Little River Canyon - Fort Payne, Alabama - June 18, 2011

Today's One State, Two Boys adventure begins with a northeasterly drive to the beautiful city of Fort Payne, Alabama. We went to Fort Payne in search of waterfalls - and boy, did we find some beauties!

Our first stop, however, was at the statue honoring the band Alabama. They had to pose with the life-size sculptures! The statue was situated in front of a beautiful park complete with picnic tables, lush green areas, and play equipment. Also nearby was the Depot Museum and the Dekalb Theatre.

Our main reason for visiting Fort Payne was The Little River Canyon National Preserve located on top of Lookout Mountain.

Formerly part of DeSoto State Park, the 14,000-acre canyon area was declared a National Preserve by an act of Congress in 1992. This act protects the nation's longest mountaintop river, The Little River. The river is said to be one of the cleanest and wildest waterways in the South - maybe that's why Discovery Channel's Man vs. Wild decided to film there!

During our scenic drive, the boys spotted some climbing rocks. The rocks formed little tunnels and trails - a perfect natural playground for these two creative geniuses!

When we drove down to Little River Falls the boys were ready for a quick wardrobe change and a dip in the cold canyon water.

As you can see from the expression on #2's face, he was not happy about being dragged into the cold water.

 We had so much fun playing in the Little River but the boys were getting hungry, and the black clouds started rolling in. Overall, the boys give Little River Canyon "two thumbs up!"

We hope to return in the fall as the leaves are changing.