Purported to be an ideal stopping place on trips to and from Florida, Hidden Cove Outdoor Resort is situated on Lewis Smith Lake at the edge of the William Bankhead National Forest in Alabama’s northern Highlands. The Highlands’ river-worn rocks, cascading waterfalls, natural rock bridges, and hardwood forests are a refreshingly beautiful legacy, as are the vast caves which have been etched and ornamented by the steady drip of underground mineral springs through centuries of passing seasons.Visitors can enjoy excellent boating, fishing, and water-skiing while camping in what seems to be an isolated area, but nearby cities and towns offer other opportunities for exploration. At Huntsville’s Space and Rocket Center, visitors can fire a rocket and experience the sights, sounds, and sensations of space travel. Slightly more than an hour away is Birmingham, the state’s largest city. The nearby Ave Maria Grotto is comprised of more than 125 miniature churches, shrines, and famous buildings lovingly constructed by a Benedictine Monk on a hillside area of more than three acres. Years of dedicated labor and unusual materials donated from throughout the world went into the construction. Clarkson (Legg) Covered Bridge is a 250-foot long span over Crooked Creek and the focal point of a pleasant rural park. Here a gristmill and “dogtrot-style” log cabin are also on the site with the expertly restored bridge, which remains one of the longest two-span covered bridges standing in the Deep South.At Hurricane State Park visitors can walk across a swinging bridge over a waterfall, ride the cable car or hike through four miles of nature trails in the rustic park.