Abbeville, Alabama

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Have you ever been to Abbeville? I believe the small towns of America are the most interesting places for tourists. For years my wife and I have found treasure after treasure by travelling through little places and avoiding the tourist traps. I learned this from my uncle Roger, who always took two days to make a five hour trip. Abbeville is a small town with fewer than 800 families. Whites outnumber Blacks by about a hundred people. It has had a notorious history of mistreatment of Blacks, but such terrible events are mostly in the past now and Abbeville is one of the most peaceful and pleasant towns anyone could visit. I think the outdoor recreational opportunities are outstanding. The charm of the town is seductive. You just want to walk on the track at the rec. complex or enjoy a quiet morning reading at the City Park or the library. If you like to fish, take the afternoon and enjoy Lake Eufaula or the river below the dam. That's about ten miles as the crow flies and you will be happy just to use a long cane pole and some worms to catch your limit of sweet little bluegills. More than all this is the pleasure of meeting the local people. Southern hospitality among Blacks and Whites was born in Abbeville. I enjoyed talking to a few people while sitting on a bench in the shade outside a grocery store where I had gone in to get a tall bottle of cold root beer. People tell the best stories down South and these people love to talk about their lives and their town. Go to Abbeville and enrich your life. You will be glad you did it instead of wasting precious time at Disney World or Underground Atlanta. Check out the local food eateries. Go to church with the locals (one of the small rural churches where you can meet the most interesting people and the loudest preachers!). The librarian can help direct you to local sites of interest. Learn a little about the history (good and bad). Stroll through the cemetery and get a sense of an old Southern town. Drop in at the local town churches to talk to the pastors. It's a great life down there. Do you know of any small towns that I should not want to miss in my travels?