Alabama

Beating the heat in the Gulf has never been sweeter. Here are five are some of our favorite sweets shops in the Gulf.

Discover the origins of the Gulf's most iconic frozen cocktail, the Bushwacker, along with other bold takes on this old favorite.

 CABBAGE KEYPineland, FloridaAccessible only by boat, this eighty-acre, palm-lined island is home to an irresistible 1930s open-air tavern. Enjoy peeling fresh shrimp and cracking stone crab claws as gopher tortoises mosey past. Don’t miss...

The Gulf is something of a mecca for anglers, who reel in a bounty of grouper, trout, and tuna, to name a few. There’s pier fishing, inshore charters, and deep-sea expeditions from which to choose, and plenty of pros ready to share a story or tip.

Known by many for Repast, his celebrated (and sorely missed) Atlanta restaurant, Joe Truex is now executive chef at Pursell Farms, a 3,200-acre resort in Sylacauga, Alabama, featuring an inn, cottages, an 18-hole golf course, and three restaurants.

There’s something wrong with the motor. Jimbo Meador looks up plaintively from behind the outboard of his flat-bottomed boat, which bobs idly alongside the pier in Meaher State Park. We are in Spanish Fort, Alabama, near the junction of Mobile Bay and the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta, but for the moment, it appears we’re stranded ashore. “Water pump ain’t working,” he says, syrupy accent smoothing over both r’s. His disappointment is palpable, even with his face obscured by aviator shades and a long-brimmed hat. This trip was important to him.

As much as we love the South's quintessential clapboard churches and stately mansions, our appreciation of Southern architecture extends beyond the classics. We‘ve combed the region for noteworthy structures, from historical masterpieces like Thomas Jefferson‘s Palladian Monticello to modern marvels like the breezy, zero-energy McDonald‘s Florida flagship (yes, McDonald’s).

The smell of rib-eye steaks sizzling on an indoor grill brings Rob McDaniel right back to his grandmother’s house in Oneonta, Alabama. His vivid memories of her cooking inspired him to become a chef, and now his downtown Birmingham restaurant, named Helen in her honor, is garnering national accolades for its Southern-inspired cuisine.

With brilliant columns of light pouring through two keyhole entrances, it’s no wonder Alabama’s Stephens Gap Callahan Cave Preserve makes an appearance on many a bucket list. After a short but rocky hike to the entrance, visitors may descend into the 143-foot-deep cavern via the walk-down path (which is steep and can be wet and slippery—sturdy shoes, helmets, and headlamps are highly recommended).

Set along a shallow stretch of the Tennessee River in the northwestern corner of Alabama, the communities of Florence, Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia are known collectively as the Shoals.