We’ve left the gulf coast and started north. About 200 miles as a matter of fact, to Dothan, Alabama. Dothan, known as The Circle City hereabouts because Ross Clark Circle highway completely rings it, is considered to be the heart of the Wiregrass. Encompassing part of Georgia, southeastern Alabama, and the Florida panhandle, this area is named for a native plant known as wiregrass due to its texture. Dothan was founded in the 1830’s as Poplar Head to harvest timber but the town all but died when the timber ran out. After the Civil War, Poplar Head began to grow, and citizens voted to rename the city after discovering that a Poplar Head post office already existed. Over time, farmers have turned to corn, maize and peanut production and now a quarter of the US peanut crop is grown within 75 miles of Dothan.
We’re in Dothan because of two spinster sisters. Fifteen years ago, or so, we were vacationing with friends Steve and Suzi, and met two of the most entertaining people imaginable! They kept us in stitches with stories of their families and friends, and their lives without the encumbrances of “menfolk”. They were from Dothan, so we decided to visit that memory by stopping for a few days.
We’re taking up temporary residence in site 1103 at Dothan RV Park, a wonderfully kept park about 3 miles from downtown.
With large concrete pads, grass between each site, excellent and well placed utilities, and manicured walking trails through an adjacent forest, this is one of the best parks we’ve seen this year.
A trip into downtown led us to several of the more popular points of interest.
A stable water supply is vital to a city, and Dothan is no different. One of the city’s first water storage tanks is still in use.
Just a block away from the water tank, we found a small farmers market.
We didn’t have room for a lot of fresh vegetables, but we did manage to find a few quarts of home canned pickles and marinades. We sampled and found them delicious!
We know that peanuts are a big deal here, and uniquely decorated nuts are scattered around town, but we went right to the best at the Visitors Center.
Dothan also is known as The Mural City, with dozens of murals decorating buildings downtown. This one pretty much covers the town’s history, including George Washington Carver and his contributions to botany, farming, and of course, peanuts.
And this mural depicts the arrival of the Spanish.
A curious thing rests quietly just a few feet away from the Civic Center. The World’s Smallest City Block! Certified by Guiness, it includes all the items required for a city block.
Dothan, or Poplar Head, was located near a natural spring, providing a perfect place for gatherings of native peoples, traders and settlers. The spring location has been renovated as an outdoor amphitheater and stage. It appears to be a nice place for a summer concert.
Unfortunately, the spring still needs a bit of help.
Time marches on, as seen on a small plaque near the Dothan Civic Center.
Sasha has been inside the trailer, except for morning and evening walks because of the heat, so we “treated” her to a daytrip in the air conditioned truck by driving east toward Geogia. The border between Alabama and Georgia at this point is the Chattahoochee River.
Located just south of the rather depressed town of Columbia, Alabama is a dam and lock called the West Bank Dam and the George W. Andrews lock. This time of year there is no shortage of water!
We crossed the river and ventured into Georgia a bit, but turned back because we had another destination!
Turning west, we passed through Dothan and headed toward the town of Enterprise, Alabama, home of the Boll Weevil monument, festival, and anything else that could be linked to the nasty little bug.
In the center of town, smack in the middle of a busy intersection, a maiden triumphs over a bug.
The “bug” devastated cotton crops back in the day, before methods were developed to control it. The pest costs farmers an estimated 300 million dollars a year in lost crops and additional labor.
A turn around town allowed us to meet a few new friends and shop at a few stores.
After a leisurely drive through Alabama farm country, we returned to the cool comfort of our trailer.
Sasha was happy to be home!
I think the sisters would approve of our visit to their town!
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