Childersburg – Covered Bridge and Cavern Fun

Childersburg is believed to be the location of a Coosa Nation village visited by the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto in the fall of 1540. Childersburg calls itself “The Oldest Settlement in America.” Majestic Caverns (5181 DeSoto Caverns Pkwy.; 256-378-7252) is a magnificent 12-story cave. Guided tours of the cave include a light, sound and water show on every tour. During your visit, be sure to stop by the gift shop for some delicious Cave Cafe fudge. This stuff is so good that it’s featured as a “must taste” on Alabama Tourism’s list of "100 Dishes To Eat in Alabama Before You Die." The more than 25 attractions outside the caverns include a maze and wacky water golf. The park also includes a butterfly house. In warm weather, you can watch the butterflies as they scurry from place to place. 

Also on the outskirts of Childersburg are the historic 1864 Kymulga Grist Mill and the adjacent Covered Bridge built in 1860 (7346 Kymulga Grist Mill Rd.; 256-378-7436). Visit the mill site, walk across the covered bridge that spans Talladega Creek and then explore the nature trails. The Kymulga Grist Mill grounds are the home of the annual Coosa Fest held in late September.

Where To Eat

If you want to eat where the locals eat, then go where the locals go. That is Old Town Grille (50 River Run Rd.; 256-378-5022). This restaurant, located near Fred’s in Childersburg, is highly recommended for its homemade pizzas.

Vineyard

Drive on U.S. Hwy. 280 across the Coosa River and as you head north toward Harpersville (less than 10 miles), you will reach Morgan Creek Vineyards (181 Morgan Creek Ln., Harpersville; 205-672-2053). This family-owned vineyard and winery offers free guided tours and wine tastings. During its annual Grape Stomp, held the third Saturday in September, you can crush grapes with your bare feet while listening to live music and watching the “Lucy Look-A-Like” contest recognizing the best Lucille Ball costumes.

Where To Stay

Stay at FarmLinks at Pursell Farms (2200 FarmLinks Blvd., Sylacauga; 256-208-7600 for rooms or 256-208-7640 for golf) a 3,200-acre destination resort that has added a three-story, country estate-styled Inn with the ambiance and style of a country manor, Arrington, a casually-elegant signature restaurant and Old Tom’s Pub, a Scottish pub-meets-sports bar named for famed Scottish greenskeeper and golfer, Old Tom Morris. This family farm golf resort with a 7,444- yard, Hurdzan Fry-designed course, has previously been chosen by Golfweek as the state’s No. 1 all-access golf course and is often used by the golf industry to test new products. It also includes on-site hunting and fishing as well.

Sylacauga’s Ice Cream and the Magic of Marble

Since you are in Sylacauga, which sits atop a bed of mostly white marble, take time to visit the Isabel Anderson Comer Museum and Arts Center (711 N. Broadway, 256-245-4016;). This museum, containing works of art by the Italian sculptor and quarry investor Giuseppe Moretti, is a great place to learn about Sylacauga’s marble history. It also has a “Nabors Room," which celebrates native son Jim Nabors, who gained national fame as both an actor and a singer. Nabors was discovered by Andy Griffith and played the garage attendant Gomer Pyle on the "Andy Griffith Show." Be sure to tour the upstairs gallery inside the museum, where you will see a copy of the Hodges Meteorite and newspaper clippings that tell the story of the 8.5-pound rock that fell from the sky and struck Ann Elizabeth Hodges as she napped in a farmhouse in Oak Grove just outside of Sylacauga.

Be sure to call ahead to chosen destinations to make sure they will be open during the time of your visit.

You can also view Sylacauga marble sculptures at the B.B. Comer Memorial Library (314 N. Broadway; 256-249-0961) where the sculptures from visiting Italian artists are on permanent display. They can be found in the lobby around the stairwell. Another must-see are the 17 paintings that ran as advertising for Avondale Mills in The Saturday Evening Post. These paintings by Douglass Crockwell reflect the American way of life in 1948 and are in a similar style to that of Norman Rockwell. Look for the Crockwell painting that includes a very young Doug Layton before he became the longtime color commentator for the University of Alabama Football Radio Network. Layton was born in Sylacauga.

Where To Eat

If you’re hungry, you can get wonderful barbecue at either Faye's Bar-B-Que and Home Cooking (2600 Old Birmingham Hwy, 256-245-0490), or August's Barbeque (35571 US Highway 280, 256-346-3476). Situated in a 1904 Victorian home, Mrs. Faye’s secret ingredient is a sense of home. It is sure to please, whether you choose to dine in or take out her Southern cuisine. She will welcome you with a smile and invite you to stay and chat a while. August's Barbeque has sumptuous baby back ribs or pulled pork and don’t miss the mac and cheese or the homemade cakes for dessert.

A great time to visit Sylacauga is during the annual Magic of Marble Festival in April. A 10-day event, the festival showcases Sylacauga’s beautiful white marble with on-site sculpting, “Marble Mania” scavenger hunts, and an observation point overlooking one of the historic quarries.

Sylacauga is also the ending point of the Pinhoti 100, so if you or someone in your family is an avid runner, fall is also a great time to visit. Held annually in November, the Pinhoti 100 is a point-to-point trail run starting in Heflin, Ala. on the unspoiled Pinhoti single-track trail. Runners make their way over the highest point in Alabama while navigating over rocks, through creeks and across beautiful ridgelines of the Talladega National Forest.

Oak Grove – Where “Stars Fell on Alabama” and your Car Rolls Uphill

From Sylacauga, travel north on U.S. Hwy. 280 to the adjacent community of Oak Grove, the site of a rare occurrence. An 8.5-pound meteorite crashed into the home of the Guy family on November 30, 1954, striking Elizabeth Ann Hodges. A farmer found another meteorite nearby. These two Oak Grove rocks from the sky are the only known meteors from that day.

To find the location of this unusual event and see the “Stars Fell on Alabama” historical marker commemorating the occurrence, travel U.S. 280 N. from Sylacauga. When you see the Nissan automobile dealership, exit to the right onto the Old Birmingham Highway. The historical marker will be on your right just before you reach Odens Mill Road.

Gravity Hill

Seeing the site where a meteorite struck a human is bound to be an exciting experience for you and your fellow travelers, but what you’ll find really cool about your trip to Oak Grove is Gravity Hill, where, oddly enough, cars appear to coast uphill. This last adventure is a great way to end your road trip to the area.

What you’ll find really cool about your trip to Oak Grove is Gravity Hill, where, oddly enough, cars appear to coast uphill.

This oddity happens on a section of Old Hwy. 280, now officially named Gravity Hill. For those with a GPS, it should be easy to find; simply type in Gravity Hill. If your GPS doesn’t have the road listed or you’re traveling using a map only, closely follow the directions included here.

Directions to Gravity Hill

If you have driven to the “Stars Fell on Alabama” historical marker, return to U.S. Hwy. 280. From the Nissan dealership, travel U.S. Hwy. 280 N. for 1.3 miles where you will see Ogletree’s Garage on your right. Directly on the other side of U.S. Hwy. 280 from Ogletree’s is Kimberly Road. Exit U.S. Hwy. 280 onto Kimberly Road and then immediately turn onto a small, paved road. This will be Gravity Road. If you reach mile marker 38 going north on U.S. Hwy. 280/231, you have gone too far. Turn around and look again for the road that is directly across the divided highway from Ogletree’s Garage. Once you’ve turned onto Kimberly, you will immediately take a left onto Gravity Hill. Please note there’s not a road sign for Kimberly Road or Gravity Hill, so the site might be a little difficult to find. Once on Gravity Hill, you will be headed south, parallel to U.S. Hwy. 280. This is a short half-mile road. You will soon reach a stop sign where Gravity Hill intersects with U.S. Hwy. 280. This is where the fun starts.

How To Experience Gravity Hill

You will have the most fun if you position your car south on Gravity Hill so that your car goes uphill backward. Drive to the stop sign on Gravity Hill at the U.S. 280 intersection. Pull up to the stop sign. U.S. 280 should be in front of your car and the rest of Gravity Hill in your rearview mirror. Make sure no one is behind you. Put your car in neutral and take your foot off the brake. Your car should start to roll backward and uphill. Be sure to keep your foot close to the brake pedal, as you will pick up speed as you coast uphill. This little adventure is so amazing that you’ll find yourself driving back to the stop sign to try it again.