Seemingly a bold statement for a bustling community of some 50,000 interested in catering to the family vacationer. But for decades, the sun-washed southern city of Decatur, Ala., has kept a friendly welcome mat at its corporate limits that leads to a dizzying array of well designed and wide-ranging travel destinations. Destinations, by the way, that are draped with laurels a city of any size would be proud of.

Decatur traces its roots to 1823 when it was founded by order of the U.S. Congress and President James Monroe in honor of the renowned U.S. naval officer Commodore Stephen Decatur (1779-1820).

Commodore Decatur, who won a sword from Congress and a captaincy when he was only 25, was one of the most daring officers in the U.S. Navy during its early years. He is remembered for his timeless toast: �Our country; In her intercourse with foreign nations may she always be right; but our country, right or wrong.�

The city's next bookmark in the pages of American history came with the opening of the Old State Bank in 1833. This impressive pre-Greek Revival building was one of the few in Decatur to survive the ravages of the Civil War, having served as an important outpost for both Union and Confederate troops. Now serving as an exhibit-filled museum open to the public, it remains as the city's oldest standing structure and the oldest building of its type in Alabama.

Decatur's charming historic districts rest in the shadow of the Old State Bank and harken back to an easier time. Embracing over 116-acres, the Old Decatur Historic District is one of the most intact Victorian-era neighborhoods in the state with homes dating from 1870 through 1910. The New Albany Historic District was founded by northern businessmen in the late 1800's and was named after the New York state capital. It reflects early 20th century trends such as Colonial Revival, California Cottage, Dutch Colonial and Frank Lloyd Wright influences. A free driving tour brochure is available covering both districts. Select homes are open twice a year during a spring and Christmas tour of homes.

Decatur's first splash on the national tourism scene can be traced to the opening of Point Mallard Park's Aquatic Center. This 750-acre municipal recreational complex set a national trend when it turned on America's first wave pool in August of 1970. Today, more than two dozen wave pools can be found at water complexes throughout America and Canada. Point Mallard's water park complex, open each year Memorial Day through Labor Day, has grown over the years to feature a variety of rollicking aquatic adventures. These include an Olympic Pool, a twisting and twirling three-flume waterslide, the Duck Pond Kiddie Pool, the towering Sky Pond speed flume and the innovative Squirt Factory water activity area. Other facilities open year round at Point Mallard include an indoor ice rink, 25-acre Good Sam campground, amphitheater, tennis courts, ballfields, hiking/biking trail, recreation center, driving range, batting cages, and a well-manicured championship golf course that is rated as one of the �most fun to play� in the state and one of Good Sam's top campground-golf courses in the nation.

Other noteworthy travel destinations found in Decatur include Cook's Natural Science Museum, a privately owned museum that opens its doors free to the public each day. Rated as one of the best Museum's of its type in the South, it provides a fascinating variety of animals, birds, fish, rocks, minerals, and seashells in �touch-and-feel� exhibits.

The Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge is a 34,500-acre site that is an important resting and feeding area for thousands of migratory Canada geese, snow geese, and mallard ducks. The South's largest educational center for waterfowl and animal study is found at this refuge located in Decatur along with hiking trails and a unique wildfowl observation building. All are open free to the public.

Recently added to this impressive list of Decatur attractions is a Civil War Walking Tour. The 11 markers that make up the trail trace the 1864 clash between Union and Southern forces at this key transportation point. The 13 block stroll is a free self-guided tour through the Old Decatur Historic District. Similar to markers at national parks, the plaques on the Decatur tour carry the reader through important events of the four day battle and in the overall history of the community.

The tour has been named to the National Civil War Discovery Trail. The September Skirmish, a Civil War Reenactment, is held each Labor Day weekend at Point Mallard and is one of many unique special events � many of them free � hosted by the city and county each year.

Other well known annual events held in the area include the Alabama Jubilee Hot-Air Balloon Classic, the state's first such event; Hartselle Depot Days, a weekend of traditional family fun and games; the Racking Horse Spring & World Celebrations, held each April and September; the patriotic Spirit of America July 4th Festival; the Southern Wildlife Festival art show in October; Eva Frontier Days; and Riverfest in August, a rapidly growing traditional family festival.

Another mix in Decatur-Morgan County's travel offerings is the benefits derived from the adjacent 67,100-acre Wheeler Lake, a popular recreational outlet for thousands of pleasure boaters and anglers. Because of its renowned sport fishing opportunities, pro fishermen from the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (BASS) returned to Decatur when Decatur-Morgan County hosted a K-Mart Bassmaster Top 150 Tournament in the spring of 1999, and the American Bass Anglers National Championship in 2002.

The final mix in Decatur's attractive travel destinations list is its location. When overnighting in Decatur, there are over 50 more noteworthy attractions found within an easy drive of the city. Across the river from Decatur can be found Mooresville, a tiny hamlet older than the State of Alabama that was used for location filming in the Walt Disney big screen production of �Tom & Huck.�

Just 20 minutes to the northeast, in Huntsville, can be found the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, earth's largest museum of its kind, the new Early Works hands-on �Do�seum, the historic railroad Depot Museum and an acclaimed Museum of Art.

Due west for less than 60 minutes can be discovered the Alabama Music Hall of Fame and Helen Keller's birthplace, Ivy Green, in Tuscumbia. Or, the home and museum of jazz great W. C. Handy and the pioneer-era Pope's Tavern Museum in Florence. Enroute visits may include the plantation home of Confederate Calvary General Joe Wheeler and a tour of the massive Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Wheeler Dam.

Traveling south out of Decatur for approximately 45 minutes will carry you to the world famous Ave Maria Grotto, built on Alabama's only Benedictine monastery, in Cullman or to the outdoor, Broadway-style production of �Looney's Tavern: The Aftermath and the Legacy,� presented in a mountainside amphitheater in the Bankhead National Forest near Double Springs.

With a host of nearby attractions, a wide selection of local sites to see, and a line-up of memorable annual special events Decatur truly is one city that offers endless possibilities for the family vacationer.

For information contact The Decatur/Morgan County Convention & Visitors Bureau, P. O. Box 2349, Decatur, AL 35602, telephone (800) 524-6181 or (256) 350-2028; or visit them on the World Wide Web at www.decaturcvb.org.