Attending a wedding in Alabama!

July 9, 2009 2:37 AM

Going to Auburn and Birmingham, AL for a wedding...Oh the possibilities!

Yes, another "going to x, what should I do" thread. Well I like them.

I'm going to a high school friend's wedding in Alabama, with my girlfriend (who is even better friends with my high school friend). I've lived in southern CA for 10 years and I hear its going to be a culture shock (which is exciting). I'll be in Auburn and Birmingham for 4 days. I'm sure that much of my time will be occupied by wedding related activities, but I'm looking for interesting things to do in the downtime. This can include any range of things...touristy attractions? local hotspots? cultural centers? museums? historical sites? and for my foodie-ness, great restaurants or health-food stores/co-ops? Anything I should generally keep in mind whilst there?

While we're at it, is there anything I should keep in mind to prepare for the wedding stuff? My girlfriend is a maid of honor and will likely have some associated responsibilities/obligations. I'm going to the groom's bachelor party (never been to one before). I've met him once (we hung out for a couple days because our girlfriends were visiting each other).

This is the first wedding I'll have attended for a couple of my age (23...I think the bride/groom are each either 22, 23 or 24), so its a different and exciting perspective. Thank you for your advice!

posted by captain cosine to travel & transportation (19 comments total)

Foodwise, in Birmingham you'll want to visit a restaurant of Frank Stitt's. He's the most prominent chef there. You'll also want to eat as much barbecue as you can (in B'ham: Dreamland, Golden Rule, Full Moon, Jim n' Nick's). Check out the Civil Rights Museum, and hang out in Five Points.

In Auburn, get lunch at Toomer's Drugstore (which is mostly not a drugstore), and visit J&M Books (which is mostly not a bookstore). The University Art Museum has good exhibits.
posted by ocherdraco at 4:40 AM on July 9

Be sure to wear red and white to the wedding.

What sorts of stuff are you into? That could make a big difference. For example America's Thrift Store (formerly Alabama Thrift Store - warning: cheesy music) in Alabaster is a must see for ironic tee-shirts and slightly soiled gas-station attendant uniforms with name tags that say "Bubba" or "Cleophus."

Prattville is an easy side trip, as is Tuskeegee. Montgomery was the first capital of the Confederacy and the site of a great deal of civil rights history.

It is likely to be hot. Hot in a way that you have never felt hot. This is not a dry, comfortable heat. It is oppressive, moist. It makes a man lazy and it makes a man angry. Alabamians cope by eating foods that contain a lot of fats (pork, mayonnaise, pie) and beverages that contain a lot of bourbon. Be prepared.
posted by Pollomacho at 4:43 AM on July 9 [1 favorite]

Be sure to wear red and white to the wedding. (Pollomacho)

Yeah, sure, and throw in a big "Roll Tide," too!

Now, if you don't actually want to get funny looks, the appropriate colors for Auburn are blue and orange, and the thing to say is "War Eagle!" (War Eagle is Auburn's secondary mascot—she flies around the football stadium before games).
posted by ocherdraco at 4:58 AM on July 9

The wise thing to do would be to make no out right statements of favoritism toward Alabama or Auburn. It's a college football thing. It's also start a family feud kind of thing. Play the ignorant Californian and don't try to choose sides. Just be alert to the rivalry between the two schools. Nick Saban is the head coach of Alabama. Tommy Tuberville was the longtime head coach of Auburn, but he was recently run out and replaced by Gene Chizik (controversial decision by the school administration). If you run into Auburn fans, they will very likely say very awful things about Saban. Alabama fans will probably just laugh about Chizik. If you want to see one of the largest college football stadiums in the country, go drive by the Auburn football field.
posted by Atreides at 5:20 AM on July 9

Alright! You're asking about my hometown and my mom's hometown, so I have a few opinions... I suggest you do NOT wear team colors. First, if you guess team allegiances wrong, you'll be seriously offending people. Second, it's tacky. Just stay out of it. Also, under no circumstances are you to attempt to say "y'all". You WILL do it wrong and it will make you look dumb.

When in Auburn, brave the heat and walk around downtown (corner of Magnolia and College St is the "center" of town). You can get lemonade at Toomer's Corner (that's the tradition), but I don't know that they have particularly good food there. If you want to act like a college kid, go to one of the pizza places. There's only a couple of blocks of stores in each direction, but you can stroll that and then head onto campus. Samford Tower is across College St and the buildings near it are all classic Southern college buildings. Walk southwest from there to find the football stadium-- Jordan ("jerr-den") Hare-- which has a warm place in any tiger's heart. I can't remember if the mascot Tiger (a golden eagle) still lives in a cage near the stadium or if they moved her somewhere else. There's an arboretum at the south end of campus near the president's house that is pretty and shady enough to be cool most of the summer.

^1 on ocherdraco for barbecue. My granddaddy prefers Golden Rule, but you'll get authentic southern veggies at any good place. Don't be afraid of dives. For barbecue and a good Southern breakfast, don't think clean/new/fancy will be better. The more slapped-together and rusty the exterior, the better the food. If your arteries can't take anymore fried veggies or beef, B'ham has a Whole Foods you can stock up at.

If you get an evening off, B'ham is the place to look for live music. I don't know all the venues, but there are a lot of good musicians in that town. Auburn has a good, smaller music scene, but I think it's pretty dead in the summer.

A lot of people get from B'ham to AU via the interstates, which takes you through Montgomery if you want to see the state capitol or the Civil Rights Memorial Center.

Finally, a little warning. Southerners are not aliens or a foreign culture. What you see in the movies is NOT what you will get in cities like B'ham and Auburn. I will admit that there is a big grain of truth to the stereotypes, and I'm not exposed much to those from rural areas, but we get pretty well socialized in the bigger cities. I've lived in the midwest and east coast and never had an adjustment problem. I've heard people from Cali have an adjustment problem with ANYWHERE besides California. If you think we're strange, it's probably because YOU are strange. Don't breathe a word about us frying half the veggies and putting pork in the other half. Just be polite, eat what you're served, and try to make a good impression for California. Have fun!
posted by parkerjackson at 5:48 AM on July 9 [1 favorite]

My hometome, yay! In Birmingham, maybe head over to Vulcan Park and Museum? Its about 10 aces of urban green space, with great panoramic views of Birmingham atop world's largest cast iron statue.

Also the Civil Rights Institute is fabulous, as others mentioned. (Walk around it - its the historic black district, 16th St Baptist Church, Kelly Ingram Park).

Get BBQ somewhere in town: I recommend golden rule (my favorite), dreamland, full moon, jim n' nicks, moe's...

I can give more specific recs if you let us know your interests a little more, I grew up in Birmingham, my parents grew up in Montgomery, I'm a 7th generation Alabamian and practically my whole family went to Auburn. Feel free to mefimail me! War Eagle.
posted by quodlibet at 6:03 AM on July 9

A word of warning, many, many places are closed in Auburn on Sunday. Don't make the mistake of putting off BBQ until Sunday only to find they're all closed. That said, there are two BBQ places in Auburn's 'downtown'. I prefer Mike and Ed's (College and Opelika Rd.) over Barbecue House (College and Samford across from the university).

Other places to try:
Five Guys Burgers (College downtown) - a SE chain new to Auburn; great fries, good burgers but get the miniburger
CheeburgerCheeburger (College downtown) - another burger place; okay with lots of sauces for your fries
Little Italy (Magnolia downtown) - pizza by the slice; cheap pitchers
Mellow Mushroom (College downtown) - more expensive pizza; a chain but good pizza
Yellowhammer (Patrick Street in Waverly, AL) - fancy restaurant with a seasonal menu; haven't actually been but I've heard great things about it
8th and Rail (at 8th Street and the railroad in 'downtown' Opelika) - cocktails and dessert; has live music; my favourite place in the Auburn area
Dayspring Natural Food Store (Opelika Road and College) - our local natural food store; kind of awesome if only because otherwise we'd have to go to Atlanta
Strutting Duck (Wire Road) - dive-y country bar where wildlife/ag. students hang out; cheap food and beer

As for stuff to do? Good luck. There isn't much to do and even walking around campus will take less than an hour (Tiger, the eagle, lives out at the raptor rehabilitation centre). I'd stay in Birmingham.

Finally, I'm going to have to disagree with parkerjacson. I came here from California with few stereotypes of Southerners but I've developed a whole bunch! Pink is a weirdly popular colour on men here; everyone uses 'coozies' to keep their beer cool and will actually bring one with them when they go to the bar; sometimes it's hard to get anything other than 'lite' beers. I'm going to my first southern wedding this weekend so I have no idea what to expect either.

Mefimail me if you get to Auburn if you'd like a minimeet-up.
posted by hydrobatidae at 8:06 AM on July 9

First off, if you live in California and have friends whose wedding-related activities span Auburn and Birmingham, I'm going to guess that you're dealing with people who will strike you as almost nothing like the stereotypes you're familiar with. The guys might be wearing shorter shorts than you expect and sunglasses with croakies. If very relaxed, they're likely to have on white baseball caps with the Auburn logo on the front. Don't be surprised if the combination of heat and humidity makes for one of the most unpleasant outdoor weather conditions you remember. Indoors is air conditioned everywhere, though, so no worries.

Definitely check out Toomer's Corner and get a lemonade. Take a picture with your girlfriend at Samford Hall in front of the Auburn sign. Those are the two spots Auburn people consider most dear.

When you drive to Birmingham, I would recommend taking I-85 south to Montgomery, then I-65 north to Birmingham. You can go directly from Auburn to Birmingham, but you miss the coolest stuff.

You'll pass Tuskegee, where you can visit the Tuskegee Airmen Interpretive Center and the George Washington Carver museum, if you like.

Montgomery is chock full of important things to see. On the steps of the Alabama State Capitol, Jefferson Davis took the oath of office as the President of the Confederacy and Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke at the end of the Selma-to-Montgomery march. You can see Martin Luther King's church where the Montgomery Bus Boycott was spearheaded, as well as the Rosa Parks museum at the corner were the boycott was launched. The telegram that ordered the firing on Fort Sumter was sent from Montgomery, and the slave markets and cotton markets are still parts of history, too. Also the Civil Rights Memorial (of Maya Lin fame) and Interpretive Center, as well as the First White House of the Confederacy are in Montgomery. If you're at all interesting in folk or "country" music, the Hank Williams museum is also here. You can jaunt over to Selma to see the Edmund Petus bridge, if you like.

Just north of Montgomery, watch the right-hand side of the road for the greatest sign ever (http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1140/614181592_54d65db6e2.jpg?v=0). Just north of that, ignore the ginormous Confederate Flag on the left-hand side of the Interstate. Yahoos with frontage are burden we all have to bear.

Clanton is half-way between Montgomery and Birmingham and features a giant Peach watertower. Its worth a stop for Chilton county peaches this time of year.

In Birmingham, you simply must have barbeque for lunch one day. Jim and Nicks is good and local to Bham, but my personal favorite will also be Dimitris in Homewood. For dinner, I nth the requirement that you eat at a Frank Stitt restaurant. This culinary genius has been reinterpreting Southern regional favorites through his extensive European culinary background for some time now--and winning myriad praise for it. (Why did it take people so long to realize the grits are the functional equivalent of polenta?)

While in Birmingham, you must visit Vulcan and take your picture in front of his big naked butt. You might also visit the 16th Street Baptist Church and the Civil Rights Institute. Make time to drive through the Mountain Brook villages--maybe even plan breakfast in English Village--you'll be glad you did. The Birmingham Botantical Gardens aren't likely to be spectacular for anyone from Cali, but the Sloss Furnance is interesting. Hang out in Five Points all you can; the Five Points Grill is nothing remarkable food-wise, but the view for people watching is fun. After the bridge and groom have left and everyone wants to get drunker and keep partying, suggest Bottletree and you'll be a hero. Or just casually mention that you heard about some bar somewhere with an amazing back yard filled with "stuff." Also Rojo. Anywhere in Southside, really.

Two side notes: if you ask for tea, they'll bring you Sweet Tea, not "iced tea." If you're not familiar with sweet tea, you won't like it. People are going to argue with me on this one, but for the uninitiated, it takes like syrup. Also, most vegetables are cooked with meat, so beware.

I live in Montgomery after seven years in the northeast, and I would be thrilled to show you around. Send me a mefimail and I'll give you my contact info.
posted by jefficator at 8:26 AM on July 9

If you're into nature, Chewacla State Park is just south of Auburn off the interstate. There's a small lake, a nice waterfall, and hiking trails.

War Eagle!
posted by spakto at 9:32 AM on July 9

TO-DO
- Civil Rights Institute is a must.
- Vulcan is ok. Decent view, but nothing like that from SoCal (ie - Getty Center).

FOOD
- Alabama's best BBQ: Dreamland (for ribs) Jim n' Nicks (for sandwiches)
- I would hate myself if I didn't recommend Milo's (they closed the one in Auburn a few years ago -- don't know if it has since reopened). Order a cheeseburger w/sweat tea.
- Health-food stores/co-ops? I've only been in Seattle (moved from 'Bama) 3 years... but I don't think the state has changed that much. :)
posted by bamassippi at 9:47 AM on July 9

Wow, so many fantastic and detailed answers! Much appreciated.

Oh, I forgot to mention that me and my girlfriend are both vegetarian! haha, kind of an issue in terms of food! From what I've heard so far, I might have to temporarily abandon my vegetarianism if I want to survive. (don't worry, I am generally very reserved about this aspect of my lifestyle and am never confrontational about it).

As for specific interests...Nature-y areas along the lines of what spakto suggested. Basically anything that will give me a flavor of the culture, anything uniquely Alabaman or southern.

As for the southern stereotypes thing that a couple of you have mentioned, I am definitely not expecting to encounter anything vastly different/old-fashioned/whatever and don't view alabama as an alien land. However, I am excited about getting a taste of things that make Alabama unique and distinct from other areas (and all of your suggestions sound great in that regard!).
posted by captain cosine at 10:55 AM on July 9

Oh! That reminds me. There is a new bar in Auburn called The Independent (used to be The Rooster and before that a sketching taco shop), also at the corner of College and Opelika Road, that now serves vegan food. Nothing crazy - sandwiches, hummus plates - but I think it's the only vegan place in town. Amsterdam's does have a few vegetarian options too I think.
posted by hydrobatidae at 11:15 AM on July 9

I might have to temporarily abandon my vegetarianism if I want to survive.

If you want to at least avoid red meat, you could live off of fried chicken and fish sandwiches (pronounced: feesh sammich). Y'all Come!
posted by Pollomacho at 12:01 PM on July 9

Oh, I forgot to mention that me and my girlfriend are both vegetarian! (captain cosine)

If you order vegetables in restaurants, make sure that meat has not been added for flavor. I kid you not. You should be especially suspect of green beans—we Alabamans usually add bacon when we cook them, then take it out to serve.
posted by ocherdraco at 12:08 PM on July 9

It's not like you can't get by as a vegetarian in AL. I was one in my youth and I lived to tell the tale. You'll just miss out on barbecue. In fact, you can still get a good meal at a barbecue place-- I used to ignore the pork issue and get veggie plates with cornbread for many meals. YUM.

If you want to try sweet tea, you can always ask for half-sweet, half-unsweet. That's the only way I can stand it.

To augment another answer-- I've been to the Yellowhammer in Waverly. It's pretty good, but quite expensive (even for the fanciness). If you have a long evening and you want a romantic meal, that's a good option. Plus, it definitely has the southern style that will make you feel like you had a real AL experience. Call ahead about the menu, I can't remember if there were vegetarian plates, but I'm certain they had fish entrees when I went.

I was going to suggest Chewacla as well-- IF you can brave the extreme heat. You'll want to go to the upper pavilion and take the trail down to the falls. It's pretty shady, but bring water, of course.
posted by parkerjackson at 12:53 PM on July 9

Just north of Montgomery, watch the right-hand side of the road for the greatest sign ever (http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1140/614181592_54d65db6e2.jpg?v=0).


If that strikes you as funny (it was a running joke with my friends), you can go to Stamp in downtown Auburn and get a commemorative t-shirt or bag. That would be an awesome souvenir.
posted by parkerjackson at 1:21 PM on July 9

Oh, I forgot to mention that me and my girlfriend are both vegetarian!

100% plan a trip to the Bottletree then. Awesome peanut butter pie and vegan chili.
posted by fishfucker at 8:22 PM on July 9

If you want to try sweet tea, you can always ask for half-sweet, half-unsweet. That's the only way I can stand it.

The best places have simple syrup on the table for you to sweeten your tea to your own liking.

Well, ok, that's not true, the best places use the simple syrup instead of water, but let's pretend for the West Coast Yankees, shall we?

we Alabamans usually add bacon when we cook them, then take it out to serve.

We always used salt pork* or smoked ham hocks. "Health nuts" used smoked turkey necks. We called ourselves Alabamians too though, so what did we know?

*Down at the Eutaw Grocery, run by the mayor, it was OK to cut off a little chunk of the rock-salt covered slab of salt pork laid out by the front door to chew on as you shopped. Most patrons used their own knife to cut it off. After you were done shopping the mayor would send one of the runners that worked in the store to carry your groceries to your house and put them away in your pantry. And that was in the 1980's folks.
posted by Pollomacho at 5:15 AM on July 10

Alabaman, Alabamian, I use them interchangeably (though I am probably in the minority for using Alabaman). And I embrace all forms of meat-flavored vegetable!
posted by ocherdraco at 7:01 PM on July 10