak for some of their famous orange rolls. Now that was a road trip snack!

In Walker county we visited the Bankhead House and Heritage Center. The home was beautiful and my daughter particularly enjoyed the whole room dedicated to the famous Bankhead daughter, Tallulah! Honestly in all of our adventures during the summer, Tallulah’s room was likely her favorite spot.

JEFFERSON COUNTY

While this was obviously our shortest commute visiting our home county, we ran out of time more quickly this day than anywhere else. Jefferson county could have days dedicated to it but we decided to highlight a few things knowing that we will always keep exploring here as well. We started out the day at Arlington Home and Garden, the oldest standing structure in Birmingham. After lunch at Birmingham staple, Niki’s West, visited the Civil Rights Institute and the 16th Street Baptist Church. I was afraid that it might be too much for the children and although much of it went over my 5 year old’s head, the day was a very eye opening experience for my third grader.

(Interesting fact about the photo above…during the church bombing, this stained glass window was left completely intact aside from Jesus’ face that was completely blown out by the force. )

DEKALB AND CHEROKEE COUNTIES

Dekalb and Cherokee counties are home to one of my favorite spots in the beautiful state of Alabama, Little River Canyon. We only discovered the beauty of this area a few years ago and this return trip did not disappoint. We started out the day at the Little River Canyon Center where we learned about the area and surrounding wildlife. From here we made the short hike to Little River Falls and enjoyed our picnic lunch. After lunch we made the 11 mile scenic drive around the rim of the canyon. Throughout the drive there are several beautiful stops to get out the car and see the natural wonder of the area. Following this we made the drive to Mentone visiting DeSoto Falls and wrapping up the day with dinner the famous Wildflower Cafe. This are truly gives “Alabama the Beautiful” its name!

So there we go, eight counties down and only 59 to go! I can’t wait to share some more of our adventures with you next week!