Our recent whirlwind trip to Auburn may have only left us time for a bit of BBQ, but we did make one important stop on our way home - at the Peach Park in Clanton, AL. This little roadside oasis was strongly recommended to us, and I'm not one to turn down a recommendation, especially when peach pie and homemade ice cream are involved.
The Peach Park is a giant complex offering much more than fleshy stone fruits and their assorted products. A large part of the warehouse-like structure is devoted to bushels of fuzzy peaches and endless rows of preserves in glass jars, but there's also a BBQ bar, appropriately named the 'Peach Pit,' a wide selection of homemade ice creams and baked goods, a shop stocked with Peach Park and Alabama souvenirs, and a front porch complete with rocking chairs.
We'd been generously fed by our hosts before leaving Auburn so, since we were only making a brief stop, we decided to content ourselves with a small serving of something sweet. I was momentarily swayed by a crust-rich peach cobbler keeping warm behind the counter, but when I saw a handwritten sign advertising Peach Cheesecake ice cream I knew I had to try it - deliciously creamy, with real chunks of peach and cheesecake. Matt chose a scoop of Snickers which was also tasty, if incredibly un-peachy!
The place was crowded on that warm, Sunday afternoon - there wasn't a rocking chair to spare so we ate inside, which gave me the opportunity to look around a bit and snap a few photos. I enjoyed wandering through the shop and ended up purchasing a tin of golden syrup for future baking. It's a key ingredient in many British sweets and one not often stocked in U.S. stores, so I was excited to find a large amount at a good price.
In general, the prices at the Peach Park aren't extraordinarily cheap, but they're competitive with other similar places we've visited in South Carolina and Tennessee. After a bit of online research, I've discovered that peach shortcake and peach cobbler are their signature offerings, so if you're passing through central Alabama and get a sudden craving for sticky-sweet and peachy desserts, or just want a rest in a good old-fashioned rocking chair, the Peach Park just might be the perfect place to stop.
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