(Photo) View of the Blue Trail at Joe Wheeler State Park.

Piece 1: Joe Wheeler State Park. Located at 4401 McLean Road in Rogersville AL is Joe Wheeler State Park. Established in 1949, this North Alabama public recreation area and resort sits alongside Wheeler Lake, an impoundment of the Tennessee River.

Perhaps the best feature of Joe Wheeler is its network of trails that wind through diverse landscapes featuring gentle hills and rocky outcrops. These trails cater to a variety of skill levels, providing something for everyone, from casual walkers to those seeking a more challenging adventure. Detailed signage at each trailhead provides information about trail difficulty level, trail length, and estimated completion time.

All hikers will enjoy seeing towering hardwood trees that provide a sheltering canopy for birds and other wildlife, and a lush undergrowth teeming with native plants and wildflowers.

Joe Wheeler State Park offers visitors a variety of options for overnight stays, including camp sites, lakeside cabins, and a comfortable lodge with balconies that overlook the lake and park marina. An on-site restaurant (Daniella’s) is open Thursday through Sunday and offers buffet meals on the weekends.

We enjoy staying at the Joe Wheeler lodge, which is positioned very near the start of the Blue Trail Loop, an easy one-mile hike that includes scenic views along the water’s edge and a number of trees designated as “champions for its species” including a September Elm, a Bitternut Hickory, and a Chinkapin Oak.

A view inside U.G. White Merchantile

Piece 2: U.G. White Mercantile. Located at 101 North Jefferson Street in Athens AL, the historic U.G. White general store was established in 1917 by Ulysses Grant White, an enterprising merchant with a vision to serve the local community.

The attractive storefront and display windows of U.G. White gives customers a preview of what to expect inside the store, which has carefully preserved architectural features to give shoppers a “throwback experience.” The rustic two-level mercantile has old wooden floors that creak with history, and is adorned many pieces of vintage retail equipment.

We enjoyed browsing the large display of Case folding pocket knives at U.G. White, the self-serve bin full of old fashioned candies, the classic toys and games, and the store’s branded prepared foods and merchandise.

Lastly, U.G, White has a counter selling fresh coffee, a variety of chocolates, and hand-dipped ice creams. The Southern Table Restaurant is located next to the mercantile, and there is an inside walkway connecting both businesses.

Russell Stover Store in Athens AL

Piece 3: Russell Stover/Buc-ees.

Russell Stover and his wife, Clara, started making candy in 1923 in the kitchen of their Denver CO bungalow home. The couple established a confectionery company that has become a household name across the United States.

Over the years, Russell Stover has remained committed to producing fine chocolates using traditional homemade recipes and only the best ingredients. In 2014, Swiss chocolatier Lindt acquired the Russell Stover Company and its iconic subsidiary brand, Whitman’s.

There are a limited number of Russell Stover retail shops scattered across the United States, and one of them is located in Athens AL at 1699 U.S. Highway 72 East. In addition to its large inventory of boxed and bagged candies, the store has a counter serving hand-dipped ice cream, caramel apples, and chocolate dipped strawberries.

Russell Stover sells a variety of really delicious sugar free chocolate candies, and the Athen’s store had a nice selection of these on hand. We bought two large bags of the sugar free chocolate-enrobed coconut candies (our favorite), and decided to try some of the Russell Stover sugar free salt water taffy (it was good).

Lastly, the store stocks several sizes of the popular Whitman’s Sampler brand of boxed chocolates, including the giant 36-ounce version featuring 72 pieces of candy.

As we concluded our time in Athens, we had to stop at Buc-ees. Founded in 1982 by Arch “Beaver” Aplin and Don Wasek in Lake Jackson TX, Buc-ees started as a modest convenience store but has now grown into one of America’s most popular travel centers. The Athens location is at 2328 Lindsay Lane South.

While Buc-ees initially garnered attention for its large clean restrooms and quirky beaver mascot, food is fast becoming its main attraction. Shoppers are drawn to the center of the store when meat carvers yell out “brisket on the board” to signal that fresh beef brisket sandwiches are being prepared. Buc-ees is also getting known for its selection of beef jerky, homemade fudge, and the ever popular Beaver Nuggets (crunchy corn puffs with a sugary coating). After their bathroom break and a snack, visitors can browse a wide range of souvenirs, gift items, home decor, and Buc-ees branded merchandise.

While it’s generally considered a rest and refuel stop for travelers, in many areas (including Athens), Buc-ees is becoming a destination point.

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