VacationsAlabama

VacationsAlabama Exploring Alabama’s most beautiful places one backroad at a time.

Waterfalls, mountains, hiking, off the beaten path.

09/05/2026

🌈 A fleeting moment in Alabama.

One minute, blue skies and white puffy clouds. The next thing I know, I’m driving toward this gorgeous rainbow in Collinsville, Alabama.

It looked like it was landing right beside the ridge, with Lookout Mountain barely visible way off in the background. And if you look closely, there’s even a hint of a double rainbow.

I definitely wasn’t expecting this one. You just never know what Alabama weather is going to give you, and that’s one of my favorite things about it. 🌈

09/04/2026

🌿 Have you ever hiked across the suspension bridge on the Gorge Trail at Noccalula Falls?

I almost always go left at the bottom of the stairs and head toward the falls first. You can hike underneath and behind the falls, keep following the trail around, and eventually you’ll come to this bridge.

Every time I cross it, I have to stop in the middle and look both ways. There is something special about this whole gorge. It keeps calling me back time after time.

You can also go right at the bottom of the stairs and reach the bridge much faster, but I always have to go under the falls first. 😂

Follow along for the hike, and remember, Leave No Trace, y’all. Pack it in, pack it out. If you’ve got a hand free, grab an item or two of trash on your way out and leave it better for the next person. 🌿

Thanks so much for following along!

📍 Noccalula Falls Gorge Trail | Gadsden, Alabama

09/04/2026

💦 One of my favorite things to do this time of year is hike around Black Creek at Noccalula Falls.

When the water gets low, you can explore around these massive boulders and sometimes hear the creek flowing deep underneath your feet without even seeing it. Such a cool place.

But y’all, I’m tired of seeing this creek trashed. If you bring it in, take it out. It’s that simple. I pick up what I safely can, but I’d love to come down here one day and not have anything to pick up.

🌿 Leave no trace. Leave it better for the next person.

Have you ever hiked down along Black Creek? Let me know below.

Follow along for the hike, and let’s keep Alabama beautiful. 🌿 Thanks for being here, y’all.

📍 Black Creek | Noccalula Falls | Gadsden, Alabama

09/02/2026

If these rocks could talk. 🌿💦 Down below Noccalula Falls.

It’s hard to believe when you’re down here along Black Creek, surrounded by nature, just how much history has passed through Noccalula Gorge.

Coal was once mined right out of this gorge. In 1902, W. P. Clayton organized the Noccalula Coal Company, with a mine entrance about a quarter mile below Noccalula Falls.

Farther down Black Creek, there was once a dam and pumping station that supplied water to the old Dwight Cotton Mill, and the water also helped power Clayton’s gristmill.

Might be some bootlegging history around Black Creek. With springs still flowing right out of Lookout Mountain, even when it’s dry, you can only imagine the stories this gorge could tell.

This is also why I keep coming down here and picking up trash when I hike. Please leave no trace, and if you can safely grab a little trash along the way, do it. The wildlife down here will appreciate it, and you’ll leave this beautiful place a little better for the next person. 🌿

📍 Noccalula Falls, Gadsden, Alabama, Lookout Mountain

Have you ever hiked down into Noccalula Gorge?

Thanks y’all so much for the support. Follow along for the hike! ❤️

09/02/2026

💦 Waterfall Wednesday | Noccalula Falls in Gadsden, Alabama

A rare peaceful moment at Noccalula Falls on a hot summer day… 🌿 9-1-2026

Yesterday I hiked down into the gorge and practically had the whole place to myself. I only passed a handful of people. Somebody was even playing guitar somewhere above the gorge, and I could hear it echoing while I hiked.

Under the falls, the ducks were swimming around enjoying the water. It was absolutely beautiful.

But once again, I found trash everywhere.

Y’all, I’m a cancer survivor who’s messed up from multiple surgeries. If I can come out here and clean this garbage up, you can quit throwing it down.

I filled two big bags and finally pulled an old garbage container out of the creek that I’ve been walking past for months. There’s still more garbage down by the sandbar that needs to come out.

Y’all, please leave no trace. What you bring into the gorge, carry back out. The ducks, snakes, deer, turtles and everything else down here call this place home. They deserve clean water and a clean habitat, and we deserve a clean trail.

And if you can safely grab a couple pieces of trash while you’re hiking, please do. It adds up.

I love Noccalula Falls. I’d just like to come down here one day and simply hike without hauling somebody else’s garbage out.

Come on, y’all. We can do better. ❤️🌿

08/29/2026

🐐 80 Years Selling Goats at Trade Day

I met David Wright at Collinsville Trade Day selling his miniature Pygmy goats. He told me he’s been selling goats at trade days here in Northeast Alabama for 80 years, y’all, going back to Sand Rock and Collinsville.

I asked him how he handles sitting out there in that Alabama heat.

His answer? “You gotta be tough.” 😂

And that’s what makes Collinsville Trade Day so special. It’s more than somewhere to shop on a Saturday morning. For a lot of people in this part of Alabama and Appalachia, Trade Day is a tradition and a lifeline. It’s a place to sell, trade, make a little money and catch up with folks.

If you go, go early. David told me he’s usually there around 6 a.m. When it gets hot, folks start packing up around 9 or 10. Fall is when this place really comes alive.

I thought David’s story was just too cool not to share. 80 years of selling goats at Trade Days. Now that’s a lifetime. 🐐

Collinsville Trade Day is open on Saturdays from 4:30 AM to 2:00 PM year-round.

Have y’all ever been to Collinsville Trade Day?

08/28/2026

🥾 Hiking to Hippie Hole | Little Falls Trail

Let's hike to Hippie Hole at Little River Canyon National Preserve and check out some of what you'll see along the way!

Little Falls Trail is about 0.75 miles and ends with 137 stone steps descending into the canyon. Once you're down here, this is such a special little hike. You've got the river beside you, rocks, roots, moss, wildflowers and sometimes little streams coming off the canyon walls. When the river is up, you can hear that water throughout the hike. 🌿

🥾 A few trail tips: Wear covered shoes with good grip. This is a rock hopper's hike for sure! It can also get muddy and VERY slippery after rain. I always carry a flashlight when hiking later in the afternoon, just in case.

Weekends can get busy, but hit it on the right weekday afternoon and sometimes you'll almost have this beautiful place to yourself.

❤️ And y'all, please help take care of it. Pack it in, pack it out. If you see a piece or two of trash, grab it on your way out. There's a trash can near the top of the stairs. Even picking up one piece makes a difference for the river, the wildlife and the next person who comes along.

Leave No Trace, or better yet, leave it better than you found it.

I can't wait to see this canyon in the fall. 🍂

Thanks for following along for the hike, y'all! I appreciate all the likes and shares.

Have you ever hiked to Hippie Hole? Are you a rock hopper? 🪨🥾

08/28/2026

Have you ever been to the Hippie Hole in Little River Canyon National Preserve? 👀

Martha’s Falls, Hippie Hole, Little Falls , whatever you call it, this beautiful swimming hole is one of my favorite places to hike down to on a summer afternoon.

But y’all, we’ve got to take better care of it.

After surviving cancer, something changed in me. One day I was hiking, saw garbage along the trail and thought:

Why am I walking past this?

This place deserves better. The water deserves better. The animals deserve better. And the next person walking this trail deserves better.

So I started picking it up.

I’ve been hiking Little Falls Trail down here every few weeks, usually on a quiet Thursday afternoon.

Last time, I carried out two big bags of garbage.

Yesterday?

About half a bag.

That’s progress. 🙌

But I would LOVE to hike down here one afternoon and find nothing to pick up.

I heard there was a bunch of garbage across the river here.

The outdoors gave me a place to heal after cancer. Somewhere along the way, I realized that picking up a little trash was one way I could give something back and leave these beautiful places better than I found them.

And y’all can help, too.

You don’t have to carry out bags of garbage.

Just pick up two things.

A bottle. A can. A wrapper. Whatever you happen to see along the way.

Imagine if everybody who loved this canyon picked up just two things.

When somebody comes to Alabama and hikes into one of the most beautiful places in our state, I want them saying:

“Wow. Look at this place.”

Not:

“Wow. Look at all this garbage.”

Pack it in. Pack it out. Leave no trace.

And I think Alabama said it best in Pass It On Down:

“It’s only ours to borrow, let’s save some for tomorrow.” ❤️🌿

There’s something incredibly rewarding about looking back and knowing you left a place a little better than you found it.

How about you — do you pick up trash when you hike? Where’s one place you’d love to help clean up?

Even if you only pick up two things, it makes a difference. 🙌

Follow along for the hike 🥾

08/26/2026

A little Noccalula Falls on Lookout Mountain for your Waterfall Wednesday. 💦🌿

Noccalula Falls keeps calling me back time after time. 8/25/2026

I’ve been hiking under these falls pretty regularly since my cancer surgeries in 2023. It started as a way to get stronger again, one hike at a time, and somewhere along the way this became one of my favorite hikes in Alabama.

Honestly, it may be my favorite summer hike.

You can drop down into the gorge, get beneath those towering rock walls, and escape so much of that hot Alabama afternoon sun without having to pile on the sunscreen. And did y’all know Gadsden, Alabama is a Tree City USA? 🌳

The rain we’ve had lately has the falls flowing beautifully right now. This is probably my favorite way to see it.

I was hoping to do a little more cleanup below the falls like I did last week, but all the rain has those rocks slick again. I still picked up two bags of trash just hiking to the falls and back. It’s sad seeing cups and garbage tossed around such a beautiful place.

This place gives us so much. Let’s give a little back and take care of it. ❤️ Pack it in, pack it out.

Have you ever been to Noccalula Falls on Lookout Mountain in Gadsden, Alabama? 💦 Drop your story in the comments—I’d love to hear it!

Thank y’all so much for following along on these adventures. ❤️

Follow along for the hike. 🥾🌿

08/21/2026

I’ve passed this old place a million times… starting to think she’s got potential. 😂🏚️

This old place sits right along Highway 75 near the Painter community between Geraldine and Albertville, Alabama. I’ve passed it pretty much my whole life, but I honestly don’t know its full story.

Was it once somebody’s little house? An old country store? Or has it always been a barn?

You’ll see cattle under here from time to time feeding, and I’ve even seen them getting out of the rain beneath it. So whatever its original purpose was, this old place is definitely still getting some use.

I can’t help but imagine this spot years ago, back when Highway 75 was an old dirt road. Maybe this was a little country store where somebody could stop for a cold Coca-Cola, pick up some feed, and sit around for a while before heading on down the road.

Or maybe I’m completely wrong and the cows have had it all along. 😂

Maybe the owner or somebody from around Painter who remembers this place can solve the mystery for us.

Anybody know its story? What was this old place?

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