ALEX CITY...Alabama...is not my old home town....but I have lived here over half of my life...and can't imagine living anywhere else. This town was a great place to raise kids...I teach in it...and believe we have an excellant school system. It is a good place. You can't convince some of that...but then...when I was 15...you could not convince me that West Palm Beach, Florida was a good place. I wanted to live in New York...so here I am in rural small town Alabama...and to be quite honest...I love the slowness of the pace. I love that people you don't even know speak to you when you come out of Walmart...just because it is what you do in the South. We pride ourselves here in Alex City of being the South's best kept secret and we truly are.
Lake Martin, one of our biggest draws, "is located in Tallapoosa County, Elmore County, and Coosa County in Alabama. It is a 44,000 acre (178 km²) lake with over 750 miles (1,200 km) of wooded shoreline." "Lake Martin was formed by the construction of Martin Dam on the Tallapoosa River. The Martin Dam powerhouse is used to generate hydroelectric power for the Alabama Power Company. Construction was begun in 1923 and completed in 1926, creating what was then the largest man-made body of water in the world. Originally known as Cherokee Bluffs for the geological formation upon which it was built, the dam was renamed in 1936 in honor of Thomas Martin, the then president of Alabama Power Company." It is still one of the largest artificial lakes in the United States.
Horseshoe Bend National Military Park is another big draw to the area. Horseshoe Bend National Military Park is a U.S. National Military Park managed by the National Park Service that is the site of the last battle of the Creek War on March 27, 1814. General Andrew Jackson's Tennessee militia, aided by the 39th U. S. Infantry Regiment and Cherokee and Upper Creek allies, finally crushed Lower Creek Red Stick resistance at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend on the Tallapoosa River. Jackson's decisive victory at Horseshoe Bend broke the power of the Creek Nation. On August 9, 1814, the Creeks signed the Treaty of Fort Jackson, which ceded 23 million acres
(93,000 km²) of land in Alabama and Georgia to the United States government. There are some awesome hiking trails...The nature trail is a 2.8 mile long loop with hills and valleys. in the park, a great museum, and each year numerous reenactments take place there.
You can also find Camp Ascca here. What is that you say? Camp ASCCA is a year-round 236 acre camp, located on beautiful Lake Martin in Alabama. The camp serves children and adults with mental and/or physical disabilities. Their mission is to help people with disabilities achieve equality, dignity and maximum independence. They take pride in offering a wide variety of exciting educational, social and recreational activities. Camp ASCCA is an ACA accredited camp. The Easter Seals Camp ASCCA (Alabama's Special Camp for Children and Adults) first opened its doors in 1976. Since then it has touched the lives of tens of thousands of children and adults with disabilities. Located on beautiful Lake Martin in east central Alabama, Camp ASCCA is a nationally recognized leader in providing camping and outdoor recreation service for people with disabilities in a barrier-fee environment. AT the end of the summer sessions....they had a prom this year. Some of my students were counselors...and came and borrowed prom decorations from me...I loved it.
Children's Harbor, is the next stop. It is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, provides free and confidential counseling and support services to children with long-term serious illnesses as well as to their families, and we provide camping and retreat facilities for these children and families as well as for other children with special needs. Children's Harbor was officially dedicated in 1990 to the memory of Adelia M. Russell. From the beginning the mission has been simple: strengthening children and families. Their icon, a replica of the Plymouth Lighthouse which is located on Providence Point at the Lake Martin campus, symbolizes their goal of helping children and families find their way through the treacherous waters in which they sometimes find themselves. The beautiful campus, located 15 miles south of Alexander City, Alabama, on Highway 63, is built around a picturesque New England seaside village motif and features the Plymouth Lighthouse and a charming little early American church, Children's Chapel. The lakeside setting is also home to Church in the Pines, Harbor House, Mariners' Adventure Camp, Mariners' Adventure Course, Mariners' Retreat Center (Concord and Salem Cottages), Time Capsule Park, and our administrative headquarters. This was a taste of some of the things Alex City has to offer. Tomorrow...I will tell you how the town came to be.
BTW there is some amazing camping to be found in Alabama....and in Alex City....want to know where the best places are to go? If you are an avid camper then check out the following links:
Alabama Camping (linking to: http://woodalls.com/campground/default.aspx?subtype=rv-camping&city=alexander-city&state=alabama&radius=50)
Family Camping Resources (linking to: http://www.woodalls.com/family-camping/)
RV Campgrounds (linking to: http://www.trailerlifedirectory.com/)
24 Hour RV Roadside Assistance (linking to: http://www.goodsamers.com/)
