Don't Miss RiverFest 99!

This marks a turning point of sorts in the evolution of The Southeastern U.S. Realizing that travel is more than just destinations, I ran a poll to see what readers wanted to see here. Since the votes are running in favor of a little more diversity, diversity is the new name of the game!

In the coming months, we'll be expanding our topics to include more short side trips, local history, events, and bed and breakfast reviews. The B & B topic, by the way, is near to my heart, since my husband and I run Wisteria Inn in Hartselle, Alabama. (How's that for a shameless plug?)

September and October are HUGE months in the Southeast for festivals and citywide special events, so, in the next few weeks, we'll cover some great events like Hartselle's Depot Days and Gulf Shores' Shrimp Festival.

This time, we'll focus on Decatur, Alabama's Riverfest 1999. There's an article coming up in a few weeks on historic Old Decatur, but the Riverfest is scheduled for September 17-18, so let's explore that first.

The Tennessee River dips southward from Chattanooga into North Alabama, wandering through the mountains to the east and pooling in Guntersville Lake before heading back to the north to join, eventually, the great Mississippi River.

Decatur is located on the banks of the Tennessee just beyond where the river makes its turn back north. The river in Decatur is wide and deep, with gently sloping banks, making Decatur a natural for the development of industry along the river.

The industries that have located in Decatur over the last half-century or so-industries like Amoco, Monsanto, 3M, and Boeing-have helped to boost Morgan County's economy and help the area out of the poverty brought on by the Great Depression.

Unfortunately, so much attention was paid to the industrial development in the area that the aesthetic value of the river was unrecognized-until lately. Local leaders have begun to realize what potential exists in the riverfront areas; great things are happening in the area not already claimed as industrial sites.

Riverfest is one of the things happening on the waterfront. Starting five years ago, the festival has grown each year, and this one promises to be the best yet.

The centerpiece of Riverfest has become the Alabama State Championship Barbecue Cookoff, sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society. A win here earns a berth in the World Championship KCBS Cookoff. I kid you not, folks-this is just like the Miss America pageant system. It's hard to imagine anything better than good barbecue, and there will be plenty at the Riverfest.

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