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| Stepping off the Trace: Florence and the Shoals By Stephen Enzweiler |
| Amid the fragrant, rolling hills and scenic blue river valleys reaching across northwestern Alabama lies the small, welcoming city of Florence. Situated on the banks of the meandering Tennessee River, it has long been a favorite destination for travelers, a stepping off point to a region abundant in natural resources, excellent in resort accommodations, restaurants, ample shopping, and enough history to last a lifetime. __________________________________  Historic Natchez Trace Parkway, stretching from near Nashville, TN to Natchez, MS offers a relaxing, scenic alternative when traveling to Florence and the Shoals. _________________________________ Easily accessible from several exist along the Natchez Trace Parkway, Florence is only a short drive down the road, the perfect distance for grabbing lunch, freshening up, and taking in a few sights before resuming one’s travels. The city itself emerges atop a broad ridge with a sweeping view of the Tennessee River Valley below. At once, one recognizes a big city that has become the economic powerhouse of Colbert County, but also a small city that possesses the kind of hometown charm that welcomes like an old friend and immediately puts one at ease. _________________________________  Florence's Marriott Resort Hotel offer some of the most comfortable and luxusious accomodations at very affordable prices. _________________________________ Florence offers visitors a unique selection of famous attractions, including the “Father of the Blues” W.C. Handy Birthplace Museum, historic Pope’s Tavern and Museum, Funland Water Park, Kennedy-Douglas Center for the Arts, Children’s Museum of the Shoals, Indian Mound and Museum, and famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s Rosenbaum House. The city also hosts First Fridays in Florence, a growing arts and music event begun in 1995 and occurring downtown every First Friday from April through December. |
Famous Florence residents include Pulitzer Prize winning author T.S. Stribling and famed Sun Records producer Sam Phillips, who changed music history when he discovered Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Former slave Dred Scott also lived in Florence, working as a stable hand at the Peter Blow Inn on Tennessee Street. Seven miles east of Tuscumbia is the historic LaGrange College Site Park and Pioneer Settlement. Listed on the Alabama historical register, it was once the home and world of the Chickasaw Indians, the site of Alabama’s first college, and is now a park dedicated to recreating life on LaGrange Mountain. For more travel information on Florence and neighboring attractions, go to: www.800alabama.com or the Alabama Tourism Department, 800-ALABAMA. |
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Read a sampling of articles by Stephen Enzweiler A Good Author is Hard to Find The Legacy of Mississippi Writers The Agony and The Sweat A Streetcar Named Tennessee Bard of the American Iliad The Existential Walker Percy Richard Wright (1908-1960) Eudora Welty Richard Wright Willie Morris Ellen Gilchrist Corinth: Still a Crossroads... Stepping off the Trace Mississippi Rising Oxford Wedding Holiday Travel Black Holes & Bear Tales The Old Gray Mare ______________________  The Official Stephen Enzweiler Facebook Page ______________________ Check out the new book OXFORD IN THE CIVIL WAR  Buy the Book: SQUARE BOOKS LEMURIA BOOKS AMAZON.COM BARNES & NOBLE HISTORY PRESS Buy the eBook: AMAZON.COM BARNES & NOBLE (Nook) GOOGLE eBOOK |
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