Some Like It Hot Video & Blog

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.