Winners of our Best of Alabama survey

And the winners are….

Last fall, we asked our readers to vote for the best places, products and entertainment venues in Alabama, and you told us!  We’re proud to present the winners of the very first Alabama Living “Best of Alabama” contest in this issue. We received several hundred entries from across the state, and some of the winners were a surprise.

Congratulations to Kenny Baskins of Arab who is the winner of a $250 cash prize for entering the contest. Rev. Baskins is the pastor of Arab First United Methodist Church and is a loyal Alabama Living reader.

And now, presenting the winners….

 

Best Public Garden

Bellingrath Gardens

12401 Bellingrath Gardens Road
Theodore, Ala. 36582
251-973-2217
www.bellingrath.org

 

Runner-up:

Birmingham Botanical Gardens

2612 Lane Park Road,
Birmingham, Ala.  35223
www.bbgardens.org/

 

Best Alabama Band

Alabama

www.thealabamaband.com/
101 Glenn Blvd., SW
Ft Payne, Ala.

The Alabama Fan Club Headquarters is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday and Tuesdays and major holidays.

 

Runner-up:

Alabama Shakes

www.alabamashakes.com/

 

Best Author

Harper Lee

Author of To Kill a Mockingbird

Runner-up: Kathryn Tucker Windham

 

Best State Park

Guntersville State Park

7966 Hwy 227, Guntersville, AL 35976
256-571-5440

www.alapark.com/lakeguntersville

 

Runner-up:

Gulf State Park

20115 State Hwy. 135
Gulf Shores, AL 36542
800-252-7275

www.alapark.com/GulfState

 

Best Historical Site

Fort Morgan

51 Alabama 180
Gulf Shores, AL 36542
251-540-7127

fortmorgan.org

 

Runner-up:

USS Alabama

2703 Battleship Pkwy, Mobile, AL 36603
251-433-2703

www.ussalabama.com/

 

Best Alabama-Made Product

Conecuh Sausage

P.O. Box 327
200 Industrial Park
Evergreen, AL 36401
800-726-0507

www.conecuhsausage.com

 

Runner-up:

Alaga Syrup

Whitfield Foods, Inc.
1101 N. Court Street
P.O. Box 791
Montgomery, AL 36101-0791
334-263-2541
800-633-8790

www.alagasyrup.com

 

Best Kid-Friendly Destination

Gulf Shores/Orange Beach

www.gulfshores.com/

 

Runner-up:

U.S. Space and Rocket Center

One Tranquility Base
Huntsville, Alabama 35805
800-637-7223

rocketcenter.com/

 

Best Antique/Flea Market

Collinsville Trade Day
1016 South Valley Ave.
Collinsville, AL 35961
888-524-2536

 

Runner-up:

Mountaintop Flea Market, Attalla

11301 U.S. Highway 278
Attalla, AL  35954
800-535-2286

Open every Sunday, year-round, 5 a.m. until..

www.lesdeal.com

 

Best Festival

National Shrimp Festival, Gulf Shores
Coastal Alabama Business Chamber
3150 Gulf Shores Pkwy
Gulf Shores, AL 36542
251-968-6091
Oct. 9-12, 2014

myshrimpfest.com/

 

Runner-up:

National Peanut Festival, Dothan

5622 Highway 231 South
Dothan, Alabama 36301
334-793-4323

nationalpeanutfestival.com

 

 

Best Trail (Run/Bike/Walk)

Desoto State Park

7104 Desoto Pkwy. NE,
Ft. Payne, AL  35967
256-845-0051

www.alapark.com/DeSotoResort

 

Runner-up:

Oak Mountain State Park

200 Terrace Dr.
Pelham, AL 35124
Phone: 205-620-2520

www.alapark.com/oakmountain/

 

Best Non-Franchise Restaurant

Nolan’s Restaurant & Lounge

1140 Gulf Shores Parkway
(One block south of Fort Morgan Road, next to the Gulf Coast Zoo at Sawgrass Landing)
Gulf Shores, AL  36542
251-948-2111

www.nolansrestaurant.com/

 

Runner-Up:

Mountain Parkway Grill

85 Overlook St.,
Sand Rock, AL  35983

www.mountainparkwaygrill.com

 

Best Place to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

Duchess Bakery

222 1st Ave SE, Cullman, AL 35055
256-734-0684

 

Runner up:

Peach Park

2300 7^th St. S.
Clanton, AL  35046
205-755-2065

 

Best Golf Course

Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail

(Cambrian Ridge, Greenville; Capitol Hill, Prattville; Grand National, Auburn-Opelika; Hampton Cove, Huntsville; Highland Oaks, Dothan; Lakewood Golf Course, Pt. Clear; Magnolia Grove, Mobile; Oxmoor Valley, Birmingham; Ross Bridge, Birmingham; Silver Lakes, Anniston-Gadsden; The Shoals, Muscle Shoals.)

www.rtjgolf.com/

 

Runner-up:

Deer Run Golf Course

1175 County Road 100
Moulton, Ala. 35650
256-974-7384

cityofmoultonal.com/deer_run_golf_course/index.html

 

Best Mountain Destination

Mt. Cheaha

2141 Bunker Loop Hwy. 281
Delta, Ala. 36258
256-488-5115

www.alapark.com/CheahaResort

 

Runner-Up:

Mentone

DeKalb County, Alabama

mentonealabama.gov

 

 

Best Local Performing Arts Site

Alabama Shakespeare Festival

1 Festival Drive
Montgomery, Ala. 36117
800-841-4273

www.asf.net/

 

Runner-Up

Princess Theatre

112 Second Ave., NE
Decatur, Ala. 35601
256-350-1745

www.princesstheatre.org/

 

 

Best Beach Destination

Gulf Shores

www.gulfshores.com/

 

 

Runner-Up

Orange Beach

www.cityoforangebeach.com/

 

Best Alabama Lake

Lake Guntersville

www.lakeguntersville.org/

www.alapark.com/lakeguntersville

 

Runner-Up:

Smith Lake

(21,000 acres in Cullman, Walker and Winston counties)

www.smithlake.info/

 

Best Fishing Spot

Weiss Lake

(30,000 acres in Cherokee County)

www.lakeweiss.info/

 

Best Kept Secret

Little River Canyon

4322 Little River Trail NE
For GPS, use: 472 Alabama Highway 35
Fort Payne, AL 35967
256-845-9605

www.nps.gov/liri/index.htm

 

Runner-Up:

The Secret Bed and Breakfast

2356 AL Hwy 68 West
Leesburg, Alabama 35983

www.secretbedandbreakfastlodge.com