AP Photo/The Huntsville Times, John PerryThe word "relaxed" comes up a lot when people describe Guntersville, Ala. It's surrounded by Lake Guntersville, which at 69,000 acres is Alabama's largest lake. The reservoir was formed by Guntersville Dam that the Tennessee Valley Authority built in the late 1930s on the mighty Tennessee River.
Guntersville also has a thriving arts community and a cultural district centered around the Guntersville Museum. Built as a military armory in 1936 by the Works Progress Act, the castle-like limestone museum sits on a tree-covered hilltop next to Guntersville's highly rated public library and above the acclaimed Whole Backstage Community Theatre.
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FAST FACTS> Population: 8,366.> Landmarks and geographic features: Lake Guntersville, North Alabama Birding Trail, Buck Island in Lake Guntersville> Date founded: 1836> Famous son: Guntersville’s John Allen Wyeth was a renowned author and surgeon. He founded one of New York City’s largest hospitals and was consulted when England’s Queen Victoria needed an operation.> Unique traditions: At sunset, thousands of bats emerge from a cave near Lake Guntersville Lock and Dam. The cave can be accessed only by boat.> Fun fact: Guntersville was founded by John Gunter (1765–1835), the great-grandfather of American humorist Will Rogers. Gunter came from the Carolinas just 10 years after signing the Declaration of Independence.Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Guntersville Chamber of Commerce
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ART ON THE LAKE> Art on the Lake is an annual festival held the third weekend in April.> The 54th annual festival featured more than 130 artists as well as food vendors, a bake sale and outdoor games and rides.> It costs $2 to attend for those ages 13 and older. Art on the Lake promotes the arts while benefiting a scholarship program for local high school graduates.> The annual event is at the Recreational Center at 1500 Sunset Drive.Sources: artonthelake-guntersville.com
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‘ROCK HOUSE EATERY’> For a fancy dinner, the Rock House Eatery offers Southern gourmet dining. Its menu includes house-infused liquors, bone-in ribeye and seared ahi tuna.> The Rock House gets its name from the rock building that houses the restaurant.> Located at 1201 Gunter Ave., lunch is served Tuesday through Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; dinner is Wednesday through Saturday 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Dinner range from about $12 for a pizza to $26.50 for a 16-ounce ribeye. Learn more at rockhouseeatery.com.Source: Rock House Eatery
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EAGLE AWARENESS WEEKENDS> Guntersville attracts so many migrating bald eagles during the winter that Lake Guntersville State Park holds Eagle Awareness Weekends.> Covering six weekends from early January through early February, the event has been a tradition at Lake Guntersville for some 30 years.> It kicks off at Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge at 1155 Lodge Drive. Guided trips begin around 5:30 a.m. and include an easy-to-follow schedule of activities.> Eagle Awareness Weekends feature guided field trips, knowledgeable guest speakers and talks from the park naturalist. Programs are free.> Learn more at alapark.com/Lake-Guntersville-State-Park-Eagle-Awareness-Weekends.Source: Alabama Tourism Department
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GUNTERSVILLE MUSEUM DEPICTS 10,000-YEAR HISTORY> Over the last 10 years, the Guntersville Museum and Cultural Center has amassed a large art and artifact collection that focuses on Guntersville’s rich history. The museum hosts many special events, exhibits and fundraisers.> Native Americans lived in the Guntersville area for at least 10,000 years. See arrowheads and other artifacts from the Paleo-Indian era in the museum’s Native American exhibit, the Percy Barnard Collection, which is augmented by other locally and regionally collected artifacts.> A display of almost exclusively native mounted birds that once resided at Guntersville’s City Elementary “Rock School” is on permanent display at the museum.> The free museum is located in the historic rock armory in Guntersville at 1215 Rayburn Ave. and has exhibits for all ages. Museum hours are Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 1-4 p.m.; closed Mondays. Call 256-571-7597 or go online to guntersvillemuseum.org for more information.Sources: Guntersville, Ala. Chamber of Commerce