Some Like It Hot Video & Blog

If the first thing you think about when you hear "Asheville, North Carolina" is the beautiful, scenic Blue Ridge Mountains – think again. While the mountains are certainly a city perk, Asheville is about so much more.

The city has been named "one of the 50 most alive places to be," "the happiest city for women" and even "best places to reinvent your life." American Style magazine called the city "one of America's top 25 arts destinations."

This April, Asheville lives up to its artistic reputation when the famous creative festival known as HATCHfest comes to town.

What is HATCHfest?
HATCHfest started in Bozeman, Montana in 2004. It's an annual event designed to develop and foster the growth of creative minds in various industries through mentorship, exposure and networking.

HATCHfest features creative performances, lectures and exhibits by innovative artists from around the world in mediums such as music, photography, architecture, fashion, film, graphic design and fine art.

On April 15-19, 2009, the festival will make the 2,000-plus mile journey to Asheville, and from here on out will become a bi-annual event held in downtown Asheville every spring.

What to Expect

• Fine art, photography and fashion exhibits
• Musical concerts
• Theatre and performing arts
• Film screenings
• Q&A with creative participants
• Lectures from top professionals around the world
• Special networking events to create professional connections
• Workshops and backstage sessions
• Ability for local creative professionals to volunteer

For more information, visit AshevilleHatchFest.com.

Sure, the Southwest gets most of the "cowboy" and "Wild West" credit. But, did you know that the biggest rodeo east of the Mississippi — and one of the biggest in the entire country — makes its home in Kissimmee, Florida?

It's called the Silver Spurs Rodeo, and the folks here in Osceola County have been ridin', ropin', and racin' for over a half-century. What started as a "humble gathering of Osceola Country ranchers" in the 40's has grown into a top 50 event sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.

Held twice a year, the Silver Spurs Rodeo features all of the classic cowboy events including bareback bronc and bull riding, barrel racing, team and tie-down roping, steer wrestling and even a little mutton bustin' for the kids.

You'll see bull riders and fighters, barrelmen, rodeo clowns, pickupmen (those guys on horses who swing in to pick up riders after they get bucked off) and even rodeo queens.

The Silver Spurs Quadrille is also an event favorite. Described as "square dancing on horseback," the Quadrille consists of eight colorfully-dressed horseback riders weaving, zigzagging and crisscrossing between each other creating . . . well . . . square dancing on horseback.

Those accustomed to staying outside of the ring will find some of the nicest arena facilities in the country. The recently built Silver Spurs Arena greets visitors with 8,300 seats and 12 luxury skyboxes — all in an indoor, climate-controlled environment that plays host to everything from rodeos to concerts.

Don't miss the 122^nd Silver Spur Rodeo Feb. 20-22. Tickets are only $15 (children 10 and under are free) and it's the perfect authentic Southern family getaway.

Snow in Atlanta? Really? Sure, it seems odd, especially in a city that only averages 1.8 inches of snow per year.

But thanks to a "cool" new winter twist to Stone Mountain Park, igloos, snowmen and snowballs are about to become ordinary everyday sights.

The new Snow Mountain Park at Stone Mountain defies the normally mild Georgia weather patterns with foot upon foot of the white stuff. It features three football fields of at least 2 ft. deep snow, a 400 ft. tubing hill and a 30,000 sq. ft. snow play area and even a place to melt away the cold with bonfires and s’mores, SnoFire Point.

Some of the best snow action takes place on the park's giant tubing hill, which features nine lanes of pure snow-packed speed, and two other lanes, known as Snowflake Hill, are reserved for the 3 and under tubing adventurers.

When you reach the bottom, the Mountain SnoLift offers a ride right back to the top for your next run!

The park's Snow Zone provides all your classic snow day fun. Building your best Frosty impression is easy at Snowman Valley, which offers all the snowman-making essentials right down to the corncob pipe. And Igloo City is the place to safely construct that perfect snow castle, fort or tower.

You can even test your snowball aim at the Snowball Shootin' Gallery, which offers moving targets that spin, flip and turn.

Not only is Stone Mountain ready for its grand opening, but it's ready with a state of the art "green" infrastructure. The attraction will not use municipal water, but will borrow water from Stone Mountain Lake. The water is treated, made into snow, and then when melted, returns back to the lake via storm line drainage. Snow Mountain Park even purchases green credits for its electric/production footprint.

Opening day is New Year's Eve 2008 from 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. Snow Mountain will also be open New Year's Day from 10 a.m. - 11 p.m. Afterwards, Snow Mountain is open Friday thru Sunday, January 2 to March 1.

It looks like chillin' in Atlanta just got a whole lot easier.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year from Travel South USA!
. . . Ok. Ok. We know. It's not quite time for Christmas yet. But, it's not too early to start planning this year's Christmas adventure for you and your family!

If this year's holiday agenda is looking a little "ho-hum," might we suggest a break from tradition with the Arkansas Trail of Holiday Lights?

The Natural State's Trail of Holiday Lights Tour takes you over the river and through the woods across some of Arkansas’s most revered cities, towns, landmarks and attractions.

From the picturesque North Arkansas Ozarks through the state's River Valley, Central and Ouachita Regions to the Southern Arkansas Timberlands, the tour is your chance to witness not only some of the most beautiful Christmas light displays you've ever laid eyes on but also to experience the many stop-over activities along the way.

You can go ice skating in Hot Springs. Take the Holiday Tour of Historic Homes in Yellville. Watch the Holiday parade in Pocahontas's historic downtown square. Go "Caroling in the Caverns" in Blanchard Springs, or have a "Musical Christmas" in Gurdon. Even visit the world's largest man-made Christmas tree in El Dorado.

If you've got the time, traveling the trail over several days is the way to go. Arkansas offers many unique stopovers such as bed and breakfasts, downtown luxury hotels and quaint river, lake and country-side cabins.

The tour is perfect for both the family, and for couples just looking for a little winter romance. Events begin as early as November 9th, so it's time to start planning! Let the glow of millions of red, green and white lights in 64 communities lead you through your Arkansas Christmas adventure.

In most parts of the country, October signals the end of summer heat and the beginning of the cool autumn air. Outdoor festivals and events are winding down. Music concerts and street performances are moving indoors. Downtown music festivals are quickly becoming an afterthought.

But down South in Baton Rouge, autumn temps signal prime time for outdoors events and festivals. October and November prove that no matter the season, one thing that never goes cold in Baton Rouge is the music.

Jazz. Rock. Southern-fried country. Vintage Louisiana classics. You can find all of the authentic rhythms of Cajun country at Sunday in the Park. The free Sunday concert series in Lafayette Park at the Shaw Center offers the opportunity to catch "brunch and music under the oaks," while dancing and relaxing to the classic tempos of live Louisiana tunes.

Sundays in the Park isn't the only thing going on in Baton Rouge during the fall. Live After Five returns to downtown Baton Rouge for Fall of 2008.

Head downtown right after work on Fridays (from 5-7), bring your lawn chair and make sure to set-up where you can see the stage as you kick back to the beats from bands like Stormy, Hip Boot Joe, Larry Garner, Travis Matte and the Kingpins, Papa Grows Funk and more.

There's just nothing like a cold drink, a shade tree and the cadences of saxophones, guitars and trombones on a fall afternoon in Baton Rouge.

It's funny to me how the delicious, yet un-fanciest of foods sometimes become such delicacies. Lobster, steak tartare, sushi, etc. were all once considered food for your everyday Joe, but today, they're menu specialties. Cajun food is another good example.

Inspired by French Canadian, Spanish, Indian and English influences, Cajun Country grub began as a poor-man's cuisine — a mixture of this, that and just whatever was available. Early settlers prepared food from what they found organically on the land and in the waters out of necessity to survive: grain, rice, vegetables, fruits, seafood and basically any kind of meat.

These "Acadians" also learned the techniques of using spices. Like tomato, basil and garlic to Italians, onions, celery and bell peppers soon became the holy trinity of Cajun food. Boudin, jambalaya and gumbo are good representatives of the early "throw everything in together, and spice it up" Southern Louisiana style of cooking.

But today, the zing and zang of the often spicy Louisiana dishes is benevolently revered from the West Coast to the East Coast, and around the world.

Crawfish etouffée. Gumbo. Po' boys. Jambalaya. Boiled crawfish. Red beans and rice — it's all in a day's meal in Louisiana. And restaurants like Restaurant August in New Orleans, Mansurs On the Boulevard in Baton Rouge and Café Vermilionville in Lafayette are just a few of the famous Southern Louisiana dining hotspots.

And it's not just the Cajun flavor that get people fired up about Louisiana cuisine; it's the seemingly inevitable celebrations that surround every meal.

Are you ready to kick it Cajun style?

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?