About time to find that piece of rural property that I've always wanted. Like to be within about 2 hrs of Bham as I don't think I'll ever get the wife to move. While most of the cooking and fun would be had on the property, momma and the girls will always need a town/city of some size to have something to do. This got me thinking about our favorite small towns. The wife and I take a lot of fishing trips and have been all over Alabama. Here are our favorites so far:

1. Cullman. This is my wife's favorite. She loves the downtown area with the restaurants, shopping, and the events they put on there.
2. Florence. This is my number one. Great food, great beer, and tons of outdoor activities with the river and creeks there.
3. Athens. One of my favorite pizza places is there (Village Pizza). Brewery is very good. Downtown is great.
4. Decatur. Not as much shopping as the wife would like, downtown is cool but not great. Brewery is decent. Lots of outdoors activities.
5. Jasper. Revitalized downtown. Some decent restaurants and a cool brewery. Hate Smith Lake, but it's there for those that don't.

Towns I need to spend some time in: Tuscaloosa, Wetumpka, Clanton, Alex City
Towns that I don't particularly like: Montgomery, Prattville, Eufaula, Gadsden

And for as much as I love hunting at Demopolis, the area is devoid of anything fun that I'd send my wife and girls to.

That one little spot just north of Repton and east of Monroeville.

Nothing to see around AlexCity and Lake Martin, nothing at all. I promise.

Selmont

Uniontown

Hwy 80 from Montgomery to York-Cuba is going to be turned fully into I-85 so it can join 20-59. The routes are planned and the pre-planning phase is mostly done. Property is steadily being acquired. Its going to be interesting to see how Trump and Elon move but both like to build at Eisenhower speed or faster. I expect to see dirt moving on the project before Trump's term is over.
When that is complete and open, all of the real estate on the north side of the new interstate is going to get very damn expensive. The north side will be serving B-Ham, T-Town, and every other big city to the north. Demopolis north-side should grow rapidly. Now is a good time to be buying over that way for your children and grandchildren.

Owens Cross Roads

William your 1-3 will be hard to beat. Good luck in your search

This has been promised since the early 80s and not as much as a dirt clod has been moved yet. They have however put millions into thinking about it.

only took them 15 year to finish the short 4 lane from coatopa to cuba. I like demopolis, eufaula and Cullman

I did several surveys on it. I dod believe it is going to come along soon. The push to get the Selma nuke plant rolling is also going to happen under Trump, and about 300 different solar projects between Montgomery and Jackson are also on deck. Not to mention the new gas pipeline section through there should also get back to work. Its planned and was a week or two away from actual work but Biden stopped it.

Florence is a good area . Lived outside Florence 60 yrs . Nice quiet a peaceful with no interstate running thru here . Lots of restaurants.

There has been some movement legislatively. One proposed route runs right through my dad's house and asphalt contractors, which is the most likely route they'll take.

Im kinda fond of Nectar AL sice ive lived here about all my life. Nothing here but a caution light and im pretty sure if that thing ever stops blinking this place will disappear off the face of the earth.

Coffee pot Al, then next is lick skillet al

You are right Gadsden sucks. I love Dallas and Wilcox county hunting but the towns suck.

Anyone with knowledge like to share maps of said proposals?

I sure would like to see where the projects would possibly take place.

I sort of like Eufaula. We go there every year for a bass tournament or two. I like the idea of hunting the refuge and there are a couple of restaurants downtown that I like. It's only slightly less rundown as other cities in the Black Belt.

Maybe I'm missing something with Demopolis as it's been sometime since I was downtown. Any places to eat or drink down there? There wasn't any shopping that I remember. I've recently been in Eutaw and Greensboro and know there's nothing in either of those places.

I asked The Boss about moving to Scottsboro next year when I retire. I wanted to be closer to Lake Guntersville. She said if we move anywhere it will be back to Texas. They say everything is bigger in Texas. True. Property taxes, insurance, traffic, etc.

Had a tourney on the Alabama River outa Camden this past year. I distinctly remember thinking how depressing the whole freaking area was.