The Bottom Line
Every resident and visitor to Alabama should own a copy of this book, a pocket-sized treasure of the rich culture and charm of our home state. Author Gay N. Martin provides unique tips and unusual places to explore and makes a day trip or a week's vacation amusing, fulfilling and rewarding. Martin has done all the legwork for you...all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the trip.
Pros
- Covers Almost Every Inch of the State
- Encourages Alabama History to Come Alive
- Unique Ideas of Places to Explore
- Divides State Into Five Sections
Cons
- Nothing That I Found.
Description
- Some special sections include:
- Watercress Capital of the World
- Exploring Cathedral Caverns
- Strange As It Sounds: Buck's Pocket State Park Legend
- Angels in Arab
- Christmas in Nauvoo
- Sample of Black Belt Hospitality
- Historic Magee Farm, Site of "The Last Appomattox"
- Albertville's Downtown Pleasures
- On the Coon Dog Trail
Guide Review - Off the Beaten Path: Alabama
"Off the Beaten Path: Alabama, a Guide to Unique Places," is in its eighth edition. Gay Martin has scoured the state of Alabama from top to bottom and from east to west, searching through every nook and cranny to bring this "bible" of the whole state to you. Hotel accommendations and recommendations are made for every budget, attractions are described with information for more details, phone numbers, hours of operation, cost, address amd websites.
Sprinkled throughout the book is Alabama trivia ("Alabama's name comes from a Native American tribe, the Alibamu."), folklore (a face imprinted since 1878 on a windowpane at the Pickens County Courthouse) and history, lots of history. In her own words, Martin says her book is about "...small towns frozen in time and tucked-away treasures occasionally overlooked by the natives." Off the Beaten Path contains personal notes and recommendations from the author. Skimming through the book and stopping to read some fact or trivia or how Martin got the story, makes one feel a kinship with the generous tour guide to Alabama.
I highly recommend this book. It's well researched and a great resource for day trips and exploring the state of Alabama.
