Bay Minette, AL, United States

Capital City

With a population of just 8,107, Bay Minette is a sleepy county seat that marches to its own beat. The nighttime raid that brought the county records here in 1901 was just the start of the town's bureaucratic headaches - a recent attempt to force church attendance for misdemeanor convicts was ultimately scrapped due to separation of church and state concerns. And while the climate is described as "humid subtropical," the reality is long, sweltering summers that can be oppressive. For those seeking a slower pace of life in the Deep South, Bay Minette may fit the bill, but the town's quirks and bureaucracy are not for the faint of heart.