The perfect example is north Alabama, where the recordings made in Muscle Shoals are legendary, as is Huntsville’s cavalry of engineers and scientists. Winston County is still known for its fierce independence, as is Sand Mountain for its music and quirks. Here in the state’s center, Mount Cheaha rises above with its views of “Scenic Alabama.” Metro Birmingham has three souls: its industrial past, its swanky southern suburbs and its invaluable medical community. Coal mines to the west, and fishing and farming to the south are prevalent. Mercedes-Benz in Vance and Honda in Lincoln give the state an “automotive belt” of key employers.
Further south is the state Capitol, historic for numerous reasons. Nearby is Selma’s Edmund Pettus Bridge, the civil rights landmark. Kia and Hyundai complete Alabama’s Detroit of the South reputation. Outdoorsmen track deer in the Black Belt; farmers grow cotton nearby; Monroeville is the state’s undisputed literary capital; and Eufala and Barbour County excel at producing governors: six are natives.
Southeast Alabama, home to the Wiregrass, owns the Peanut Festival. Turpentine remains hot between Atmore and Opp. And the Mobile Bay area fills many roles : Vacation spots, homes for generations of immigrants and hotels for politicians to do the state’s business away from Goat Hill.
