Travel Experiences with Jeff Barganier
A Spring Fling in Alabama’s Black Belt I wake up early, hankering for a spring fling. Following my walk around gorgeous Lake Cameron at The Waters in Pike Road, it’s only natural to start the day with a delicious cup of coffee and blueberry muffin from The Waters own Hole in the Wall Coffee Shop. Hole in the Wall is the creative genius of retired dentist Bill Cornwell and construction executive Carl Calderone. The quaint establishment got its name when Dr. Cornwell’s Bill Cornwell (L) and Carl Calderone (R) wife Marci warned him, “Don’t you dare put one hole in the arrives with wall unless you’re sure you’re going to two goats in do this!” At which point, Dr. Cornwell tow for the turned and smashed a hole through children to the sheetrock, birthing a new business pet. (This and first ever coffee shop at The impromptu Waters. A commemorative section of petting zoo that very drywall hangs on the new wall in the shop and features a coffee mug emerging like a butterfly from a cocoon. The coffee shop displays comparable humor and creativity throughout, making this a fun establishment to visit. The locals love it, and Hole in the Wall has become a favorite neighborhood hangout.
Vaughn Road and is eager for your business. His wife is expecting a second daughter who will have made her debut by the time you read this. While Zack and I get acquainted, Dr. Cornwell
Kenzie Feeding Goat
occurs now and then.) One goat’s large and brown. But the children seem to favor the pigmy Cindy and I take seats at named Snowball. an outside table and are Snowball’s not soon joined by neighbors quite as eager Zack Knight and his to be petted as Hole in the Wall Coffee Shop @ The Waters adorable daughter Kenzie. the children are A transplant from Mississippi with eager to pet him. He cries and tries to relatives in the river region, Zack’s bolt away but calms when held. And opening a new State Farm office on everyone enjoys their show.
34 BOOM!
April 2021
RiverRegionBoom.com
We enjoy our coffee to the last drop before departing for Shana’s Place located at 1894 County Road 6 in Shorter, Alabama. The cover designer for my latest novel Lawson’s Bluff is an avid hunter who lives in the southwestern edge of Colorado at the base of the Rockies. When, in an email, she told me about the delicious elk and antelope her family hunts and eats, my mouth watered. But where in the world around here can one find such epicurean delights? Shana’s Place! And not just exotic meats but fresh fish. You can order a whole red snapper from Shana and have it in a few days! At Shana’s, we’re greeted by her notso-camera-shy gobbler, Ranger, who poses with us for photos and struts his stuff. All around us are processing facilities and freezers—some in a converted school bus. I search through a freezer and find … elk meat. Yes! I promptly purchase a couple of pounds for my grill. Shana is crazy busy managing this business Calming Snowball the Goat she started from scratch in 2003. But she takes time to visit, is delightful to talk with, and is full of enthusiasm. “We have the ability to order a ton of awesome products that we don’t generally keep in stock! Some of these items are cowboy rib eyes, The River Region’s 50+ Lifestage Magazine