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(NUI) - If you were asked to develop a list of top travel destinations in the United States, Birmingham, Ala., probably wouldn't be on your radar screen. Problems from decades ago have led to an assumption that not much has changed.
But the truth is, Birmingham has become a vibrant, fast-growing, upscale area sparked by growth at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the world's top kidney transplant center, and a flourishing financial district that is home to more large banks than any other U.S. city outside New York. This growth in the professional services sector has led to a major change in what the area has to offer.
The newest attraction in Birmingham is the Porsche Driving Experience, www. porschedriving.com, at the Barber Motorsports Park, where you can learn the art of high-performance driving on a 2.38-mile road course in a Porsche 911.
If racing a Porsche is too fast for your style, Birmingham is known as a great golf destination. Alabama's Robert Trent Jones Trail, which the New York Times calls some of the best public golf on earth, winds through Birmingham at three 18-hole courses at Oxmoor Valley. Greens fees are $35 to $55. Visit www.rtjgolf.com for more information.
Birmingham's museums fulfill a wide variety of interests. The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum houses 850 motorcycles from 17 different nations - the largest collection of motorcycles in the United States. The Birmingham Museum of Art is the largest municipal museum in the Southeast and houses 21,000 works of art spanning from 5000 B.C. to the present. You can also visit the world-class Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame with exhibits featuring Nat King Cole and Duke Ellington.
Highland's Bar & Grill on Birmingham's Southside, known for its country French cooking, is nationally recognized. In 2001, Gourmet magazine named it the fifth best restaurant in the United States. The chef, Frank Stitt, has also been the winner of the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Southeast.
For more information, visit www.800alabama.com or call 1-800-ALABAMA.
Media Release Date: 4/21/04