Friday 9/15/2023 – The Circle Continues

Mary and I drove the first leg of our trip today to Gunter Hill. We did walk and here is a sunrise picture! Because I was driving, you will have to enjoy my colorful commentary without pictures, until we switched drivers!

We departed Torreya State Park at 10am or was it 9am… our phones and smart watches kept going back and forth between Eastern and Central time! We took the same route we took yesterday to go to lunch, US 12 to US 20 into Bristol and onto Blountstown. Before Blountstown, you cross the Apalachicola River, which is also where we officially crossed into the central time zone.

In Blountstown, we turned north on US 71. The City of Blountstown was named for John Blount, a Seminole Indian Chief. Blount was a guide for General Andrew Jackson who invaded Spanish Florida in 1818. This invasion caused the United States to purchase Florida from Spain and the territory became a part of the US in 1821.

Blountstown murals is brightly decorated with several large and colorful murals on their Main Street buildings. There is one that spells out the town name with pictures of all the things that make Blountstown so special. There is a beautiful waving flag of red, white and blue. On the side of a boutique is several ladies shopping and all the goods they can purchase. There is another mural where the centerpiece looks like an old, colorized postcard. There are images of landmark buildings surrounding the centerpiece postcard.

In Marrietta FL, we got gas and changed drivers. We did not get gas at Texaco, but I love the look of the old gas signs!

The Historic Russ House was built in the 1890s and significantly remodeled in 1910. One of the most beautiful Classical Revival/Queen Anne homes in America, it is an impressive landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Said to be haunted, it has been the focus of a number of paranormal investigations and is rumored to have several ghosts. I’ll pass on the guided tours!

In Campbellton Florida, I spotted Southern Fields Brewery. Too bad it is so early in the morning! It is a family-owned brewery. The property was a 120-year-old restored bank building and new building addition. The founder, Brian Walker and his family, have roots that go deep into the community. The family harvested and milled their own wood fallen by Hurricane Michael creating the interior walls. The wood for the bar is made out of 325 plus year old wood. All the tables in the tasting room are made from reclaimed wood from a loft originally in the bank building. Live music on the weekends and an onsite food truck will keep patrons coming back and staying for food, fun, and good times.

Before we crossed the border from Florida into Alabama unceremoniously, we turned onto US 231, which we will take all the way to Montgomery. There was no “welcome to Alabama” sign. Just the GPS saying, “State border ahead” and the “welcome” rest area. 

The first town we come to is Dothan. We have been here before for Alabama Good Sam rallies. Dothan Alabama is where peanuts reign supreme! Move over Georgia! In fact, Dothan is known as the “Peanut Capital of the World!” Dothan is the center of a 100-mile radius where more than half of all peanuts in the US are grown. Every Fall, Dothan hosts the National Peanut Festival, a two-week event to honor local peanut farmers and celebrate the harvest season. There is a Peanut Parade, rides, livestock shows, agricultural displays and, of course, lots of peanuts to munch on.

On our travels, we have seen many animals and other objects “on parade.” Horses in Rochester NY and Shawnee OK. Bulldogs in Athens, GA. Apples in Winchester VA. Bears in Hendersonville NC. Swans in Lakeland FL and Bucky Badger in Madison WI. 

In Dothan AL, you will find Peanuts around town! Giant peanuts are on almost every corner in Dothan! It was created by The Dothan Downtown Redevelopment Authority. Local businesses, civic organizations, and individuals purchased and decorated their peanut according to their own concept. The 5-foot-high peanut sculptures are made entirely of fiberglass. Each sculpture is as unique as the individual organization itself. I only have a few pictures because I did not want to ask Charlie would not drive us all over Dothan to see the peanuts, like he did in Iowa. HE helped me create our own "Freedom Rock tour" to see the rocks painted by Ray “Bubba” Sorensen II! Want to read more about those rocks? Check it out here.

On our route, we passed close to Fort Novosel. Never heard of it. That’s because it was Fort Rucker. But the Army “brass” had an issue with Army Installations being named for a Civil War officer, Confederate Colonel Edmund Rucker. I cannot fault the decorated solider the fort is named for now, Chief Warrant Officer Michael J. Novosel. He was an Army aviator and Medal of Honor recipient. The post is the primary flight training installation for U.S. Army Aviators and is home to the United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence and the United States Army Aviation Museum.

Along US 231 there is a reinforced concrete river bridge, thought to be the first in Alabama. It was erected over Pea River in 1920-21. It was dedicated as a memorial to the 57 men from Dale County who lost their lives in World War 1. In 1977, through the efforts of the Dale County Historical Society, The Veterans Memorial Bridge was placed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage by The Alabama Historical Commission.

In Troy Alabama, we passed Bicentennial Park. It looked like a great tribute to Veterans. A collection of military and civilian memorials and the stories behind them.

We turned of Route 231 and made our way to Gunter Hill a Corps of Engineer campground, our home for two nights! 

The view from our sites never disappoints!

#TwoLaneAdventures