Gonna have a guys weekend with a some buddies in Birmingham, AL at the end of the month. Buddy that lives there is pretty unfamilair with the area so i come to you guys for advie. We are looking for some hands on stuff to do like river rafting, four wheeling through trails or just some outdoorsy stuff. Any suggestions for stuff to do in alabama, tennesee, or georgia? Probably do not want to drive more than 4 hours outside of Birmingham. Of course recommend some places to eat also.
go back later with family or whoever and visit the Civil Rights Museum. i realize that's not what you're looking for this particular weekend, though.
Once on a trip to Atlanta I stayed overnight with some friends in Atlanta. I don't remember the name of the chain restaurant we decided to have dinner in anymore, but the waitress was kind of interesting. When she came to take our order, we asked her what there was to do in Birmingham. Her only response was, "well, honestly most people just seem to hang out at the Wal-Mart." No elaboration, that was all she gave us. Then she asked us where we were staying. We told her Motel 8, and she proceeded to tell us that she had stayed there once about a month before, and the in the room next door they heard gunshots. She said they tried to leave and get their money back from the hotel, but the employee refused to give them a refund. So I guess my answer is Wal-Mart and shooting up hotels.
Go to Milo's and get sweet tea. Last time I was in Birmingham it was awesome. It's a very, very cool city. We went down to the artsy district and went in a couple record shops, went to the Summit (huge, upscale shopping center that has a Cheesecake Factory) and went and hung out downtown at night.
I would imagine that drinking tea and going to the artsy district, followed by a trip to the shopping center and Cheesecake Factory, is exactly the type of "guy stuff" that these gentlemen are looking for!
don't know if this is too far for you... we went on a whitewater rafting trip in memphis a while back, the place we went to had held an Olympic event back in 1996(Atlanta), the condition was great and tons of fun.... it's probably 4-5 hrs from Birmingham though....
This reminds me of a true story where a guy was murdered in a hotel and the shoved under the bed. Get this: They didn't find his dead body for like a week and mutiple guests had used the room since his murder. So quite a few people got to sleep hovering just a few feet from a corpse!
For white water rafting, you have the Ocoee which is about 3 hours away. Check the schedules and some weekend days they run you down the full trip which takes you over the 1996 Olympics course. (@$35 for a half day @$90 for a whole day but that includes lunch). Call ahead to make reservations and I was quoted cheaper prices then what the website says. They also have hiking and biking in that area. By the way, that is the area where they filmed Deliverance. http://www.questexpeditions.com/ocoee.htm http://www.southeasternexpeditions.com/Ocoee-River.html There is some decent trout fishing nearby (also 3 hours) in the Hiawassee. Check the time for when they are releasing water. They also have hangliding on Lookout Mountain, TN (around 2 hours away). Beginners can tandem for around $140. You need a good wind that day or your ride will be pretty short. http://www.hanglide.com You can also tandem skydive for around $140. I've heard that this place is pretty fun. http://www.georgiaskydivingcenter.com/ There is rock climbing and spelunking in the area. And if you have your own four-wheelers or dirt bikes, there are tons of trails. Plus there are plenty of nice lakes in the area where you can rent a boat and just have fun (you will need to bring your own skiis, tubes, rope, etc).
Get to Tuscaloosa for a football game at newly-renovated Bryant-Denny Stadium. In Birmingham, restaurants like The Fish Market (VERY good and priced nicely), Bottega and Highlands Grill (in the Five Points area), and Restaurant G are all great. The Five Points area has some bars; Blue Monkey Lounge is a nice night spot. WorkPlay Theater has a bunch of music acts. #1 I'd say is an SEC football game.
