People around Gulf Shores have grown accustomed to seeing spectacular sculptures emerge from their sparkling white sands, thanks to the custom sculpture work of Sand Castle University. Their team dubbed this one "King of the Gulf."

Gulf Shores native and Professional Sand Sculptor Janel Hawkins is the creative mind behind Sand Castle University. Hawkins trained in sand sculpting with another company before moving back to her hometown to launch her business.

People can book group and individual classes with Sand Castle University, whose team arrives at the location of your choice and sets up the site with everything you'll need.

Besides the buckets and shovels you'd expect, sand sculpting involves all kinds of brushes and smaller tools to shape the finer details.

Groups often create a cluster of castles for a more dramatic effect. If your crew is competitive, consider a contest.

With enough training and practice, newbie sand sculptors can aspire to create their own next-level structures and creatures.

From the exterior, the Montgomery Mall still looks like an impressive retail destination. But time has taken its toll on this once-popular local mall.

Inside, the brightly lit atrium still keeps many of the hallways looking shiny, although the stores are all long closed.

Fifteen years of disrepair can be clearly seen in much of the mall, especially in the overgrown floors.

Away from the atrium, the mall can take on a dark and spooky feel. This is where it genuinely feels abandoned.

Many of the hallmarks of day-to-day life in the mall are still present, as they were never disassembled for redevelopment. It's entirely possible that the vending machines still work – although it would be very ill-advised to try any of the aged snacks they dispense.

The most interesting area to explore is the food court, which in many ways still looks like a classic 1990s food court. The chairs and tables haven't even been removed in all these years.

There's certainly nothing on offer to eat, though - although it's interesting to try to puzzle out what restaurant used to be occupying which food court stall.

Many of the last tenants who left their mark on the mall have left remnants of their defunct businesses behind, with many storefronts being largely untouched since the mall closed up shop.

The small children's area might just be the eeriest place in the entire mall. The figures are still adorable, but marks of age have started to show up.

Is the Montgomery Mall destined to just sit here forever? No one's sure, as it sits on valuable property, but with this long since closing, it's likely that any new tenant would massively overhaul the entire building.

If you’ve not heard of Fyffe, it is midway between Lake Guntersville State Park, which is 20 miles west. Fort Payne is 14 miles east.

The UFO sightings in Fyffe, Alabama, included reports from approximately 50 people in and around the town. They all claimed to have seen one or more unidentified flying objects* in the skies. Descriptions varied from a flat triangle with three lights to a banana-shaped craft.

Fyffe is a rural community with a population that has hovered around 1,000 people for many years.

Witnesses included the town’s police chief and assistant police chief, a police chief and an officer from two other nearby towns, state troopers, and multiple residents.

In 2004, the town’s mayor adjusted the meaning of UFO to “Unforgettable Family Outing" and created the Fyffe UFO Days Festival. Among its many activities, hot-air balloons are a highlight.

Even with the redefined name, you’ll see signs of extraterrestrial creatures here and there.

Community organizations get in on the fun with decorations and giveaway items at the festival. People could pick up alien stress balls at the Northeast Alabama Marine Corps League Toys for Tots booth.

Festival vendors promote their services, sell crafts and products, or serve up otherworldly-delicious treats.

As far as we know, there’s been no unexplained communication with outer space lately for Fyffe residents. Of course there are the more run-of-the-mill transmissions between satellites. The festival is still going strong.

While you may recognize a familiar shape to the sign, the bakery team jazzed up the donut with chocolate and sprinkles.

Cothran’s is a full-service bakery that’s known for spectacular cakes, cookies, and more. You’ll want to research further to see some of the custom special occasion treats the bakers have created.

But today we’re talking about the best glazed donuts in Alabama. They’re Cothran’s specialty and helped build a customer base that craves and raves over them. What makes them that way? The bakery’s team says it’s the special ingredients of 100% love and kindness.

Yes, there are donut holes that taste just as delicious. These are a smart choice If you’re controlling your portions or just think eating them this way is more fun.

You literally get a twist on the traditional glazed donut with another customer favorite, Cothran’s glazed cinnamon twists. Also as the name implies, these have a different flavor profile with the addition of cinnamon.

Have you ever wanted to order “cake but make it donuts”? Done and done.

Hildegard’s German Cuisine is located in the corner of Village East, a small shopping center near the city’s medical district at the corner of Bob Wallace Avenue and Whitesburg Drive.

Guests may choose to be seated in the tidy, cozy dining room or …

… an outdoor patio area that is open year-round.

While the menu includes many traditional German foods, the schnitzel and sausages are the stars.

A special dish offered occasionally is roulade, which consists of a braised, seared, top-round steak filled with bacon, onion, pickle, and mustard, then drizzled with gravy.

Traditional German pretzels - or laugen brezeln - come with housemade beer cheese and pair perfectly with an icy cold, imported German beer.

Don’t stop before you get to the sweets. You can expect staple cakes like Black Forest cake and German chocolate, plus a rotating variety of other options like cheesecake and cream horns.

Beautifully restored buildings featuring architecture of the 1800s and early 1900s fill Talladega's downtown square. Alabama's oldest functioning, circa-1836 courthouse stands at the center of it all.

You 'll get the feeling of fall long before Halloween here, though! The first sign of the seasons changing occurs in August. That is when over 1,000 undergrad students begin arriving for the start of the academic year at Talladega College. The college is Alabama's first private, historically Black liberal arts college, which received its charter in 1869.

The fall race at Talladega Superspeedway in nearby Lincoln has been held in October for more than 20 years. The track’s major event weekends have drawn hundreds of thousands of fans to the area twice annually since it opened in 1969.

Whether you’re near the track for the fall race or perhaps better yet, when it’s a little less busy, stop in and check out the Highway 77 Fish Market.

People give the seafood restaurant dazzling reviews for its food, drinks, service, and fun atmosphere for watching sports. Shrimp boil and college football, anyone?

We’ve hinted at fall color just as the trees do in the early parts of fall. When foliage reaches its peak in late October to early November, the Talladega area is dreamy. Add more magic and color with a stay at The Land of Bohamia.

Looking for a prime place to see foliage? The Talladega area has it. Almost directly east of the city within Talladega National Forest, you will find Cheaha State Park and Cheaha Mountain, the state's tallest point at just over 2,400 feet.

Louisiana native and Retired Chief Warrant Officer Larry P. Johnson and his wife, Wendy, a veteran, opened the weekends-only restaurant in 2021. They had already been running an events and catering company when they saw that North Alabama's appetite for authentic Cajun and Creole food merited a restaurant.

Naturally, you can expect fresh-from-the-pot crawfish during the season each year, which reaches its peak from February to May.

LJz quickly earned the admiration - and art - of loyal customers who say the crawfish and customer service are the best around.

If crawfish isn't in season (or just isn't your thing), there's plenty more to choose from on the menu, including several plate options from the seafood boils that begin Friday afternoons and run through the weekend.

The boudin balls are a customer favorite. Their batter creates a crispy enclosure around a warm mixture of seasoned pork, herbs, vegetables, rice, and gooey pepper jack cheese. They are sold individually or in two-piece orders with the signature BYB sauce as an optional add-on.

Po'boy sandwiches come with fries or a small side, and meats can include shrimp, fish, half of each, or alligator.

Another specialty at LJz is the "Swamp Potato," which is a massive baked potato overflowing with a creamy sauce, crab meat, crawfish, sausage, and shrimp.

While the indoor dining area is cozy, the front deck feels the most festive for relaxing and digging into your dish of choice when weather permits.

Since 1967, Athens State University has hosted scores of fiddle fans and folk artists who gather for the Fiddlers Convention. Over 56 years, the celebration evolved leaps and bounds from its original venue in the college gym.

Nowadays, over 200 musicians of all ages descend on the small town of Athens to compete in a series of competitions over four consecutive days of play. Their award? The coveted Tennessee Valley Fiddle Championship!

Historians have long considered Alabama's musical tradition to be particularly rich. In the 19th century, Scots-Irish and African peoples created dynamic folk styles that took deep root in regional religious customs, community entertainment, and labor practices.

When folksong collectors and talent scouts visited the state in the 20th century, they discovered communities and artists with deep reservoirs of home-grown songs.

Music has no language or geographic barriers. Still, local traditions like those preserved by Alabamian fiddlers can help define what makes a community unique. With over 15,000 annual attendees, clearly the music performed at the Fiddlers Convention continues to resonate with Alabama residents.

Besides the competition, visitors can also peruse a local craft market with over 150 vendors for artisanal goods. Hungry? Delicious eats are within walking distance of the festivities.

The event strives to be inclusive to all merry-makers. For adults, the cost of admission is $20 per adult, $25 per adult for a weekend pass, and children under 12 may enjoy the celebration free of charge! Wednesday and Thursday night concerts are free for all people to enjoy.

Upon arrival, you'll see how Creekside Cabin's outdoor spaces encourage sitting a spell and taking in the sights and sounds of nature.

Besides the welcoming and cheery front porch, the cabin features a two-level back deck with expansive balconies and plenty of rocking chairs.

Deck-sitting sights give a feeling of being one with the trees along with a bird's eye view of the creek running through the private property below. Bring fishing gear if you'd like to drop a line.

An outdoor grill plus a fully equipped kitchen stocked with utensils and dishes make it easy to prepare meals in this home away from home.

The dining area has large-sized table to accommodate a larger group communing over meals.

When it's time to turn in for the evening, Creekside Cabin can sleep up to six people with its two bedrooms and bonus loft space.

Both the main-level and upstairs bedrooms have king-sized beds, with the larger of two bathrooms downstairs.

The loft area of the cabin includes bunk beds for additional guests.

Festive lighting, a dusting of snow, and pretty indoor holiday decor makes Creekside a special retreat in winter months.

With a cozy living room with a large TV and a fireplace keeping you toasty, this secluded cabin in Alabama makes a winter retreat seem ideal. Just add hot chocolate.

In 1996, Tate Farms began welcoming the public every fall season to peruse and pick pumpkins. The operation began with 15 acres of pumpkins and has grown to more than 80 acres.

In addition to the farm's massive pumpkin-growing lands, there are another 20 acres dedicated to entertainment especially geared toward school-age kids, families, and group outings.

Sharing and creating fun family traditions is central to the mission of Tate Farms. Many generations of the Tate family have worked the land since 1867 when they arrived here from Tennessee and began sharecropping.

A member of the family, Morgan Tate Baker, designed the Play Barn structure that has dominated the pumpkin yard since 2017 after the farm suffered a fire. The signature structure is suitable for all ages and features 60-foot slides among other fun features.

There's also a newer barn-themed structure for kids, this one made especially for the smallest guests who are age 7 and younger. The farm team worked with the Little Tikes company for a custom design that includes multiple slides, climbers, tunnels, and sensory toys situated over soft, rubber mulch.

Besides the barns and jump pad, activities include towering retro fun slides, pedal karts, a corn train, corn cribs, and a custom "dairy-go-round" carousel of beautifully carved and painted wooden farm animals.

A variety of drinks are available for purchase at the Thirsty Silo, and you will also find a lemonade stand on the other side of the entertainment area near the pumpkin fields. For snacks, sweets, and other eats, there's a food truck and funnel cake stand.

Prepare for a cuteness overload if you love animals. The farm's barnyard bunch includes miniature cows, goats, babydoll sheep, rabbits, pigs, and more.