Alabama is a place where lush green trees, meandering rivers and majestic pre-Civil War mansions often aren’t far from gleaming skyscrapers and state-of-the-art facilities for companies like Boeing, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota. The people are friendly and the cost of living is low - both of these features have been noted as adding to the region’s attractions.

There are many school choices here: 16 state-sponsored and 15 independent senior college and…

Alabama is a place where lush green trees, meandering rivers and majestic pre-Civil War mansions often aren't far from gleaming skyscrapers and state-of-the-art facilities for companies like Boeing, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota. The people are friendly and the cost of living is low - both of these features have been noted as adding to the region's attractions.

There are many school choices here: 16 state-sponsored and 15 independent senior college and university campuses (several with nationally acclaimed programs) and one private junior college. In addition, there is an Alabama College System of 26 two-year colleges and one senior college.

When it's time to put down your books, consider choices like these:

Golf is year round. The famous Rober Trent Jones Golf Trail is the largest public golf system in the world. Frequent Flyer picked it as one of the top ten destinations in the world and Smart Money chose it as one of the top places for a getaway.

Camping: More than 60 private campgrounds, National Forests or Alabama State Parks offer a selection of boating, golf, hiking, and fishing.

Hunting: Combine long hunting seasons with low license fees, and more deer per square mile than any other state. There are also plenty of turkey, quail, dove, duck, geese and small game.

Fishing: Take part in a year-round fishing season on the largest river system in the country, with lakes covering 500,000 acres (200,000 hectares) and a world of bass, bream, trout, and other sport fish. Offshore is a variety of saltwater fishing.

Beaches: Think Gulf Coast. The many white sand resorts there offer sailing, swimming, good eating and more.

Sports: College football reaches a peak here. Crowds of 70,000-80,000 watch the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers play. There's a strong college basketball scene. For auto racing fans, The Talladega Superspeedway, home of the Winston Select 500 and the Die Hard 500, has been called the fastest track in the world.

Dance: Alabama Ballet, a professional ballet company of 20 dancers, gives glittering performances throughout the Southeast.

Dining: Alabama's restaurants offer everything from traditional Southern barbecue to haute cuisine.

Music: Alabama's symphonies have earned reputations as being among the nation's best regional orchestras.

Opera: The Birmingham Opera Theater and the Mobile Opera stage a variety of operas during their October-May seasons.