Road trip from Huntsville to Kalamazoo

The 118-acre Huntsville Botanical Garden is open year-round and contains a diverse ecosystem of meadows, upland and bottomland forest, and wetlands, as well as a variety of specialty gardens and native plant collections. The Mathews Nature Trail contains the largest accredited trillium collection in the U.S. and the Anderson Education Center is home to the nation’s largest open-air butterfly house. The Native Plants Teaching Garden is a public space that highlights the way local plants, soil, pollinators, and birds create distinct communities and how they interact to form a diverse, sustainable, and attractive landscape. A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, the Garden is a member of the American Public Gardens Association, the North American Plant Collections Consortium, and the American Horticultural Society, as well as an ArbNet-accredited arboretum.

The only one in the world! The Cigar Box Guitar Store located in Studio 106 at Lowe Mill A&E features art you can touch. There are dozens of handmade three-and-four string cigar box guitars and other cigar box instruments that visitors can play. Learn more about how these unique instruments are created by the artist himself most Friday and Saturday afternoons. Want to learn how to play cigar box guitar? Come for free lessons on Saturdays anytime between Noon-2:00 and borrow a guitar.

One of the largest comic / games / toys stores in the South East! Board Games and TCG Games daily!

A premier retail and wine shoppe, serving specialty beers and tapas as well. We offer a large variety of wines, delicious food selections, and even gift baskets & gift cards!

Interactive children's museum focused on teaching about Alabama history.

Lane Motor Museum in Nashville features the largest European collection of cars and motorcycles in the United States. Admission for adults aged 18-64 is $15; Admission for Youths aged 6-17 is $3; Admission for seniors 65+ is $10; Children under 5 are always free. There is plenty of FREE parking.

Jackalope Brewing Company's taproom and brewery The Ranch offers locally hand-crafted beers, brewery tours, small bites, and a dog-friendly outdoor patio.

This 19 acre park in the heart of Nashville serves as a monument to the bicentennial celebration of the State of Tennessee. This park offers plenty of opportunities to learn about the long history of Tennessee while having a great experience in a beautiful green space. More information on this park and many more can be found at the TN State Parks website.

The Tennessee State Museum is located at the corner of Rosa L. Parks Blvd. and Jefferson Street at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. It is designed to bring history to life. It includes a “Tennessee Time Tunnel” chronicling the state’s rich history and leading visitors though the Museum’s permanent collection, a hands-on children’s gallery, six rotating galleries, a state-of-the art digital learning center and a two-story Grand Hall. Exhibitions include significant artifacts related to the state’s history, along with displays of art, furniture, textiles, and photographs produced by Tennesseans. The Museum's Civil War holdings of uniforms, battle flags and weapons are among the finest in the nation.There is no admission charge for visitors. Hours are subject to change. Please check our website at tnmuseum.org for the most up to date information on parking, exhibitions and events.

At FWMoA, you will find exhibitions of American fine and decorative art ranging from the 19th century to contemporary art, including exhibitions exploring the cross-cultural connections between artwork and artists from diverse ethnic and national backgrounds. You also will find a lending library with over 8,000 art and culture volumes and periodicals for public use, a hands-on learning environment for young children, and a Print and Drawing Study Center available for first-hand study of our vast collection of works on paper. Additionally, the Paradigm Gallery gift shop features the art and fine craft of over 75 regional and national artists working in a variety of media.

Kalamazoo's only shop making hand crafted truffles and other confections exclusively from Fair Trade, organic certified chocolate. Chocolatier Dale Anderson's original recipes contain fresh local fruits, honey, and maple syrup. Vegan and gluten free options are always available. Closed Sunday and Monday. Open Tuesday thru Saturday 10 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.

Kalamazoo's New Vic Theatre was founded in 1966 by Kalamazoo residents Ted & Mary Jo Kistler. For over 45 years, The New Vic Theatre has entertained Southwest Michigan and Northern Indiana audiences carving a unique place for itself in the economy and theatrical tradition of the area.The New Vic's original production of "A Christmas Carol" (recipient of a "Special Tribute" from The State of Michigan in 1999) and the annual Christmas Concerts featuring The New Vic Theatre Chorus are among Kalamazoo's oldest on-going holiday presentations and have become an integral part of the holiday season for thousands of Southwest Michigan theatergoers.Located close to the heart of downtown Kalamazoo, the theatre's comfortable cabaret-style seating and intimate size, enhanced by a concession that serves a variety of hot & cold non-alcoholic beverages, lend to its unique atmosphere.The New Vic's flexible modular auditorium allows for innovative staging ranging from the complete round to conventional proscenium format. Efficient central heating and air conditioning allows for comfortable year-round operation.Of The New Vic's more than 325 productions to date, over 80% have been plays introduced to Kalamazoo audiences for the first time. Several plays ("Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat", "Green Julia" by Paul Abelman, "Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been" and "The Memoirs Of Pontius Pilate" both by Eric Bentley) were presented to New Vic audiences prior to their Broadway premieres.The New Vic Theatre's season of productions begins in early February and runs through December 29 each year. January dates are normally reserved for the New Vic's popular January Concert Series, featuring a variety of musical groups or individual performers.Playing primarily weekends only -- except during the holidays when the performance schedule is greatly expanded -- and with only 100 available seats for each performance, The New Vic plays to over 10,000 theatre patrons annually bringing thousands of dollars to the downtown Kalamazoo area.The New Vic is a non-profit, tax-exempt corporation (New Vic Theatricals, Inc) and owns its own facility at 134 E. Vine St. in Kalamazoo.