Gulf Shores Parkway

Going towards or away from the coast, this market is on the minds of a lot of tourists and locals. Whatever is in season you can find it here, and a lot of it is local. There is also a bakery that's popular.

The chicken is eye catching. The phone number is memorable - 947-PECK.

Within sight of Charley's, you can see "Stoney the Bear" at Stoneworks, a business that sells natural stones. If Stoney looks familiar, you've probably seen him at your local A&W Root Beer drive-in going by the name "The Great Root Bear." Same bear, painted.

This might possibly be the only spear hunting museum in the world. Privately owned by Gene Morris, the "Greatest Living Spear Hunter in the World," the museum is open only Tuesday through Saturday from 1 to 5 PM. We haven't been traveling Gulf Shores Parkway during those hours since it opened. We will visit when we can. It looks interesting.

The Hotel Magnolia was opened by John Foley in 1908. After World War II John Snook, owner of Gulf Telephone Company, bought the hotel and refurbished it. It was closed for more than 30 years until it was renovated and reopened in 2005. You can stop in and walk through most of it.

Located across Gulf Shores Parkway from the Hotel Magnolia, there is more here than it appears from the highway. A 1950s era Main Street has been constructed with a fire station, car wash, church, bus station, and a city park. One one side of Main Street is an oil refinery and on the other side is a farm, a sawmill, and a coal company.

The Model Railroad Museum is also located here. The trains run Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

Yes, they really do throw rolls here. I took this photo on a Sunday morning, hence the near empty parking lot. During tourist season and weekends it is usually packed. Tourists go as much for the entertainment as they do the food.

Priesters Pecans

The Hank Williams Museum

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