Whether the fun being sought is outdoors or indoors, one place to find it is Gadsden, Ala.
To get to Gadsden from Chattanooga, it's an approximate 90-mile trip down Interstate 59. Camping, shopping and imbibing are just some of the options that await. Visitors can explore hiking or biking trails during the day, then find good food and nightlife afterward.
And anyone looking to plan a trip around one of Gadsden's seasonal events can test their inner-barbarian in the summer or bundle up and take in the area's illuminated natural beauty during the Christmas holidays. It's all waiting.
FAST FACTS
*Population: 36,369 as of July 1, 2016
*Founded: 1825
*Largest employer: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Inc.
WHAT'S HAPPENING
*The Barbarian Challenge is a rigorous race through an obstacle course that will test your strength, endurance and will. The annual competition is divided by age groups. Children can participate, too, with the 12-and-under age group having its own race. More than 1,500 adults and 500 children participated in this year's challenge. The next one is June 16, 2018. Do you have what it takes? (barbarianchallenge.com)
*Gadsden is the southern-most tip of the 127 Corridor Sale, also known as the World's Longest Yard Sale. It's a treasure-hunt spectacular that runs from Addison, Mich., to Gadsden, Ala., and is held yearly the first Thursday through Sunday in August. (127sale.com)
*Christmas at the Falls is held from Thanksgiving through Dec. 23 at Noccalula Falls Park & Campground. Daily hours are 5-9 p.m. CST. Millions of lights are on display, and so are spectacular views. There's also the chance to visit with Santa Claus. Special events are planned throughout the event. Weather closures can be confirmed by phone. (1500 Noccalula Road; 256-549-4663; noccalulafallspark.com/special-events)
INDULGE AND IMBIBE
*Blackstone Pub & Eatery offers salads, sandwiches and their own unique brand of pizza, along with 42 different types of beers on tap and more than 150 craft and import beers. The establishment opens daily at 11:30 a.m. and closes at 1:30 a.m. except on Sundays, when it closes at midnight. Live music is available most nights. (525 Broad St.; 256-543-7473; blackstonepubandeatery.com)
*Back Forty Beer Co. specializes in burgers, barbecue and, of course, producing its own beer and ale. (200 N. Sixth St.; 256-467-4912; backfortybeer.com)
WHILE YOU'RE THERE
*Noccalula Falls Park & Campground is a popular destination for tourists, no matter the time of year. It features paved walking trails, a miniature train to ride, a petting zoo, a swimming pool and a miniature golf course. And there is plenty of scenic beauty - most notably the falls that drop more than 90 feet into the Black Creek ravine. There are more than 120 campsites, but there are also rental cabins available. (1500 Noccalula Road; Park office: 256-549-4663; Campground office: 256-543-7412)
*Downtown Gadsden offers a variety of attractions, from the Gadsden Museum of Art to multiple antique shops to a popular children's destination, the Imagination Place. Need a break? There are plenty of restaurants and pubs to choose from in the area. There's nightlife there, too. Check out the live music at Tu'Kanoos on the weekends.
HISTORY
*The first substantial colonial settlement in what is now Gadsden was a village called Double Springs. It was begun by a mixed American Indian and Caucasian settler named John Riley, who built his house near two springs in 1825. His home became a stagecoach stop on the Huntsville, Ala., route to Rome, Ga.
*The house changed hands to a couple named Gabriel and Asenath Hughes in 1840. Shortly thereafter, they began to purchase much of the land between Lookout Mountain, the Coosa River, and down to the mouth of Wills Creek. The Hughes brothers' unrealized vision was to bring a proposed railroad from Savannah, Ga., to Nashville, Tenn., through their holdings. Their land, plus that of John S. Moragne and Lewis L. Rhea, was the 120 acres on which the original survey of Gadsden was made.
*Double Springs was transformed on July 4, 1845, when Capt. James Lafferty piloted the first steamboat to the area. The Hughes brothers offered to name the town "Lafferty's Landing" in his honor, but Lafferty declined. Instead, the name "Gadsden" was chosen in honor of South Carolina Col. James Gadsden, who later became prominent for the Gadsden Purchase. Gadsden was part of Cherokee County until Etowah County was formed and it became the county seat.
Sources: downtowngadsden.com, alabamapioneers.com/gadsden-alabama-11914, noccalulafallspark.com
Noccalula Falls Park & Campground