More than a monument to an agricultural pest

A 2 day tour of Alabama
from our Southeastern issue,
Summer 2012.

	A focal point in downtown Enterprise is the Enterprise Recreation Complex.

A prominent landmark in Enterprise is a monument to an agricultural pest that helped convert and diversify local farming practices.

The Boll Weevil Monument went up in 1919 because while the pest destroyed the cotton crop, it got farmers to convert to peanut farming.

While peanut and cotton farming continue, Enterprise is a city of more than 26,000 in southeastern Alabama with friendly residents, a charming downtown and plenty to see and do.

Whether your group is on its way to the beaches along the Gulf Coast or just traveling through Alabama, Enterprise is likely on the way — or should be.

Day One 

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel before starting your explorations of Enterprise.

Visit the historic Boll Weevil Monument, the only one in the world dedicated to a pest. It stands as a reminder of the Wiregrass Area’s agricultural past and present.

Next, tour the Historic Rawls Building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Back in its heyday, it was a fine hotel. Today, it houses a conference center, restaurant and bed-and-breakfast inn.  

You might even meet a friendly ghost or two during your visit. The building’s namesake, Japheth Rawls, is reputed to still make appearances from time to time in specter form. 

After a gourmet lunch with local delicacies at the Rawls Building, head to the Depot Museum.

The museum, with a collection of Enterprise’s past and present, is located in a 1903 train depot. 

Next, take a guided tour of downtown Enterprise.

Later in the afternoon, visit Sessions Peanuts. Sessions produces peanuts the same way they did in the early 19th century. The family-owned company shells and processes peanuts in addition to making peanut meal and peanut oil. Make sure to see the gift shop before the visit wraps up.

For dinner, dine at Cutt’s Restaurant. The family-owned eatery, which specializes in country cooking and chili dogs, claims to be the oldest dining establishment in Enterprise.

In the evening, bowl some frames at Boland Lanes.

Day Two

Begin the day in downtown Enterprise, and enjoy breakfast at Dakota Coffee Works.

Then, board a motorcoach and learn about Fort Rucker. Named for a Civil War officer, Confederate Gen. Edmund Rucker, the post is the primary training ground for U.S. Army aviators.

Fort Rucker is home to the U.S. Army Aviation Center for Excellence and the U.S. Army Aviation Museum. Spend the morning touring the fort and its museum.

Have lunch at The Landing at Fort Rucker or at Milky Moo’s in Enterprise.

After, stop by the Aviator Monument, dedicated to Army pilots; Enterprise High School Tornado Memorial, an eight-column tribute to the eight students who died in a March 1, 2007, twister; and/or Enterprise Welcome Center, with a historic little red schoolhouse.

In the afternoon, visit Country Best Farm and its you-pick offerings; or stop in at Coffee County Gin to see how cotton is harvested, with the best viewings from September through early November.

In the evening, catch a meal and a show at Southern Broadway Dinner Theater. While the theater doesn’t offer group discounts, it considers adding dates to accommodate groups. The 48-seat operation is housed in the Hildreth Brothers Building, which was built in 1904.

GO
Enterprise

SEE
Fort Rucker
(334) 255-2474
www.rucker.army.mil/pao/visit.html  

Historic Rawls Building
(334) 347-7612
www.rawlsbandb.com

Sessions Peanuts
(334) 393-0200
www.sessionspeanuts.com

Southern Broadway Dinner Theater
(334) 470-6568
www.southernbroadway.com

U.S. Army Aviation Museum
(334) 598-2508
www.armyavnmuseum.org

EAT
Cutt’s Restaurant
(334) 347-1110
www.cuttsrestaurant.com

Rawl’s Restaurant
(334) 308-9387
www.rawlsbandb.com

ASK
Enterprise Chamber of Commerce
(334) 347-0581
www.visitenterprise.com

Tell us what you think or offer your culinary group travel itineraries to the editor.
Mail: 2465 112th Ave.
Holland, MI 49424
Fax: (616) 393-0085
Phone: 1-800-767-3489 between 8am - 5pm, EST.