The Shoals, Alabama

The Shoals, defined as the area comprising Florence, Muscle Shoals, Tuscumbia and Sheffield, is home to Helen Keller, famous fashion icons and a house designed by America's most famous architect, but music is what makes The Shoals a must-see destination.

Actor/musician Kiefer Sutherland, who recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in May 2017, explains it best - "If you're into something like auto racing, you go to the Indy 500. If you're into music, this is an absolutely necessary destination".

48-hours in The Shoals

• Day 1 - Afternoon

Check out two of the greatest figures in blues and rock in the same afternoon, W.C. Handy and Sam Philips.

Handy earned the title "Father of the Blues", not just because he wrote some of the most famous blues standards, but because by transcribing blues music to sheet music, he shared what had been little-known Southern music with musicians around the world. The W.C. Handy Birthplace, Museum and Library, housed in the log cabin in which Handy was born in 1873, holds a wealth of memorabilia, including his trumpet, much of his handwritten music and the piano on which he composed the classic "St. Louis Blues".

In the 1940s, Sam Phillips worked as a DJ for Muscle Shoals, Alabama radio station WLAY (AM) and according to Phillips, this radio station’s “open format” (of broadcasting music from both white and black musicians) would later inspire his work in Memphis. Phillips founded Sun Records and revolutionised rock and roll. Credited with recording the first rock-n-roll record - "Rocket 88" by Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats - Phillips shaped music history by discovering and recording Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, B.B. King, Howlin' Wolf, Little Milton and others. A historic marker for Phillips stands in front of Florence's Big River Broadcasting, headquarters for the radio stations he owned. Step into the lobby to view rare photos of him and to see other memorabilia from his time.

• Day 1 - Evening

Be seduced by the smell of hot bread as it comes from the oven at Ricatoni's Italian Grill in Florence, and then delight in its taste after drizzling it with olive oil and herbs. That preamble prepares your taste buds for what follows!

• Day 2 - Morning

In downtown Florence, savour brunch at Odette, a restaurant with a cool vibe, well-stocked bar and a great menu of farm-to-table favourites. Afterwards walk up the street to internationally renowned fashion designer Billy Reid's shop. Even if it's your first time there, you've probably seen his clothes before, worn by Europe's most fashionable and by stylish spy James Bond on the big screen. A short drive away, Alabama Chanin's Factory and Cafe showcases world-renowned, heirloom-quality hand-sewn pieces for home or body. Each item is made from 100% organic-cotton jersey. Equal care is given to the delights served in the cafe, where the menu, which changes frequently, might highlight baked Brie, mini Southern biscuits with bacon jam or dessert crepes.

• Day 2 - Afternoon

Hit a few more high notes by visiting The Alabama Music Hall of Fame, which honours more than 1,200 Alabama musicians, from Hank Williams and Sun Ra to Emmylou Harris and the Commodores. Check out the Sun Studio equipment Phillips used to record Elvis Presley, then view the country group ALABAMA's tour bus and a 15-foot jukebox and 17-foot guitar that play songs by Alabama artists. Tour FAME Recording Studios in Muscle Shoals, where Rick Hall created a blend of Southern soul music and was a pivotal role in shaping the sound of American music, which eventually became known as the Muscle Shoals Sound. The studio gained prominence in the 1960s and 1970s with Wilson Pickett's 'Mustang Sally', Percy Sledge's 'When a Man Loves a Woman' and Aretha Franklin's 'I Never Loved a Man'. According to the Alabama Music Office, the still-active studio has recorded more than 80 'Top 10' records in it's history. 

Spend the rest of the afternoon at some non-musical attractions, The Frank Lloyd Wright Rosenbaum House, located in Florence, Alabama, is a stunning example of Wright's Usonian design principles, built in 1939 for Stanley and Mildred Rosenbaum. This architectural gem emphasises simplicity with nature, and affordability. Featuring open floor plans, and Wright's signature use of natural materials, the house is the only Wright-designed structure in Alabama. Now a museum, it offers visitors a glimpse into Wright's vision of functional yet beautiful modern living.

Ivy Green in Tuscumbia is the birthplace of Helen Keller, who inspired millions by transforming herself, with the help of her teacher Anne Sullivan, from a deaf-blind girl unable to communicate into one of her generation's greatest women. See the living quarters she shared with her teacher and the famous well where they had their communications breakthrough.

• Day 2 - Evening

Hungering for a unique dining experience? Tuscumbia's Rattlesnake Saloon has been featured on the Food Network's "Craziest Restaurants in America" for its unique setting. Built under a natural shelter, the cave-like watering hole looks like the set of an old Western. Conclude your Shoals pilgrimage by listening to live music. Swampers Bar and Grill at the Marriott Shoals Hotel & Spa hosts some of the area's best musicians on its stage.

• Day 3 - Morning

Tee off at one of the country's best golf courses, the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at The Shoals. Then visit the restored Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, founded in 1969 by the famed session musicians known as ‘The Swampers’, this is a historic recording studio in Sheffield, Alabama. The studio attracted legendary artists like The Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Paul Simon. Muscle Shoals Sound Studios produced iconic hits spanning rock, soul and country, cementing its place as a cornerstone of American music history. The studio was revamped in March 2017 with singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach, half of the Black Keys, being the first to record back in the studio. 

For more information, please do get in touch with our very own Alabama expert, Alabama Andy!