Eufaula, AL

Wednesday, April 17

We left Pensacola, Florida Wednesday morning and started driving north toward Georgia. We planned to spend Easter in Atlanta with my cousin Tara and her family on Sunday, so we had the next four days to explore Alabama and central Georgia. Both Andi and I agree that driving the RV through small town America is way more interesting than cruising down the interstate. It’s one of the best things about this trip— we’re able to see areas of the country we wouldn’t otherwise see because we have a place to stay wherever we go and the flexibility to let the wind take us there.

Along the way, we stopped for lunch just over the Florida / Alabama state line. Andi grilled chicken breasts and brats for lunch in the parking lot while the kids ran around the grassy lawn to stretch their legs.

After four hours of driving, we decided to stop in Eufaula, Alabama. This small town of 13,000 people didn’t have much to it other than an iconic southern Main Street and a beautiful lake nearby. We cruised into the White Oak Creek campground to ask if they had any availability for the night. The sweet campground host told Andi he’d give us “the prettiest spot in the campground.” Once we located our site, we left the campground and drove into Eufaula to check out the town.

We stopped into Southern Pecans & Gifts for an afternoon ice cream treat. A group of ladies having coffee greeted us with warm “Hi y’all’s" as we entered in the door. Tory and I sat down at one of the cafe tables and played checkers while she ate her strawberry ice cream. Aden liked the checkers board because it had an “A” on it (for University of Alabama) just like the first letter in his name.

Back at the campground, the kids played on the playground while Andi and I set up the RV and cooked dinner. There were only a few other campers there given it was a Tuesday night — it was really peaceful. The campground itself wasn’t much to brag about, but being on a lake again was good for our souls. I hadn’t realized how much we’d missed it! We grilled fish with salad for dinner and watched the sun go down over the water.

Thursday, April 18

Good morning, Alabama! What a beautiful morning it was.

Shortly after sunrise, I did some yoga by the lake while Andi and Aden walked a lap around the campground. (Tory was still sleeping, of course.) When they returned, Andi made eggs and sausage on the outdoor griddle and Aden joined him shortly afterwards for breakfast at the picnic table. It was one of those “pinch me” moments during our travels that I’ll hold onto for years to come. The scene was so simple — just a boy and his dad eating a camp breakfast with a beautiful, still lake in the background. I was overcome with a sense of gratitude for this special time with our kids.

After Tory woke up, we packed up the RV and said good-bye to Eufaula. As we pulled out of the campground, the same camp host asked Andi how we enjoyed our stay. We told him it was perfect. As we drove away, the man said, “Come back and see us again. We’ll leave the light on for ya.”

How sweet it is to be in the south! Onward we go to Georgia.