Vacation on Smith Lake, Alabama

Thinking of taking a vacation, retiring, or building a summer lake house?Check out Smith Lake in Alabama! I know, I know. . . Alabama didn't seem like a wonderful place to retire or vacation to a California girl like myself, but Memorial Day Weekend changed my perspective. My parents just finished building a beautiful, 3 story lake house on Smith Lake in Arley, Alabama as a retirement home. They decided to invite us all out for Memorial Weekend to see the house, relax, and have fun.
It was a beautiful 3 & 1/2 hour drive from Olive Branch, Mississippi to Arley, Alabama, filled with small historic towns, alot of creeping kudzu, and lush, green trees. The 3 &1/2 hours went by quickly and everyone was excited as we approached what my parents said was the last bridge to cross over Smith Lake before we got to their Paradise Home.

Two cars driving in the opposite direction blinked their lights and my father informed us that road blocks are pretty normal in Arley. Arley is a dry county; they don't sell alcohol and check to make sure the alcohol you might have isn't on ice(some strange law). My Dad called my sister, who was following in the car behind, to make sure that the bottles of liquor and beer that she had weren't on ice, and that she had her license ready. As we drove around the final bend and approached the bridge we saw a young man with a stop sign in his hand and a Firefighter vest on. We slowed to a stop, and my Father rolled down his window.
"I'm sorry folks, but I'm gonna have to turn you around. . . there's been a really bad accident just over the bridge and they're sending in a helicopter for the passengers."

My Mom leaned over and pleaded: "Please, we live just on the other side of the bridge, is there any way we can get by?"
The young firefighter looked down to the other side of the bridge where we could see a fire engine, two ambulances, three cop cars and three other wrecked vehicles.
"I'm sorry mam, the bird is in the air and on it's way. If you don't mind waiting over here on the side of the road, that would be alright."