"Huntspatch" Top 5 Page for this destination Huntsville by kyrzar

Huntsville Travel Guide: 56 reviews and 185 photos

Sprawl - Huntsville
Sprawl

As a note of warning, Huntsville is my hometown, and I'm coming off a bitter divorce, so I may not have the best things to say about the 'Ville sometimes. If you're from somewhere else, though, I guess it's as interesting a place as any.

Huntsville's one main claim to fame is, of course, space. Marshall Space Flight Center used to be the main place for making the stuff that sent people into space like the Saturn V (extraneous photo omitted). All the engineers involved have made huntsville into something of a nerd-town. Have I been effected by this fact? Of course not.

The more I travel, though, the more I realize that Huntsville definitely has a certain amount individuality for better or worse. Pocket protectors, wide roads, and green mountains.

The Bright Lights of HuntsVegas
The Bright Lights of HuntsVegas - Huntsville

Huntsville, for all it's sprawl, can be mildly (very mildly) photogenic with Monte Sano behind it. While this serves to make Huntsville's meager skyline seem even more meagar, it gives the town a green backdrop and good place to look off at the lights.

The Little Town that Could
The Little Town that Could - Huntsville

In 50 years, Huntsville went from a sleepy little town of about 20 thousand to a bustling metropolis (no sarcasm here) of almost a quarter million, thanks to the space race and the cold war. Most of this happened in the 50's, 60's, and 70's, so you might can guess what this means: endless miles of ranch-style homes, subdivisions and stripmalls. Huntsville just sprawled itself out across the cotton fields and cow pastures in an endless spaghetti of roads. I've often heard newcomers talk about getting lost.

Despite all this, Huntsville does have the remnants of that sleepy little southern town founded around Big Spring (picture to left, don't mind Jason there). There's the depot captured in the civil war and quite a few old mansions. My favorites are the old cotton mill towns. They have several interesting old houses and little old shops. However, thanks to fire and good old-fashioned dim-witted progressivism, Merrimack is the only mill left. This is the same progressivism that replaced Huntsville's old neoclassical courthouse with that thing you can see in the background of the picture.

Pros and Cons
  • Pros:plenty of parking
  • Cons:strip malls
  • In a nutshell:put on your pocket protectors
  • Intro Updated Oct 23, 2005
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Reviews (8)

The Space and Rocket Center - Huntsville The Space and Rocket Center Tourist Traps (1)

If you came to Huntsville on purpose, and you're not here to visit somebody specific, you're probably (a few bolts short... more travel advice

The Cliffs Off The Beaten Path (2)

If you're fortunate enough to get out boating on the Tennessee river, try out the cliffs on the Morgan county side about... more travel advice

Real Barbecue Restaurants (5)

Their barbecue is particularly tender. It's served in the local style; you put the sauce on, either hot sauce or white... more travel advice

Thai Food Restaurants (5)

they have some good thai food. Thai garden is more cozy and less generic than Surin. I can't remember the name, but... more travel advice

Comments (5)

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