Alabama isn’t my home state but, it is the childhood home of a very dear friend. By coincidence, we found ourselves very near the town where her family lives, so we had some insider information on what to see and do.
Our first stop was Clarkson covered bridge in Cullman, AL. It was built 1904 and torn in half by a storm in 1921 but the pieces that were swept down river were salvaged and used to repair the bridge with original materials. The site has a working Gristmill and dog trot log cabin with hiking trails. It was beautiful afternoon.
We spent some time at the Ava Maria grotto later in the week. This is the site of the St Bernard Abbey. The Grotto is a 4 acre park built in a depression created from the quarry used to build the Abbey. It is home to over 125 “miniatures” built by Br. Joseph, a Benedictine monk. The miniatures depict buildings of religious significance from all over the world. It took him some 50 years to create, in his spare time. It was a labor of love. In the beginning, he used discarded items he could find, but as the project grew he gained support from family and friends who would donate items to him. On one structure, he had assistance from a friar that volunteered to help. After that one “miniature,” the friar reported that the work was too hard and did not continue. This was a lovely walk and amazing miniatures. I use the word miniatures under duress because the descriptions on the literature did: however I was surprised at how large they truly were. I would have labeled them “bigatures.” I expected 6” to 12” pieces but these were 3’ and 4’ tall, with some pieces being much, much larger. The gift shop sells many items but my favorite was the monk baked bread! So Yummy…
Our final stop was to Dismals Canyon. This is a private property hiking trail. So there is a charge to get in but it is very well worth the charge and the time. The family that owns this property has an amazing piece of heaven on earth that they have graciously decided to share with the public. They have created a family event that you could definitely spend a whole day enjoying. There is a café, a swimming pool, beautiful outdoor patios that overlook the property and a fantastic hiking trail. And during the appropriate season there are guided night hikes to see the Dismal glow worms light the canyon walks. When we visited; it was too early in the season for the Dismalites, but the hike was incredible. The stream that runs through the property was about 50 degrees and we did have to cross it in 2 places to continue the hike. Mark got to wade about 5 times. Nala decided he needed the foot numbing experience more than just the standard 2. She got her leash tangled in the middle once and he had to fix that snarl and then on the second crossing he helped me across and then Nala got confused at what he wanted from her and bounced back and forth and he had to chase her down. With her thick black fur she didn’t mind the cold a bit but I’m pretty sure Mark’s feet were frozen by the end of it all.
Thanks for check in on our Southeastern adventures. The journey continues to South Carolina. We hope you get the time to check in on us again.
