You Haven’t Lived Until You’ve Visited this Alabama Roadside Attraction [PHOTOS]

If y'all don't know about Peach Park--are you even living right? The answer, my friends, is a resounding NO.

Peach Park, located off Exit 205 of I 65 in Clanton, is TRUTH. Peach Park is part park, part produce stand, part restaurant, part garden, and 100% AWESOME.

Peach Park was founded in the 1980's; it started as a produce stand, selling fresh Chilton County peaches straight from the source instead of hauling them across state lines for sale in places like New Orleans. Peach Park spans seven acres; they grow some of the most delicious peaches you will ever taste in this or any life (those peaches come in several varieties, I might add).

Their famous ice cream was developed in 1988 as a way to use up an abundance of fresh peaches, and nothing has been the same since. In addition to this heavenly concoction, they're also serving peach cobbler and peach pies--which Southern Living named the Best in the South. The cobblers and pies are made daily on-site. You can watch sweet old ladies roll dough and fill pies BY HAND--what more proof do you need that Peach Park is the REAL DEAL?

You can have BBQ for lunch, too! They serve up pit-smoked goodness every day of the week. You can also buy fresh produce at Peach Park: green beans, strawberries, corn, peppers, squash, tomatoes, and so much more--and yes, those famous Chilton County peaches are available for purchase. They offer a variety of jams and jellies for sale--it's like a general store of everything that is good and Southern and awesome. (Read more about Peach Park at this cool little website I found HERE.)

I've been going to Peach Park for as long as I can remember. I grew up north of Birmingham, and every summer we'd take a week-long vacation at Orange Beach--and we always stopped at Peach Park on our way south. Always. Some of my favorite memories are of walking around the gardens with my grandparents--and the food, of course. Does it get any better than hot peach cobbler topped with sweet peach ice cream? SPOILER ALERT: NO, IT DOES NOT.

My daughter took her first trip to Peach Park yesterday; we thought it was high time for an inaugural road trip in our new Volkswagen, so we headed out to Clanton yesterday afternoon. It's about an hour-and-a-half drive from Tuscaloosa via Highway 82 & Highway 22. (Check out directions HERE--you could also take 20/59 N and get on 65 S in Birmingham and take the interstate the entire way, but... why would you do that when you can enjoy some sweet country roads?)

Peach Park has grown over the years, and it was cool to see so many new things at the park. They added a huge play area in the back, and my daughter had so much fun climbing into the play barn and checking out the super slides. We walked around my beloved Peach Park gardens, and of course--I snapped a pic with the iconic peach.

We had a wonderful afternoon. I can't say enough about Peach Park, y'all; I just love it. It's THE BEST.

Peach Park was PACKED yesterday; we had a hard time finding a place to park, but I can't complain. It fills my heart with joy to know so many people love this special place as much as I do. I've posted some more peachy pics below--they're from our trip yesterday and from past trips to Peach Park, one of my favorite places on the planet.

Have you been to Peach Park? Are summer trips to Clanton a family tradition for you, too? Share your Peach Park memories with me in the comments below, and if you're headed to Peach Park soon, you'd best come back with a fried peach pie for me!