If you thought Hiwassee was great, you must visit Wheeler Wildlife Refuge outside Decatur, Alabama.  We will be traveling to Wheeler on January 8, 2027 early and spending the night, returning on Saturday evening.  Of course, if you want to arrive early and/or stay late, you can adjust your individual plans accordingly.

Wheeler is a huge wildlife management area with lots of opportunities for Sandhill Cranes, Herons, Eagles, and so many different ducks it was hard to keep track of the varieties.  There were 15 Whooping Cranes when we were there last year according to their counts.  We were lucky enough to see several of them at the main observation area.  

The focus of this trip may be birds, but there are a host of opportunities for landscapes and more.  We will provide details on equipment suggestions and specific plans to the registrants.  You can bet a trip to Big Bob Gibson's famouse BBQ will happen too.

Here are some hotel options as well:  

Hampton Inn https://www.hilton.com

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Decatur Riverfront on Google Maps  https://maps.app.goo.gl/Uz2z9tvBv1zwazoc8

Comfort Inn  https://maps.app.goo.gl/BwcQQdB1Q8UaNgRr5

Best Western  https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US/book/hotel-search.html