While the Gulf Coast produces some of the nation’s best oysters, the southern staple is becoming a rare delicacy due to its population decline over the last 70 years. This environmental restoration project will reinvigorate oyster reefs at Cedar Point Beach.

“We are fortunate to live in a state that is blessed with such natural beauty and outdoor recreation opportunities. From the mountains of Northeast Alabama, through the River Region and Black Belt in the center of the state, to the beaches and bays of the Gulf Coast, Alabama has something outdoors for everyone.”

Traditions run deep at The Bright Star in Bessemer, Alabama’s oldest family-run restaurant. And plans are coming together for one of its most popular rituals, the annual Night in New Orleans featuring a guest chef from the Big Easy. The “night” is actually three nights, featuring a special menu representing cuisines by both the guest chef and The Bright Star. The 34th annual Night in New Orleans is set for Thursday, August 3 through Saturday, August 5. Eric Cook, co-owner and executive chef of the restaurants Gris-Gris (Magazine Street) and Saint John (French Quarter) returns to Bessemer for a second year to conjure his creole dishes

The formal announcement recently made by the Banana Republic team was a cause for celebration for Alabama natives. Banana Republic is introducing an expansion to BR Home that will include a bedding collection by Alabama-based Red Land Cotton. In the words of President and CEO Sandra Stangl, “Our expanded Home collection is central to our vision to be the premier lifestyle brand that positions BR as an experiential and cultural cornerstone in our customers’ lives.”

The advent of the Airbnb concept has redefined travel for many. Previously, travel could be experienced in a very limited number of ways—hotels, resorts, friends’ homes. Airbnb has given travelers the ability to experience trips in a way that adds a distinct layer of depth and understanding of the area. By being given the option to stay in homes within the community, the experience of the traveler becomes increasingly novel. Alabama boasts a number of interesting and unique Airbnbs throughout the state, and we have put together a list of three must-visit spots.

The owners and chef behind the Magnolia Springs landmark Jesse’s Restaurant are dropping anchor at Fort Morgan with a new casual fine dining concept. Every table has a view of the water at Jesse’s on the Bay, which opened along the stretch leading to the historic fort and tourist attraction. The executive chef over both Jesse’s, Larry Agnew, pays painstaking attention to detail. He sources the restaurants’ produce and proteins as nearby as possible. The kitchen ages its prime beef, heritage pork, and even Gulf fish to enhance its flavors. The new location in Fort Morgan boasts a raw bar featuring Alabama-farmed half-shell oysters and house-made fish ceviche. Both join the cast on the bayside restaurant’s ornate seafood tower.

The problem isn’t necessarily that you have nothing to wear, but that you have nothing you like to wear. This happens when you shop without your personal style in mind. And it can change with each season. We have all been there and out of all of the choices, nothing feels like you.

When Jose Medina Camacho was growing up, the last thing he wanted to do was work in the hospitality industry. After immigrating from Michoacán, Mexico with his mother and brother at the age of 3, he spent many of his adolescent years working in his uncles’ restaurants in Tuscaloosa, Jasper, and beyond. “My grandfather was a dishwasher at the restaurant,” he says. “All my uncles were cooks. It was kind of like a family affair.”

Rising above the clouds, it earned the name, “Island in the Sky.” The Creek Nation labeled it “Chaha,” meaning “high place” in the Muskogee language. At 2,407 feet above sea level, Cheaha State Park towers over the rest of the state as its highest point. Located in the town of Delta in North Alabama, this oasis stretches wide across the horizon in the midst of 2,799 acres of state park, plus the surrounding 392,567 acres of the Talladega National Forest, which in turn encompasses more than 7,000 acres of the Cheaha Wilderness. It affords a rare luxury in these crowded times—miles of vista oblivious to human touch.

When it comes to Southern mountain towns, Alabama isn’t always first to come to mind. While places like Asheville, North Carolina; Gatlinburg, Tennessee; and the Blue Ridge mountains snatch up the vast majority of visitors each year, the tiny northeast Alabama town of Mentone (with a population of just over 300) may be the South’s best-kept secret. At least that’s what Colleen Duffley and Steve Carpenter thought when they purchased a cabin on Mentone’s Little River in 2020. 

In east Alabama, just miles from the Georgia border, is the tiny town of Ranburne. The community of fewer than 500 isn’t known by many outside of Cleburne County, but in March of 2020 local couple Taylor and Cole Gibbs gave Alabamians a reason to take notice. They opened the Barn of Blooms. a plant nursery and community gathering space selling everything from seeds to shade trees—all grown by local farmers.