Road Trip Gold: My Unexpectedly Awesome Visit to Peach Park in Clanton, Alabama

Recently, my family set out on a road trip from Kentucky to the Florida Panhandle. While spirits stayed high in anticipation of a week at the beach, we hit a point where everyone needed a break from the car. We all wanted to stretch our legs and fill our bellies, so we stopped for lunch at Peach Park in Clanton, Alabama. To our surprise, we hit road trip gold. The all-in-one market, restaurant, and playground had something every family member loved.

We stepped onto Peach Park's massive patio and were blown away by the slides, swings, and small pond. It felt like a complex built for the whole family. Kids happily raced down the slides while adults enjoyed the bench swings. There was also a large tractor that kids could sit on.

A gravel path away from the market and restaurant led to a much larger playground. The playground had a large red barn structure with black tube slides and pony-shaped swings for kids. I was so surprised and impressed with the setup; finding a place for kids to run around on a road trip can be challenging.

After a few minutes, we stepped inside the restaurant to order lunch. They served BBQ, brisket, ribs, hot dogs, chicken fingers, and smoked chicken. Side dishes included baked beans, potato salad, fried green tomatoes, onion rings, waffle fries, and macaroni and cheese. There were also plenty of tempting dessert options, including ice cream, fried pies, and buttermilk and pecan pies. We settled on chicken fingers, BBQ, smoked chicken, waffle fries, and macaroni and cheese. The food was fantastic and easily the best we've had on a quick road trip stop. I'm still kicking myself for not trying a peach-filled fried pie or peach ice cream.

We ate at a large outdoor picnic table with plenty of room for the whole family. A few minutes after we got our food, a guitarist started singing and playing on the patio. I never dreamed we'd have a hot, delicious meal with live music just seconds from Interstate 65, but I was thrilled.

After eating, we browsed the gift shop and market, which had gifts, specialty food items, and fresh produce. We loved looking at the rows of peaches in striking shades of reds, yellows, and oranges. They weren't quite ripe, and we happily bought some to eat on our vacation. A few days later, they were ripe, juicy, and flavorful. We'll definitely return to Peach Park the next time we're in Clanton, Alabama.

For more details, visit Peach Park's Facebook page.

Clanton, Alabama, is a small town of about 9,000 residents that's a foodie's dream. You can get some of the country's best peaches and enjoy some of the state's best pecan pie at Pies By Mike, a food that has locals going crazy. If you're in the mood for another type of pie, Pies By Mike also serves buttermilk, key lime, fudge, and strawberry cream dessert pies, as well as bacon, ham, and sausage breakfast pies. Maddogs Grill is another Clanton eatery serving mouthwatering nachos, cheese curds, burgers, sandwiches, wings, and specialty hot dogs.

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