Things to do/see in Huntsville, AL?

[VAfamily1998]

I will be there in a few weeks for a weekend. Any suggestions for fun things to do/see in the area--besides the space center (that's a given! )?

I am really into history and if the weather is nice, I like nature walks/hikes, but I wouldn't want anything too strenuous (I will be running the marathon that weekend, so a nice walk is good, but not TOO tough!)

I will have a car, so I'm open to suggestions for anything within about an hour or so drive too.

And food--is there anything I need to try? Is Huntsville/Alabama known for anything (like Chicago and deep dish, or Philadelphia and cheese steaks) that I should make sure to have?
Thanks!

 

[TTFN]

Huntsville has a nice state park, Monte Sano State Park http://www.alapark.com/montesano/ , that has lots of nice trails. The Twickenham historic area is also good for a walk about with lots of antebellum homes. The Constitution Village http://www.earlyworks.com/alabama-constitution-village/ is in the same area, and commemorates the time frame when Huntsville was the state capitol. In November and December, it becomes Santa's Village, which can be crowded but is fun. Maple Hill Cemetery is also a nice place to walk. The headstones go back to before the Civil War. We have a good art museum as well, and in the winter they add a temporary ice rink in the park behind the museum building. http://hsvmuseum.org/ Big Spring Park, where the museum building is, also hosts the Tinsel Trail at holiday time. http://tinseltrail.com/

Huntsville has a bit of a German history because of the rocket science team of Werner Von Braun, so we have some really good German fare. http://olheidelberg.com/ If you're into the whole brew pub thing, Huntsville has several offerings. http://ourvalleyevents.com/huntsville-breweries/ That Saturday is also the Historic Downtown Huntsville Food Tour http://www.huntsvillefoodtours.com/, which combines some the history of the area with some local restaurant tastings.

Good luck with the Rocket City Marathon! Hope you enjoy your visit.

 

[VAfamily1998]

Huntsville has a nice state park, Monte Sano State Park http://www.alapark.com/montesano/ , that has lots of nice trails. The Twickenham historic area is also good for a walk about with lots of antebellum homes. The Constitution Village http://www.earlyworks.com/alabama-constitution-village/ is in the same area, and commemorates the time frame when Huntsville was the state capitol. In November and December, it becomes Santa's Village, which can be crowded but is fun. Maple Hill Cemetery is also a nice place to walk. The headstones go back to before the Civil War. We have a good art museum as well, and in the winter they add a temporary ice rink in the park behind the museum building. http://hsvmuseum.org/ Big Spring Park, where the museum building is, also hosts the Tinsel Trail at holiday time. http://tinseltrail.com/

Huntsville has a bit of a German history because of the rocket science team of Werner Von Braun, so we have some really good German fare. http://olheidelberg.com/ If you're into the whole brew pub thing, Huntsville has several offerings. http://ourvalleyevents.com/huntsville-breweries/ That Saturday is also the Historic Downtown Huntsville Food Tour http://www.huntsvillefoodtours.com/, which combines some the history of the area with some local restaurant tastings.

Good luck with the Rocket City Marathon! Hope you enjoy your visit.

Thanks! I will definitely want to check out a brewery after the run, I think! And the German restaurant sounds good--I wouldn't have known about the German history in Huntsville!
I'm getting excited!