101 free thing to do in the south

Southern Living, Mar 2002 by McKenzie, Jennifer L

The best things in life are free, Believe us, these won't cost you a cent.

When you hear that old cliche about the best things in life being free, do you always shake your head and say "Yeah, right"? Well, scoff no more. Here are 101 fun things to do that will cost you nothing. You heard it-not one fat nickel. But don't expect a free lunch as well.

ALABAMA

1. Trip through the tulips at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Don't miss the Southern Living Gardens and the Kaul Wildflower Gardens; (205) 414-3900.

2. Take in one of the world's largest collections of Wedgwood at the Birmingham Museum of Art; (205) 254-2565.

3. Honor the Civil Rights Movement by joining hands around the fountain at the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery; (334) 261-1100.

4. Admire one of the largest helicopter collections on Earth at the US. Army Aviation Museum in Fort Rucker, where helicopter pilots receive their training; (334) 598-2508.

5. Gaze at the hot-air balloons as they fly up, up, and away at the Alabama Jubilee Hot-Air Balloon Classic & Music Festival in Decatur during Memorial Day weekend; 1 -- 800-524-6181.

6. Go treasure hunting the third weekend in August at the world's longest yard sale, which starts in Gadsden and goes to Covington, Kentucky; 1-888-565-0411.

7. Roam Gulf Shores' Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, a 6,200-- acre sanctuary with beach access; (251) 540-7720.

8. Cheer from the sidewalk as you watch the nation's oldest and largest Veteran's Day Parade in Birmingham every November; (205) 458-8000.

9. Stand where Gen. Andrew Jackson did when he defeated the Creek Indians in 1814 at Horseshoe Bend National Military Park near Daviston; (256) 234-7111.

10. Get jazzed up at the Jazz Jam Fest, and enjoy the sounds of saxophones, clarinets, and trumpets every fourth Sunday of the month in the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame's Carver Performing Arts Theatre in Birmingham; (205) 254-2731.

ARKANSAS

11. Walk where Scarlett swooned. The Old Mill in Little Rock is the reproduction gristmill captured in the opening scenes of Gone With the Wind; (501) 791-8537.

12. Breze across Bull Shoals Lake ot the Peel Ferry, the only state-run ferry still operating in Arkansas; (870) 422-7575.

13. Witness Bluebirds of Happiness being made at Terra Studios, Inc., in Fayetteville; 1-800-255-8995.

14. Stop and smell the flowers (and trees and fresh air) while hiking in Pinnacle Mountain State Park near Little Rock; (501) 868-5806.

DELAWARE

15. Fetch a ride to the Johnson Victrola Museum in Dover to see the original oil painting of the dog Nipper with the gramophone in His Masters Voice; (302) 739-3262.

16. Wander around the Brandywine Zoo in Wilmington November through March, when there's no admission; (302) 571-7788.

17. See where abolitionists Thomas Garrett and John Hunn stood trial before the Federal Court in the New Castle Court House Museum for violating the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793; (302) 323-4453.

18. Listen to the crashing of the waves as you sit by the ocean on Rehoboth Beach's Boardwalk; 1-800-- 441-1329.

FLORIDA

19. Wing your way through the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, and hear stories from a retired flyboy; (850) 452-3604.

20. Salute the setting sun at the daily Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square in Key West; 1-800-352-5397.

21. Keep an eye out for Mickey and Minnie as you wander Orlando's Downtown Disney; (407) 828-3800.

22. Travel to Cuba without ever leaving Miami by visiting Little Havana. This Cuban cultural district throws Carnaval Miami, an amazing street party, from March 1 to 10; (305) 644-8888.

23. Lien to the roar of tons of motorcycles during Daytona Beach's famous Bike Week in March; (386) 255-0981.

24. Coast through the model ships, paintings, photographs, and artifacts dating from 1842 in the Jacksonville Maritime Museum; (904) 398-9011.

25. Take a sweet walk through the plantation ruins and gardens of Sugar Mill Botanical Gardens in Port Orange; (386) 767-1735.

26. From November to March, watch winter manatees congregate at Blue Springs State Park in Orange City; (386) 775-3663.

27. Have the pleasure of meeting The Senator, a 3,500-year-old, 138-- foot-tall bald cypress tree in Big Tree Park near Orlando; (407) 788-0405.

GEORGIA

28. Learn about his dream at the Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site and the Center for Non-- violent Social Change in Atlanta; (404) 331-5190.

29. Brush up on your Chattahoochee knowledge with a visit to the Columbus Museum, the second-- largest museum in the state; (706) 649-0713.

30. Sing along with one of the live bands at Atlanta's On the Bricks, an outdoor music bash, on Friday nights during the summer; (404) 215-3248.

31. Catch the luck o' the Irish at Savannah's St. Patrick's Day Parade, which dates to 1824; (912) 233-4804.

32. Spy alligators and turtles and owls at the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge; (912) 652-4415.

33. Get spooked the Saturday before Halloween in Roswell's Old Mill Park, where storytellers share ghost stories; 1-800-776-7935.

34. Watch classic flicks on a huge screen under the summer stars at Screen-on-the-Green at Piedmont Park in Atlanta; toll free 1-877-262-5866.