Hey Guys!
This post continues our time in Winston County, Alabama.
Read Days 1 & 2 here & Click here to see links to all of my blog posts
After having our coffee & breakfast, we headed to our first stop of the day.
We would be spending the day in the nearby town of Cullman.
The drive to Cullman from our rental house was approx. 45 mins.
We had planned on spending the first part of our day at Dismals Canyon which was also 45 mins from our rental house.
However, it was closed due to repairs.
The place looks otherworldly! They also offer glow worm tours, offer cabins for rent and have an old fashioned soda fountain!
I was so disappointed that it was closed, that we booked another stay at our rental house for later this year so we can go!
Read reviews here & Click here for more things to see in that area
Click here for 89 cool & unusual things to see in Alabama
Our first stop in Cullman was Smith Farms.
Smith Farms was founded in 1955 by Ed Smith. It began as a small road-side stand selling seasonal produce and a few cured hams and bacon.
Since 1955, Smith Farms has been the source for traditional Southern foods such as smoked ham, bacon & sausage.
When my hubby found out they had smoked sausage, we brought our cooler to stock up!
We walked in and couldn’t believe how many different types of food, cheeses, candy, meats, etc that they offered!
They even sold pork chops and hand cut steaks.
This store had everything from homemade pies, soups, syrups, jellies, and so much more!
We ended up purchasing some smoked bacon, sausage and, of course, some of their yummy looking chocolates.
Read reviews here
After leaving here, we headed to our next stop, the Ave Maria Grotto.
The grotto is located on the grounds of the St Bernard Abbey, the only Benedictine monastery of men in the state of Alabama. The abbey was founded in 1891.
After getting parked, we headed inside to purchase our tickets.
There is a gift shop located in the building where you purchase your tickets.
After purchasing our tickets, we headed outside to began our self guided tour of the grotto.
The grotto sits on 4 acres of what used to be a quarry & is home to the fruitful labor of Brother Joseph Zoettl, who was a monk at the abbey.
The grounds were beautifully landscaped!
There were so many different types of flowers scattered around the grounds!
Beginning our walk
Brother Joseph came to Alabama from Germany in 1892 at the age of 14.
When he wasn’t busy, he began constructing miniature recreations of well known buildings. He used stone, concrete, unwanted donated materials, broken plates, costume jewelry, ceramic tile, beads, marbles, seashells, and more.
This exhibit was called Bethlehem 
Bro Joseph had only visited 6 of the places that he recreated. He used his imagination and pictures that he had seen to recreate these miniature buildings.
The grotto consists of 125 miniature stone and cement structures.
Brother Joseph built his first replica in 1912 and his last one in 1958 when he was 80 yrs old.
They were so amazing!
This place was definitely worth the $10 admission fee.
Near the grotto is the Abbey Cemetery.
Brother Joseph, who died in 1961, is buried here.
We walked inside the chapel to check it out while visiting the cemetery.
The cornerstone on the church showed that it was built in 1946.
The inside was very simple and included a few benches and statues.
After leaving the grotto, we drove over to the Abbey Church to take a few pictures of the outside.
Read reviews for the grotto here
After leaving the church, we headed to find something for lunch.
We settled on a place called Urban Cookhouse.
We ended up eating a late lunch which turned out good for us…no wait!
Once inside, we took a few minutes to look over the menu.
I ordered the lime marinated steak and rice and the hubby ordered the grilled chicken wraps with a side of Mac and cheese.
The food was very good!
Read reviews here
After lunch, we headed to our next stop, the Weiss Cottage.
The Weiss cottage is the town’s oldest house. It was built by the L&N Railroad in 1873.
The small wood framed cottage is typical of early Cullman homes. The property and the house were purchased from L&N Railroad on February 24, 1875 by Dr. Aldo Weiss.
He, his wife and children lived in the house and it also doubled as Dr. Weiss’s office.
The family’s goats were housed in the cellar, and their home was often called ‘The Goat House’.
I had read that it had been turned into a museum but the inside looked trashed!
Near the house was the Hubert Richter Chapel.
The chapel was built in 1989 in memory of two of the Richter family members, Hubert and his son Mike.
Mike was on leave from the Army in 1971 when he slipped and fell into Larkwood Falls and then Hubert was killed in a car wreck in 1988.
The small chapel is never locked so you can visit at any time.
After leaving here, we headed to another church called Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The church was built in 1913 and dedicated in 1916.
We had wanted to go inside to check it out but services were being held at the time.
We then headed to our next stop, the historic Clarkson Covered Bridge.
The bridge was originally constructed over Crooked Creek in 1904 on property owned by local mail carrier James W. Legg at the cost of $1,500.
A flood destroyed half of the bridge in 1921. Most of the pieces were recovered downstream, and the bridge was able to be rebuilt the following year.
The bridge remained in service to motor traffic until 1962, when it was bypassed by a nearby concrete bridge.
At 270 ft long, It is currently the second longest existing historic covered bridge in Alabama.
The bridge is now owned by the county and was restored by the Cullman County Commission in 1975, along with a gristmill and log cabin also located at Clarkson Covered Bridge Park.
There are hiking trails and picnic tables located in the park.
Read reviews here
After leaving the bridge, we decided to head back to our rental house.
On the way, we saw a sign pointing to a historic jail so decided to check it out.
The jail was located in Houston, AL and was called the Jail at Houston.
The building is the only known surviving log jail in the state and the only public building surviving from the time that the county seat was located in Houston.
It is believed to have been built in 1868, when the now destroyed courthouse is known to have been constructed.
The jail was converted into a residence for the poor in 1933.
The interior is divided into two rooms with an interlocking log wall.
The walls were covered from floor to ceiling in wide boards that had a 2 ½ inch handmade iron nail securing it about every inch to prevent prisoners from escaping.
The jail was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
Near the jail were statues of prominent figures from that time period.
Read reviews here
Across the road from the jail, was a restaurant called Chef Troy’s.
Read reviews here
The jail and restaurant were approx. 10-15 mins from our rental house.
After arriving back to the house, we decided to build a fire in the outdoor fire pit.
For dinner, we enjoyed a small charcuterie board out by the fire. It was so quiet and peaceful!
Later, we called it a night.
The next morning, we had to check out.
The owner was kind enough to allow us to stay until 1 pm instead of checking out at 11 am.
After packing, we took a few pictures on the deck.
We then enjoyed an early lunch out on the deck before heading home.
This ends our time in Alabama!
Thanks for reading!
Here are a few restaurants, grocery stores and other things to see/do in this area:
Lakeshore Inn Restaurant & Marina – 3.5 miles from the house – here you will not only find a restaurant but accommodations that are right on the lake and boat rentals – 10 mins from our rental house
Sapore Grill – 5 miles – Closed Mon, Tues & Sun.
Smokin’ Pig BBQ – 5 miles – Closed on Mon & Sun
Buena Vista – 5 miles – 1 mile from Sapore Grill – closed on Tues
Southern Bliss Bistro – 16 miles – Closed on Sun
Arley Coffee Shop – 15 miles – Closed Sun – opens at 5 am
Jack’s Family Restaurant – 36 miles
Subway – 5 miles
Gabby’s Restaurant – 25 miles – Closed on Sun
Bayou Fresh Seafood & Deli – 25 miles – 1.7 miles from Gabby’s – Closed on Mon & Sun
Taco Bell – 18 miles
Hyatt’s Market – 15 miles
Gateway Foodland – 5 miles in Double Springs
Dollar General Market – 16 miles away in Addison
Walmart – 16 miles in Haleyville & Walmart Supercenter in Jasper – 25 miles
The Butterstick Bakery & Bistro – 30 miles – Closed on Sun
The Local Grind Coffee – 30 miles – 2 miles from The Butterstick Bakery – open every day
Linda’s Coffee Shack – 15 miles – Closed Sun & Mon
The Food Shack – 1/2 mil from Linda’s Coffee – Closed Sat & Sun
McDonald’s – 20 miles in Haleyville
Crooked Creek Coffee & Tea Co – 30 miles min Crane Hill – only open on Tues & Sun
The Groovy Brew Coffee Shop & Boutique – 5 miles – Closed Sat & Sun
Dollar General – 5 miles
Vincent’s Downtown Deli & Bakery – 5 miles – not sure of the hours
Sipsey Winery – 5 miles in Double Springs and one in Cullman 45 mins away
Jack’s Family Restaurant – 5 miles
Piggly Wiggly – 18 miles in Haleyville
Goar’s Supermarket – 18 miles in Hayleyville
Click here & here for the nearest hospitals
The closest ER would be Cullman Regional Medical Center – about 1 hr away
Other nearby towns and places to visit:
If you are looking for waterfalls just put waterfalls in your google maps and it will pull up all the nearest waterfalls.
Same thing for restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations, etc.
Haleyville – 20 mins – home of the first 911 call
Jasper – 35 mins – Click here for top attractions in Jasper
Arley – 20 mins – Click here for things to do in Arley
Addison – 20 mins – Click here for things to do
Guin – 50 mins – Click here for things to do
Phil Campbell – 40 mins – Click here for for things to do
Moulton – 35 mins – Click here for things to do
Russellville – 40 mins – Click here for things to do
Cullman – 45 mins – this is probably the biggest town near the rental house – there are lots of restaurants here & lots of things to do
If you’re looking for a spa day, check out these spas in Cullman – we passed this one and it looked super nice!
I would click here for the most unique and unusual sites to see in/around this area
We want to add the Rattlesnake Saloon to our next visit! – It’s 1 hr 15 mins from the house but only 45 mins from Dismals Canyon.