A visitor's view of Andalusia

Dear Editor:

There is nothing like small town flavor to wet your taste buds and there is nothing like being a part of the southern version of CHEERS, you know the place where everybody knows your name! While riding down the street with a co-worker, I marveled at the fact that she knew people that were riding by in their cars and she even knew when someone was not at work because she didn't see their car parked in front of their business - wow that's being in the know!

I am a consultant and I travel throughout the country to work with various newspapers. I was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland and now live in Atlanta, Georgia so the atmosphere is very different for me here in Andalusia. I've seen and done some things during my stay here that I have not seen or done in my entire life.

Let's see where should I begin? For starters, this was my first time ever seeing a cotton field! I know there must be some cotton fields in the state of Georgia but I live in Atlanta and the only cotton in the city is in packs at Walgreens; so needless to say I was a bit amazed to see it in the field. The history that lies within the cotton fields amazed me to the extent that I had to stop my car and just gaze for a moment. I never thought in my life I would 'pick cotton' but it was an experience I'll never forget besides, I had to get a souvenir!

I was also invited to dinner and I had to drive on a dirt road to get there and believe it or not, I have never driven on a dirt road before! The person who invited me thought that was so funny. What can I say, I've been on cracked up roads before, even roads filled with potholes from hell, but never a dirt road!

Another dose of the small town flavor that I love is the traffic, or at least the traffic that doesn't exist. In Atlanta it takes 30 minutes to get everywhere (so it seems) but here everything is in close proximity. That is a precious gift that I appreciate coming from traffic jams that would cause the local preacher to have road rage!

One of my favorite things to do is eat and I love great food. Andalusia and its surrounding areas have some restaurants that would definitely put some pounds on my small frame. From the lunch buffet at Tabby D's to Andalusia's newest restaurant Ragin' Cajin' to the Friday seafood buffet at The Little Kitchen, I'd say I've eaten very well here. Of course I can't forget the place you can always depend on: The Golden Corral. I also had an excellent lunch at The Corner Market grocery store - yes they do have a hot food buffet! All of these places were excellent but nothing compares to the home cooking I received at Charity's house!

So as you can see Andalusia, has been a great place to visit, full of experiences, changes in pace, and must I say it again - great food! Andalusia, Alabama was fun, however, I am a city girl at heart so I do miss the hustle and bustle of it all; it was nice though to have a taste of some small town flavor.

Joribah Able

Atlanta, GA