Alabama (Huntsville / Stephens Gap Callahan Cave Preserve)
Trip Summary
Rockets! Space! Science! All that and so much more can be found at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center–arguably THE most iconic tourist attraction in Huntsville–and I had passed by it when driving through the city but had never stopped there. However, my husband and I visited Huntsville recently to attend a wedding and knowing we’d be in the area for a few days, we decided to actually check Huntsville out and see the sights…and this included the U.S. Space and Rocket Center!
My husband had gone before as a kid, but it had been a long time, and I had never visited, so we set off to visit first thing in the morning when they opened, and it was a fun excursion! They have inside and outside exhibits and all kinds of real life sized rockets that you can look at and admire. The exhibits are also very informative and paint an illuminating picture of space travel and all the time and effort that goes into it!
While my husband had mentioned rides at the place, I was surprised that there were actually quite a few–ranging from the G-Force Accelerator and the Moon Shot to a rocket cockpit that you could crawl inside and pretend that you were piloting it out to space! We actually rode the Moon Shot (and these rides are free with admission which I appreciated) twice since there was no one in line, and it was an exhilarating ride. I actually wasn’t expecting it to be so scary, but then it shoots up and down so that you feel all the G-forces of being lifted up to the sky. Quite fun!
But there were some drawbacks, and I’ll let you in on those. The G-Force Accelerator ride that my husband argued was the best ride in the whole place was closed. It was the one we were looking forward to trying the most, but it was down for remodeling (yet that wasn’t advertised on their website or social media, so that was an unfortunate surprise). We were also looking forward to seeing the Planetarium (an extra cost), and we showed up at the showtime, but the ticket person wouldn’t let us in, because tickets had to be purchased in advance of the show. This was not advertised anywhere either, and it was frustrating because we weren’t even late, but the staff person wasn’t even willing to compromise at all (like we couldn’t get a ticket for the next show and walk into this one). To top it all off, very few people were even in the Planetarium, so it was not like it was sold out or anything, so that was another disappointment. The Planetarium looked like a cool thing to see, so that and the G-Force Accelerator being closed was a double-whammy.
Those things aside, though, it is a fun place to see. I found it to be a lot better than some of the local science exhibits we had been to (yet know that it doesn’t hold a candle to some of the bigger museums like the Air and Space Museum in D.C.). So if you adjust your expectations, you’ll have a good time. I do wish closed rides and show policies were advertised, so that is where points get taken off for me.
U.S. Space and Rocket Center: B
Of course, when you are in the area, you have to try out some of their cuisine! So we tried out a few places–the first was Madison Taproom. This is a small place, but they had good reviews, and the staff was very nice. They also have a variety of taps available and are happy to give you samples of whatever you are considering and give you suggestions on what to try. My personal favorite was the Maple Bourbon Cider–it had a unique flavor and was a perfect cold weather beverage.
We only ended up staying for one drink, but for the quiet atmosphere, friendly people, and choice of taps, it was a fun place to stop.
Madison Taproom: A-
If you are looking for a place more substantial and with eatings option, I would suggest Beezr. This is in a more popular place of town and has lots of different options as well as a range of lunch and dinner dishes. Our waiter highly recommended the pizza, and sure enough, it was a popular dish as we saw many of the tables around us with pies of different varieties.
They all looked good, so we decided to split one, and it was delicious. Hot, greasy, and full of toppings. It is a thin-style pizza, but even so, very filling and tasty!
We tried several of their drinks as well, and they even have some high-gravity selections such as the Butterface Imperial Stout and the Cookie Creme Creeper. The wait staff was also fast and friendly, so the place gets my recommendation!
Beezr: A
One more place that I’ll recommend is part of a chain–but that chain is amazing and can only be found in certain Southern states, and that is Jim ‘N Nick’s! A great barbecue place, it is a favorite with my in-laws, and they are always catering big family events with dishes from here. You can get all sorts of food from smoked chicken and pork to brisket sandwiches to burgers and wraps with all the sides you like including mac and cheese, cole slaw, beans, and so on. And of course, you can’t miss the cheese biscuits and honey butter (arguably, one of the most addicting things you will ever eat!).
They also have a range of sauces that they offer, and you can even find some of them in grocery stores now. They are all very good, so if you have never been to one, you definitely need to try it! I don’t think Jim ‘N Nick’s has ever let us down, so let that be a sign to try it out!
Jim ‘N Nick’s: A
With all the good places in town, there are a few bad ones, so I’ll let you know where to stay away from and save your money, and that place is Kona Grill. This is a restaurant in the popular Bridge Street Towne Centre, so we were hoping that it would be good. The reviews warned about the high prices, but knowing it was in a popular area, we decided we would try it out for a splurge, and we honestly regretted it (if I even bring it up now, my husband just gets angry!).
I had read that the ribeye meatball appetizer was quite good, so we started off with that, but even at $22, the waiter let us know that they had downsized the appetizer to have fewer meatballs than what was advertised on the menu.
Then my husband tried a surf and turf bowl, but at $48, it was mostly rice and vegetables. My meal just tasted like straight-up salt, and the experience was getting more and more disappointing as the dinner went on, then it got even more bizarre. I don’t know if this person was a waiter or the one of the staff’s adult sons or what, but there was a very strange guy who kept coming up to our table and just making odd conversation and staring at us between exchanges. It got to the point where he was just standing there talking about how we “had to watch out for the lights” and “be careful,” and my husband and I just looked at each other, like WTF?
We finally just asked for the check, but with it being a weird dining experience and a lot of money for terrible food, this is a place we would not try again. So be warned! When we walked out, we passed by Connors Steak and Seafood–an excellent restaurant that we love back home–and we commented that we could have gotten a much better (and cheaper!) meal if we had gone there! Such as bummer, because we were really wanting to like it.
Kona Grill: D
So that’s the food and drink, but as you can see, this post is nowhere near finished! If you are the adventurous type and you want to try something new and exciting, there is a hidden gem nearby, and that is a cave on private property that you can visit with a permit. My husband and I were in the area on a separate occasion for his birthday, and I decided to surprise him with the cave visit. He had no idea where we were going, so I just told him to pack up, and he watched, perplexed as I tossed some unusual items in the car as well…like helmets and reflective vests!
I had seen pictures of an amazing cave on Instagram, and being adventurous people, I thought this would be a great surprise getaway! The pictures showed a beautiful deep cavern with a waterfall inside and a majestic opening at the top that welcomed beams of light at midday. The pictures looked like something out of a dream!
When I looked it up, I saw that you could only visit with a permit, and they only allowed a limited number per day, so I got two, and off we went….to Woodville, Alabama to see Stephens Gap Callahan Cave Preserve! It is not too far from Huntsville, and is a great addition to a trip if you are in the area.
My husband is a pretty good guesser at surprises, so as we got closer, he started putting together the pieces. We saw signs for a different cave nearby, and he initially thought we were going there, but then we passed it, and he was once again stumped. This cave didn’t have any signs, the person at the gas station we stopped at hadn’t even heard of it, and for a minute, I was started to second-guess this place…was it going to live up to the hype?
The cave is on someone’s property, so we actually missed the turn-off a few times, because again, there were no signs, and our GPS kept getting confused which led us to backtrack a bit, following the directions only for our GPS to tell us we passed it yet again! Finally, I switched over to AllTrails and plugged in the trail, and that saved the day as we found the trail off the road that led us to a parking lot.
At this point, my husband still didn’t know what we were doing, so we packed up our water (we went in the summer when it was quite hot) and set off on the trail!
The trail is only about a mile and half long (there and back) and as we got closer, my excitement ramped up as I saw that we were going to be the only ones in the cave! We had the glorious place all to ourselves!
There are two entrances–one is at the top where you can rappel in and then there is another one to the left where you can climb in and make your way to the bottom where you can look up and view the waterfall and beams of light coming in from the top! Obviously, we took the left entrance as we have only rappelled in groups–never by ourselves and we didn’t have the equipment anyway (but if you do, it is something to consider as I imagine that is an amazing way to see the cave!).
The temperature difference is astounding as you descend deeper into the cave as it gets refreshingly cool and as you venture even deeper, you can start to hear the water trickling inside! There are actually two waterfalls, a small one to the left that feeds into a stream that goes all through the cave and then the big one on the right where the light comes in through the top. The big one varies in strength depending on the season, so it was just trickling when we went, but no matter….the light beams! The beauty! The whole cave to ourselves!
When we rounded the corner to see the beams coming in through the top, I excitedly looked to my husband for his reaction….we were finally there! And it looked just as beautiful and majestic and glorious as it did in the pics! We also timed out the hike just right to be in the cave right as light was coming in overhead, so we just stood there in awe for the longest time just marveling at how beautiful it was! It was everything I imagined, and even though my husband grew up in Alabama, he had never even heard of this place or seen pictures of it, so it was the best surprise! A true hidden gem!
After sitting and taking it all in, we hiked down to the bottom where you could look straight up at the opening overhead. There is also a very tall set of rocks here (other hikers called it “the pedestal”) that you can climb up (those who rappel in typically land on the top of these rocks). That climb is a little scarier as it is very high at the top and requires some balancing (and no fear of heights!), but we took turns getting up there and taking pictures, so we could say that we explored the whole cave and saw all the best bits!
Honestly, we didn’t want to leave, but we knew that we still had the walk back (and we had some fun in Chattanooga planned on the way back to Knoxville, so it was time to start moving). So after taking some last pictures, we headed back, and as soon as we did, that is when we saw other people coming, so it ended up being perfect timing.
We were flabbergasted to see that people brought full sound systems to play music in the cave, some people brought costumes for an all out photoshoot, and we marveled at the cloaks, staffs, swords, and various attire. The other visitors were thrilled to share what they were doing, and it was fun to hear about all the different ways people enjoyed this cave! It really is the perfect backdrop for some of these things!
So for its absolute gorgeousness, the free permits, and the way they limit the number of permits to allow an intimate experience at this beautiful place, this cave gets my best rating!
Stephens Gap Callahan Cave Preserve: A+
I highly recommend visiting if you are in the area. It is one of the best caves we have visited–and we have visited quite a number now! The pictures are beautiful, and the experience is one that you will never forget.
Favorite Experiences
Without a doubt, the moment you hike down to the bottom of the cave and take that right to see the full glory of the sunbeams coming down is magical. I remember reaching the area first and barely being able to hold my excitement as I watched my husband come down, knowing the view would be just as magical for him…and he hadn’t seen pictures beforehand, so he didn’t know what to expect! And the fact that we had the cave so long to ourselves was a beautiful bonus, because it was so nice to relax and not have to fight crowds to get all the good pictures! It was really the perfect experience on a perfect day!
What I Wish I Knew
Huntsville is a fun place to see and one that I wish we had more time there as there is a lot to do. If you read the forums here, you can get an idea of all the things the city has to offer, but honestly, make some time to see outside the city, too! The cave was so fun to see and ended up being so much more fun than I expected.
You’ll want to plan and ahead, and this includes getting permits (you can get permits here), helmets, and reflective vests beforehand. Helmets, good hiking shoes, and long pants are a must because you get pretty muddy climbing around in the cave. We even brought a trash bag (to put our muddy clothes in) and a change of clothes to change into when we got back to the car, so I recommend doing that as well.
The reflective vests we didn’t use very much (the website suggests them for the hike to and from the cave during hunting season). The vests also interfere with pictures, so if you wear them, take them off before you get inside the cave (because they will ruin pictures otherwise!). Bring some water, too, especially if you go in the summer, because even though the hike isn’t long, Alabama can get quite hot and muggy, and you want to stay hydrated.
Speaking of temperatures, I expected there to be a temperature change between the inside and outside of the cave, but wow–it was way more drastic than I anticipated. The cave felt wonderful, but as soon as you got acclimated to it, the climb out once you hit that hot, muggy air again was just excruciating (and almost took my breath away!). It made me want to just turn around and spend more time in the cave! So if you go, drink a bunch of water before you climb out and take breaks if you need to so the heat doesn’t get overwhelming.
Oh, and one last thing–use the Alltrails app to find the parking lot, because using the address on the website just sent us on a wild goose chase as we kept passing the turnoff. If you look up Stephens Gap Cave Trail on AllTrails, it will take you right to the parking area, and all you have to do is put your permit on your dash where people can see it, and you are good to go!
So I highly recommend checking this place out! I am sure this trip is the first of many, many surprise birthday destinations for us, and what a place to start the tradition! I will never forget this beautiful place!
I also post reels and TikToks regularly of all the places I’ve reviewed on here, so if you want to see some videos of what to expect, check out my social media here:
TikTok: @touristyteacher
Instagram: @touristyteacher
Facebook: @touristyteacher
Happy travels!
