Happy Birthday, Alabama! Did you know our great state is celebrating 200 years this December? With so many years of memories, the folks at Alabama200.org are making sure we each take a second to celebrate.
The Alabama Bicentennial Commission has spent great time and effort putting together so many opportunities for Alabama’s citizens to celebrate the beautiful state we call home. If you get a chance, take a few moments to explore the website they have created here, to see these fun opportunities: An Alabama Legacy Moment video dedicated to memorializing Alabama’s rich history in film; the People of Alabama page – a documentary project devoted to introducing some of Alabama’s most incredible citizens; and a running list of celebratory events updated daily.
If you are enduring those final dog days of summer grind like so many of us sweltering in the Alabama heat, allow us to introduce you to the newest item to add to your Summer/Fall bucket list: the Alabama Bicentennial PastPort. Designed as a fun way to explore “every corner of the state,” including historical sites, museums and landmarks, the Alabama PastPort is sure to give you plenty of ways to maximize the fun of exploring our state. If you follow the entire PastPort journey, you will travel through each of Alabama’s 67 counties encountering plenty of memory-making entertainment, photo-perfect moments and enrich yourself with our state’s most important historical moments along the way.
Stops at the Coldwater Covered Bridge in Calhoun County, the Cheaha State Park in Cleburne County and Bellingrath Gardens in Mobile County are just a few of the exciting stops you will make on your PastPort journey. Some other fun stops include the Ave Maria Grotto in Cullman, Noccalula Falls Park in Gadsden and the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in Birmingham.
This is such a fun way to teach your children about their heritage and could also be a great tour for empty-nesters or individuals looking for an engaging way to fall more in love with Alabama “the Beautiful!” Some of the spots on the tour even offer a stamp to give you that super official world traveler feel!
The beautiful 174-page PastPort, designed by Birmingham-based firm, Tatum Designs, is available for purchase online at www.ShopAlabama200.org for $10, or there is a free downloadable version available in the iTunes app store titled, “Alabama PastPort.” You can read more about the journey awaiting you if you choose to take the Alabama PastPort challenge at www.Alabama200.org and even see some sneak peeks of the places you will soon be visiting.
If you are interested in some other celebrations to commemorate the bicentennial, check out some other events coming up this fall:
1. September 11-15 – Ride Alabama 200: Alabama Civil Rights Ride: If you are a biking enthusiast, or want to tag along for this exciting ride, the cyclists will be travelling 200 miles and visiting 50 historic sites on the journey. Click here for more information.
2. November 2 – December 30 – Museum of Alabama at the Alabama Department of Archives and History’s “We the People: Alabama’s Defining Documents Exhibition”: History buffs will get a kick out of the opportunity to take a look at Alabama’s many constitutions. The 1861 Ordinance of Secession will be on display as well. Click here for more information about the exhibit.
3. November 11 – USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park’s Bicentennial Veterans Day Celebration: Take the whole family for a day of Alabama pride as we celebrate those who have served our state and our country throughout the years. Admission is free and there will even be parachutists landing on the field during the event! Plus, make sure to explore “Mighty A” while you’re visiting the park. Click here for more information about the celebration.
4. December 14 – Bicentennial Park dedication in Montgomery, AL: Bicentennial Park is a new park constructed in Montgomery, AL meant to commemorate Alabama’s rich history. There are interpretative plaques located throughout the park “designed to tell the story of Alabama from pre-history to present.”
For more information about the park, click here.
Erin Brown Hollis is Yellowhammer’s lifestyle contributor and host of Yellowhammer Podcast Network’s “Cheers to That” podcast. An author, speaker, lawyer, wife and mother of two, she invites you to grab a cup as she toasts the good in life, love and motherhood. Follow Erin on Instagram ErinBrownHollis or Twitter @ErinBrownHollis
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