During a recent trip to New Orleans, we rented a car and drove the six hours to Birmingham, Alabama. There were a few things we wanted to see there and it was worth the drive. Here are a couple of suggestions.
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
In the 1960s, Birmingham, Alabama, was one of the most segregated places in the United States. Protesters suffered brutal treatment including being arrested, beaten with night sticks, tear gassed, water cannoned and bitten by dogs. It was horrific. The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institute and contains Birmingham’s story towards integration and its steps toward the eradication of hatred. We spent a few hours here going through the displays and hearing the stories. You come out of this museum with a better understanding of the prestigious that were occurring during this time.
Across from the Civil Rights Institute is the 16th Street Baptist Church. On September 15, 1963, just before 11:00, the church was bombed killing four young girls: 14-year-olds Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and 11-year-old Cynthia Wesley. It took years for the suspects to be prosecuted. In 1977, the first was convicted of murder and in 2001/2002 two others were found guilty. The last suspect died before he was prosecuted. Tours are available at the Church. We didn’t get to go due to time restrictions but walked around the park across the street where there are a number of memorial statues. Note: the homeless live in this area and as a woman, I wouldn’t go alone if there are no other people in the park.
This an eclectic National Historic Landmark in Birmingham and well worth a visit. Sloss Furnaces was once the largest manufacturer of pig iron in the world. 
While no iron is processed there today, its history is extremely interesting and if you are into heavy industrial settings, this is the queen mother. I kept imagining a fashion shoot here.
Today, the location is owned by the city and is used for special events. You can take a self-guided tour or book one ahead by emailing them. I believe we paid $10 for about an hour-long tour.
Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum
The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum contains more than 1,600 motorcycles and you can see about 950 of them within the museum itself. Don’t worry, you won’t miss the remaining 650 bikes. The display is overwhelming and George Barber has outdone himself with this unique venue that contains a racetrack to go along with it. 
For those of you who love exquisite cars, you won’t be disappointed. There are plenty to satisfy your desires. And, everything has been restored to its pristine shiny beginnings. The showcase looks like a hot wheel’s track complete with the elevator similar to the one I had as a kid where you use to place cars in it and crank them up to the top to then have them swirl back down the track to the bottom.
George Barber, the visionary of this museum started his career as a race car driver racing Porsches in the 60’s. He made the jump from car collector to motorbikes in 1991. My favorite was a bike that was ridden around the world. Jim Rogers wrote a book about his and his wife’s journeys called Investment Biker. It’s now on my reading list. You’ll want to allocate time to peruse all five floors.
Jim ‘N Nicks Community Bar-B-Q
Lastly, Birmingham needs at least one recommendation for food and southern bar-b-que has to be it. We ate lunch at Jim ‘N Nicks Community Bar-B-Q. The website states, “Slow-smoked Southern goodness” and it is. I recommend the sampler plate. We tried ribs, brisket and pulled pork. They have about 40 restaurants throughout the South. Here is the address for the one we ate at: 1908 11th Ave. S, Birmingham.