Alabama Small Town Travel: Take an inspiring visit to Waverly and Alexander City

Published On: 12.06.24 |

By: Amber Sutton

Alabama Small Town Travel: Take an inspiring visit to Waverly and Alexander City

Alexander City and Waverly are two Alabama towns worth a day trip or a longer visit. (Amber Sutton)

Alabama is home to many charming towns filled with natural beauty and interesting places to visit. So many, in fact, that some of its scenic small towns, like Alexander City and Waverly, often get overlooked.

With just a short drive between them, Alexander City and Waverly have plenty to offer visitors looking to spend a day exploring a new place. From one-of-a-kind restaurants and shopping to unique museums, picturesque parks and entertainment, you can visit both towns and find something to do no matter where your interests lie.

In fact, here’s a look at just a few of the ways you can enjoy a day, or weekend, in Alexander City and Waverly.

If you enjoy spending time outside surrounded by the beauty of Alabama, Alexander City has plenty to offer thanks to its many parks and greenspaces with proximity to gorgeous Lake Martin. From hiking to camping to spending time out on the water, you can have your pick of outdoor pastimes.

Among the parks that call Alexander City home is Wind Creek State Park, which offers 1,444 scenic acres that hug Lake Martin’s shoreline and has one of the largest state-owned campgrounds in the United States. Whether you’re visiting for the day or staying overnight, the park offers a variety of activities for guests to enjoy, including fishing, horseback riding, archery, putt-putt, swimming, hiking and biking. There’s even a zipline if you’d like to tour the park from the treetops as well as boat rentals if you want to explore the waters of Lake Martin.

Wind Creek State Park is a great place to enjoy the Lake Martin shoreline. (Amber Sutton)

Another popular spot for visitors in Alexander City is the Wellborn Musclecar Museum, which showcases American automobiles of the 1960s and 1970s and features the nation’s largest high-performance Dodge collection. The museum, which displays classics like the Charger, the Road Runner and the SuperBee, is open to the public on Saturdays and also offers private tours by appointment-only Tuesday through Friday.

In addition, Alexander City’s downtown is filled with shops and dining spots perfect for an afternoon spent window-shopping or leisurely browsing. Stores to check out include The Square, where you can come across antiques and one-of-a-kind vintage finds as well as eat lunch. Also check out Scent Wizards, which sells lotions, soaps and other homemade goods, and Cloud Nine, a specialty clothing boutique.

The Square in Alexander City is a great place to get in some shopping. (Amber Sutton)

Downtown Alexander City is full of charm. (Amber Sutton)

Once you’re feeling hungry, there are plenty of restaurants to choose from in Alexander City. If you’d like to enjoy your meal in a laid-back, family-friendly environment with a view of Lake Martin, head to Kowaliga Restaurant. You can access this lakefront eatery by car or boat, and its menu includes Southern comfort foods like pimento cheese, catfish po’ boys, hamburger steak, Conecuh dogs and fruit cobbler. There’s even a fenced-off beach for kids to enjoy while waiting for your meal to arrive.

Kowaliga restaurant on Lake Martin is a local favorite. (Amber Sutton)

If you’d prefer fine dining, SpringHouse, situated within Russell Crossroads, is a noteworthy restaurant in Alexander City, offering gorgeous views of the countryside and a modern take on Southern cuisine. Made from locally sourced ingredients, the dishes SpringHouse offers include Chilton County peaches and burrata, hickory-grilled bone-in pork chop and house-made sorbet.

A visit to Alexander City isn’t complete without dining at SpringHouse. (Amber Sutton)

Another restaurant to consider that has developed a strong following across the state thanks to its menu and charming atmosphere is The Waverly Local in the nearby small town – or should we say tiny town – of Waverly. Since it opened in 2021, the eatery has become known as a hidden gem with a one-of-a-kind take on Southern favorites. Its menu includes blue crab cakes, braised pork and collard greens lasagna, bacon-wrapped Wickles Pickles, ribeye chili and coconut cake.

While in Waverly, you should try to stop by one of its other popular attractions that brings visitors from all over, and that’s a live music venue and print shop known as the Standard Deluxe. On any given day, you can wander into the print shop to find locally made posters, paper goods and T-shirts with custom designs for sale, or grab a coffee and homemade sweet treat at the nearby Wild Flour Bakery.

Fig and Wasp is among the interesting shops in Waverly. (Amber Sutton)

Standard Deluxe is right at home in Waverly. (Amber Sutton)

And though the town of Waverly may be only about three miles long, there are a few other spots of interest to explore while you’re there. Fig and Wasp is an old-country store selling European antiques, furnishings, pottery and art. Era Waverly supplies plenty of vintage housewares, furniture, clothing and jewelry that have been cherry-picked for their style and charm.

With much to explore in these towns, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and plan a getaway now.