Alabama state

State parks and forests total about 30. They are planned to conserve the natural beauty of the state and to provide places where people may go for outdoor recreation—picnicking, camping, hiking and nature study, fishing and other water sports.

Other Attractions

The following are among other places that attract visitors from all over the nation and the world:Ave Maria Grotto, at St. Bernard, near Cull-man, displays more than 100 small reproductions of famous religious buildings of the world.

The Azalea Trail, in Mobile, is a 55-kilometer (35-mile) trail of flowers that leads through residential parts of the city, past historic homes and buildings.

Bellingrath Gardens and Home, south of Mobile, is a beautifully

"landscaped estate. Here the finest flowers, shrubs, and trees have been brought together in a setting of great natural beauty. The home is noted for its rich furnishings and priceless art objects.

Cathedral Caverns, north ofGuntersville, contains a large forest of stalagmites and one cavern 27 meters (90 feet) deep.

Ivy Green, in Tuscumbia, is Helen Keller's birthplace and childhood home.

Vulcan Statue, at the summit of Red Mountain, Birmingham, is a statue of the god of fire. It was made of iron from the local area and is said to be one of the largest statues in the world.

Annual Events

Many of Alabama's annual events center upon sports, the products of the state, and the interests and traditions of the people. From the early

French settlers. Mobile inherited the celebration of Mardi Gras. Mobile's

Mardi Gras festival is the oldest such celebration in the United States. It begins on the Friday before the first day of Lent and reaches its high point on the night of Shrove Tuesday, or Mardi Gras.

Mobile celebrates the azalea season from late February to early April, when thousands of visitors tour the Azalea Trail. The Deep-Sea Fishing

Rodeo, at Mobile and Dauphin Island, climaxes the fishing season, usually late in July or early in August.

Other events include the state fair at Birmingham, in September, and the

River Boat Regatta at Guntersville, in August.

CITIES

No one region claims all or most of the cities. Large cities are found in each part of the state—central, north and south.

Montgomery

Besides being the capital, Montgomery is a center of agricultural trade and the leading cattle market of southeastern United States. The large ranches and herds of cattle in the area remind one of Texas. Industries of the city include textile mills, meat-packing plants, and furniture factories.

Montgomery has several institutions of higher education, including

Alabama State University, campuses of Troy State and Auburn universities, and Huntingdon College, a private senior college. The Air University at

Maxwell Air Force Base is a national center for research and for education and training of U.S. Air Force personnel.

Birmingham