Take a Chance

If you’re like me, you pass through towns all the time, headed somewhere else. They’ve got some interesting place, store or park, but you tell yourself, ‘I’ll stop next time.’ And of course, the next time, you don’t stop either, because you’re headed somewhere else, and you just don’t want to take the time.

Well, Florala is one of those places to me. Our oldest son and his family live in Crestview, and we usually either go through Florala going down or coming back. Every time we pass through, I’ll tell HB (Honey Bunny, aka my dear husband) “One of these days, I’m going to stop and look around, especially that wetland area on the lake.”

I finally took the step – I had to bring two of our granddaughters back to their mom, so we decided to meet in Florala at the Wetlands Park, which is about half-way. As we started down we noticed two bikers coming up behind us, so L’il Red (youngest daughter, who just got her permit – Yay!) got out the camera and took a few pictures of them- they noticed and of course, had to speed up to check out who was holding the camera…

After we got the girls swapped over, L’il Red and I headed over the walkway. It’s a very simple wooden walkway, with handrails, running through the wetlands area. The walkway itself is anywhere from one to two feet above the ground, so the plants and water run under it and aren’t damaged by people passing through. Although some folks have dropped trash, for the most part, it’s a lovely spot.

The walkway runs close to the water’s edge, and is under shade for its entire length. Some trees have moss, and there is also lots of other plant life. I didn’t see any animals, but I’m sure there must be some there. Four or five gazebos are spread through the walkway, so you can stop and take a break, if you like.

I did get to take a few shots, but my camera batteries are getting old, so they ran down before I was ready to quit. The next time I go back, I’ll be more prepared.

The town also boasts a lot of interesting shops, too. I’ve seen Elvis standing in front of one building, just waiting for someone to come up and take his picture. The store he represents is supposed to have all kinds of goodies inside – I’ve heard their ads, and I’d like to browse for a while – not enough time this trip – again, maybe next time.

We did eat at a little café called Corbey’s Ice Cream and Deli- it used to be a drugstore, and the sign is still hung on the back wall. They’ve got old-fashioned metal stools and high tables; the food is great. They had some wonderful homemade potato salad, and the ice cream is great too! I asked if they were ‘biker friendly’ and the lady told me that she and her husband ride when they can – she said if the bikers behaved, so would she!

There’s also a bike shop in town called Biker’s Choice- the sidewalk in that part of town is actually higher than the street level, and they’ve got bikes parked right outside the shop, on the sidewalk. Makes an eye-catching display- you really don’t think about the sidewalk being up that high, and your first thought is ‘how did they get that bike up there?’

So, I took a step and stopped in Florala – now I know what I want to see the next time I’m down there…