(DAPHNE, Ala.) - Daphne, Alabama...a growing, modern city divided by a busy four lane Hwy 98.
There's no doubt, Daphne is a city on the move.
But there's another part of Daphne that moves at a much slower pace. And it's a good thing because when you're here, you'll want to stay a while.
Just ask Casey Zito.
"Olde Towne Daphne is really the hub of Daphne when it began," she said. "There are buildings here form the 1800's. It is where Daphne settled, the commerce center of Daphne if you will."
Zito wasn't alive in 1927 when Daphne's meager 500 residents incorporated their community into a city.
But her grandmother was.
And Casey remembers the house where her mother grew up.
"And she used to tell stories about going to the beach and the wild boars would come out of the woods and they would have to go stand out in the bay until they went away before they could go back up to the house!"
The wild boards are gone, but there are still plenty of reminders of that earlier time when two lanes took you through the center of town.
They still do, in Olde Towne Daphne.
Olde Towne is still the center of government for the city.
And while it is no longer the center of commerce, there are still unique shops to explore.
And Olde Towne Daphne is still a place to gather with friends for lunch, share some quality time with the kids, explore an eclectic collection of outdoor art, even catch some music and share a glass of wine with a friend.
"Well, I think we are beginning to create a new identity for Olde Towne Daphne," said Zito, proudly. "We have the wonderful Centennial Park for kids. You're less than half a mile from the bay. You've got four restaurants in town, and you've got some great little shops. I like to sit in one of the restaurants in Olde Towne Daphne. There are places to sit outside, kind of watch the world go by a little bit."
You, too, can enjoy all of this.
But you'll have to make some sacrifices.
You'll have to leave the four lane and the appointment book behind.
When you're here, you're on Olde Towne time.
"There is a lot more here than people ever would imagine," said Zito.
