Bobby and Vivian Cooper are sitting at their kitchen table surrounded by several of their 10 dogs. Vivian says that most of them were rescued from the highway, and such rescues seem to be a theme in the couple’s life. Along with stray animals, the Coopers also occasionally rescue people by putting them up in their Tuskegee motel, Floral Park.

“I can’t tell you how many drifters have come through here,” Bobby says. “When people need help we help them out.” Vivian adds.

Bobby and Vivian met years ago at the Supper Club, but the history of Floral Park goes back far beyond that. Bobby’s family lived on a farm about half a mile from the motel and knew the couple who owned the motel. The couple had bought the motel to run after retiring from Marion, Ohio. A few years after moving to Tuskegee to run the motel, the man passed away of a heart attack. When Bobby’s mother, Nell, offered to help the woman, Nellie Hensel, any way she could, Hensel took her up on her offer.

“She said she needed someone to run the motel while she went and buried her husband,” Bobby says. “She came back and made arrangements to sell the motel and my uncle bought it. He didn’t want to run it and asked my mother to run it.”

After Nell ran the motel for about eight years, Bobby’s uncle decided that he wanted to attempt to run it. But Bobby says his uncle didn’t enjoy the motel business and ended up selling it to his mother. Nell ran Floral Park for more than 30 years.

When Nell passed away in 1998, the motel was turned over to Bobby. His father is legally blind and couldn’t handle the job. Bobby, being an only child, took over the business.

“This was all prepared when Mother died that I’d take over,” Bobby says. “I had no choice but to move up here and take care of my Daddy and run it - or close it down. We couldn’t just close down a good business.”

Little did Vivian know that running Floral Park would soon become her job too.

Bobby and Vivian met at the Supper Club in 1980. Bobby’s roommate was a former owner of the club and Vivian handled promotions for Rock Killough and the Mknyte Brothers. The band was playing the Supper Club on a night that Bobby and his dog were at the club to see Bobby’s good friend, Catfish Willie, who played bass for the band.

“My dog was standing on the bar,” Bobby says. “We were all standing there talking and my dog started drinking Vivian’s mixed drink. So I bought her a drink to replace it and Catfish introduced us.”

Vivian worked at Chewacla State Park for 21 years and after retiring took on the Floral Park job with Bobby. The Coopers live at the hotel and say that it’s a 24/7 business.

Bobby says that in the years that his family has owned Floral Park, many interesting people have come through the doors.

“When I was 5 or 6, two Russian spies stayed here,” Bobby says. “I think that is some of the most interesting people that have stayed here.”

Bobby says that the FBI came to the motel a week before and had them book every room for the spies. He says that the investigation was secretive, but really interesting to him as a boy.

“They had recording devices put up next to the wall and they hid out in their rooms the entire time they were here,” he remembers.

Other interesting characters that have been guests at the hotel include gypsies, and a man that everyone called the Goat Man because he traveled in a stage coach pulled by goats.

But a majority of the clientele that Floral Park attracts are musicians. Popular musicians that include Ray Price, Johnny Shines, Damon Johnson, Splended Chaos, Dumpstaphunk, Miss Used, Rock Killough and Billy Earl McClelland have all been guests at Floral Park.

The Coopers say that many of their friends are musicians and that they enjoy giving them a place to stay. They say that they know that musicians don’t make much money and that they are proud to be able to provide a place that is affordable for them.

“That’s the thing I’m most proud of that we’ve done is provide places for people to stay and help the musicians,” Vivian says.

The Coopers credit Supper Club owner John Brandt for sending many musicians their way. Floral Park is located about nine miles south of the Supper Club and Brandt informs many bands and musicians that he books about the motel.

Brandt says that he probably met Bobby his first weekend working at the club 28 years ago.

“They were always big music people,” Brandt says. “In the old days, when Bobby’s mom owned the motel, a lot of bands stayed there, but at the same time it’s where the after parties were. Their old living room was like a shrine of musicians. It was like going to a hall of fame. They had all of these 8x10 photos in their living room.”

Brandt says that although he has good relationships with other hotels in the area, he recommends Floral Park to people that are looking to save money. He says some hotels in Auburn will charge up to $170 a night, with a two-night minimum on football weekends, but that Floral Park’s prices are always the same.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s the Auburn vs. Alabama game or whatever, their prices are always the same,” he says.

He adds that another enticing factor is that the rooms are really nice and that the area is peaceful and quiet.

Billy Earl McClelland, a musician based out of Cusseta, Ala., performs in the Auburn area regularly and always chooses to stay at Floral Park.

McClelland also met Bobby through Catfish Willie more than 20 years ago and says that he has stayed at Floral Park hundreds of times.

“I’ve spent my life in motel rooms,” McClelland says. “When I stay there I get the curtains pulled and I get the air conditioner going on high and I go to sleep and it’s like sleeping in the womb. No one knows where you are. You turn your phone off, and you can really get away.”

He adds that he thinks the Coopers are wonderful people and respects the fact that they have always been great supporters of local music.

Brandt says that no musician that he’s ever sent to Floral Park has had a complaint. He even sent musician Damon Johnson, who has traveled the world touring with Alice Cooper, and his 16-year-old daughter to stay at Floral Park last week.

“He asked me about it and I told him that they’re old, but they’re clean,” Brandt says. “I guarantee those sheets are as clean as anybody’s sheets.”

Brandt says after his stay Johnson thanked him for recommending Floral Park.

“He said ‘that was awesome. I’m going to be staying there every time I come to town now,’ ” Brandt said.

The rooms also have new furniture, TVs and a new cable system.

Single rooms (one double bed) cost $35 a night, a single and a half (a double and single bed) is $40 a night, and a double (two double beds) is $45 a night.

The Coopers say that although the motel business can be hard, they’ve had clients pass away at the hotel, start fights and more, that the good outweighs the bad and that they will run it as long as they can. Vivian says that she believes God has put them in the business for a reason.

“We’ve wondered why God put us here,” she says. “I rescue race horses at my house. I have beautiful horses and jumps and I haven’t lived in my house in 11 or 12 years. I just had to accept the fact that maybe we’re here because God wants us to be here and we’re supposed to help people.”