• Alabama has some great natural sceneryalabama flaggen symbol image by Marty Kropp from Fotolia.com
  
  Alabama has a lot to offer the potential tourist. Vibrant cities such as Birmingham offer a great base from which to see the state's main sights, while places like Montgomery offer a slice of the state's history. Tourists will find beautiful beaches on the Gulf coast, mountain scenery and of course its coastal wetlands, not to mention a humid climate where you can be assured of hot weather. There are also plenty of fun tourist attractions that'll keep the family entertained.
  
  

Adventure Island

• Located on Perdido Beach Boulevard in Orange Beach, Alabama, Adventure Island is a pirate-based theme park aimed at the whole family. Activities include an 18-hole mini-golf course, go-karts on a five-minute long course and a game of laser tag. There are also bumper boats where you can shoot the rest of your family with water guns. For the little ones there are plenty of rides, such as smaller Grand Prix go-karts, tug boats and frog-hoppers. A five-story giant volcano that erupts with realistic force and smoke will entertain younger children too. Teenagers should check out Alligator Alley, an arcade that features more than 100 different games and simulations.
  
  Adventure Island
  24559 Perdido Beach Blvd. (Hwy. 182)
  Orange Beach
  AL 36561
  251-974-1500
  adventure-island.com
  
  

Alabama Shakespeare Festival

• Attracting more than 300,000 visitors a year from over 60 countries, the Alabama Shakespeare Festival (ASF) is the sixth largest Shakespeare festival in the world. Based in Montgomery, Alabama, ASF puts on 14 productions throughout the year. Despite the name only three plays are by Shakespeare. The other 11 are normally from a range of playwrights that in the past have included Chekhov, Tennessee Williams and George Bernard Shaw. Some years musicals are included in the lineup, as are new works that have been commissioned by the festival. ASF performances take place in the Carolyn Blount Theatre, a large theatre complex that features two theatres.
  
  1 Festival Drive
  Montgomery
  Alabama 36117
  1-800-841-4273
  asf.net
  
  

Alligator Alley

• Over 150 alligators make up Alligator Alley, which claims to be "America's only alligator farm with a record holding gator." The farm's prize possession "Captain Crunch" holds the world record for the strongest bite ever recorded by an alligator at 2,982 pounds. Over 20 acres of cypress swamp land make up the farm, where visitors will see not only alligators, but ospreys, owls, turtles and bull frogs. The main highlight is feeding time where visitors can enjoy feeding the alligators themselves. The farm is open during Spring and Summer seasons from 10am to 5pm.
  
  Alligator Alley
  19950 Hwy.71
  Summerdale
  AL
  1-866-99GATOR
  gatoralleyfarm.com