I bought tickets to see the Dixie Chicks in Birmingham, England.

On purpose.

That two-word clarification proved necessary in the months before my overseas excursion. Some people were mystified, but my explanation was simple. Two of my greatest regrets are giving away a pair of Dixie Chicks tickets and not studying abroad in college. This was an opportunity to right those errors.

Besides, I'm too detail-oriented to make that mistake, I thought. But while I was in Brum, as they call it, a British couple drew attention for booking their Vegas trip from the wrong Birmingham.

Tonight, Richella Heekin and Ben Marlow begin a 36-hour stay in the Southern Birmingham. I can only hope they're as delighted by our city as I was theirs during a similar whirlwind trip.

GETTING THERE

I've long wanted to visit my hometown's namesake. I'd been told there wasn't much to see, but my curiosity outweighed that advice. After all, one of the people who said that is my own sister, who fled the South as quickly as she could. We clearly have different ideas about place.

When I bought the pair of concert tickets, I wasn't certain I'd actually make the trip. But two of my college roommates were quick to jump onboard, admittedly drawn more by London than a day trip to the West Midlands. Motivation didn't matter, though. We were on our way.

This excursion was filled with firsts: My first time flying first class, first European trip and, on the way to Birmingham, my first train trip. It's an easy ride from London, where we spent most of our spring vacation. The trip from London's Euston Station to Birmingham's New Street station took about two hours, and it was everything we hoped. We spent the ride gazing out at the English countryside, wondering what the fields of yellow were (the unfortunately named rapeseed, also known as canola) and admiring rolling hills and sheep. We were a trio of American tourists, and I'll admit it didn't take much to please us.

Tickets will vary based on your seating selection, day and time, but our round-trip excursion cost 20 pounds each. That's about $25.95 in American dollars.

GETTING AROUND

Birmingham's New Street Station is centrally located, making for an easy walk from the train to many area attractions. The British Birmingham is home to many more people than Alabama's, with more than 1 million people in city limits. But everything we visited was within a mile-and-a-half. Uber is also readily available. There's also a bus system, but we didn't try it.

SITES TO SEE

I expected an industrial city; after all, we're named after Birmingham because of shared manufacturing and iron history. But that industry has declined since the 1970s, and now service is among the city's economic draws. It's also a top research center, and home to one of the country's largest shopping malls.

If shopping's your thing--as was the case for one of our group--leave the station and walk directly to that mall, Bullring Shopping Centre. It's immediately adjacent to the train station and includes more than 160 shops. (Our shopper was delighted to realize Burberry styles are available in England before the States, making for a memorable souvenir.)

History and literature grab my attention, and so two of us set out for the Library of Birmingham. The three-quarter mile walk took us through Victoria Square, named for Queen Victoria 12 days before her death. Town Hall and the Council House frame the pedestrian square, and we were taken by the architecture.

Those late 19th-century buildings stand in contrast to the Library of Birmingham, which opened in 2013. The postmodern building is not only a sizable library, but also one of Europe's largest public cultural spaces.

Its exterior is jaw dropping, but you know the saying "it's what's inside that counts"? It applies.

I can't recall who suggested I visit the library, but I'll be eternally grateful. It houses the Shakespeare Memorial Room, which was originally designed in the late 1800s and has been moved from library to library since. Ornate wood surrounds one of the world's most important Shakespeare collections. The bard lived 30 miles away in Stratford-upon-Avon, and more than 43,000 copies of his work reside here. We take pride in our Southern and especially Alabamian authors; Brummies similarly have reason to boast.

We visited days after the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death, and the library celebrated with an additional exhibit of Shakespeare memorabilia. That included a copy of the First Folio, printed in 1623. It cost no more than a pound at that time. In 2001, a copy sold at auction for 3.73 million pounds.

The exhibition closes Sept. 3, and you can find future exhibit listings at the library's website. The memorial room remains open year round. While you're at the library, stop by the seventh-floor Secret Garden for a view of the city.

After checking in at our AirBNB in the city's nearby jewellery quarter, dinner beckoned. We walked to The Red Lion for traditional fish and chips. Throughout the trip I had to laugh, repeatedly, at the similarities between Brum and our 'ham. The Red Lion is a popular name--we have one in Homewood--but I didn't expect the letters UAB to adorn the pub's exterior. In this case, it stands for Urban Art Bar, and the bar includes an art gallery. The space is casual and cozy, with low seating and an atmosphere that invites relaxation. We also split a braised shoulder of lamb and ordered a couple of beers from a smaller but respectable list.

After dinner, it was time for the show. The Dixie Chicks were the impetus for our Birmingham trip, but the city offers plenty of cultural options regardless of when you visit. You'll find large-scale productions at the 15,000-seat Barclayard Arena, where we saw the Chicks. Town Hall and Symphony Hall host a variety of concerts, including the renowned City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery is also nearby, and you can take in performance art at the Birmingham Hippodrome. If we'd had more time, I would have liked a walk along the canals.

Instead, we concluded our Birmingham trip with a visit to Urban Coffee Company in the jewellery quarter. We're regulars at Birmingham, Alabama's Urban Standard, so this was a must-visit coffeehouse. It served some of the best coffee we had in the country, good enough that I took a second cup for the train ride back. Breakfast was also delicious; I enjoyed smashed avocado with salmon, and I've thought of it often since.

WHEN CAN I RETURN?

When Richella and Ben booked a flight out of the wrong Birmingham, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson booked the couple a flight from Manchester to Vegas and dismissed our city. "Manchester is a lot better than Birmingham, Alabama."

That comment prompted folks in Alabama to bring the couple to our city, and I hope they'll draw the same conclusions as at least one Huffington Post travel writer.

That attitude, though, is one of many parallels between our cities. Brum, too, grew up around industry and has made its way with science, technology and research. Like Alabama's largest city, Brum is too often dismissed. Few people understood why I would make it part of my British vacation. But after 24 hours in this diverse and culturally rich city, I'm eager for a return trip.

DETAILS

Headed to the other Birmingham? Here's a map of several of the sites I visited and others on my wish list.