Things to Do in Alabaster

Helmed by an by ex-military parachute-regiment veteran who holds three World Skydiving Championship medals, the United States Parachute Association-certified instructors at Skydive Alabama fly customers up to heights of 14,000 feet for solo and tandem dives. The skydiving center supplies oxygen for these jumps, and conducts both ground schools and eagle-impersonation classes to get first-timers and experienced divers ready for their aerial plunges. Instructors take up to 18 participants to the height of the drop zone in a Grand Caravan turboprop plane, from which they free fall for more than one minute, either by themselves or securely fastened to an instructor. A professional videographer can also join visitors on each jump to capture the aerial experience.

In accelerated free-fall programs, instructors lead students through a ground school, up to seven flights with instructors, and several solo jumps, allowing them to earn their USPA diving license without having to compete a multiple-choice test inside a wind tunnel. While every dive takes place in the designated drop zone, ground-school classes are held inside the airport's dedicated hangar. The airport complex also boasts four cabins for overnight stays, a spectator area, and a restaurant where chefs serve up Southern comfort fare.

All Fired Up’s owner, Noelle, opened the small pottery shop as a wholesome place where families could come together to create art and bond in a fun, supportive environment. She and her helpful staff aid in the creation and kiln firing of one-of-a-kind dishware, piggy banks, and ceramic socks, with occasional pop-ins from her wayfaring sister and store manager Laura. The sturdy shelves lining each wall of the cozy shop brim with unglazed porcelain, dozens of paint colors, and an array of inspirational stamps, stencils, and design books. In addition to scheduled pottery wheel lessons led by Laura herself, All Fired Up fuels creativity through children’s art classes, summer camps, and birthday parties.

The skilled teachers at Yoga Bliss guide students through three levels of instruction: level-one classes, which cater to beginners, and levels two and three, which concentrate on building strength and endurance with challenging handstands, arm balances, and chakra folds. A fundamentals class, beneficial for beginners and veterans alike, emphasizes proper alignment and incorporates props such as blocks, blankets, and rubber chickens. The studio's temperature can dial past 80 degrees during hot-yoga classes to help muscles melt into deep, healing stretches.

The town of Brookside owns Five Mile Creek Canoe & Company, which works from a philosophy that nature is a splendor to be shared by all people. Five Mile not only grants access to a bonanza of camping and canoeing activities—such as bench pressing a canoe—it gives patrons the opportunity to control their own adventures. The campground presents enough activity opportunities to keep patrons busy throughout the day, including a playground, a 2-mile walking track, and a swimming hole.

When patrons want to set out on watery expeditions, they carry their own boats down to the creek and steer their vessels from beginning to end. After pushing past the shallow waters, canoes paddlers can traverse up to 26 miles of gently flowing creek lined on either side by a row of trees. These leaf havens obscure guests from the curious eyes of civilization, chipmunks, and Bigfoot's cousin, Steve. Before they hit the water, helpful staff members can give demonstrations to those with little paddling experience. They can also organize group floats for social paddlers.

From their home base at Frank House Municipal Golf Course, the PGA pros at the Harper Miller School of Golf help golfers fix broken swings and patch up holes in strategic thinking. Lessons zero in on the fundamentals of grip, posture, and alignment—key components of a winning swing and textbook ice-cream-cone devouring. Short-game clinics help to develop confidence around the green with practice on the putting stroke, chipping accuracy, and bunker play. The pros also follow students out onto the course for playing lessons, which focus on such course-management tactics as how to choose the right club, when to lay up, and when to lie down and take a moment to enjoy the beauty of nature around you.