The Mecca for literature lovers everywhere, Monroeville, Alabama should be on your 2016 agenda as travel destination.
Perhaps best known for being the hometown of renowned authors Harper Lee and Truman Capote, Monroeville is a great place to visit and explore. Not only do tourists get to view the Courthouse right out of To Kill a Mockingbird, they can enjoy a variety of other activities, including a play that celebrates the famous work and walking tour that helps them explore the grounds where Lee and Capote played as children.
Monroeville was Harper Lee’s foundation for the fictional setting of Maycomb in To Kill a Mockingbird and the protagonist’s best friend, Dill, was based on Lee’s childhood cohort Capote, who –with the help of Harper Lee—penned the first true crime novel, In Cold Blood. A number of other authors spent time during their youth in Monroeville and the title of Monroeville native, Mark Childress’s essay Something in the Water suggests that just perhaps Monroeville is a place where creativity is often born.
While the literary history of Monroeville—and perhaps a glimpse of the muse that drove both Lee and Capote and others– is what draws most people here, history buffs also find Monroeville intriguing.
Named for President James Monroe, Monroeville drew Spanish and English immigrants to the area where they found difficult circumstances and turmoil when engaging with the local Native American people here. The Tombigbee River became the cog pin for farmers and cotton traders when the factions began to tolerate one another.
Civil War buffs will soak up tales of battle and savagery that create havoc and ravaged the main resource of timber, as well as the rebuilding of the little town spawned by business and trade brought to town by a new railroad.
More than 30,000 visitors add Monroeville to their itineraries each year, and enjoy tales of historical events and literary greatness as they attend tours of Courthouse made familiar by the To Kill a Mockingbird movie. Some people come to Monroeville based on the connection they feel to Harper Lee while others seem to revel in the quintessential small town feeling of Monroeville and all it offers– rest and renewal, new creativity, and a rich history that makes you feel a part of it all.
A wonderful vacation choice for families, bibliophiles and historians, Monroeville offers a taste of yesterday and a laid-back, enjoyable setting for those who drop in.
