I had a fun visit in Auburn with Seth. We made it a mission to eat at interesting places and do some sightseeing. Auburn is a beautiful college town in the Appalachian foothills. We spent a morning hiking in Chewacla State Park. The trail was well marked, however, shared with mountain bikes. This made for some interesting terrain features and the occasional bike whizzing by. One part of the trail was straight up for 233 feet. I will let you guess which one with the screenshot from the All Trails app.

We also walked around Thurlow Dam in Tallassee on the Tallapoosa River. The dam was built as part of textile and ammunition factories at the time of the Civil War. There was beautiful scenery that included my favorite thing: industrial decay. The red circle is the abandoned building in the pictures. Not pictured is the historical site of the Tallassee Armory Guards maintained by the Sons of Confederate Veterans. Plenty of Confederate flags to go ’round.

Every time I come to Auburn, I try to eat at different places. This time we had ramen, sushi, Mediterranean, pizza, Japanese fusion, and barbeque. This last one deserves a special mention as the best brisket I have ever had. It came from a roadside shack called Mae Pops Barbecue. If you are ever even remotely close to Tallassee, Alabama, do NOT miss this place. Be sure to order your sandwich “all the way”, which comes with coleslaw, pickled red onions, and pickles on it.