The Shoals

The area along the Tennessee River in Alabama called The Shoals is actually make up of 4 separate cities: Florence, Sheffield, Tuscumbia and Muscle Shoals. The Shoals are primarily known for their rich American music tradition and the water-based activities that abound there, particularly on the Tennessee River, with its 37 miles of Muscle Shoal Rapids, and in fishing spots like Pickwick, Wilson and Wheeler lakes.

The Alabama Music Hall of Fame, whose inductees include producer Sam Phillips, R&B legend Wilson Pickett and New York Metro Opera soprano Rachel Mathis, evidences the former. Other area attractions include the Tennessee Valley Art Center in Tuscumbia, with its permanent aboriginal petroglyph exhibits, and Ivy Green, the birthplace of Helen Keller museum, also in Tuscumbia.