Girls Trip: North Alabama

It’s me, ya girl, Nic. After a few longg weeks I finally had a weekend off and planned a weekend getaway with my roommate KP. We took a quick trip to Northern Alabama to see the sights, with no better host than the Paceley family.

 

We hit the road Saturday morning, on our way to Sweet Home Alabama. The drive was beautifully scenic as the leaves still continue to change in color. It was about a 2.5 hour drive through windy, mountainous roads, and we stayed busy through chatter and jams.

First Pit Stop: Scottsboro

Our stomachs were grumbling after driving through the morning, and we needed to get some food...so we stopped at Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen!! If you’ve been paying even the slightest bit of attention to pop culture, then you know that people are going CRAZY for the Popeyes chicken sandwich. Just to fill you in with a quick history lesson on this phenomenon:

• August 12, 2019: Popeyes released the infamous chicken sandwich
• Popeyes Chicken Sandwich immediately went viral, prompting sales to flood with lines wrapped around the building, and guests waiting hours
• August 27, 2019: Popeyes officially sold out of of the chicken sandwich in just 2 short weeks
• November 3, 2019: Popeyes returned the chicken sandwich with a greater amount of supplies

Popeyes has seen such an influx of sales, with physical fights breaking out over this chicken sandwich y'all...we had to try it out for ourselves. Overall review: not fist-fight worthy, but a dang good sandwich. It is thickkk and juicy and their fries are killer--McDonald’s doesn’t have anything on them with that cajun seasoning. They go heavy on the mayo so I would opt out of that and nix the spicy chicken sandwich which is literally the regular with spicy mayo dalloped on top. Now that the hype has started to die down, you need to check this sandie out for yourself.

Now that we had our fill of fried chicken-y goodness, we headed to the coolest of cool shopping centers. KP introduced this place to me 4 years ago,and it is still the coolest business concept that I have heard of to date--it’s called Unclaimed Baggage Center.

 

This is unlike any other retail store in America, starting over 50 years ago! They purchase actual (hence the name) unclaimed baggage from airlines across the nation. From there, they filter through it, deciding whether or not to trash it, donate it, or sell it. Think about it, anything that could be in a luggage is sold here, from clothes, books, games, shoes, electronics, I mean anything. They have formal dresses, wedding dresses, ski clothes, athletic wear, name brand (yes, yes I did try on a Versace sweater). This place is amazing, and highly recommended for everyone to check it out. I always walk out spending way more than I need but, finding some gems like a new North Face ski jacket, a Calvin Klein winter coat, and quality denim jeans, all for ridiculously discounted prices.

Located in the small town of Scottsboro, Alabama there are some other things to check out, that we just didn’t have the time for. Stephens Gap is a beautiful cave that has a stunning view for you outdoorsy folks. The Scottsboro Boys Museum & Cultural Centre plays a piece of the Civil Rights Movement, documenting a piece of history right down the road. Rock Zoo, which is exactly what it sounds like, a roadside “zoo” exhibit of rocks shaped and painted like animals. Lastly, one of my roomie’s favorites is Payne’s Sandwich Shop and Soda Fountain, a traditional 50’s diner serving that good ole’ diner food with a side of jukebox jams.

Second pit stop: Huntsville

Headed for a night in KP’s hometown of Huntsville, Alabama we headed to the city, best known for their NASA flight center. Beside their epic space center, they also have a stunning botanical garden, a drive-thru zoo, and a fun night scene.

With just one night in Huntsville, we decided to spend it at Campus No. 805. Once the site of a school center, has now become a bustling social setting. They have bars, breweries, restaurants, and activity centers. We spent most of our time at:

• Straight to Ale, a speakeasy and brewery,
• Hops N Guac, a Mexican eatery with a self-serve tap wall and oversized games, and
• Civil Axe Throwing, $20 for an open hour of stress-releasing axe throwing

Some other cool places are Off Beat Coffee Studio (dual coffee shop and vinyl record store), Ronnie Raygun’s (bar filled with beer and pinball machines), Spirited Art (paint and sip studio), and X-Golf (virtual golf course).

   

And just like that, our weekend came to a close and it was time to head back to Nashville for that Monday work grind. Northern Alabama has a lot to offer, with so many sites and scenes to check out. This was my second trip to Sweet Home Alabama, and it surely won’t be my last. Up for a road trip soon Ash? Comment below and let us know what your favorite road trip destination is! Wait and see what we’ll do next.