Alabama tends to sit low on most travellers' US shortlists, which is exactly why it's worth a second look. This Deep South state packs civil rights landmarks, space-race history, legendary recording studios, serious barbecue and a Gulf Coast beach scene into one road-trippable package.

Start with the history, because it's heavy in the best sense. Montgomery, Birmingham and Selma were the staging grounds for the Montgomery bus boycott and the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches. The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, the Rosa Parks Museum and the Legacy Museum give that story the depth it deserves, and walking the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma is something you won't forget.

Then there's the surprise: Huntsville, the self-styled "Rocket City", is where engineers built the Saturn V rocket that carried Apollo astronauts to the moon in 1969. The U.S. Space & Rocket Center there is the largest space-flight museum on the planet and displays one of only three full-size Saturn Vs in existence.

Food is the other big draw. Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur has been going since 1925 and invented Alabama's famous white barbecue sauce; Dreamland in Tuscaloosa is the pilgrimage site for hickory-smoked ribs; Golden Rule in Irondale dates to the 1800s. There's an official Alabama BBQ trail if you want to make a road trip of it, and Huntsville's Salt Smokehouse offers a Michelin-recommended, globe-inspired spin on smoked meats. Beyond barbecue, the Gulf Coast serves some of the South's best seafood — Mobile, the birthplace of American Mardi Gras, is a genuine food city — while Birmingham's dining scene blends tradition and invention at spots like Bottega, Automatic and Chez Fonfon.

Music lovers get a state practically built for them. Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, home to the session players known as The Swampers, hosted Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Cher and The Rolling Stones — Keith Richards called it "rock and roll heaven" — and both it and nearby FAME Recording Studios, where Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding and Etja James cut classics, welcome visitors today. Country fans can follow the Hank Williams trail, which takes in his childhood home, his favourite hot dog joint and a museum with his blue Cadillac on display.

The outdoors round it off. Alabama is one of the most biodiverse states in the US, with 21 state parks spanning Appalachian peaks, canyons, caves and waterfalls. Bankhead National Forest covers 180,000 acres with 45 miles of trails through the Sipsey Wilderness; Little River Canyon National Preserve sits on Lookout Mountain; and Mount Cheaha, the state's highest point, is a solid leg-workout climb. Cap it all on the white sands of Orange Beach, which suits families and watersports fans alike.

Alabama makes sense for travellers who like their trips layered — history one day, hiking the next, with live music and a plate of ribs in between. It's affordable, uncrowded compared with better-known southern states, and built for driving.