46. Alabama

Finally! I can talk about something different than a Great Plains state for the first time in 3 days!

Yes, yes. We’ve all heard the jokes about Sweet Home Alabama and marrying your cousin and whatnot. But I’m a little too highbrow for that.

Speaking of highbrow, that is actually a great descriptor of my biggest problem with the state; the Alabama passive-aggressive “politeness”. This kind of aristocratic, plantation owning, debutant ball attending culture that is all about being polite to your face all while possibly being one of the most consistently racist environments of anywhere in the country.

I should be careful and state that not everyone from Alabama is like this. I know there are many great people there, just like there is in every state. This is a state of 5 million people after all. But we are still talking about a consistent culture so outdated, yet it has found a way to continue into modern society there. 

Pirate’s Island Adventure Golf

Now that I’ve gotten my main critique out of the way, lets move into the environment. I actually think the Southern woodsy areas in the country are quite beautiful, and you can find some incredible, mostly untouched creeks. Unfortunately unlike most of the rest of the southern states, the Appalachian Mountains only barely reach Alabama, so it doesn’t get anywhere near as pretty as its neighbors.

I actually have spent a good amount of time in Alabama, mainly along the coast. And I will say it is pretty down there. But that’s only the tiniest bit of the state, and when I did visit it was immediately following the BP oil spill. Ain’t it neat for our society to ruin one the coolest parts of the state. Shout out to Pirate’s Island Adventure Golf in Gulf Shores, the coolest putt putt place I’ve ever been to. But it turns out it’s a chain also in 14 other states.