We’ve been studying all-things-water in science, so today’s Friday field trip was to Clanton, Alabama. In 1995, Alabama Power opened its Water Course – a fun, interactive resource for learning all about Alabama’s waterways. The girls thought it was super fun, and I really did, too. It starts off with a simulated helicopter ride over Alabama, pointing out waterways and landmarks. This short movie was a great introduction to the natural resources available in our state.
The girls “flew” over the state capitol in Montgomery.
Each exhibit had some sort of interactive game to reinforce the information being presented. My girls love these kind of exhibits, and they really do help them learn and understand the concepts. PattiGirl liked playing the Water Whys game show. It was WAY above her head, but she didn’t notice. And who am I to tell her?
Alabama Power has long been a champion for conservation of our natural resources. They are leading the way in keeping our waterways clean and pollution-free. Each year hundreds of employees and friends of APCO donate their time to cleaning trash out of our rivers, lakes, streams, and beaches. This room was stuffed full of trash that came straight out of our waterways. It was amazing to see what people throw into our water! Refrigerators, umbrellas, tents, coolers, lawn chairs, bicycles, electric fans, and a million and one old tires.
After our day o’ learning, we stopped by Durbin Farms for a bite of peach ice cream. Clanton/Chilton County are known for their peaches, and we always stop by Durbin Farms Market to buy peaches on our way to the beach. It’s not peach season so there were no peaches, but they are also known for their peach ice cream. It was one of the dishes on our “Alabama” list. It really is good ice cream. It’s very sweet and creamy and not too tart. The girls even ate the bits of peaches – a miracle if you ask me!
Over the past few years, they have added a gift shop that sells some really cute, unique items. We always enjoy looking. They were a little low on inventory today, but I’m sure January is not their peak business season. When beach-going months roll around, the place will be packed with all kinds of darling treasures.
The peach pies from Peach Park in Clanton are also on the Alabama list. We thought we’d hop across the interstate and pick one up to take home. We pulled up and felt like Chevy Chase in National Lampoon’s Vacation when they pulled up to Wally World. It was vacant.
Lucky for us, though, they are just closed for the winter. While it’s not peak peach season, they shut down the big location here, and operate out of a convenience store next door called Peach Park Express. Peach Park Express sells the delicious desserts that the big Peach Park is known for, so we were able to pick up several of their fried peach pies to take home. The fried peach pies are OUT OF THIS WORLD! The crust is so incredibly flaky and not at all greasy. They are fantastic and so worth the stop in Clanton.
Hope y’all had a good Friday of your own. Happy weekend to you!
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