By the time summer comes to an end, we’ve gotten used to spending more social time with family and friends. But now that everyone is back to school and Labor Day is in the rearview mirror, you can still stretch that summer attitude through the fall and winter with quick weekend road trips.
Over the course of a weekend, you can make your way to Montgomery, Alabama’s capital city, check out some of the state’s amazing and moving history, enjoy some outdoor activities, find plenty of options for places to eat, and take your pick of hotel options. So the next time your favorite college football team has a week off or you’re anxious to get out of town, you can build a whole weekend of food and fun from these options and many more:
- Get your coffee fix – anything from a cup of black dark roast to a cappuccino or latte – at one of the city’s coffee bars like Prevail Union on Dexter Avenue or Hilltop Public House, located in the historic Cottage Hill neighborhood.
- Satisfy morning hunger with a smoothie or breakfast sandwich from Vintage Café, a generous brunch at Cahawba House, or stop by The Bubbly Hen for creative alternatives like shakshuka or creme brulee French toast.
Even the most exciting day requires a stop to refuel.
- Take a break for lunch at Krab Kingz for fried seafood baskets – your choice of fish, shrimp, oysters, or a combo – or build your own seafood boil. For a fully vegan menu, visit Plant Bae and try a Beyond Meat burger, meatball sandwich, or Philly cheese bae, or drop into Bibb Street Pizza for pizza by the slice, oven-baked subs, or traditional deli subs.
- At the end of a full afternoon, it’s time to kick back and relax with a delicious dinner. You’ll find both casual and fine dining options, including choices the kids will love. Both Ravello Ristorante and Saza Serious Italian offer expansive Italian menus, including pizza and Ravello’s menu for the “bambinos.”
- Kinsmith, housed in the stunning Trilogy Hotel, offers cuisine inspired by the South and embraces the multicultural influences of its rich tradition, including seafood, duck, and beef menu items, plus daily specials. Meanwhile, at Central, you’ll find uniquely Southern dishes like Dr. Pepper braised pork osso buco.
What to Do Between Meals
With such great dining options in town, you may have to be reminded of what you came for.
- With such great dining options in town, you may have to be reminded of what you came for. No tour of the city is complete without a visit to the places that memorialize Montgomery’s role in the country’s civil rights efforts, including the Legacy Museum, and National Memorial For Peace and Justice, and the Civil Rights Memorial. You can also enjoy some of the city’s finest works of art at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, home to more than 4,000 works of art, primarily by American artists from the 18th to the 21st centuries.
- Montgomery also pays homage to its “favorite sons” such as Hank Williams and F. Scott Fitzgerald. The F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum, located in the historic Old Cloverdale neighborhood, is the only museum dedicated to the lives and legacies of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald in the world. The Fitzgerald’s lived in the home that houses the museum from 1931 until 1932, writing portions of their respective novels, Save Me the Waltz and Tender Is the Night.
- The Hank Williams Museum honors its namesake, who is regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century. Williams recorded 55 singles that reached the top 10 of the Billboard Country & Western Best Sellers chart, five released posthumously, including 12 that reached No. 1, three years after his death.
- If you want to break up your museum time with some outdoor fun, consider visiting The Montgomery Zoo. In addition to a zoo full of animals from rhinos and elephants to lemurs and condors, you’ll also find the petting zoo, parakeet cove, and an opportunity to go nose-to-nose with a giraffe.
- For the truly adventurous, Montgomery Whitewater offers both whitewater and flatwater activities including rafting, stand-up paddleboarding, and kayaking on its 3,800 feet of Class II - Class IV channels. You can rent everything you need onsite or just watch from the green space.
After Hours Options
At the end of a busy mini-vacation day, take some time to relax and unwind at one of Montgomery’s many local watering holes.
- Both Barristers and Baristas and Hilltop Public House serve both coffee and cocktail sips, depending on your after-dinner preference. Stop by 23 Court Cigar Bar to enjoy a cigar and premium cocktail, or visit The Statesmen for craft mocktails and cocktails. Take advantage of a cool evening and a view of the skyline from the Waterworks rooftop restaurant and bar, and watch for New Orleans-style CC’s Daquiris Downtown coming soon.
- No matter how you choose to spend your weekend in Montgomery, you’ll find plenty of nearby places to stay, including Staybridge Suites, Embassy Suites, and the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel. Each of these accommodations has pool access for after-dinner relaxation, and they’re close to restaurants and plenty of the activities you’ve scheduled for your stay in Alabama’s capital.
For more information about what to get up to in Montgomery, check out our curated list of itineraries by clicking here today.