Some Like It Hot Video & Blog

I love the springtime in the South. The dark days of winter become just a memory, and warm weather signals an opportunity to get outside and enjoy an abundance of natural, unique and historical sites. Dogwoods are blossoming; the redbuds are sporting their pinkish-purple blooms. Crawfish and crab boils, fish fries and music festivals are springing-up in every southern state from Arkansas to West Virginia.

But, there may be nothing more inviting on a perfect spring day than a tour through a southern city's beautiful downtown historic district.

I recently came across a unique walking tour in one of the South’s classic beauties, Milledgeville, Georgia. What makes Milledgeville distinct is that it actually served as the capital of Georgia during the Civil War; obviously, history envelops this town as much as the natives' Georgia drawl.

Heck, the city is even in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the only city in the world to require trains to stop at a red light. Can you get anymore unique than that?

In Milledgeville, you can venture back in time with driving and trolley tours of the city's historic district and witness such landmarks such as the original Governor's Mansion, the Old Georgia State Capitol, the Flannery O'Connor Room and the Baldwin County Courthouse, which dates back to 1887.

If driving or riding the trolley is not your thing, a new audio walking tour will be right up your alley. Complete with a map, Mp3 player and guided audio featuring narration, music, sound effects and dramatizations, it just might be the most interactive tour this side of the Mason-Dixon Line.

The audio tour perfect for the tech-savvy traveler and adds that extra element of entertainment for friends and family who tag along. And unlike the trolley tours, the audio tour can be taken anytime of the day and at your own pace, not just on scheduled starting times and stops, leaving plenty of time for shopping and a lot of good eatin.'

For more information on Milledgeville or the walking tours, please call 478-452-4687 or visit www.milledgevillecvb.com and request a visitor's guide.

Nashville Country. Kentucky Bluegrass. Memphis and Delta Mississippi Blues. New Orleans Jazz.

There's no doubt about it: the South is recognized world-wide for its wide array of music. It's not uncommon for visitors to take a road trip through the South simply for the abundance of musical sanctuaries along the way.

In fact, I'm one of them.

I keep a constant eye out for music festivals, events, concerts and newly opened music halls and venues. When I begin planning my next trip South, whether venturing to Kentucky, Louisiana or any other southern state, I make sure to add the musical hot spots I've discovered to my "must-visit" list.

I'll admit, I've been keeping a sharp eye on New Orleans lately. I'm regularly checking for new and fun things to do there. After the wrath of hurricane Katrina a few years ago, New Orleans is even more compelling as it undergoes efforts to physical rebuild and progress on citywide cultural rejuvenation.

One particular grand opening caught my interest recently down in Cajun country.

Michaul's Live Cajun Music Venue and Les Bon Temps Party Hall offers the "total Cajun experience." Located in the French Quarter on St. Charles Avenue, Michaul's offers a taste and feel of authentic New Orleans with genuine Cajun cuisine, live music and even dance lessons in the Les Bon Temps Party Hall.

Reviews on Michaul's have done nothing to discourage my positive first impression either:

"We've eaten and danced at many great places in many great cities, but this is the first time I've been compelled to write. That's how good I feel about our visit to MICHAUL's."
Andy Curran, Cincinnati Board of Realtors

"We took a vote at Cathers and voted our visit to MICHAUL's the most enjoyable night we've ever spent in New Orleans! MICHAUL'S lived up to and exceeded our wildest dreams for the evening."
Cathy McGill, Cathers Publishing House, NY

Anybody ready for a southern music road trip?

When you read through our Southern Chef Bios, you can see how frequently our creative Southern chefs combine locally grown ingredients and regional traditions with international flavors. Where did these traditions start? Key Ingredients - America by Food is both a Smithsonian traveling exhibit and a great online journey that takes you through 500 years of American food. The exhibit explores American cuisine as a product of both regional uniqueness and international diversity.

If you have a recipe with special memories attached, you can share your recipe and your story by submitting it online to The American Cookbook Project, a part of the America by Food project.

The touring exhibit will appear in these tasty Southern locations this year:

Elloree Heritage Museum and Cultural Center      Elloree, SC     6/27/2008-8/10/2008

Vienna Historic Preservation Society       Vienna, GA     6/28/2008-8/10/2008

Belton Area Museum Association       Belton, SC     8/15/2008-10/5/2008

Cherokee Regional Library       LaFayette, GA     8/16/2008-8/28/2008

Gilmer County Public Library      Ellijay, GA     10/4/2008-11/16/2008

National Bean Market Museum       Lake City, SC     10/24/2008-12/21/2008

So by now you’ve figured out that I love lists almost as much as traveling around the South and that I’ve totally been intrigued by Forbes magazine’s recent listings.  The Grilled Octopus and Braised Lamb at Kyma in Atlanta, Georgia was recently selected by one of the world’s top 10 chefs as a “meal worth traveling for.”   Here are some snippets:

Some eat to live. Others live to eat. They're called foodies, and they're so dedicated to their quest for the next great meal that many are willing to travel to the other end of the country and, in many cases, to the other end of the world just to experience it. Here are a look at travel-worthy meals selected by 10 top chefs.

Who Picked: Rick Moonen, executive chef of Restaurant RM and R Bar Café at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas

The Meal: Grilled Octopus and Braised Lamb at Kyma in Atlanta

Why: "This Greek restaurant serves up innovative food in a hip environment. The grilled octopus and the braised lamb are a celebration of authentic Greek food presented in a clean way. I would walk to Atlanta just to eat here again."

For more information, visit www.buckheadrestaurants.com/kyma.html.

I’m not a bar hopper (far from it), but I do think it is cool that the Nikki Beach Bar in Miami, Florida was selected by Forbes as one of the World’s Ultimate Beach Bars.  If only I were 20 years younger and still in college I would take a road trip. 

However, If you are an avid reader of this blog, and a growing number of you are (thank you), you already know what a beach bum I am.  I’d take a day at the beach over just about anything, anytime or anywhere.  And the South is known for its fantastic beaches.  Off the top of my head I can think of a handful I personally love…Dauphin Island, Myrtle Beach, Seaside, Destin…but I really couldn’t tell you much about the bar scenes there.  Here’s a link to Travel South USA’s database of Southern Living magazine articles on Beach Vacations.  Perhaps one of our loyal readers will write in with some suggestions.  In the meantime, here’s what Forbes said about the Nikki Beach Bar:

The door policy here might be strict--they adhere to the guest list and weed out hangers-on--but once you get through, the service and atmosphere is above par, with a private beach surrounded by natural wood- and white fabric-covered furnishings. In the evening, this beach bar turns into a full-blown club, serving up house beats from international DJs.

I know a lot of you are laughing at the irony that seems inherent to me in the subject line for this blog entry.  I too have trouble equating “Southern” with “weight loss” since in my home Southern cooking and southern recipes usually involve a lot of butter, a lot of fried food and a basket full of biscuits.  Remember too, I’ve the one who introduced you to Maxine’s Chocolate Cake.  However, like the rest of the world, Southern Chefs, spas, resorts and travel destinations are taking America’s problem with weight in to serious consideration and are now offering healthful alternatives and cooking classes.

Take for instance Duke’s Diet and Fitness Center in Durham, North Carolina.  Their five-day program includes includes access to medical, behavioral, fitness and nutrition evaluations, as well as meals. Along with weight loss, clients often feel more energetic and improve their blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. The optional Lifestyle Coaching program provides six months of supportive follow-up calls.

Hilton  Head Health Institute in Hilton Head, South Carolina also offers at least a week and attend the Healthy Lifestyles program, which teaches techniques for coping with stress and controlling cravings through meal planning. Cooking demonstrations show guests how to keep it up, and personalized fitness programs help lower their blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Unwind with a late-day massage or stretch and relaxation class.

Both were recently recognized by Forbes magazine.

However, working on your weight loss doesn’t have to be all you do when you are there.  Adventure and magnificent scenery await you including whitewater rafting, canoeing, hiking, camping and waterfall treks.  There are tons of Festivals and Attractions in both areas (and plenty of restaurants to test your will power).  Not to mention, beaches to fortify your resolve.  Check out the travel packages at the Travel South USA and have them help you plan your trip.

Until next time…

It’s that time of year.   I’ve got a bunch of mom and dad friends who are taking time off to tour college campuses with their high school junior and senior kids (I can’t believe one of the kids I once babysat is now a Senior in  High School-ugh!  How time flies).  From the University of Florida, to Alabama’s Auburn, to Vanderbilt, Duke and Tulane, the roads and skies of the South are heating up with soon-to-be empty-nesters and college freshmen.   Knowing how hard it was for me 20-something years ago when I was making plans to leave home, my advice to all of them is to try and enjoy the ride, make a fun vacation out of it, soak in all the sightseeing they can and check out the culture, food, shopping and opportunities in each city.  In fact, I’ve sent a lot of them to Travel South USA to make plans before they hit the road.   

I also came across Forbes magazine’s recent list of Best Business Schools and was pleased to find out that of the 56 schools ranked, a whopping 11 are located in the South.  What’s great is that Travel South USA has information on each of these cities readily available to my friends and, even better, so does Southern Living (did you know we have Southern Living magazine articles from them on our website now?). 

Here’s where the South ranked in Forbes’ list with links back to more information on the TSUSA site for great trip ideas:

Best Business Schools

4.   Virginia – Charlottesville, VA

12.  Duke – Durham, North Carolina

15.  University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, North Carolina

23.  Emory – Atlanta, Georgia

24.  Tennesse – Knoxville, Tennessee

31.  Wake Forest – Winston-Salem, North Carolina

32.  Vanderbilt – Nashville, Tennessee

34.  Georgia Tech – Atlanta, Georgia

44.  Tulane – New Orleans, Louisiana

51.  Florida – Gainesville, Florida

54.  South Carolina – Columbia, South Carolina

For those of you seeking “green destinations” in the South I’ve found just the ticket for you.  Popular Science recently released its rankings of America’s 50 Greenest Cities recently.  Not surprisingly, seven Southern Destinations were on it.  Using raw data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Geographic Society’s Green Guide, which collected survey data and government statistics for American cities of over 100,000 people in more than 30 categories, including air quality, electricity use and transportation habits, Popular Science compiled these statistics into four broad categories:  Electricity, Transportation, Green living and Recycling and green perspective. 

Most notable Southern cities were Huntsville, Alabama which ranked 18^th on the list and Lexington, Kentucky at 25^th.  Lexington was also distinguished as a category leader for its Recycling and green perspective. “Lexingtonians recycle everything from surplus electronics to scrap metal, and they listed the environment as their third most important concern (behind only employment and public safety)—the highest ranking in our survey.”  For more information on each of these cities, check out our new articles page courtesy of Travel South USA and Southern Living magazine or our Maps & Distances page and get started planning your next road trip to a greener South.

Southern stars making the green list are:

18.  Huntsville, AL

25.  Lexington, KY

30.  Alexandria, VA

33.  Athens-Clarke, Georgia

41.  Newport News, VA

42.  Louisville, KY

50.  Greensboro, NC

Make plans to visit Louisville, Kentucky in February and attend the Find Greatness Within Series held every Sunday in February, the series will highlight African American heritage, music, storytelling and expressions of unity. Each of the four programs will feature a performance and interactive audience activity that focuses on significant elements of African American history.

Those elements are then translated into one of the Center's six core values – respect, confidence, conviction, dedication, giving and spirituality – to demonstrate how they play a role in finding the greatness within ourselves. For more information or tickets on the series, visit www.alicenter.org.

Visit Kentucky Trip Ideas to discover other great Blue Grass State attractions.  You can also read Southern Living magazine articles about Louisville, Kentucky and other Kentucky destinations on Travel South USA's new Travel Talk page at http://www.travelsouthusa.com/travel-talk.