OFF THE BEATEN PATH® ALABAMA

The Plains

On your way to “The Plains” (home of Auburn University) in the historic Chattahoochee Trace’s upper section, you might want to strike out east to Tuskegee. Stop by the Tuskegee Human & Civil Rights Multicultural Center (334-724-0800), which also serves as a welcome center. Located in a former bank building at 104 South Elm Street, the facility houses exhibits on the history of Macon County, including one on the Tuskegee Syphilis Study and local civil rights activities. Here, you can pick up tourist information. The staff will answer your questions and suggest nearby off-the-beaten-path spots to visit. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free.

Next make your way to West Montgomery Road and Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site (334-727-3200), where even peanut-butter buffs will be amazed to learn about the peanut’s potential. The Carver Museum pays tribute to the creative genius of the agronomist, artist, and inventor who helped change the course of Southern agriculture. George Washington Carver’s agricultural experiments with peanuts, pecans, sweet potatoes, and cotton resulted in a more educated approach to farming—not to mention hundreds of new products, many featured among the museum’s exhibits. You’ll also see some of Carver’s artwork and a model of the first lab he used to launch research that resulted in the transformation of sweet potatoes into after-dinner mints, a coffee substitute, lemon drops, starch, synthetic ginger, tapioca, library paste, medicine, writing ink, and a multitude of other items. As for the multipurpose peanut, the legendary scientist’s list of possible uses ranges from beverages, foods, cosmetics, dyes, and medicines to diesel fuel, laundry soap, and insecticide. Before you leave the museum, be sure to visit the gift section. I bought a copy of a booklet (first published in June 1925) entitled How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing It for Human Consumption, containing recipes from peanut bisque to peanut pudding. Museum admission is free. Except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day, the museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Later take a campus stroll to see some of the handmade brick buildings, which students constructed during the institute’s early years. You’ll also want to tour The Oaks at 905 W. Montgomery Road, home of Booker T. Washington, who served as first president of Tuskegee Institute, which was founded in 1881. The home is furnished as it was during the time the Washington family lived there. Admission is free. Tours are available. Call (334) 727-3200 for information. Head north to the “land where turtles live”—a former Creek Indian settlement called Loachapoka that once also thrived as a stagecoach junction. Seven miles west of Auburn on State Route 14, you’ll find the Loachapoka Historic District, which features several structures dating from the decade 1840 to 1850. The Lee County Historical Society Museum (334-887-3007, leecountyhistoricalsociety.com), housed in the old Trade Center building at 6500 Stage Road, contains items ranging from a unique hand-carved cedar rocking chair and an 1840s accounting desk to an oak map case, an antique medical bag, and a punch bowl and dipper made from gourds.

The Intrepid Tuskegee Airmen

During the early 1940s, Moton Field served as the training grounds for the Tuskegee Airmen, who overcame formidable odds to serve their country with bravery and distinction in a segregated America. As escorts to World War II bombing missions in North Africa and Southern Europe, these African-American aviators compiled an enviable combat record and ranked among the military’s best pilots. The 332nd Fighter Group never lost a bomber to enemy fighters while escorting the 15th Air Force on bombing missions. Revered by American bomber crews (who called them the “Red-tail Angels” because of their aircrafts’ distinctive markings), these flying heroes also commanded the respect of the German Luftwaffe.

At the US Air Force Academy, the Tuskegee Airmen statue acknowledges their extraordinary contribution: “They rose from adversity through competence, courage, commitment, and capacity to serve America on silver wings, and to set a standard few will transcend.”

Lending her support to Tuskegee Institute’s civilian pilot training program, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt visited here in March 1941. She requested to be taken on a flight by Charles Alfred “Chief” Anderson, who inspired the founding of Tuskegee’s School of Aviation, and newspapers across the country carried a photo of this unprecedented event.

The Tuskegee group’s achievements represent a turning point in the role of African-Americans in the US military and factored into President Harry S. Truman’s signing Executive Order 9981 in 1948, setting the stage for the military’s desegregation and later the Civil Rights Movement.

In 1998, Congress designated the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site as a unit of the National Park System. Along with the remaining hangar, visitors can see the airfield taxiway, control tower, reservoir, gasoline pits, and fuel storage facilities from the World War II era. The modest airport terminal also features exhibits of photos that chronicle the history of Black aviation and the Tuskegee Airmen.

The National Park Service Visitor Center is located on the outskirts of Tuskegee at 1616 Chappie James Avenue. Except for major holidays, the site is open Saturday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Free admission. To reach the “Home of Black Aviation,” take exit 38 off I-85. For more information call (334) 724-0922 or visit nps.gov/tuai.

Upstairs, rooms with individual themes feature vintage costumes such as an 1877 wedding dress, an exhibit on Ella Smith’s Roanoke doll creations, antique quilts, and a melodeon. Other displays include military uniforms and equipment, kitchen utensils and gadgets, and an almost complete section of Auburn annuals that date to the 1890s.

On the grounds you’ll see a steam-powered cotton gin, gristmill, working blacksmith shop, bandstand, doctor’s buggy, and dogtrot cabin (moved here from rural Tallapoosa County and reconstructed). If you visit in October, don’t miss the Historical Fair and Ruritan’s Syrup Sopping in Loachapoka. Folks at this event, harking back to yesteryear, demonstrate the entire process of converting sugar cane into syrup—from cane crushing by mule-drawn press to syrup sampling on homemade sweet potato biscuits (sometimes called “cat head biscuits” because of their large size). For information on making an appointment to see the museum, call the Auburn-Opelika Tourism Bureau at (866) 880-8747 or (334) 887-8747, stop by at 714 Glenn Avenue, or visit aotourism.com.

Afterward continue east to “sweet Auburn, loveliest village of the plain.” This line from Oliver Goldsmith’s poem “The Deserted Village” inspired the university town’s name. Founded by the Alabama Methodist Conference in 1856, the school later became a land-grant institution. (Incidentally, if you enter Auburn by way of I-85, a trail of big orange tiger paws takes you all the way to the university campus.)

Start your tour of the Auburn University Historic District at Toomer’s Corner, a busy intersection that gets layered so deeply with toilet tissue after each Tiger victory that sometimes vehicles cannot pass through for an hour or two while a celebration takes place. (Auburn is the only city in the world to have a line item in the city budget for the removal of toilet paper.) Toomer’s Corner is named in honor of former state senator Sheldon “Shell” Toomer, a halfback on Alabama’s first football team in 1892. Local lore says that the tradition of papering Toomer’s Corner can be traced back to the days when Toomer’s Drugs had the only handy telegraph for fast (in those days) news delivery. When Auburn played away games, fans would wait to hear results from the drugstore telegraph. If the team won, the ticker tape would be thrown on power lines in celebration.

Before embarking on your campus trek, you might like to step into Toomer’s Drugstore (334-887-3488; toomersdrugs.com), a local landmark at 100 North College Street, to see the antique marble soda fountain and to order a lemonade. Shell Toomer established the store in 1896. Hours are Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. This section of campus features several buildings that date from the 1850s to the early 1900s. You’ll see the Gothic revival University Chapel, Langdon Hall, and Samford Hall. The latter, a four-story brick structure of Italianate design, dates to 1888 and stands on the site of Old Main, a building that burned the year before.

Alabama Shakespeare Festival,
Montgomery

First White House of the Confederacy,
Montgomery

The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Art,
Auburn

Landmark Park,
Dothan

Lovelace Athletic Museum and Hall of Honor,
Auburn

Old Alabama Town,
Montgomery

Pioneer Museum of Alabama,
Troy

Rosa Parks Library and Museum,
Montgomery

State Capitol,
Montgomery

Town of Eufaula

Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site,
Tuskegee

US Army Aviation Museum,
Fort Rucker

To explore a tucked-away corner on campus, search out the Donald E. Davis Arboretum, with pavilion, lake, and some 200 labeled botanical specimens ranging from red Japanese maples and chinquapin oaks to Southern magnolias and chinaberry trees. The 13.5-acre arboretum is open daily from sunrise to sunset. Restrooms are located on the east side of the pavilion.

Don’t miss the Lovelace Athletic Museum and Hall of Honor (334-844-4750), located at the corner of Samford and Donahue in the Athletic Complex when it reopens in 2010 after major renovations. Honoring Auburn’s athletes, the museum recognizes such athletes as Heisman Trophy winner and football/baseball hero Bo Jackson, NBA star Charles Barkley, star baseball player Frank Thomas, Heisman Trophy winner/coach Pat Sullivan, and legendary coaches Pat Dye and Shug Jordan. Check out auburntigers.com to see some Auburn legends and keep up with the renovation project.

To visit a jewel of a museum, head to 901 South College Street. Here you’ll find The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Art (334-844-1484) overlooking a three-acre lake. Constructed of travertine stone from Italy, the handsome facility features eight exhibition galleries, a museum shop, an auditorium, and a cafe. On entering, you’ll see a stunning glass chandelier created for the vaulted rotunda by internationally known glass artist Dale Chihuly.

Other treasures include one of the world’s largest collections of Victorian Belleek porcelain, outstanding Tibetan bronzes, and more than 100 of Audubon’s most acclaimed prints. But the big story here centers on a collection of 36 paintings and drawings that had remained homeless for more than half a century.

Originally assembled by the US State Department in 1946, the collection features works by John Marin, Georgia O’Keeffe, Ben Shahn, Arthur Dove, Ralston Crawford, Yasuo Kuniyoski, and others. Because of its abstract nature and the political leanings of a few of the artists, the traveling exhibit met with so much criticism on the home front that it was recalled, stored, and labeled government “surplus property,” thus allowing tax-supported institutions like Auburn to receive a 95 percent discount when the collection was subsequently offered at auction. An Auburn professor with foresight, Frank Applebee, spearheaded “the art bargain of the century” when he persuaded art department instructors to pool their yearly salary increase and enter the announced auction. As a result, Auburn University’s Advancing American Art Collection was acquired in 1948 for an unthinkable $1,072. Experts call this body of works, now valued somewhere between $7 and $10 million, one of the most important collections of American art from the post–World War II era.

After viewing the exhibits, take time to enjoy the museum’s botanical gardens with walking paths. The Museum Cafe is a great place to relax and recharge. The menu changes weekly and specials are posted on the website. A favorite is the delicious crab bisque and the fried goat cheese salad with grapes and pecans. The cafe is open for lunch Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and for dinner on Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m.

Bridge Crossing Jubilee

Selma, first full weekend in March

(334) 526-2626

bcjubilee.org

Rattlesnake Rodeo

Opp, first Saturday and Sunday in April

(334) 493-4572 or (800) 239-8054

cityofopp.com

Azalea-Dogwood Trail and Festival

Dothan, late March or early April

(334) 615-3000

Auburn Floral Trail

Auburn, late March or early April

(334) 501-3085

Spring Pilgrimage

Eufaula, first weekend in April

(888) 383-2852

eufaulapilgrimage.com

A-Day Football Game

Auburn, April

(334) 844-4040 or (800) AUB-1957

Auburn CityFest

Auburn, April

(334) 501-2936

auburncityfest.com

On the Tracks Food & Wine Festival

Opelika, October

(334) 745-0466

onthetracks.org

Historical Fair and Ruritan’s Syrup Sopping in Loachapoka

Loachapoka, October

syrupsopping.com

Alabama Coastal BirdFest

Fairhope, October

alabamacoastalbirdfest.com

National Peanut Festival

Dothan, November

(334) 793-4323 or (888) 449-0212

nationalpeanutfestival.com

Museum hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. On Thursday nights, hours are extended to 8 p.m. Free admission. For more information, click on jcsm.auburn.edu.

While in Auburn consider headquartering at Crenshaw Guest House (334-821-1131 or 800-950-1131), 2 blocks north of Toomer’s Corner. Shaded by giant oak and pecan trees, this blue Victorian gingerbread–style house stands at 371 North College Street in Auburn’s Old Main and Church Street Historic District. Owners Lynn and George Postell, who furnished the two-story 1890 home with lovely antiques, offer five units for overnight guests. The Postells wanted to start a small family business and purchased the house in July 2008 knowing it is a lovely bed-and-breakfast facility. The Crenshaw also offers two guest cottages on the property—the Coach Dye Cottage with two bedrooms and two baths, and the Thach Cottage with a loft and bedroom. Guests receive a bountiful hot breakfast. See crenshawguesthouse.com. Standard to moderate rates.

While in the area, golfers will want to tee off at Auburn Links at Mill Creek (334-887-5151, auburnlinksgolf.com), a $5 million facility that occupies 274 acres located about 3 miles south of town near the intersection of US 29 and I-85 at exit 51 at 826 Shell Toomer Parkway. (The 18th hole’s sand traps form a giant tiger paw print.)

Auburn’s sister city, Opelika, makes a good place to continue your area exploration. In Opelika’s “olden days,” passengers traveling through by train sometimes saw shootouts across the railroad tracks. Fortunately, today’s visitors don’t have to dodge stray bullets, so you can relax as you explore the Railroad Avenue Historic District.

As a result of Opelika’s participation in Alabama’s Main Street program (a project of the National Trust for Historic Preservation), many once-forgotten structures have been rescued and reincarnated as charming shops such as Easterday Antiques at 805 South Railroad Avenue. Helen Easter-day, who’s been called “the quintessential town person,” and her husband, Kenneth, have embraced the local downtown revitalization program to the point of converting the enormous upper level of their shop into a wonderful home. Mrs. Easterday’s passion for art may be observed in the exquisite antique furnishings, oriental rugs, paintings, and accessories displayed in her shop. The shop is open 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Appointments are suggested. For more information or an appointment, call (334) 749-6407 or visit easterdayantiques.com.

After your Railroad Avenue stroll, head to The Museum of East Alabama (334-749-2751; eastalabama.org), located nearby at 121 South Ninth Street. Here you’ll see a dugout canoe of white cypress that dates back as far as 3,500 BC, as well as glass milk bottles, baby bonnets, Shirley Temple and Roanoke dolls, toys, collections of vintage typewriters, pianos, farm implements, war memorabilia, and surgical instruments. Notice the interesting foot X-ray machine (typical of those once used in shoe stores) and the bicycle-propelled ice-cream cart. The museum’s collection also includes an early-20th-century kitchen and a full-size fire truck. Hours are 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Admission is free.

Looking to the right as you exit the museum, you’ll see the lofty clock tower of the Lee County Courthouse, a half block away. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the handsome, white-columned, two-story brick structure dates to 1896 and features marble floors and decorative arched windows.

Take time to drive around a bit to see Opelika’s lovely homes, which exemplify a wide range of architectural styles. While in the area, golfers will enjoy playing the Grand National, one of Alabama’s fine courses on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at 3000 Robert Trent Jones Trail. For more information on this award-winning course, built on 1,300 acres encompassing a 650-acre lake, call (334) 749-9042 or (800) 949-4444 or visit rtjgolf.com/grandnational.

Chattahoochee Trace

After touring War Eagle country, continue south toward Eufaula, sometimes called the “Natchez of Alabama.” You may want to make your base at lovely Lakepoint Resort (334-687-8011 or 800-544-5253; alapark.com/lakepointresort), about 7 miles north of town just off US 431 at 104 Old Highway 165. Located on the shores of Lake Eufaula (also known as Lake George), this complex offers accommodations ranging from campsites, cabins, and cottages to resort rooms and suites along with a restaurant, coffee shop, lounge, and gift shop. Recreation options include swimming, golfing, tennis, hiking, picnicking, biking, waterskiing, and boating—not to mention fishing in a 45,200-acre lake known as the Big Bass Capital of the World. Room rates are standard.

Continue to Eufaula, a city filled with multiple versions of the perfect Southern mansion. Located on a bluff above the Chattahoochee River, Eufaula boasts the state’s second-largest historic district and offers a feast for architecture aficionados. During the Eufaula Pilgrimage, an annual event that takes place the first full weekend in April, visitors can enjoy home tours, antiques shows, concerts, and other festivities. For more information, contact the Eufaula Heritage Association at (888) 383-2852 or go to eufaulapilgrimage.com.

Stop by the Hart House (334-687-9755) at 211 North Eufaula Avenue, an 1850 Greek revival structure that serves as headquarters for the Historic Chattahoochee Commission. Here you can pick up visitors information about the Trace, a river corridor running through portions of Alabama and Georgia. Throughout this bistate region, travelers will discover a wealth of historic sites, natural attractions, and recreation facilities. Except for holidays, the Hart House may be visited from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Continue to Shorter Mansion (334-687-3793 or 888-383-2852) at 340 North Eufaula Avenue. This elegant structure dates to 1884 and features 17 Corinthian-capped columns and an elaborate frieze of molded acanthus leaves and scrolls beneath its lofty balustraded roof. Be sure to notice the front door’s beveled leaded glass and the entrance hall’s parquet floor and molded plaster cornices. This Neoclassical revival mansion, furnished in fine Victorian period pieces, houses the Eufaula Historical Museum and serves as headquarters for the Eufaula Heritage Association.

One upstairs room contains portraits of six state governors who were either born in or later lived in Barbour County. Another upstairs room pays tribute to retired Adm. Thomas H. Moorer, a Eufaula native who served two terms as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Displays include Admiral Moorer’s portrait, uniform, awards, and mementos from his naval career.

You’ll also see Waterford crystal and cut-glass chandeliers, antiques, Confederate relics, period wedding dresses, Alabama memorabilia, and decorative arts. You may browse through the mansion at your leisure or take a guided tour. Admission: adults $5, children (ages 3 to 12) $3. Except for major holidays, the home is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Before leaving Eufaula be sure to visit Fendall Hall (334-687-8469), at 917 West Barbour Street. Built between 1856 and 1860, the home features stenciled walls and ceilings painted by a 19th-century Italian artist, and the original decor with high Victorian colors remains relatively unchanged. Also noteworthy are the entrance hall’s striking black-and-white marble floor and the home’s early plumbing system, supplied by attic cisterns. Rumor has it that a ghost named Sammy makes his presence known here from time to time. Currently the house is open for tours Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. and the first Saturday of the month. Admission: adults $5; college students, senior citizens and military $4; children (ages 6 to 18) $3.

After touring this town of lovely mansions, head to Clayton, a small town with some unique attractions, such as the Octagon House at 103 North Midway Street. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this unusual structure, also known as the Petty-Roberts-Beatty House, is the state’s sole surviving antebellum octagonal house. The ground floor served as the original kitchen (and also as the setting for a mystery, The Rusty Key, written by one of the home’s owners). Four chimneys extending above the cupola enclose the staircase of this eight-sided structure. The first floor features four main rooms, two small rooms, and two halls that open to the surrounding porch. To arrange a tour call (334) 775-3254. Modest admission.

At nearby Clayton Baptist Church Cemetery (also on North Midway Street), you’ll find the Whiskey Bottle Tombstone, once featured on Ripley’s Believe It or Not! television show. The bottle-shaped headstone and foot-stone, which mark the final resting place of William T. Mullen (1834–1863), still contain their original removable stone stoppers. Such a memorial obviously tells a story, and the story behind the stone goes something like this: Mr. Mullen, a local accountant, acquired a reputation as a heavy drinker. His wife, Mary, a devout teetotaler, threatened that if he drank himself to death, she would let the world know by erecting an appropriate memorial. The Whiskey Bottle Tombstone testifies that she kept her promise.

Wiregrass Region

Continuing south along the Chattahoochee Trace takes you to Dothan, in the state’s southeastern corner. Here, in a region called the Wiregrass, early settlers battled the odds to cultivate this large stretch of land once completely covered by clumps of stiff, dry grass growing under longleaf pines. To learn more about the Wiregrass region’s roots, stop by Landmark Park (334-794-3452; landmarkpark.com), in Dothan on US 431, about 3 miles north of Ross Clark Circle at 430 Landmark Drive. At this living-history farmstead, you may be greeted by sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, cows, and a mule. You’ll see a blacksmith shop, pioneer log cabin, smokehouse, cane-mill syrup shed, and other authentic outbuildings of an 1890s farm.

“We want to preserve the natural and cultural heritage of the Wiregrass region,” says William Holman, Landmark Park’s executive director, who calls the 100-acre park an outdoor classroom. The cozy clapboard farmhouse looks as if its occupants just stepped out to milk the cows and may return any minute. An apron hangs on a cupboard door, and a shaving mug and brush wait beside the washstand.

The park offers a full schedule of special events with demonstrations of seasonal farming activities, pioneer skills, and various crafts. In addition to the farmstead, you’ll see a country store, church, one-room schoolhouse, drugstore, gazebo, interpretive center, planetarium, nature trails, board-walks, beaver ponds, and picnic areas. Youngsters will especially enjoy the playground with its barnyard theme. Admission: adults $4, children (ages 3 to 12) $3. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Continue to downtown Dothan, the area’s major trade center. Proclaimed “Peanut Capital of the World,” this region produces one-fourth of the nation’s peanuts. Each fall Dothan stages the National Peanut Festival (334-793-4323; nationalpeanutfestival.com) with a full calendar of events, from demonstrations of square dance rounds by the Goober Gamboleers to a contest for prize-winning peanut recipes. Look for the large peanut sculptures, individually decorated and placed throughout town.

Across the street from the Civic Center, you’ll see the Wiregrass Museum of Art (334-794-3871; wiregrassmuseum.org) at 126 Museum Avenue. This three-level facility features a full schedule of rotating exhibits attractively displayed in various galleries. The museum contains a classroom/studio and a children’s hands-on gallery. Youngsters will find the activity area entertaining as well as educational. The museum’s hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is free, but donations are accepted.

First known as Poplar Head, Dothan took its present biblical name in 1885. Around that time, concerned citizens decided to tone down the town’s rowdy image and hired a marshal and deputies to enforce new laws designed to terminate the saloons’ regular Saturday-night brawls.

While driving around town, you’ll see local history depicted in colorful murals on various city buildings. The Mule Marker in Poplar Head Park pays tribute to the animal that played a major role in the Wiregrass region’s early development. Nearby at 115 North Saint Andrews Street, you’ll notice the impressive Dothan Opera House, a neoclassical revival structure that dates from 1915. Another downtown historic site, Porter Hardware (334-792-3158; ircusa.com/porter), at 136 East Main Street with its rolling ladders, still exudes the nostalgic flavor of its late-1800s origin.

Afterward head to nearby Ozark, home of the Claybank Church on East Andrews Avenue just off State Route 249. This 1852 log church with hand-split board shingles and original pews is open daily during daylight hours.

Carry on your exploration of the Wiregrass region with a visit to Enterprise and don’t miss the Boll Weevil Monument. Actually, you can’t miss this memorial because it stands in the middle of Main Street. And if you aren’t sure you’d recognize a boll weevil (a bug about a quarter-inch long with a snout half the length of its body), just watch for a statue of a woman clad in classic drapery who stands on an ornamented pedestal and holds a magnified version of the pest high above her head. A streetside plaque explains that in 1919 the citizens of Enterprise and Coffee County erected the statue in profound appreciation of the boll weevil and what it has done as the herald of prosperity. After the boll weevil demolished two-thirds of Coffee County’s cotton in 1915, local farmers started to diversify, planting other crops such as sugar cane, corn, hay, potatoes, and peanuts. Particularly suited to the Wiregrass, peanuts played a primary role in saving the local economy after the boll weevil’s destruction and soon became the region’s principal cash crop.

About half a block from the Boll Weevil Monument stands the venerable Rawls Hotel (334-308-9387) at 116 South Main Street. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the hotel dates to 1903 and makes a great headquarters while checking out the local sites. A hub for civic and social events until it closed in the early 1970s, the refurbished property once again lures travelers. In addition to several businesses, the hotel houses a fine dining restaurant, meeting rooms, tavern, and four handsome rooms and suites. The Rawls Restaurant offers farm-to-table cuisine with a contemporary Southern touch. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with dinner served Tuesday through Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m. Keep a lookout for the ghost of founder Japheth Rawls, who is said to walk the halls keeping an eye on his beloved hotel. Visit the website at rawlsbandb.com. Rates are standard to moderate.

Behind the hotel on Railroad Street, you’ll find the Pea River Historical Society Depot Museum at 106 Railroad Street . In railroad’s golden days, passengers simply stepped off a train here, and a short stroll took them to the Rawls. Today’s visitor can browse through the depot’s rooms and large freight area filled with historical artifacts. “Many of the arrow and spear points in the Indian Room were discovered by local farmers, while plowing their land,” said a volunteer.

History buffs can dip into more local lore at Pea River Genealogical Library (334-393-2901) at 108 South Main Street. A stroll along Main Street takes you past eateries like the Magnolia Room Cafe and antiques shops.

Before or after exploring downtown, stop by the Enterprise Welcome Center and Little Red Schoolhouse (complete with pot-bellied stove and slate boards) near the US 84 bypass.

At the Boll Weevil Soap Company, you’ll find Southern Belle, Camellia Flower, High Cotton, Gardener’s Love, Southern Romance, and other herbal products made by Rosemary Howell, a nurse by profession. Visit bwsoap.com, call (334) 393-7627, or stop by 600 Boll Weevil Circle, Suite 3, and make someone happy with a fine selection of soaps. The shop is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Golfers will want to play Tartan Pines, a challenging 18-hole course on the town’s west side. The facility, with a restaurant on the premises, opened in 2000 and offers club memberships but also welcomes the public.

Opp, in neighboring Covington County, hosts a unique annual event: the Rattlesnake Rodeo. This spring festival, scheduled the first full weekend in March, features the world’s only rattlesnake race along with arts and crafts (including several made from rattlesnake skins), a buck dancing contest, and programs on rattlesnake education and safety. For specific information call (334) 493-4572. You can also visit cityofopp.com. To reach Troy follow State Route 87 north from Enterprise. On the southern outskirts of this town, the home of Troy State University, you’ll find the Mossy Grove School House Restaurant (334-566-4921) just off US 231 at 1902 Elba Highway. Set among moss-draped trees, this rustic structure started out as a one-room schoolhouse in 1856. Later enlarged and renovated, the building still contains its original stage, now part of the back dining room.

Diners can order fried dill pickles to nibble on while waiting for their entrees and admire memorabilia ranging from Confederate money, swords, and a cannonball to antique tools, barrels, and even bear teeth. Also displayed here are an old-fashioned telephone, cheese cutter, barber chair, and many other items.

Popular entrees include broiled shrimp scampi, charbroiled chicken tenders, and charbroiled rib eye. All dinners include hush puppies, coleslaw or salad, wedge fries or baked potato, and white beans with a special pepper relish. Moderate prices. Hours are 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Continuing north through Troy takes you to the Pioneer Museum of Alabama (334-566-3597), located at 248 US 231. Situated on 30 wooded acres, this fascinating folk museum contains some 18,000 items from the past two centuries. You’ll find extensive collections, all well organized and attractively displayed, plus 15 outbuildings. Household items range from lemon squeezers, sausage stuffers, and butter molds to cookware, fluting irons, spittoons, and an Edison phonograph with a morning glory–shaped speaker. Although the lovely period furnishings of the three Bass Rooms reflect an upper-class lifestyle, the museum’s collections focus on items that played a part in the daily existence of the community’s middle-and lower-class members.

Other exhibits include newspaper typesetting and printing machines, an enormous collection of farm equipment, blacksmith and carpenter shop displays, and several horse-drawn vehicles, including an antique hearse. One exhibit, “When Cotton Was King,” features a mule with “a lean and hungry look.” Upon seeing the sculptor’s interesting armature, museum officials had the artist stop working at once to preserve the unique look of the unfinished piece. Other objects on display include a portable boll weevil catcher, a peanut sheller, and a moonshine still.

Don’t miss the early-20th-century street setting featuring storefronts of barber and millinery shops, a bank, and offices for a dentist, doctor, and lawyer—all appropriately equipped. Save plenty of time for exploring the grounds, too. On your way to see the furnished dogtrot log cabin and nearby tenant house, you’ll pass a loblolly pine known as the Moon Tree—the seed from which it grew journeyed to the moon and back with the Apollo astronauts. Before leaving the museum, stop by the country store stocked with essentials such as snuff, castor oil, patent medicines, and bone buttons. You’ll also find a restored 1928 schoolhouse, a working gristmill, a corncrib made of hand-hewn logs, a covered bridge, a nature trail, and a picnic area on the grounds. Other interesting exhibits include Native American artifacts and a coal-burning train engine. Thursday visitors can watch quilters at work, and weaving demonstrations take place Friday and Saturday. Except for major holidays, hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission: adults $6, senior citizens $5, students (age 6 to college) $4, children (age 5 and under) free. Preview the property at pioneer-museum.org.

Cradle of the Confederacy

For a hearty meal at Red’s Little School House (334-584-7955), located at blink-and-you’ve-missed-it Grady, travel north from Troy on US 231, then turn onto State Route 94 in the direction of Dublin and Ramer. At the intersection of Route 94 and Gardner Road, look for a tall water tower, labeled Pine Level, with a small red structure beside it. Or leave the directions up to your GPS. At this restaurant, housed in a former school and owned by Debbie Deese, you’ll find a buffet selection of all-you-can-eat, fresh, home-cooked vegetables such as sweet potato soufflé, fried okra, and collards. (Red, Debbie’s father and the former owner, grows acres and acres of vegetables each season and reaps a huge harvest.) The menu also features fried corn bread, chicken and dumplings, barbecue, and fried chicken. If you manage to save room for dessert, the choices are listed on the blackboard.

Even though the nation’s presidents look sternly from their frames over the chalkboard and old maps suggest geography-test anxiety, this is a place to relax. Schoolmarm Debbie banters with the customers, who obviously enjoy both the food and the friendly surroundings. Debbie, who calls herself “a half-decent guitar player,” sometimes sings for the crowd. “Everyone brags on the food, and laughs at the entertainment,” she writes in the preface of her cookbook.

Debbie converted two school buses into traveling kitchens and takes her catering show on the road for large gatherings. She has cooked for five governors and one president. “I think food is the answer to everything,” she says. School starts at 11 a.m. and ends at 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and closes at 3 p.m. on Sunday. Prices are economical to moderate.

Afterward continue north on one of several roads that lead to Montgomery, about 30 minutes away. Montgomery offers a wealth of attractions appealing to all interests. In the past the city has been home to such luminaries as Tallulah Bankhead, Hank Williams, and Nat King Cole. Montgomery served as a launching ground for the Wright brothers, who gave early flying lessons here; a playground for Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald; and a battleground in the Civil Rights Movement. This city also pioneered the nation’s first electric trolley system, the Lightning Route, which made its successful trial run in 1886.

Make the Montgomery Area Visitor Center (334-262-0013; visiting montgomery.com) at 300 Water Street your first stop in the city. Housed in historic Union Station that dates to 1898, the center offers a handsome medley of exhibit panels on area attractions along with maps and information on accommodations, restaurants, festivals, and more. Take a virtual 13-minute city tour in the minitheater and collect some souvenirs in the gift shop. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.

On the city’s southeast side, you’ll find the Alabama Shakespeare Festival (ASF) (334-271-5353 or 800-841-4273). Just off East Boulevard on Woodmere Boulevard in the Wynton M. Blount Cultural Park, ASF presents works ranging from familiar classics to world-premiere Southern Writers’ Project productions. You can take in a performance of works by such writers as Sir Noel Coward, Anton Chekhov, Eugene O’Neill, George Bernard Shaw, Tennessee Williams, and, of course, the Bard. The only American theater invited to fly the same flag as that used by England’s Royal Shakespeare Company, ASF attracts more than 300,000 visitors annually from all 50 states and 60 foreign countries and is the world’s fifth-largest Shakespeare festival.

Situated in a 250-acre, landscaped, English-style park, the $21.5 million performing arts complex houses two stages, rehearsal halls, and a snack bar along with costume, prop, and gift shops. The grounds, perfect for strolling or picnicking, feature a reflecting lake complete with gliding swans. Wend your way through Shakespeare Gardens, with a 325-seat amphitheater against a setting that brings to life the Bard’s botanical references to flowers and herbs, such as rosemary “for remembrance” (and great as a garnish for most meat dishes, too). Linger awhile and enjoy the park’s various colors, textures, and smells. For information, brochures, or tickets, call or write to Alabama Shakespeare Festival, One Festival Drive, Montgomery 36117-4605. You can visit asf.net to check on current productions.

Before leaving the park, take time to browse through the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts (334-240-4333). Located at One Museum Drive, this facility features the fine Blount Collection with works representing more than 200 years of American art. Also, you’ll see Old Master prints, outstanding porcelain and glass collections, 19th-and 20th-century American paintings and sculpture, and art of the American South. View mmfa.org for current exhibitions and more information on the museum’s holdings. Admission is free. Except for major holidays, the museum’s hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Thursday hours extend to 9 p.m. The Sunday schedule is noon to 5 p.m. Enjoy a lunch break in the museum at Cafe M, an artful bistro that serves from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Sample the Mediterranean chicken salad and flourless fudge cake. Then save a bit of bread to toss to the ducks, who cruise by regularly with great expectations. Rates are economical to moderate.

Back in downtown Montgomery, across the street from Cloverdale Park, stands the former home of a famous couple who personified the Jazz Age. Housed in the lower right section (Apartment B) of a circa-1910 two-story brown structure at 919 Felder Avenue, you’ll find the F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum (334-264-4222; fitzgeraldmuseum.net). Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald met Zelda Sayre, a native of Montgomery and daughter of an Alabama Supreme Court judge, at a local dance in 1918. The couple married in 1920, soon after Scott published his first novel, This Side of Paradise.

The Fitzgeralds and their daughter, Scottie, lived here from October 1931 to April 1932. While here Scott worked on his novel Tender Is the Night and the screenplay for a Jean Harlow movie. At the same time Zelda, whose writings include a play as well as several short stories and articles, started her only novel, Save Me the Waltz. Beautiful, flamboyant, and driven, Zelda also excelled at painting and ballet. Unfortunately, her recurring mental collapses played havoc with the family’s lives and prevented her from realizing more of her creative potential.

You’ll see eight pieces of Zelda’s original artwork including paintings and a self-portrait in pencil along with her personal cigarette holder, family photos, autographed books, letters, and other memorabilia. Plans were afoot to tear down this historic home until local attorney Julian McPhillips and his wife, Leslie, purchased it and set about creating this museum. In the sunroom you can watch a 25-minute video that provides some glimpses into the lives of the author of The Great Gatsby and his talented but tormented wife. A donation of $5 per adult is requested, with $3 for adults and senior citizens, $2 for students, children (5 and under) free. Hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Visit the website at fitzgeraldmuseum.net.

Afterward head downtown to Montgomery’s capitol complex, where you can easily spend a full day. If you enjoy digging into the past, you’ll find this area fascinating to explore. From here Jefferson Davis telegraphed his “Fire on Fort Sumter” order, and the country suddenly found itself embroiled in the Civil War. Rising impressively above its surroundings on Dexter Avenue, the 1851 capitol reflects the period’s prevailing architecture—Greek revival. In this building Jefferson Davis took his presidential oath for the Confederacy, and a six-pointed brass star now marks the spot.

At 644 Washington Avenue, just across the street from the capitol, stands the First White House of the Confederacy (334-242-1861; firstwhitehouse.org). Occupied by the Jefferson Davis family during the early days of the War Between the States, this Italianate-style home built by William Sayre dates to the early 1830s. Elegant downstairs parlors and second-floor bedrooms (including a charming nursery) contain Davis family possessions and period antiques. Other displays include Civil War relics, letters, and glass-cased documents. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Admission is free.

Next door to the Davis home, you’ll find a treasure-filled museum, the Alabama Department of Archives and History, archives.state.al.us. This building houses an enormous manuscript collection and exhibits spanning the gap from the Stone Age to the Space Age. On February 15, 2014, the Museum of Alabama opened with its new centerpiece exhibit on “Alabama Voices.” The permanent Smithsonian-quality exhibit covers nearly 11,000 square feet on the museum’s second floor and details Alabama history from the dawn of the 1700s to the present. The archives are open Monday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

A short jaunt takes you to the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church (334-263-3970; dexterkingmemorial.org). Located at 454 Dexter Avenue, the church became a National Historical Landmark in 1974. It was at this church, pastored by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., that the Montgomery bus boycott was organized on December 2, 1955, launching the American Civil Rights Movement.

An hour-long tour covers the church’s early history as well as the more recent role it played as a rallying place for civil rights activists. On the ground floor, a six-section folk mural illustrates major events from Dr. King’s life. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. Admission.

To learn more about Dr. King’s life and family, visit the Dexter Parson-age Museum, where Dr. King and his family lived between 1954 and 1960. Built in 1912, the nine-room clapboard parsonage at 309 Jackson Street has been restored to its appearance when Dr. King and his family lived there. Much of the furniture was used by Dr. King and his family. Adjacent to the parsonage is an interpretive center with photos of the 12 pastors who lived there, plus a wall of Pastoral Wisdom with inspirational quotes from pastors.

Nearby, in front of the Southern Poverty Law Center at 400 Washington Avenue, stands the Civil Rights Memorial. Designed by Maya Lin, who also served as the architect for the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC, this black granite memorial documents major events in the struggle for civil rights.

Don’t miss the Rosa Parks Library and Museum (334-241-8615), a state-of-the-art facility at 252 Montgomery Street. This site marks the spot where Mrs. Parks was arrested in 1955 and offers an in-depth look at the event that started the Montgomery bus boycott. A project of Troy State University Montgomery, the interpretive museum features original exhibits, including historical papers from that era and a replica of the public bus, complete with a unique treatment of the scene in which Mrs. Rosa Parks played her significant role in shaping history to become “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement.” The new Children’s Wing features the Cleveland Avenue Time Machine, which takes riders on a unique trip to the past with an overview of events that led to the modern day Civil Rights Movement. On the second floor visitors will find extensive historical information with kiosk, panel, and computer presentations detailing events before and during the Montgomery Bus Boycott. For more background on this pivotal event in the city’s (and nation’s) civil rights heritage, visit troy.edu/rosa-parks-museum. Museum hours run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Admission: adults $7.50, children (age 12 and under) $5.50.

Also downtown, at 301 Columbus Street, you can step back into the 19th century at Old Alabama Town (334-240-4500 or 888-240-1850). This fascinating concentration of historically restored buildings provides glimpses of city and country living in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Start your tour at the Loeb Center, where you can also visit the museum store. Continue your excursion into the past at Lucas Tavern and other buildings in this history-filled complex. You’ll see an 1850s dogtrot house (a dogtrot is a form of Southern architecture that features an open central hall connecting two rooms, sometimes called pens). Other stops include such buildings as a carriage house, grocery store, church, country doctor’s office, and a one-room schoolhouse—complete with McGuffey’s Readers and slates.

You’ll also see the nearby Rose-Morris House, where you can enjoy music on the dogtrot, and the Ordeman House, a handsome townhouse with elegant furnishings and backyard dependencies. Except for major holidays, the center’s hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Check out oldalabamatown.com to learn more. Admission: adults $10, children (ages 6 to 18) $5, children (age 5 and under) free.

“Your Cheatin’ Heart” immediately brings Hank Williams to mind for all country music lovers, and fans from throughout the world travel to Montgomery to pay tribute at his grave site. Set in Oakwood Cemetery, the marble memorial is sculpted in the shape of two large music notes and a cowboy hat. You can also see a life-size bronze statue of the musician in Lister Hill plaza, across from City Hall.

Hank Williams’s Funeral

Shortly after celebrating the New Year of 1953, mourners began flocking to Montgomery. They lined the streets and congregated outside a boardinghouse where a silver casket sat. So many people came to pay tribute that the funeral couldn’t be held in a church. The service had to be moved to the biggest facility in town, the Municipal Auditorium.

Ironically, that was the very auditorium where the fallen star had performed so many times. Now it was where Hank Williams, the Drifting Cowboy, would be bade farewell for his last journey. On Sunday afternoon, January 4, 1953, an estimated 25,000 came to Montgomery for the funeral of Hank Williams.

Grand Ole Opry stars arrived in a special chartered plane. Among the Opry entertainers were Jimmy Dickens, Carl Smith, Webb Pierce, Bill Monroe, Ray Price, and June Carter. Loads of flowers were delivered, including two guitar-shaped floral arrangements that stood on each side of the coffin.

At 1 p.m. the casket was brought in and opened at 1:15. Dressed in a white cowboy stage outfit, Williams clutched a tiny white Bible in his hand. His band, the Drifting Cowboys, stood by as a guard of honor. Hundreds filed by to pay their respects.

At 2:30 p.m. the auditorium doors were closed and the service started with Ernest Tubb singing “Beyond the Sunset.” A gospel quartet, the Statesmen, who would later sing at Elvis Presley’s funeral, sang “Precious Memories.” Possibly the only black quartet to perform at a prominent white funeral in Alabama prior to the civil rights era, the Southwind Singers sang “My Record Will Be There.”

Roy Acuff performed Hank’s popular song, “I Saw the Light.” Red Foley’s voice wavered and tears flowed down his face as he sang “Peace in the Valley.” Foley and Williams had made a promise that whoever died first, the other would sing at his friend’s funeral.

Hank Williams was only 29 years old when he died. Slumped in the backseat of a baby-blue Cadillac speeding through a dark night, Hank Williams drew his last breath. The country music legend was on his way to a concert in Canton, Ohio. Somewhere in West Virginia, Williams’s young driver became worried about the lifeless body draped in a navy blue overcoat in the backseat. By then it was too late. Carried into an emergency room, Williams was pronounced dead on January 1, 1953. His heart had given out after years of alcohol and prescription drug abuse. Hank is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Montgomery

Stop by 118 Commerce Street for an in-depth look at the legacy of Alabama-born Hank Williams. Paying tribute to the memory of this country music legend, the Hank Williams Museum (334-262-3600) contains recordings, albums, musical instruments, clothing, a saddle with silver trim, family photos, and other personal items. The museum’s focal point is the baby-blue 1952 Cadillac convertible in which the singer/songwriter died while being driven to his scheduled performance in Canton, Ohio, on January 1, 1953. Eight rooms and 35 showcases feature memorabilia of family members and associates. A carved Kowliga, like the wooden Indian that inspired Williams’s song, “Kowaliga” and created by the Wood Chippers (with a time investment of 559 hours), looms 8.5 feet tall. Museum hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, and 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission: $10 for adults (ages 15 and up), $3 for children (ages 4 to 14). Visit thehankwilliamsmuseum.net for more details and some toe-tapping music.

At 551 Clay Street, you’ll find a warm welcome at Red Bluff Cottage (334-264-0056 or 888-551-2529), a perfect place to headquarter in Alabama’s capital city. In fact, the upstairs porch of this raised cottage offers fine views of the state capitol and the Alabama River. Bonnie and Barry Ponstein, who purchased the inn from previous owners Anne and Mark Waldo, share the cooking and dispense Southern hospitality—Alabama style. “We have a good time down here,” says Barry, quoting his three rules: No smoking, no pets, and no grumpy people. The Red Bluff offers four rooms with private baths and a full breakfast, perhaps Bonnie’s famed wild rice waffles with fresh berries. Pampering their guests, the Ponsteins offer extra amenities such as complimentary soft drinks, snacks, fresh ground coffee, and a large selection of teas. Visit redbluffcottage.com and check for special packages. Moderate rates.

After exploring the capital of the Old South, head north to Wetumpka, a charming town with a unique setting. Not only situated on the Coosa River’s banks, Wetumpka also sits in the bowl of a 4-mile-wide crater created by the impact of a meteorite about 83 million years ago. Head first to the Wetumpka Area Chamber of Commerce (334-567-4811; wetumpkachamber.com), located at 110 East Bridge Street in the heart of downtown. While collecting travel information at the chamber office, housed in a former bank building that dates to 1905, notice the original brass chandelier with a Greek key design that repeats the ceiling motif. Wetumpka comes from an Indian word that means “tumbling waters.”

Spanning the Coosa River, you’ll see the town’s focal point, a picturesque arched bridge built in 1937. Named for a former governor, the Bibb Graves Bridge allegedly is the only one south of the Mason-Dixon Line suspended by reinforced concrete. After crossing the bridge, notice the historic First Presbyterian Church, organized in 1834. It was here that soldiers in the Wetumpka Light Guard gathered on April 16, 1861, before leaving to confront their destinies in the Civil War.

If you saw the movie Big Fish, filmed in and around Montgomery and starring Jessica Lange, Albert Finney, Ewan McGregor, and Danny DeVito, then the town might look vaguely familiar although the film crew made several exterior changes.

Before leaving town, be sure to visit Our Place Cafe (334-567-8778) for a delectable dinner. Located at 809 Company Street, the restaurant occupies a brick building once owned by the Graham family. Back in the 1930s, the structure housed a grocery store with an apartment above and later served as an office for the family’s wholesale gasoline business.

Owners David and Mona Funderburk offer casual elegance in dining and an ambience-filled restaurant with seating on two levels. Try the signature crab cakes, served with a special dill sauce, or the evening special. David describes his cuisine as “more Creole than Cajun,” and his menu features six seafood selections nightly as well as steaks. The restaurant opens at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Prices are moderate.

Save time to explore nearby Fort Toulouse–Jackson Park (334-567-3002; fttoulousejackson.org). To reach the park, the site of two forts from different centuries, take US 231 North and watch for the turnoff sign to 2521 West Fort Toulouse Road. Continue 2.4 miles down this road to the main gate. After entering the park you’ll see the visitor center on the left. Inside, displays of artifacts unearthed in archaeological digs, from brass uniform buttons and silver earrings to French wine bottles and cannonballs, provide background on the site’s history.

The original 1717 French fortress, named for Count Toulouse (son of Louis XIV), served as a trading post where Native Americans exchanged furs and deerskins for European goods. This French outpost also helped keep the British at bay. Gen. Andrew Jackson’s forces later built a larger 19th-century counterpart while fighting the Creek Indians. From here Old Hickory plotted his campaign against the British and Spanish that ended with the Battle of New Orleans.

Fort Toulouse and Fort Jackson living-history programs, staged monthly on the park’s grounds, permit visitors to dip a bit deeper into the forts’ earlier days. The park usually has something going on three out of four weekends.

This 164-acre park also offers a picnic area, campground, and launching ramp. Another attraction is the 30-acre arboretum with walkway, footbridges, and study decks. Nearby, the Coosa and Tallapoosa Rivers—with their cache of bass, bream, catfish, and crappie—beckon anglers. (A state fishing license is required.) Modest admission. Except for major holidays, the park is open from sunup to sundown year-round, and the visitor center hours run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. For more information visit fttoulousejackson.org.

After your park outing follow State Route 14 west to Prattville. Daniel Pratt, for whom the town was named, came here from New Hampshire in the 1830s and established an industrial center—still the site for the manufacture of cotton gins. A drive through Old Prattvillage takes you past a section of restored 19th-century buildings. For a driving tour map, which highlights about 40 homes in the historic district along with area churches and industrial sites, stop by the Prattville Chamber of Commerce (131 North Court Street; 334-365-7392; prattvillechamber.com) or City Hall at 101 West Main Street.

Better yet, set off on a walking tour of the village. At Prattvillage Gardens you’ll see a small 1800s plantation chapel surrounded by a profusion of plants and a butterfly walk. Open the gate and stroll past theme gardens devoted to herbs, perennials, and old-fashioned favorites like hollyhocks, dianthus, and oak-leaf hydrangeas.

Stop by the Prattaugan Museum (334-361-0961; autaugaheritage.org), which houses the Heritage Center. Located at 102 East Main Street, this circa 1848 home showcases antiques, exhibits on area history, Indian artifacts, and genealogical records. In the backyard, notice the artesian well with a dipper hanging nearby. Prattville acquired its “Fountain City” title because it boasts a number of artesian wells. Except for city holidays, hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free, and donations are accepted.

Heritage Park, which features a three-tiered fountain, overlooks the town’s focal point, Daniel Pratt’s big brick gin factory. From this scenic spot, you can watch water spilling over the dam into Autauga Creek. Wander along historic West Main Street past Red Arrow Hardware at 119 West Main Street (334-358-1525) with its nostalgic inventory. Across the street at 131 First Street, you can see all sorts of timepieces awaiting repair at The Village Clocksmith (334-491-8463). Check out Fancy Free with an impressive inventory of “antiques, boutiques, and uniques.”

Nature lovers will enjoy trekking through Wilderness Park on Upper Kingston Road. Located inside the city limits, the park could be a world away—in central China by the looks of it. Instead of a typical Southern forest’s foliage, the paved half-mile path leads through a thick stand of towering bamboo.

Search out nearby Buena Vista (334-365-3690 or 334-361-0961; autaugaheritage.org/buenavista), an early plantation home, located on Autauga County Road 4 between US 31 and State Route 14. Fronted by four Ionic columns and constructed of heart pine, the Greek revival–style structure stands on a sweeping lawn studded with camellias and magnolias. A striking circular staircase spirals from the large entrance hall to the third-floor banquet room. Originally built in the federal style and known as Montgomery House, the home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Some historians claim the house dates to 1822, but other sources say circa 1830 would be more accurate. You’ll see some period furnishings and memorabilia. Owned by a local corporation and operated by the Autauga County Heritage Association, Buena Vista is open to the public for tours on Tuesday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. or by appointment. Admission is $5.

Want to visit the best little town in Alabama? Then head about 40 miles (or minutes) south of Montgomery, take the Greenville exit 130 off I-65, and turn left. Ditto if you’re looking for the best small town in America.

It’s true—Greenville, with a population of some 8,000—outscored every other US city with fewer than 100,000 residents in a national home towns index that measures the power of place using statistical data compiled by academic researchers.

Known as “Camellia City,” Greenville promises plenty for flower lovers, history buffs, and golfers. Founded in 1820, the town boasts lovely homes, churches, and public buildings, many on the Register of Historic Places. Cambrian Ridge, one of the award-winning courses on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, beckons only minutes away, with the more famed RTJ course, Capitol Hill, in easy driving distance.

Stop by the Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce (334-382-3251; greenville-alabama.com), housed in the old CSX depot on Bolling Street to pick up a brochure called Historic Main Street Greenville, which details a self-guided tour of the town’s interesting sites. Shady streets, brick paving, and gas lights make Commerce Street an attractive place to stroll.

A jaunt takes you past a local landmark, the Ritz Theatre. Dating to 1935, the former movie house built in the then-popular Art Deco style later fell into disrepair. Now rescued and restored, the Ritz serves as the venue for a variety of productions from theater to music and dance. Other sites of interest include Greenville’s circa-1936 City Hall, a WPA project and the city’s best example of colonial revival civic architecture. Continue your stroll through Confederate Park, established in 1897. With a fountain as its centerpiece, this block-size space is sometimes the setting for evening concerts.

You’ll see several handsome churches such as First Presbyterian, Greenville’s oldest brick church. Search out the Pioneer Cemetery with its ornate cast-iron fence and elaborate monuments. Unusual cast-iron covers, an invention patented in 1874 by Greenville native Joseph R. Abrams, top several graves, and others are covered with giant cockleshells, a Victorian custom. Many of the area’s early settlers, including Capt. William Butler for whom the county is named, are buried here.

Spend some time browsing through some of Greenville’s one-of-a-kind boutiques and gift shops such as The Pineapple (334-382-7240) at 132 West Commerce Street, which offers unusual flags and banners, photo frames, hand-decorated clothing, and collectibles. In a beautifully restored building at 112 West Commerce, Karen Rainey Interiors (334-382-9486 or 334-382-0936; karenraineyinteriors.com) showcases antiques and accessories and provides decorator services for interiors from Gulf Coast condos to Atlanta townhouses. With a wooded recreation area plus playgrounds and pavilions for picnickers, Sherling Lake (334-382-3638 or 800-810-5253; sherlinglake.com), about 4 miles west of Greenville via exit 130 off I-65 at 4397 Braggs Road, offers plenty of recreation options, including camping and fishing. August visitors can take in the annual Watermelon Jubilee with arts, crafts, food, and fun.

From Greenville, a short drive south takes you to Georgiana and the Hank Williams, Sr., Boyhood Home and Museum (334-376-2396; hankmuseum.com). Located at 127 Rose Street, the home contains six rooms filled with walls of family photos, original posters, albums, 78 rpm recordings, a church pew, piano, and 1923 Victrola. Also, visitors will see one of the singer’s Stetson hats and two suits. Fans from all over the world donated many of the items on display. Draperies, custom made for the musician’s Nashville home, feature an overall design of lyrics and music from “Your Cheatin’ Heart.” Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Admission: adults $3, students $2, children (age 6 and under) free. Each June, Georgiana hosts an annual Hank Williams Day Celebration with country music concerts, food concessions, and street dances.

Auburn/Opelika Tourism Bureau

714 East Glenn Ave.

Auburn 36830

(334) 887-8747 or (866) 880-8747

aotourism.com

info@aotourism.com

Dothan Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

3311 Ross Clark Circle

PO Box 8765

Dothan 36304

(334) 794-6622

dothanalcvb.com

Enterprise Chamber of Commerce

553 Glover Ave.

PO Box 310577

Enterprise 36331-0577

(334) 347-0581 or (800) 235-4730

enterprisealabama.com

chamber@enterprisealabama.com

Eufaula/Barbour County Chamber of Commerce

333 East Broad St.

Eufaula 36027

(334) 687-6664 or (800) 524-7529

eufaulachamber.com

info@eufalachamber.com

Historic Chattahoochee Commission

PO Box 33

Eufaula 36072-0033

(334) 687-9755 or (877) 766-2443

chattahoocheetrace.com

trace@eufaula.rr.com

Montgomery Convention & Visitors Bureau

300 Water St.

PO Box 79

Montgomery 36101

(334) 261-1100 or (800) 240-9452

visitingmontgomery.com

tourism@visitingmontgomery.com

Tuskegee Area Chamber of Commerce

121 South Main St.

PO Box 831034

Tuskegee 36083

(334) 727–6619

tuskegeeareachamber.org

info@tuskeegeeareachamber.org

Montgomery Zoo

2301 Coliseum Pkwy.

Montgomery

(334) 240-4900

montgomeryzoo.com

Observe more than 800 animals from five continents in the zoo’s naturalistic settings and take a train ride around the park. Relocated from its former home in Opelika and housed next to the zoo, the Mann Museum allows you to get acquainted with bears, wolves, moose, and more mounted specimens of North American wildlife, all presented in realistic settings. The natural history museum’s life-size exhibits numbered more than 300 at last count. Both attractions are open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. December hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission: adults $12 for zoo, $6 for museum, or $18 for both; senior citizens $10 for zoo, $5 for museum or $14 for both; children (ages 3 to 12) $8 for zoo, $4 museum, or $11 for both.

US Army Aviation Museum

6000 Novosel St.

Fort Rucker

(334) 255-3036, (334) 598-2508, or (888) 276-9286

This museum is in Fort Rucker, a training base for military helicopter pilots located 5 miles west of Ozark. Covering the complete history of Army Aviation, this complex contains one of the world’s largest collections of helicopters. Exhibits include maps and photos of Army Aviation’s role in the Louisiana Maneuvers through Operation Desert Storm, a full-scale model of the Wright B Flyer, and unusual pieces such as a Sopwith Camel and a Nieuport 28. You can even walk through a Chinook (CH-47-A) and view today’s high-tech Apache combat helicopter. The Army Aviation Museum is free and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Visit the museum’s website at armyavnmuseum.org.

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Cradle of the Confederacy