Mainer moving to Alabama. (Birmingham, Huntsville: travel, job, college)

[kmb5682]

Hello, I'm hoping to get some information from some people in the know. I've lived in Maine/NH all my life and am preparing to move to Alabama in mid August. I plan on being in Seale AL for about a year and a half - two years while my boyfriend is deployed. I've got a place to stay and a job lined up, I'm mostly interested in the general things I can expect once I get there. Also are there must see places or things to do? I want to make the most of my time in Alabama!! Thanks in advance for any input/info you may have!!!

[Mannwise]

I Lived in N.W. Indiana for 26 years before moving to Alabama. TRUST me ... I have been here since 1998, and there is nothing in Alabama to look at, see, or do !

[kmb5682]

I'm sure there must be areas that one could encourage people to go see, here in Maine I'd tell people to make sure they made a trip north to visit Baxter State Park, Bar Harbor or the Rangely Lakes area. Aside from places to visit or experience I'm also interested in knowing what kind of things I can expect once I'm there....weather, bugs, food, safety...typical culture shock stuff. As I said I'm looking to make the most of the year or two that I'll be in the area, I'd like to get to the area and not be completely clueless.

Thanks!!!

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Mannwise

TRUST me ... I have been here since 1998, and there is nothing in Alabama to look at, see, or do !

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[Haze]

Hello,

As far as finding things to do, if you feel like spending a few hours driving you might want to check out the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville. Birmingham is also a nice city - before gas prices skyrocketed, I used to go shopping down there a lot. There are some nice state parks around if you like being outdoors, alapark.com has all the information.

The weather here is nice although the humidity might bother you in the summer. The winter is mild and you'll probably like having a break from what you get up north. As for the bugs, they can be big and nasty-looking but eventually the shock factor fades.

All I'll say about food is that people will look at you funny if you tell them you don't like barbecued ribs or sweet tea, haha.

Adjustment shouldn't be too bad as long as you go into it with a positive outlook and open mind, which it seems like you are. I know there are all kinds of stereotypes about southerners but the only one that I have found to be consistently true is that they are extremely friendly and hospitable.

I hope you enjoy your time here!

[Bravo35223]

Originally Posted by Mannwise

I Lived in N.W. Indiana for 26 years before moving to Alabama. TRUST me ... I have been here since 1998, and there is nothing in Alabama to look at, see, or do !

Well look at this. It blows NW Indiana away. Look at the photos and show me a place in NW Indiana where you can see ten miles...through beautiful valleys...where you have the #5 restaurant in the U.S. as rated by Gourmet Magazine....

Pictures of Birmingham and surrounding area

[Bravo35223]

Originally Posted by kmb5682

Hello, I'm hoping to get some information from some people in the know. I've lived in Maine/NH all my life and am preparing to move to Alabama in mid August. I plan on being in Seale AL for about a year and a half - two years while my boyfriend is deployed. I've got a place to stay and a job lined up, I'm mostly interested in the general things I can expect once I get there. Also are there must see places or things to do? I want to make the most of my time in Alabama!! Thanks in advance for any input/info you may have!!!

Hi----

I have lived here almost all of my life and had the pleasure of spending a summer in Vermont between college terms in 1976.

The culture and climate is very different.

First, you are moving to Alabama at the height of the worst weather of the year. Mid-August is going to be extraordinarily hot for you unless your body naturally tolerates heat well. Cooler weather will begin around the third week of September and gradually cool through a long and pretty Fall. Fall will not look as nice as Maine but it will have some very nice color...Winter will be positively balmy for you and Spring is very pretty with many flowering plants. Just know that the 3.5 months of summer will be hot and humid.

You are moving to a small town. If you lived in a metro area such as Birmingham you would find a great deal of excellent seafood, except in this case, it would come from the Gulf rather than the Atlantic. I don't know much about Seale but I wouldn't expect much in the way of good food there....except good old fashioned vegetables which all of us Southerners love.

People will be welcoming but will find the Maine accent to be strange. It was the same for me when I went to Vermont....

Be friendly and it will be returned. You will find the same slow pace of life you have in Maine and if you put your best foot forward and extend yourself, you will be fine.

Just don't expect lobsters for $3 a pound!!!

[kmb5682]

Thanks to Haze and Bravo35223 for the positive and thoughtful responses. I am absolutely looking to enjoy my time in Alabama. I should have plenty of time to do some traveling within the state to see some of the different parks, beaches and bigger cities. I'm not too worried about the heat and humidity, I've spent a little time in VA and the Carolinas mid to late summer and I will say that I"ll trade 3.5 months of shoveling heavy wet snow every couple of days for heat and humidity ANY day of the week.

I thoroughly enjoy meeting new people and experiencing different things so I'm really excited about the move!!!

Please don't hesitate to continue to add places of interest or areas worth visiting.

Thanks so much!!!

[Threestep]

It is just a few miles to Columbus, GA which offers shopping, restaurants and art/museums ...

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by Mannwise

I Lived in N.W. Indiana for 26 years before moving to Alabama. TRUST me ... I have been here since 1998, and there is nothing in Alabama to look at, see, or do !

I've been here since 1993. If you can't find anything to do in Alabama, you're just not trying that hard.