The highest point of Alabama at the Cheaha State Park. The World’s Largest Office Chair. The Waterfalls.
A day for goodbye was when we left Dauphin Island early in the morning, embracing the road leading us North, the same way we had come south. Montgomery came and passed by. And the endless, picturesque attractions of the northeastern, hilly Alabama region began. First came the highest point of the state.
The Cheaha State Park
Numerous hiking spots atop the Cheaha lead to the mountain’s edge, the panorama of the flat valley below misty and glinting at the same time. We hiked on two trails: a 10-minute boardwalk at the Bald Rock and the Pulpit Rock, the latter being our favorite. Both hikes are .3 miles. The Pulpit Rock hike involves descending along boulders one way and ascending on the way back, making it more fun yet short. Its rewards lie in the fewer crowd, more places to rock climb, and a guarantee of a rocky seat facing the valley, a perfect spot for Earth-Watching!
Pulpit Rock 
Cheaha Lake
A restaurant lies inside the part with open seating and a jaw-dropping view, one we had to skip because it wasn’t lunchtime yet. We headed to the lower campground, stealing stoic moments at Cheaha Lake.
We drove to Gadsen next via the World’s Largest Office Chair near Oxford. The area is beautiful, but I wouldn’t make a special visit here for the chair. If passing through, know about this roadside display.
Noccalula Falls
A legend has it that a princess named Noccalula chose to jump to her death instead of marrying on her wedding day.
Here, we stood across from the river, and her statue with one leg propped, hanging over the raging water.
Two entrances lead to the falls. We chose the North one, not the one with the campground and the statue. Overly crowded, yet you can hike along the river and find a more secluded spot. The best time to visit the region’s waterfalls is early Spring. At the end of March, the water was raging and howling for us, the best sound therapy nature has to offer.
Food
We were hungry when we arrived at Gadsen, and let me tell you, if you are in the area, order pizza/pasta from Mater’s Pizza & Pasta Emporium. That’s what we did. Lunch in hand, we came to the falls.
We crashed another waterfall after this one.
Little River Falls
The region offers a large selection of waterfalls. We chose Little River Falls for its history, its proximity to the freeway (our hotel was ways away in Tennessee), and the cute little town of Fort Payne at its mouth. We had thought of quickly visiting here to snap a photo and leave. But Little River Falls will hold you there. Plan a half-hour, not for a massive hike, to chill. The falls are right off the large parking lot, starting with a sign memorializing the trail of tears about a massacre of Native Americans.
A boardwalk paves the way to the impressive waterfall. You have two more opportunities to experience the river: descend the steps to the river by the road: highly recommended. Or walk across the river along the bridge to the other side with benches and more photo ops. You can see this in ten to fifteen minutes, but we chilled by the gushing river, down the steps, where we met with a kayaker, readying to plunge down the falls. We didn’t wait for it, as we had two more hours left of our day-long itinerary.
Food
For coffee, I recommend the Spot Coffee shop in Fort Payne.
Coffee in hand, we entered Georgia briefly. The mountain ranges were the hallmark of the drive. Near the Lookout Mountain, which we had seen before( and I highly recommend), we entered Tennessee. In the pouring rain, we reached our hotel in Manchester, southeast of Nashville.
Though the drive from Dauphin Island to Manchester was nine-plus hours, it didn’t feel long owing to the frequent and breathtaking stops. The area is strikingly different from central Alabama and the coast. The best time, in my opinion, to visit here is Springtime when the water volume is high, blue, and puts on a show.
This blog wraps up our Alabama series. Next time, I will share more about the Door County of Wisconsin. Until then, I wish you beautiful destinations. If you haven’t already, check out my new release, House of Milk and Cheese.