By Debi Lander
mail@floridanewsline.com
Huntsville, Alabama, utilizes the tagline, “Huntsville has Space,” a play on words since Huntsville is home to the US Rocket and Space Center. The facility catches your attention along Interstate-65 with its soaring rocket garden. The garden’s model Saturn V rises 363 feet, beckoning travelers to stop. And many do, making the space museum the most visited attraction in the state.
Anyone who recalls manned space flights will enjoy a trip back in time when exploring the museum’s memorabilia and interactive displays. Visitors can squeeze themselves into a Mercury capsule as I did. The little Mercury pod housed the first round of our heroic astronauts flung into space. Bring kids too young to remember the space race; they will get excited about future space probes.
One of only three remaining Saturn V moon rockets, the missiles that launched the lunar landings, hangs overhead, grabbing everyone’s attention. The enormity of the National Historic Landmark makes it the Smithsonian’s largest artifact. It’s hard to imagine the “right” few who agreed to climb aboard and flew in outer space.
If you or your children want to experience an out-of-this-world adventure, sign up for Space Camp on the Huntsville campus. Waiting lists fill quickly, so inquire early. Space Camp guarantees a blast of fun, education, and life-long memories.
Huntsville isn’t all space-related; the city packs surprises. When I arrived, what immediately struck me was the cleanliness of the downtown. I saw no trash on the streets or greenways, just folks on a Sunday afternoon stroll along the water trail. Some crossed the photo-worthy red Japanese bridge, and others pushed strollers or lingered near the spraying fountains.
The water comes from where the city was founded — at the Big Spring. And that spring produces seven to 20 million gallons of fresh water daily. A canal connects the waterway to the Tennessee River, 10 miles away.
In the Twickenham Historic District, visit the Weeden House. I had no idea I would discover an extraordinary artist’s work in her former home. Maria Howard Weeden was legally blind, yet painted watercolor portraits mainly of freedmen and women. Her works include such incredibly intricate detail you’ll think they are photographs. After the Civil War, Weeden began to sell her paintings but signed them as Howard Weeden. (At the time, women artists were rare.) She captured her subjects so well that the costumers of “Gone with the Wind” used her artworks as the basis for creating the actor’s wardrobes. Take the house tour, but go to see her fantastic works.
Head up to the Burritt Mansion on Round Top Road for sweeping city views, especially for sunset. Adults also enjoy a tour of the unusual X-shaped mansion house, and children love the 1800s farm buildings with animals and interpreters in period clothing.
Music lovers will find Huntsville’s new state-of-the-art Orion Amphitheater an excellent venue for big-name concerts. The facility holds 8,000, all with unobstructed views of the stage. Many vendors sell food and drink before, during, and after the shows.
USA Today readers named the 118-acre Huntsville Botanical Gardens the fourth best in North America. The peaceful venue incorporates multiple indoor spaces, including a butterfly house and various outdoor buildings. The family-friendly landscaped paths even include a children’s garden.
The Lowe Mill, an old cotton warehouse, unleashes creative spirits. Today it houses 158 artists’ studios and workshops. Visitors can watch them in action and purchase original artwork such as pottery, paintings, cigar box guitars, and other musical instruments.
If your vacation plans have space, head to Rocket City for a surprising getaway.
Visit www.bylandersea.com to read more of local travel writer Debi Lander’s stories and travel tips.
Photo courtesy Debi Lander
The author in a Mercury capsule.
