Travel to Birmingham, AL, on arrival enjoy a guided City Tour.  You will see important civil rights sites such as Sixteenth Street Baptist Church and the park that was the staging ground for protest marches during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.

Then you will have time for lunch on own and shopping in downtown Birmingham.  Comprised of nearly 300 retailers downtown offers a diverse assortment of clothing and gift stores, salons, spas, antique shops, art galleries and restaurants.

Next, visit the Vulcan Park and Museum, world’s largest cast-iron sculpture; made of 100,000 pounds of iron and 56 feet tall, he stands at the top of Red Mountain overlooking the city of Birmingham.  But Vulcan is more than just a statue – Vulcan Park and Museum features spectacular views of Birmingham, an interactive history museum that examines Vulcan and Birmingham’s story.

This evening, check into your Birmingham hotel for a three night stay.  Dinner is included tonight at Dreamland Bar-B-Que. (D)

Start the day with a tour the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.  The museum offers you a chance to immerse yourself in the state’s rich jazz heritage.  The museum contains more than 2,200-square-feet of exhibits.  After your tour, see a showing of “Jazz in the Magic City,” a very interesting jazz documentary outlining the progression of Jazz in Birmingham, AL.

Next, head to Scottsboro to visit the Unclaimed Luggage Center.  This is the facility where lost suitcases eventually end up; you can actually purchase luggage and contents here.

Returning to Birmingham, a seafood dinner is included tonight the Dixie Fish Co. serving locally-sourced fresh seafood, oysters, crabs, and shrimp! (B,D)

This morning, visit the Arlington Antebellum Home & Gardens, the only remaining antebellum mansion remaining in Birmingham.  It is now a decorative arts museum with a fine collection of 19th century furnishings, textiles and paintings.  Arlington is a grand example of Greek Revival architecture dating from the 1840’s.  The house was built by Judge William S. Mudd, one of the ten founders of Birmingham.

Next visit the Birmingham Museum of Art, the largest municipal art museum in the Southeast.  It has an outstanding permanent collection of over 18,000 works of art from many cultures especially European, American, Asian, and African.  The museum is also home to the largest museum collection of Wedgwood china.  Don’t miss the multi-level sculpture garden.  Following your tour, enjoy lunch adjacent to the collection galleries at Cafe Juniper.

Then tour the Birmingham Botanical Gardens is Alabama’s largest living museum with more than 12,000 different plants in its living collections.  The Gardens’ 67.5 acres contains 25+ unique gardens, 30+ works of original outdoor sculpture and miles of serene paths.   The Gardens features the largest public horticulture library in the U.S., conservatories, a wildflower garden, two rose gardens, the Southern Living garden, and Japanese Gardens with a traditionally crafted tea house.

The afternoon also includes a visit to The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s largest motorcycle collection.  With over 1,800 motorcycles spanning over 100 years of production, the Barber collection represents 220 different manufacturers from 22 countries.  The museum also features the world’s most extensive collection of Lotus cars, plus an assortment of other rare and unusual cars.

The track has hosted numerous motorsport races including Grand-Am, Pirelli World Challenge, Vintage Racing Series events, AMA SuperBike and the IndyCar Series.  But that’s not all.   It serves as the home of the North American Porsche Driving School.  Mercedes-Benz hosts the Mercedes Brand Immersion Experience for its employees at the Proving Grounds, and others use the grounds to test and demonstrate vehicle capabilities, host product debuts, and provide safety instruction.  Barber is noted for its landscaping and greenery; the track has been referred to as “The Augusta National of Motorsports.”

Returning to Birmingham, visit the “WORLD’S CLEANEST RESTROOMS” with a stop in Buc ee’s.  Tonight, dinner is included at Saw’s BBQ, the best there is round’ these areas.   Enjoy award winning Southern BBQ and the activities of The Backyard. (B,L,D)

After breakfast, depart for home. (B)