[castellet]

Hello!
We would like to do a road trip for a possible relocation. We hesitate between Alabama and Georgia. We cannot just look at job offers to decide because my husband’s work implies having a license/ state and they are a long process to obtain.
We really want to have great outdoors, coming from downtown Toronto...
Last summer we visited Texas and we found people to be extremely nice.
Which state has the friendliest people?
And another important fact is the school system . We would probably choose private catholic schools. And universities, which state has good ones?
We don’t know what state to choose for a road trip in June!! And because we live far we cannot come anytime.
We would probably choose mid size cities to be able to go outdoors on weekends easily.
We terribly miss going out on weekends because of the cold weather here and the time it takes to get out of Toronto.
I don’t mind the hot weather, I grew up in a few différents areas in Africa and Asia.
Thank you for your help!
Moderator cut: posters, please remember to limit your responses to information about Alabama since this is the local forum and not City v City

[Mississippi Alabama Line]

If you want Catholicism I would look at the Mississippi Gulf Coast or New Orleans area, in all honesty. I don't think you're going to find much difference anywhere in the South regarding the other items in your post. Without knowing what you do for a living, it's tough to narrow down.

[PortCity]

Originally Posted by castellet

Hello!
We would like to do a road trip for a possible relocation. We hesitate between Alabama and Georgia. We cannot just look at job offers to decide because my husband’s work implies having a license/ state and they are a long process to obtain.
We really want to have great outdoors, coming from downtown Toronto...
Last summer we visited Texas and we found people to be extremely nice.
Which state has the friendliest people?
And another important fact is the school system . We would probably choose private catholic schools. And universities, which state has good ones?
We don’t know what state to choose for a road trip in June!! And because we live far we cannot come anytime.
We would probably choose mid size cities to be able to go outdoors on weekends easily.
We terribly miss going out on weekends because of the cold weather here and the time it takes to get out of Toronto.
I don’t mind the hot weather, I grew up in a few différents areas in Africa and Asia.
Thank you for your help!
Moderator cut: posters, please remember to limit your responses to information about Alabama since this is the local forum and not City v City

The Mobile area has a lot of great private Catholic schools. And the oldest Catholic Jesuit college in the south is in Mobile. Springhill College has a really beautiful campus !

[EscAlaMike]

Agree that Mobile is your best option in AL. It's really the only place in the state with a significant Catholic presence.

[RocketDawg]

On your road trip, why not visit both states? They're adjacent. You could come south on I-95 or I-75 to Georgia, then slip west and go home via I-65. ... or vice versa. As far as friendliest ... both states are pretty much the same. Actually, both states are similar overall, except maybe the large city of Atlanta.

Springhill College is the only Catholic college that I know of in Alabama ... have no idea of Georgia. Any sizable city in Alabama will have one to several catholic grade schools and high schools, as well as several churches. The Diocese of Birmingham is in Birmingham, and the Archdiocese of Mobile is in Mobile. I would venture to guess that both states are largely Protestant though.

And if you don't mind heat (and humidity) as you say, either state will fill that bill. Winters, of course, are colder in the northern parts than they are in the southern/coastal parts, and really can be quite chilly at times in the northern halves.

[Southlander]

Originally Posted by FSUMike

Agree that Mobile is your best option in AL. It's really the only place in the state with a significant Catholic presence.

I have to disagree. Birmingham also has a large Catholic presence and several private Catholic schools, abeit no Catholic university.
You might want to note that Spring Hill College in Mobile is also very expensive. St. Bernard Prep in Cullman is a private Catholic boarding (and local) school. There are also private Catholic schools in several other cities; notably Huntsville.

[castellet]

Thanks everyone! Really helpful! I didn’t get any emails notifying me of all the replies. A chance I checked!
We are in the medical profession.
We should indeed come when we have more time and visit both states.
I read some posts where it’s mentioned how the school system “is really bad”. I can hardly imagine that about a all state!
Thanks again to everyone!!

[Lion_Blade]

When you visit the Mobile area. I highly recommend that you visit the beutiful Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Mobile Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Mobile, AL: Welcome. I found the history and beauty of the church fascinating especially how the church was the parish of the Gulf Coast at one time.The Visitation Monastary in Mobile is also worth a visit with it's beautiful French Renaissance architecture Visitation Monastery of Mobile.
One of the former Creole catholic schools by the name of Most Pure Heart of Mary had a lot of info about the Creole history of Mobile. The Cathedral had a lot of information on that too. I hate that we missed the opportunity to hear a sermon in French for the last time at the St. Rose of Lima Parish in south Mobile County when we were visiting. The church had it's last French sermon almost 15 years ago. It was the last church in Mobile to do so and that is a tragedy within it's self.

[PortCity]

Originally Posted by Lion_Blade

I hate that we missed the opportunity to hear a sermon in French for the last time at the St. Rose of Lima Parish in south Mobile County when we were visiting. The church had it's last French sermon almost 15 years ago. It was the last church in Mobile to do so and that is a tragedy within it's self.

I'm disappointed that I missed that opportunity as well. I think you got the churches mixed up I believe it was St Michaels Catholic Church which is a little farther south in Mobile County. St Rose of Lima Parish is/was predominantly Creole they stop speaking French I believe in the 50's or even before. They are both worth visiting especially given the history that come with them. They are not as grand as the Basilica but they have a rich and colorful story to tell.