Oneonta, Blount County

On September 11, 2008 I attended a meeting in Oneonta, Alabama in Blount County. The trip to Oneonta provided the opportunity to check out the ‘famed’ covered bridges of Blount County. (http://www.800alabama.com/things-to-do/tours-trails/covered-bridge/) We visited three covered bridges: Swann Covered Bridge (324 feet long; built in 1933), Old Easley Covered Bridge (95 feet/1930), and the Horton Mill Bridge (one of the highest covered bridges in the nation at 70’ and built in 1935). I was very impressed with all of the bridges, and the view and adjacent recreation area near Swann Covered Bridge was amazing.

I love bridges, all bridges, always have, and covered bridges are extra special. I did ask the question: “Why are they covered?” So I looked it up and it turns out that the covering is meant to protect the wood used in the bridge from the elements. By simply covering it and adding some siding, the lifespan of a bridge can be expanded from 8 years to 80 years.

Eats: We dined at the Top Hat BBQ in Blount Springs; not too far off of I-65. The motto: “41 years, three generations, 1 sauce” was a good start. The pulled pork was very tasty while the side items were average. Top Hat is part of the Southern Barbecue trail (linked on this page) and i've heard the catfish is very good as well. The pulled pork was definitely worth the stop.

Ashville, Alabama St. Clair County

On September 2nd of 2008 I drove up to the county seat of Ashville in St. Clair County for a quick meeting with the County mapper. St. Clair County is a tale of two counties, and it has two county seats to boot (the other being Pell City). The southern portion of the county is in the I-20 corridor and is one of the fastest growing counties in the state and is part of the the Birmingham metro area. The northern portion of the county is much more rural. Natural Beauty and rocky foothills abound in the northern part of the county. Known by many climbing enthusiasts as the premier bouldering site in the American Southeast, Horse Pens 40 sits atop Alabama's 3rd Highest peak, Chandler Mountain (http://www.hp40.com/). St. Clair County was founded before Alabama became a state in 1818 so it is rich in history as well. Logan Martin Lake is also mainly located in St. Clair County along the Coosa River.

For many Ashville is the weird intersection along 231 that you have to make a few odd turns to be on your way. As for eating, the town of Ashville had a few choices that seemed interesting, but none on the town square. I settled on an unsightly looking barbecue joint on the opposite side of I-59 from the town called Shaw's Barbecue. The food was excellent and maintain that the green beans might be the very best I've eaten. The barbecue sandwich was good as well and very good customer service and great local clientele. I highly recommend this stop if ever passing through Ashville on I-59.

Dadeville, Tallapoosa County

Tallapoosa County (http://www.tallaco.com/) is located along the US 280 corridor between Birmingham and Auburn and sits along the shores of beautiful Lake Martin. In addition to Lake Martin, there are several interesting sights in the County including Horseshoe Bend National Military Park (http://www.nps.gov/hobe/). In 1814, Andrew Jackson let an army of over 3000 to route the Creek Indians along the Tallapoosa River. Over 800 Creek Indians lost their lives defending their homeland that day in a battle that quickly led the Upper Creek Tribe to cede over 20 million acres of their land to the U.S. in which the State of Alabama was carved out of. The recognition from this battle and the Battle of New Orleans were very influential in Andrew Jackson's rise to President in 1829.

Dadeville is the county seat of Tallapoosa County (though Alexander City is much larger) and the location of a meeting I attended in early 2008. The locals recommended the Home Plate Cafe, a meat and three, sports themed restaurant a couple blocks off the town square. Home Plate offered a warm friendly atmosphere in a converted fast food building. The food was good, but not spectacular. The restaurant offers several choices of meats and vegetables on a rotating basis and was packed with locals, always a good sign.

One other note: Chimney Rock (pictured) is an incredible location within Lake Martin for jumping off of very high cliffs (yes I have done this, twice!). Former Auburn Head Coach Terry Bowden broke his ribs making this jump.

Centre, Cherokee County; Weiss Lake and Beyond

I've had a couple of occasions to venture to Cherokee County in northeast Alabama to the town of Centre. Centre is the jumping off point to Weiss Lake along the Coosa River. Weiss Lake is known nationwide as the "Crappie Fishing Capital of the World." Weiss Dam in fact is located just outside of Centre. Feeding into Weiss Lake is Little River, which forms one of the deepest canyons in the southeast in a stunning area of natural beauty. The area is so special in fact that the National Park Service created Little River Canyon National Preserve in 1992. For more information on the park see the following link: http://www.nps.gov/archive/liri/home/home.htm. This might be my favorite natural area in a state of beauty. The waterfalls, trails, and the river itself are all amazing.

As far as dining options go, when I was in town the second time, I asked for a local downtown option and was pointed just off of the main street through downtown to "Bar-B-Que Place and More." The local recommendation was to try the burgers, steaks, salads, or chicken and to not get the bar-b-que which I found to be interesting for obvious reasons. However, I went with the local advice and ordered a burger with a salad and was not disappointed. The food was good and the service was friendly. One word of warning: CASH ONLY!. I had to make an ATM run to the downtown Regions AFTER I ordered my meal...Shame on me. Downtown Centre is nice, with my only complaint being the lack of restaurants. All in all, Cherokee County has an abundance of natural beauty and is well worth exploring.

Livingston, Alabama (Sumter County)

In late 2007, I had the pleasure of attending a meeting at the Ruby Pickens Tartt Public Library in downtown Livingston. Livingston (http://www.ci.livingston.al.us/) is located just off of I-20/59 between Tuscaloosa and Meridian. It is home to the University of West Alabama which was founded in the mid 1800's and has a current enrollment of around 4,000 students. Livingston was a real surprise to me. Having driven to Mississippi to visit family my entire life, I had never gotten off to explore this area. The downtown area is very scenic with a large supply of old stately homes and historic buildings. There was a real progressive feel to the City probably due to the presence of the college and the Interstate. We were treated to homemade desserts from the Mennonite bakery, Touch of Home, which was very good. Touch of Home offers the best hot lunch in Livingston with different entrees each day of the week. A real treat and worth the short drive from the Interstate. For fans of covered bridges (yes, that includes me) check out the covered bridge on the campus of UWA (pictured here).

Butler, Alabama (Choctaw County)

In the Fall of 2007, I attended a meeting in the rural West Alabama town of Butler in Choctaw County. Choctaw County sits along the Mississippi border near Meridian, MS. The town itself is relatively uneventful. The locals at our meeting advised us to head east on Alabama Highway 10 to the legendary Ezell's Fish Camp in the town of Lavaca, AL. Ezell's sits on the banks of the Tombigbee River and serves up fresh from the river catfish. Catfish in multiple shapes and sizes is the order of the day, but fried catfish is what to get. Also, the cole slaw is very good. A very unique setting along the river is only enhanced by the 200 year old wooden structure that the restaurant is located within. If you love catfish, this would be worth a detour off of I-20/59 on your way between Tuscaloosa and Jackson, MS. Also be sure to take a gander at the 'Swamp Monkey' stuffed behind the cash register.

Prattville, Autauga County

I have made numerous trips to Prattville (county seat of Autauga County) over the last couple of years. I must say that, 'the preferred community' has a lot of appeal to me. Starting with the historic downtown district on the banks of Autauga Creek at Pratt Dam. Prattville has a unique downtown by southern standards in that it does not boast of the traditional southern 'town square'. Instead, Founder Daniel Pratt (a native of New Hampshire) set up the town in a more New England style layout. The land was first settled in the 1830's around Pratt's visionary industrialist goals. A good website devoted to the history of Prattville: (http://www.pratthistory.com/index.htm).

In recent years Prattville has grown and thrived as a progressive city with a unique identity in the shadows of Montgomery. The historic district has experienced revitalization in the last decade and special emphasis has been placed on the natural beauty of Autauga Creek complete with a Creek Walk that is due for completion in Spring 2009. Prattville is truly a rare work/live/play community.

As for dining options, there are several that are on my list to try in coming visits. My favorite to date is Fat Boy's Barbecue just outside of the historic district. As a lover of all things water, the setting on the banks of Autauga Creek is perfect. The barbecue offerings are traditional southern with plate lunches, sandwiches, and more. I am a big fan of the plate lunch (with banana pudding of course). For more information: (http://www.fatboysbarbqueranch.com/)

Prattville is also home of one of the best golf courses in Alabama in the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail's Capital Ridge. The Judge layout maybe the best round of golf in the State.

Athens, Limestone County

In July of 2008, we had a meeting on the town square of Athens, Alabama in extreme northern Alabama. Downtown Athens is one of the quintessential small town downtown areas in all of Alabama. Athens has a population of around 20,000 and its proximity to I-65 and Huntsville has made Athens a thriving community. Athens was incorporated in 1818, making it one of the oldest cities in Alabama. In May of 2008, Southern Living featured a small Tex-Mex restaurant on the town square named Tortillas Blanco (http://www.tortillasblanco.com/). After reading the article, I had penciled in TB for my next trip to Athens. It did not disappoint at all from the warm welcome, the good food, and the AMAZING chips. The chips are actually commercially available at several locations in the area. The Nachos Blanco are a heaping pile of goodness and the standard burritos are also a good choice. The chips and tortillas are made fresh daily.

Moulton, Lawrence County

In late 2006, I attended a meeting in the City of Moulton. Moulton is the county seat of Lawrence County and is located in North Alabama. Along the way to Moulton from I-65 is a unique destination in the small town of Oakville. This is the Jesse Owens Memorial Park dedicated to one of America's greatest Olympians. Owens won 4 gold medals in the 1936 Berlin Olympics in Track and Field. The park is dedicated to his life and accomplishments (http://www.jesseowensmuseum.org/).
We dined at the best barbecue joint in Moulton, John's Barbecue. Located in an old wooden house, and a real treat for Bama football fans (massive amounts of memorabilia), John's serves up traditional southern pork barbecue and tasty side dishes.

Monroeville, Mockingbird Country

In April of 2008, I attended a meeting in Monroeville, AL; the county seat of Monroe County. Monroeville is most famous for its To Kill a Mockingbird legacy. Monroeville is the hometown of To Kill a Mockingbird author Harper Lee, as well as her childhood neighbor Truman Capote. Capote penned at least 20 literary works that made it to film or TV including 1958's Breakfast at Tiffany's. It is estimated that 30,000 people journey to Monroeville due to its strong literary heritage every year. In 1997, the Alabama legislature named Monroeville, "The literary capital of Alabama." For more on Monroeville, http://www.villageprofile.com/alabama/monroeville/index.html.

The courthouse in the town square is the centerpiece of town. Constructed in 1903, it contains the Monroe County Heritage Museum as well as a statue dedicated to the fictional Atticus Finch.

As far as dining goes, we were sent to (fittingly enough) the Mockingbird Grill just off the town square. The Mockingbird Grill was packed full of people coming in for the southern style buffet lunch. It was a good solid buffet with several choices, but not so overwhelming that the quality of the food suffers. I would definitely dine here again if in the area. We were also told that David's Catfish was a good bet...maybe next time.

Clanton, Alabama Chilton County

As I scheduled a trip to Clanton in early 2008, I immediately had visions of peaches dancing in my head. Having driven past the giant peach water tower immediately off of I-65 for years, I always wondered just how good the peaches were. There was a great article in Southern Living magazine (linked in favorite links) that featured the best exits off of I-65. The featured stop in Clanton off of exit 205 was the peach park (http://www.peachpk.com/) . This place features large grounds with swings, waterfalls, an open air vegetable market and of course, peaches. I assumed the peaches would be good, but was very pleasantly surprised at how good the barbecue was. I recommend the barbecue with a bowl of fruit on the side. The fruit bar features fresh fruits of a varieties and as expected the peaches were outstanding. The only negative I had was that I was a disappointed with the peach cobbler. I think it is so massed produced that it loses a little in translation. Overall, I agree with Southern Living. Good stuff.

Welcome to Taste of Alabama

I never thought I would start a blog and often maligned those addicted to such antics, but after a couple of years of extensive travel throughout the State, one of my co-workers suggested that it would be a good idea to document my journeys. He always thought it was funny when a random, middle of nowhere town was mentioned and I immediately had an anecdote about the location or a suggestion on where to eat. I hope this blog will serve to help others in their journeys in the State of Alabama and I also hope to learn more from your suggestions and comments. I have been documenting my journeys for the past couple of years and the goal is to slowly post those events until I can get up to date and then to post comments/reviews on a 'as they happen' basis. Thanks for your interest and enjoy!