Designed as a guide to Alabama’s historic destinations, the Alabama Bicentennial PastPort is a passport to the past. Presented by the Alabama Bicentennial Commission and co-sponsors Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Inc., Airbus, Verizon, and Alabama NewsCenter, the PastPort encourages people of all ages to explore every corner of the state. The guide features destinations—including historic sites, museums, and landmarks—in each of Alabama’s 67 …

The best and brightest were spotlighted this week at the Southeast Festivals and Events Association’s Kaleidoscope Awards, in Murfreesboro, TN on February 26th.  The ceremony was held in conjunction with the 15th Annual SFEA Conference. Top festivals and events throughout the southeast were recognized for their outstanding contribution to the events industry. The annual Boom Days festival in Fort Payne …

There is a new feature on the Alabama Tourism industry website (www.tourism.alabama.gov). It is a link to the monthly Alabama city/county local lodging tax rates report on the Revenue Department website. Alabama Tourism Director Lee Sentell wanted to have a report about the local rates, since people frequently call to find out where they can access the information. Revenue set …

The Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association has announced the winners of the 2017 PEAK Awards during the organizations annual meeting at the Huntsville Botanical Garden, Huntsville, Ala., Sept. 21. A total of 11 award winners were honored. Representing the highest achievement in North Alabama tourism, the PEAK Awards honor individuals and organizations that have had a major impact on tourism …

The Cherokee County Historical Museum has been approved for a listing on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage by the Alabama Historical Commission.   The register is a prestigious listing of historic, architectural, and archaeological landmarks in the state. These selected Alabama landmarks are worthy of both recognition and preservation, said the approval letter. The Cherokee County Museum offers …

The 2017 Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association Annual Meeting will be held on Thursday, Sept. 21 in the new Grand Hall at the Huntsville Botanical Garden. Registration fee for the annual meeting is $75 per person and includes and all events the day of the annual meeting. Registration deadline is Friday, Sept. 8, 2017. “The theme for this year’s conference …

Huntsville will host the 2017 Travel Blog Exchange North America (TBEX) conference May 4-6 at the Von Braun Center.  TBEX is the world’s largest conference for travel bloggers, journalists, online content curators and other industry professionals.  Together the TBEX community reaches more than 300 million consumers across the globe. For more information on registration and how to promote your destination …

The Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association (AMLA) held a press conference on Wednesday to launch Alabama’s first official GeoTour. Created by AMLA, Dash of the Unexpected GeoTour features thirty-one geocaches hidden throughout North Alabama in an effort to attract the millions of worldwide geocachers to the region. Designed to attract both experienced and new geocachers, Dash of the Unexpected GeoTour …

The Alabama Bass Trail recently launched the www.fishalabama.org website to provide visitors with a one-stop shop for planning boating and fishing trips. The website has creative itineraries along with great suggestions for local dining, shopping and attractions for families to visit in the area. For more information please see www.fishalabama.org

By Tom Smith, Senior Staff Writer, Florence Times-Daily FLORENCE – For more than 30 years, Tom Hendrix worked on building a rock wall as a monument to his great-great grandmother whose English name was Mary Hipp, a Yuchi Indian who was among those forced to leave the Southeast for Oklahoma when she was 14. “The Wall,” as it has grown …