Marshall County Tourism & Sports on LinkedIn: #explorelakeguntersville #guntersville #travel #alabamatravel… (2024)

There is a real jewel within Cathedral Caverns State Park-Alabama located just outside of Grant, Alabama. The stunning cave boasts some of the most mesmerizing features of stalagmites and stalactites which are formations of rock created through minerals deposited from solution by slowly dripping water.Park Superintendent Chris Bentley joined the park in March of 2019 and has continuously worked for the betterment and growth so visitors in many forms can enjoy. While many people just come for a tour of the park, there are a select group of people that have come to run inside the cave. A few years back, Chris got the idea while just lying in bed around midnight. He had previously worked with RunningLane Events with Lake Guntersville State Park runs. So, he gave them a call and the Conquer the Cave 5K was born. Runners start at the bottom of the road leading into the park, and end the race running 0.6 of a mile within the cave itself. Not only does the park host the 5K, but they have added on a 15K and half marathon that has drawn huge crowds. Hundreds of people from 30 states and even Ireland have made the trip to complete a race. The park has also gotten new cabins for visitors to rent and also an updated campground with full hookups in the years under Chris's reign at the park. They have seen an increase in visitors from 50,000 to 60,000 per year up to 93,000 in 2023. During the spring, the park hosts hundreds of kids weekly for school field trips as well. The park itself sits on 500 acres and offers hiking and gem mining as well.As we celebrate National Tourism and Travel Week, we thank Chris Bentley for his continuous efforts in growing Cathedral Caverns State Park and making it place where visitors can enjoy the outdoors in a fun and different way. #explorelakeguntersville #grant #beyondthelake #grantal #alabamatravel #sweethomealabama #alabama #nttw #nttw24 #cathedralcaverns #cave #nature #outdoors #travel #tourism

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When she took over as the president of the Boaz Area Chamber of Commerce, Jill Johnson recognized the love the small, Sand Mountain community had for its downtown. It is the place where the Harvest Festival began 60 years ago, when farmers brought their crops to sell, and the place where holiday parades take place. It is the heart of the community.To bring people back to the downtown, Jill started a 2nd Friday night celebration with music and food trucks. She developed a partnership with the Marshall County Wranglers and suddenly jeeps and antique cars started rolling in. Now the downtown is hopping with life on the weekends and new retail and restaurants are opening.While walking one evening, Jill noticed one of the alleys in downtown was dark and dreary, so she met with city officials and after careful planning, she had more than 30 colorful umbrellas hung throughout the alley, creating the perfect Instagramable photo. The color has also bled over into several murals that are now part of the North Alabama Mural Trail.All Jill’s efforts and those of the city and community have increased traffic in the downtown and brought life back to its center. In celebration of National Tourism and Travel Week, we honor Jill and the community members who have invested in Downtown Boaz, offering Main Street fun for locals and visitors alike.#explorelakeguntersville #beyondthelake #boazal #boaz #downtown #nttw #tourism #travel #visitnorthalabama #alabama #alabamatravel #sweethomealabama

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When Chris and Christy Holmes decided to open Deep South Mercantile six years ago, they began by carrying items that they enjoyed and had found on their personal travels. The couple has since expanded to include local and regional artisans as well as books by Southern authors. Chris’s retail background helped in the beginning and now the couple relies on a stellar group of employees to keep both the Mercantile and their newest venture – Southern General – open and operational.Southern General, opened with men in mind, but quickly evolved into a gathering spot in the small downtown - a place locals come the first Thursday night of the month to discuss the latest book club find, or to enjoy a glass of wine or a beer or even a Dole whip on a Saturday afternoon.The Holmes wanted to create a sense of place that would pull their own children back home to live, to show the community that downtown was a good investment, and to be part of something that would make a lasting impression on not just locals but visitors as well.Now downtown Arab has very few empty storefronts and has seen several retail establishments, a coffee shop and even the community newspaper relocate to Main Street. A brewery is under development and the Downtown Merchant’s Alliance is excited about what may come next.This week as we celebrate National Tourism and Travel Week, we honor Chris and Christy Holmes for sharing their love for travel with all of us through their two storefronts on Main Street in Arab. And, we thank them for their investment in Marshall County. #explorelakeguntersville #beyondthelake #arabal #downtownarab #store #travel #tourism #travel #nttw #nttw24 #visitnorthal #alabama #alabamatravel #sweethomealabama

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Doug and Wendy Sherrod opened Busted Oak Bourbon Society after years of loving the speakeasy vibes while traveling. They worked in sales for 30 years and enjoyed trips to Savannah, Charleston and New Orleans. The history of these areas, and their unique options for locals and visitors to enjoy co*cktails got Doug and Wendy to thinking about opening their own place. After years and years of talking about it, Doug called Wendy one day in October of 2020 and said he found their place. They bought the 111 block of East Main Street in Downtown Albertville and after several months of renovations, they opened Busted Oak Bourbon Society in June of 2021. When you walk in the speakeasy, you will be greeted by a hostess that will unlock the door of a total 1920s prohibition era building. The area has low lighting, rich dark colors, and suede couches and booths where guests can take their time and relax in a mystique yet cozy space.When BOBS first opened, they were creating specialty hot dogs for those coming to enjoy the bar. But the need for more food was there, and they decided to open Bootlegger’s Pizza and Pints just a few doors down. Guests at BOBS can order a pizza, and have it delivered straight to the bar where they are enjoying their co*cktail. However, Bootlegger’s is open for anyone to go in and enjoy their pizza within the restaurant. They also offer a variety of sandwiches and pasta dishes as well. Both locations offer lively events for guests year-round. On New Year's Eve, they offer a ticketed event to enjoy dinner and to ring in the New Year. On Kentucky Derby weekend, they have a Downtown Derby party. They will be celebrating their third anniversary on June 6 with a Luau while celebrating Doug’s and one of their bartender’s, Mike Gentry, birthdays.In honor of National Travel and Tourism Week, we want to thank Doug and Wendy Sherrod for their contributions in creating spaces for visitors to enjoy at Busted Oak Bourbon Society and Bootlegger’s Pizza and Pints. #explorelakeguntersville #beyondthelake

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National Travel and Tourism Week is here! The Marshall County Tourism & Sports office is here to serve all cities within Marshall County to promote attractions, restaurants, events and lodging options to visitors! Visitors spend over $300 million in Marshall County every year and contribute to over $1 million collected in lodging taxes. The Lake Guntersville State Park is the largest attraction with an estimated 321,000 visitors a year. Our office also helps fund major events including Guntersville Lake HydroFest, AHSAA Softball Regionals, Major League Fishing tournaments, UAH Softball Charger Chillout, Big Bass Tour, Arab’s SugarFest, Boaz Harvest Festival, Made on the Mountain Fest and so many more. To celebrate National Travel and Tourism Week, we are excited to highlight some locals in each of our communities that have made a difference in our industry. Stay tuned this week for our posts to learn more!

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Yesterday, our President, Katy Norton, headed to Montgomery to speak to legislators about all things Marshall County!#explorelakeguntersville #beyondthelake

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Tourism continues to bring dollars to Marshall County with 2023 showing an increase in lodging taxrevenue of 10.3%. Tourists who visited with us spent over $400 million in our community and more than 3,000 jobs are related to the tourism and hospitality industry.Thank you to everyone whose hard work in the hotels, restaurants, camping and glamping, retail businesses, and sports industry has helped shape Marshall County into a bucket list destination.#explorelakeguntersville#beyondthelake

We are so excited to host the American Jet Sport Association Southern Summer Series on Lake Guntersville June 1-2, 2024! Up to 75 jet skis will be racing in a figure eight course near the Steel Ford Boat Ramp at Thomas Avenue near Publix. These jet skis can race up to 70 mph, and up to 18 at a time. This event is free to the public! We will have food trucks on site as well, so mark your calendars and we will see you the first weekend of June!#explorelakeguntersville

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