Birmingham, “The Magic City,” is THE industrial southern city turned into a business city. But, in between these stages came important events like 1963’s sit-ins and protests against the Jim Crow system, statements like Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” and music related to the times like Coltrane’s “ Alabama.”

South of Nashville on I-65, the city is surrounded by ridges and mountains that give Birmingham a relief from industry and business in favor of natural beauties. But, it does get hot down there in the summertime. Go see the Museum of Art and the restored Alabama Theater. Other cities have older restored theaters, too, but they're all special. Birmingham is a minor-league sports city. It has a lot of charm as a result.