All good things must come to an end and so it is with our regular weekly visits called Absolutely Alabama, but after more than a quarter century of introducing you to the people and places in our state, we take one last look back.
A few years ago, we took you to Covington County and introduced you to Brenda Gantt. That was a few million Facebook follows ago and not only has Miss Brenda garnered a huge audience, but she's also inspired some like-minded people who love the traditions of Southern Cooking. Which leads us to Dothan. Step inside Kathy's Southern Kitchen.
At one time, town squares were the heart of the community, and there are still a few places where that history is still alive. On the Troy town square, you’ll find new places, as well as efforts to preserve the past.
Journalism and politics have always been part of David Azbell's life. His father, Joe, then working for The Montgomery Advertiser, was the only reporter on scene when Rosa Parks was arrested, an event which became one of the catalysts for the Civil Rights Movement.
This week with Thanksgiving arriving you'll no doubt see a lot of turkey shooting contests going on, but we're going to introduce you to some world champions , and you're probably not going to win a shooting match with one of them.
The old rivalries between the towns of Ashland and Lineville always revolved around The Clay Bowl, the annual football clash between the two schools, but the rivalry ran much deeper. Yet, Karen Caldwell, a Lineville girl, felt herself being embraced by the town of Ashland. It was all because of a little girl named Ryleigh.
Veteran’s Park in Trussville is a place that already honors those who served our country in time of war and peace, but soon there will be an important addition honoring those who gave what Lincoln called The Last Full Measure.
This is the story of a North Alabama Boy who married a Gulf Shores Girl which leads us to a place called Hog Wild Beach and Bar-B-Q in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
Carolyn Jackson never intended to be a BBQ master. In fact, she had a long successful career at a local paper mill in Mobile county, but in 1979 two things happened. There was a labor strike at the company and Hurricane Frederic struck in Mobile. That set a chain of events in motion which would someday make Carolyn’s barbecue famous and Absolutely Alabama.
More than 200,000 hunters will pursue the abundant game in Alabama this season, which means hunter safety should be at the forefront of any outdoors adventure.
Cook’s Pest Control, the business his father began, and the Cook Museum of Natural Science in Decatur are part of an ongoing legacy which is Absolutely Alabama.
The Covered Bridge Festival offers plenty of family fun including a quilt show, arts and crafts, a rib cook-off, car show, live music, great food, self-guided covered bridge tours and more.
Thousands of visitors and musicians will make their way to the North Alabama town of Athens this week for the “Granddaddy of Midsouth Fiddlers Conventions.” The Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention is set to return to the campus of Athens State University and will run from October 6-8.
Cynthia Stinson’s life was not going well. So, she left her native Greenville home in South Alabama and headed north looking for a change. She found it on Lookout Mountain. The story of how she went from broke, broken-hearted and homeless to happiness at an old inn is a story of the changing seasons of life.
Gopher tortoise conservation reached a new level recently when the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) teamed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Eckerd College and Birmingham Zoo to release 98 young tortoises into the Geneva State Forest Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Covington County.
“About 10 years ago we swapped to organics. Now we got about 200 cows, 150, 200 cows with young stock and we bottle our own milk and it’s all certified organic.”
Judging from the turnout at the recent Buckmasters Expo, the appeal of the great outdoors remains high, with plenty of spectators and vendors attending the 28th annual event in downtown Montgomery.
Alabama’s abundant freshwater fish took center stage recently at the Alabama Wildlife Federation (AWF) Wild Game Cook-Off State Finals at AWF’s Lanark Pavilion in Millbrook.
Eddie Conyers carved out a legacy, working for every Alabama Head Football Coach from Bryant to Saban. Eddie shares the unique perspective of a life between the lines.
“I didn’t know any of the rules or anything. I just knew it looked fun and I wanted to skate. It’s a good way to get your aggression out sometimes. You just hit people. It’s fun.”
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ (ADCNR) Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) provides several youth dove hunt opportunities throughout the state each fall.
During the fierce competition, the canoe of Anna Zagorska of Poland collided with other canoes in the turn and capsized, and the WFF officers realized she was struggling.
Alabama’s three-day BOW workshop is designed for women ages 18 years or older, and offers hands-on instruction in a fun, outdoors setting. Participants can choose four classes from more than 50 courses.
With the Gulf Coast in the peak of fishing season for the abundant reef fish in Alabama’s vast artificial reef zone, the Return ‘Em Right program is designed to educate anglers on how to ensure any fish caught and released have the best chance to survive and return to the reef.
Constructed in 1928 The Hotel Talisi was severely damaged by arson in 2009 and has never reopened. While many guests stayed there over the years, it was the restaurant which drew people from all over the South and while the hotel is gone, the flavor of the hotel lives on, just a few miles away at Larry Melvyn’s Restaurant, still serving up the old favorites.
At the request of anglers and spectators, the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo (ADSFR) will again have a shark category for the 89th annual event, scheduled July 14-17 at the rodeo site on Dauphin Island.
Protecting a nationally recognized estuary in a rapidly developing coastal area can be a bit like putting together a puzzle where the pieces are constantly being shuffled and changed
Lindanne Phillips has always loved art. She’s also an innovator, an entrepreneur, and a retired teacher. But when her husband Mike wanted to learn pottery, something went wrong. Or did it?
For over 20 years Donnie Bartlett managed the Historical Museum in Fairhope, a place he which he says he designed, produced, and installed. He’s retired now but he has another interest which keeps him busy.
The ADCNR’s Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division’s (WFF) Law Enforcement Section recently held a Night Shoot at the Cahaba River Wildlife Management Area (WMA) Shooting Range.
The four finalists at the recent 7th Annual Alabama Seafood Cook-Off at The Lodge at Gulf State Park gave the judges a difficult task in determining who will represent the state in the Great American Seafood Cook-Off in New Orleans.
Kevin Olmstead of Fairhope, a veteran angler and fishing guide for more than 20 years, had been in the water in Mississippi Sound for 10 hours after being dumped overboard by a wave as he tried to retrieve a life jacket.
A storied history, rich culture and fertile soil are not the only features of the Alabama Black Belt to be celebrated. The Black Belt is also an important economic driver in our state’s outdoor recreation industry.
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