Alabama's Southern Charm and attractions draw visitors back each year. From festivals to the Hank Williams Trail, where you can learn more about this legendary musicians, there's plenty to explore throughout the state.

Williams was born in rural Alabama in 1923, and died at the age of 29 while en route to an out-of-state performance.  During his short lifetime, he wrote and recorded a string of hit songs which are still recorded by artists around the world today. Now travelers can visit sites where Hank grew up, attended church, sold peanuts as a boy, gave his first public performances, and more in the 20-page brochure, produced by ABTT Assistant Art Director Tommy Cauthen.

Among the destinations to discover along the Hank Williams Trail are the Hank Williams Boyhood Home in Georgiana, the Baptist Church in Mount Olive where Hank sang as a child, the Ritz Theater in Greenville where he performed, the Andalusia garage where he married Audrey, and the cabin at Kowaliga on Lake Martin where he composed the song about the famous wooden Indian. There are several sites in Montgomery are highlighted, including the Hank Williams Museum, City Hall where his funeral was held and the Oakwood Cemetery Annex where he is buried.

ABTT Director Lee Sentell said his agency produced the brochure because the Alabama artist had a tremendous impact on American music. “His music spoke to common people whose voice had not been widely heard before Hank came along,” Sentell said. “Williams’s music expressed their everyday struggles, sorrows and joy.”

Dauphin Island Welcomes Visitors

Alabama’s only barrier island is once again welcoming tourists to its shores after having withstood one of the stormiest seasons in its history. The Estuarium, an aquarium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Historic Fort Gaines, and the Audubon Bird Sanctuary, all located on the eastern end of the 8-mile-long island, are open and welcoming visitors. The 850-foot public fishing pier is open and the east end pier is under construction.  The Dauphin Island Bridge, a three-and-a-half-mile bridge leading to the island from the mainland, was not damaged and is accessible.

The Mobile Bay Ferry

The Mobile Bay Ferry has added another daily cruise to its schedule, expanding its hours of operation to 12 hours of service from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.  Departures start at 8 a.m. from Dauphin Island with crossings to and from Fort Morgan near Gulf Shores. Each crossing takes about 30 minutes. The last cruise of the day departs from Fort Morgan at 7:15 p.m. and returns to Dauphin Island about 7:45 p.m. 

The one-way fees for the Mobile Bay Ferry are: $14 per auto, truck or van with one passenger; $6 for motorcycles; $4 for each additional passenger; $5 for pedestrians; and children under age 12 are admitted free. Motor homes are $29 with one passenger. Captain Neil Shanahan advises RV owners to check with the ferry operators in advance to determine if their RVs can access the ferry, due to low tides changing the angle of the entrance ramp. Visit www.mobilebayferry.com or call 251-861-3000 for more information on the Mobile Bay Ferry.

Order A Alabama Vacation Guide

 To receive a free copy of the brochure, the Alabama Vacation Guide, Calendar of Events, and a state highway map, contact the Alabama Bureau of Tourism & Travel at  www.800Alabama.com or 1-800-ALABAMA.

Order Your Guide To The Hank Williams Trail

This free brochure is available from the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel at 1-800-ALABAMA (252-2262) or a downloadable version is available from the ABTT Web site, www.800Alabama.com.  

Above Photo Credits: © USA Travel Magazine