The Alabama Road Walk – Part 2

Sunday, November 3rd, 2019

It was a foggy and freezing cold morning. We noticed two “No Camping” signs that we hadn’t seen when we showed up last night. Whoops!

We saw several dogs on our walk, but we got a laugh out of one in particular, a boxer who was caught red handed picking through his owner’s trash can. He walked away slowly with his head down and his butt tucked under him, expecting us to scold him.

We made a pit stop at Kelley’s Grocery and drank coffee while talking to the owner. He told us that the business has been in the family since 1939 and told us a little about them. While watching the preacher on the big screen TV that sat on top of the shelving in the middle of the store, he shared that he had three kids. One of his daughters died in a car accident with her child in the car. His granddaughter was injured in the crash, but was scooting along in no time. She’s now an adult. He threw some more logs in the wood burning heater and made more coffee.

“If you don’t drink it, no one will.”

He talked about his other two kids who attended Auburn University, and as three classic cars drove by, he told us that there were only three people in town with cars when he was a kid and they were all bootleggers.

“Sorry to put you out, but I gotta go to my daughter’s house to feed the horses.”

His daughter worked with Down Syndrome children during the day and he’d stop by her house to help out, which was only about 2 miles down the road. He locked up and we waved him goodbye before we continued our chilly walk along Route 29. We had a long walk ahead!

We ended up taking a break by Mt. Calvary West Primitive Baptist Church, and pulled out all of our damp gear to dry out in the sun.

There was no water there, but we’d get some from the spigot at the Titus Methodist Church down the road.

When we reached Route 231, there was a Subway, so we ate meatball subs while talking to the lady working there and one of the patrons about the journey ahead of us. With wide eyes, they both exclaimed, “Key West!” and wished us a safe journey after telling us how crazy we were.

The busy highway eventually provided us with a shoulder to safely walk on. We were getting tired and there were no churches in sight, that is until we reached Wallsboro. We hung out at the gas station until it got dark and walked across the street to tuck behind the Bethel Worship Center for the night. Before I could doze off, a raccoon rummaged around us for a little while before wandering off.

Jump Ahead to The Alabama Road Walk – Part 3

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