Have you ever heard the phrase “life is a movie”? It’s a classic cliché that helps us romanticize our lives and see beauty in the mundane. The phrase is a nice way to look at things, and we enjoy seeing our lives through a cinematic lens.

For many, their summertime “movie” would include some combination of swimming in a lake, paddleboarding with friends, hiking to a waterfall, and eating ice cream on the beach. After all, when we think of childhood summer vacations, those are the things we tend to remember most vividly and the type of things we seek to replicate in our own nostalgic way.

If you, too, crave that summertime aesthetic, here are three state parks in Alabama that nurture nostalgia.

Oak Mountain State Park

Voted one of TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Award in 2020, Oak Mountain State Park is an Alabama staple. The state’s largest park, located 20 miles south of Birmingham, offers everything one could want. For traditional outdoor activities, Oak Mountain offers hiking, mountain biking, camping, and horseback riding. The Peavine Falls hike is one of Oak Mountain’s most popular trails because of its picturesque waterfall, as well as the King’s Chair Loop, which features a beautiful lookout.

The most unique activities Oak Mountain provides are its watersports. Visitors can participate in cable skiing, an inflatable aquapark obstacle course, and rentals for paddleboarding and kayaking. The park also has two beaches for those who prefer to soak in the rays or cool off in the lake. For the competitive folks, they also offer archery, pickleball, and a beautiful 18-hole golf course.

Please note that Oak Mountain does have an admission fee. Details can be found here.

Gulf State Park

Found on the Gulf of Mexico, Gulf State Park is a 6,500-acre park encompassing the land behind the Gulf Shores beach community. For beach lovers everywhere, this park is an amazing resource. Gulf State Park has free admission and offers over 28 miles of hiking and biking trails. The park is located right on the beach and helps protect the area from overdevelopment.

Activities include spending time on the public beach, swimming, canoeing, biking on the Backcountry trail, hiking, fishing, geocaching, paddling, and beach vendors for parasailing and kayaking. The park also provides plenty of choices for accommodations, including campgrounds and a new lodge available for reservation.

Gulf State Park is conveniently close to many popular travel destinations, including Orange Beach, Foley, Fairhope, and Mobile.

Cheaha State Park  

Finally, Cheaha State Park is located in Delta, Alabama, and was voted one of TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice in 2023. Cheaha is known for its prime location on the Appalachian trail, on the southernmost tip. The park is a popular end or start point for Appalachian hikers and holds the highest point in Alabama. As the oldest state park in Alabama, Cheaha is a scenic destination for hikers, drivers, and mountain bikers. For hiking, the Pinhoti Trail is highly recommended for its scenic hike through the Talladega Forest. Cheaha also boasts a prime location, just 30 minutes from the historic towns of Oxford, Heflin, Anniston, Talladega, Lineville, Munford, and Ashland.

To get to Cheaha, there are several routes available. The recommended route is along Talladega Scenic Drive (Alabama Highway 281) for large recreational vehicles. For a more adventurous option, take the Cheaha Road (County Road 42) from Munford. For those equipped with nimble SUVs, Cheaha Road provides a curvy, scenic route that will take travelers through the forest.

Admission is not free, although it is inexpensive. See here for admission prices.

Summertime is the season of travel: the time to pile all of the kids into one cramped car, roll the windows down, and play the radio loud.

While some people travel abroad or fly across the country, most people opt for the good ole American road trip. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, nine out of ten summer travel plans will be by personal vehicles.

Road trips, then, are a key part of the American experience. Whether your destination is the beach or the mountains, Alabama has a lot to offer.

Road-tripping is not just about where you are going, but also about the places you discover along the way. You can stop at a gas station for your restroom and snack break, or you can choose to do something a little more interesting. If you prefer going off the beaten path, there are three places you must try on your next Alabama road trip.

Priester’s Pecans

Montgomery

Located just off I-85 and only 15 minutes from downtown Montgomery, Preister’s is a holiday store dedicated to anything and everything pecan. The store has a variety of options as you stroll through the country-style wood building. This family-owned local company has been providing pecans and candies for over seven decades and doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

A Bit of Backstory
“Let me tell you about the little pit stop in this antiquated photo. It’s the birthplace of Priester’s Pecans! That’s right, this small gas station in Fort Deposit was a hub for travelers passing between Montgomery and Mobile. L.C. Priester owned the station and he gladly serviced the passersby, but he realized they could use something more than gasoline. So he hired a local fella named Caesar to harvest pecans, gather them in sacks and deliver them to his porch. There the pecans were bagged for sale next door at the service station. And that’s how Priester’s Pecans got its start!”

Peach Park

Clanton

If you have never seen a giant peach on the side of the road, this is your chance. Tucked away in Clanton, AL, Peach Park is a farmers market featuring all kinds of fresh items. Whether you prefer cobbler over pie or fresh fruit over ice cream, Peach Park has all the desserts you can imagine at a peach-themed farmer’s market. Besides the food, there are also gardens to stretch your legs and an RV park for the “full-timers” on the road. Peach Park is as local as it gets and would be a refreshing stop on a summer-time road trip.

A Bit of Backstory

“Peach Park was opened as a roadside produce stand to sell peaches from our orchards from May to Labor Day each year. The following year brought a hail storm that damaged much of our peach crop. Those damaged peaches were the beginning of our fresh fruit bar and homemade peach ice cream. Although 39 years have brought a lot of changes in our building, the length of our season, and the many different faces behind the counters, one thing remains constant. Our family still strives to bring you the best in all we have to offer.”

Buc-cee’s

Leeds

If a gas station could be a theme park, Buc-cee’s would be it. Known mostly as a Texas road trip destination, Buc-cee’s has opened up four locations spread throughout Alabama. The gift store, restaurant, and fuel stop is truly something you have to experience to understand. While on the outside it looks like an extra-large gas station, the inside contains a food court and a massive gift shop.  According to Southern Living, Buc-ee’s mascot is a cartoon beaver named after the owner’s lifelong nickname Beave, and his dog, Buck. Make sure to check out the Buc-cee’s locations in Alabama to add it to your travel itinerary.