Whether you love music, nature, delicious Cajun food or links to antebellum history, the Muscle Shoals region in northwest Alabama is a destination for an action-packed weekend getaway.
Located off the Tennessee River where shallow rapids flow near the mountains, Muscle Shoals is filled with history. The name itself is up for debate, whether it earned its moniker for the mussel shells found along the shoals or the muscles demanded of Native Americans paddling against the rapids. The city is the birthplace of Helen Keller, as well as songs by some of the famous musicians in the United States and England.
So if you’re looking for a spot with great food and antebellum architecture and links to some of your favorite songs, Muscle Shoals is the spot for you.
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FAME, AND OTHER SOUNDSIn January 1967, a 25-year-old woman named Aretha Franklin came to Muscle Shoals and worked with a local backing band to craft one of her timeless classics, “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You).” She left the next day because of ugly racial tensions, legend has it, but Franklin’s presence there will never be forgotten. The same can be said for a list of other great performers, from Bob Dylan to Paul Simon.FAMEOpened in 1959, the entrance to the studio in Sheffield features a sign: “Through these doors walk the finest musicians songwriters, artists and producers in the world.” The description is apt.FAME launched what would be known as the Muscle Shoals sound, with artists like Otis Redding and Etta James. In 1969, The Rolling Stones came to town to capture the blues, country and R&B aesthetic. They walked away with the hits “Brown Sugar” and “Wild Horses.”The studio is still active, publishing songs for country artists like Jason Isbell and Jason Aldean.>FAME is still open to the public for $10 tours. During the week, you can swing by from 9-10 a.m. or 4-6 p.m. You can also visit on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., assuming nobody is recording. (603 Avalon Ave.; 256-381-0801; fame2.com.)Alabama Music Hall of FameHere, you can listen to the music and check out the onstage apparel of more than 1,000 musicians who represent the state’s music history.Inductees include locals Sam Phillips, Percy Sledge and WC Handy, the father of the blues.>The hall of fame is open Tuesday-Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets cost $7 for children, $8 for students and seniors and $10 for adults. (617 U.S. Highway 72; 256-381-4417; alamhof.org.)WC Handy Music FestivalBorn in Florence, Ala., in 1873, Handy is credited with influencing musicians throughout the world by bringing the sounds of his hometown on his travels.For the last 35 years, Florence has hosted this summer festival in Handy’s honor. It was started by Willie Ruff, a Sheffield, Ala., native and a director of the Duke Ellington Fellowship Program at Yale University.>The Handy Festival usually takes place over 10 days in July, featuring hundreds of events. Musicians from all over the region come together to play.The 2016 festival featured everything from songwriter showcases to bike rides to choir performances to parades.
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LIVING HISTORYThe Muscle Shoals region features architecture from before the Civil War, as well as the belongings of one of the country’s most inspirational thinkers.Helen Keller’s HomeBorn in Tuscumbia in 1880, Keller learned to read and write despite her inability to see or hear. Her lectures throughout the world inspired leaders of various countries to create policies devoting more attention to the deaf and blind.Keller grew up in Ivy Green, a home built by her grandparents in 1820. It still stands today, transformed into a shrine for those hoping to feel closer to the miracle of Keller’s life.The home, as well as a museum on the grounds, is still decorated with family furnishings, as well as Keller’s belongings, like her books and the gifts she acquired during a lifetime of travels.>In June and the first couple weeks of July, local actors perform “The Miracle Worker,” a play based on Keller’s life. They gather for audiences on an outdoor stage on the property.Ivy Green is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Admission costs $3 for students, $5 for seniors and $8 for adults. (300 N. Commons St. W; 256-383-4066; helenkellerbirthplace.org.)Historic TuscumbiaThe city, which dates back to 1820, was an early center in the region for agriculture, commerce and industry. Today, more than 100 buildings from the antebellum era still stand, including the Sutherland Building and Commerce Row.>Built in 1828, the Belle Mont Mansion is one of the finest testaments to the Jeffersonian-Palladian style of architecture that was popular at the time. The home is now owned by the Alabama Historical Commission and is available for tours upon request. (1569 Cook Lane; 256-381-5052.)Other historical buildings include the Colbert County Courthouse, which has stood since 1909, and the Tuscumbia Depot, a call back to the era when the railway made the city a bustling location among the people of the Southeast. It was built in 1888.Wright-Rosenbaum HouseLocated in Florence, this home is the only one built by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright in all of Alabama.The home was built in 1939 and features cypress, glass and brick. Its open floor plan created an aesthetically pleasing flow from room to room.The home is open for tours from Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1-4 p.m. (601 Riverview Drive; 256-718-5050; wrightinalabama.com.)
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NATURAL BEAUTYMuscle Shoals offers miles of trails, access to mesmerizing sites and inspiring wildlife.Cane Creek Canyon Nature Preserve, a 700-acre, privately owned nature area in southern Colbert County, is one of the most beautiful places in the Southeast. It features more than 15 miles of hiking trails with canyon overlooks and areas filled with flowers.>The preserve is organized around a grouping of small canyons that feature some of the best waterfalls, boulders and old Native American rock shelters you will ever see.Bringing young children along for the day? Spring Park is a good alternative to some of the rest of the nature scene. It contains a playground with a small roller coaster, a carousel and a train.But true nature lovers should check out Coldwater Falls, where water cascades from a 48-foot cliff.As part of Natchez Trace Parkway, a scenic byway that cuts through three states, the Colbert Ferry in Tuscumbia is a great place to camp. The location offers a picnic area, swimming and a boat launch.The Old Railroad Bridge in Florence is also worth a visit. It’s now a walking bridge, stretching 1,580 feet and offering soothing glimpses of the Tennessee River.Or try the 44-acre wooded Whippoorwill Park in Sheffield, where you can hike down trails to the river, check out a bird sanctuary or spend some time in reflection at the Vietnam Memorial Site.
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*GET ACTIVE*For those wanting for a little more activity while they’re outdoors, Muscle Shoals offers plenty of ways to pass the day.*GOLF*The region offers two 18-hole golf courses that are part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. They are located between the Wheeler and Wilson dams of the Tennessee River.First there is the Fighting Joe, which offers a very long course, at more than 8,000 yards. Its finest hole is perhaps its last one, which overlooks the river.Also, there is the Schoolmaster, built in 2005. It is not as long as the Fighting Joe and instead winds with the woods that naturally ornament the region. Its 18th hole is also spectacular, located on a high bluff above the river.*FISHING*Looking for variety of game fish? Go to the Pickwick and Wilson lakes, located on the river and built by the Tennessee Valley Authority in the 1930s.*The lakes feature varieties of bass, catfish, crappies and blue gills, in addition to several other fish.*>If you are looking to stay by the lake, there are motels, cabins and RV parks nearby.*For more information, go to fishpickwicklake.com.
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A TASTY FINDIn a region known for its Southern, Cajun and Creole influences, The Wild Lilly stands out.Founded by Jennifer Rogers, a Sheffield, Ala., native, the restaurant offers lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner after 5 p.m. Entrees include shrimp etouffee-topped filet mignon, seared catfish with whiskey cream sauce, orange glazed salmon, goat cheese and herb ravioli and shrimp and grits.>The restaurant is adjacent to the Victorian Tea Room bakery, offering fresh breads and desserts.The Wild Lilly is open Tuesday-Saturday, with live music available on Fridays and Saturdays. (702 Michigan Ave.; 256-314-4447; thewildlilly.com)