PRESS RELEASE
TOURISM RELEASES 2010 ALABAMA VACATION GUIDE: Publication Highlights Small Towns and Downtowns |
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Contact: Montgomery, Ala. — More than 200 Great Alabama Homecoming Celebrations are featured in tourism’s 2010 Vacation Guide. Participating cities and towns will hold festivals, tours, and other events including the unveiling of historic markers as part of The Year of Alabama Small Towns and Downtowns. A few of the homecoming celebrations that will be held at various dates throughout the year include the 50th Anniversary of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel To Kill A Mockingbird in Monroeville; the 100th Anniversary of America’s Oldest Ballpark, Rickwood Field in Birmingham; Jubilee CityFest in Montgomery; the 50th Anniversary of Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, and Foley’s 10th Anniversary of Heritage Harbor Days. A list of all 215 Great Alabama Homecoming Celebrations can be found on pages 10-13. “We are proud to celebrate 2010 as the Year of Small Towns and Downtowns. We invite residents and visitors to join the Great Alabama Homecoming events and experience southern hospitality at its finest,” said Governor Riley. “The vacation guide is a valuable tool designed to help travelers experience the best of Alabama,” added Riley. The 157-page guide provides travelers with everything they need to plan a vacation including information on hotels, restaurants, campgrounds, tourism associations, state parks, golfing, attractions, trails and museums. The guide spotlights attractions and events in the four regions of the state that include the Mountain, Metropolitan, River Heritage and Gulf Coast regions. The Mountain Region begins on page 22 with photos of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Point Mallard Waterpark in Decatur, Unclaimed Baggage in Scottsboro and the Stevenson Railroad Depot. The Metropolitan Region begins on page 48 and highlights the new Wellborn Muscle Car Museum in Alexander City and the Talladega Superspeedway. The River Heritage Region begins on page 78. A few of the attractions highlighted include the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery and Black Belt Treasures in Camden. The Gulf Coast Region begins on page 104. Photos include the Gulf State Park Pier, the Dauphin Island Estuarium and Mardi Gras. The publication also highlights Alabama’s cuisine, attraction of the year and the new Spa Trail along the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. A special section on great chefs, great restaurants and great food can be found on pages 14-15. The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute was named the Attraction of the Year and is featured on page 16. Readers will find details about some of the nation’s top rated spas on page 18. New for 2010 are fun facts about Alabama and its attractions with “Did You Know?” sections appearing throughout the guide. The sections feature caricatures of famous Alabamians that appear on tourism’s Year of History poster. A new section on exploring Alabama’s outdoors is on page 130. Two covers were produced for the publication, one features the Marriott Grand Hotel in Point Clear with a smaller photo of the Monroeville County Courthouse in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of To Kill a Mockingbird. The other cover features a group of students touring Desoto Caverns in Childersburg. The 2010 Alabama Vacation Guide is available at all eight state welcome centers across the state. Copies of the publication can also be obtained by calling 1.800.ALABAMA or visiting www.alabama.travel. Compass Marketing of Gulf Shores publishes the vacation guide. ### |
