Southern Byways

Rich. Decadent. Smooth. Sinful. Just give into temptation this Valentine’s Day with some good chocolate.
Creating chocolate is somewhat of an art form. It’s not something that just anyone can do. It takes a special talent and an understanding of chocolate.
Throughout the region, you can find chocolatiers practicing their crafts at their shops. Many, if not all, are open to the public, and some even offer samples before you buy. You just have to ask.
Be prepared, because just after one bite into a truffle or another speciality chocolate piece, you’ll realize you have tasted (and discovered) something truly special. …read more

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Finding inspiration from the newly released film, "The Bucket List," Maryland Tourism has created their own list of things to do in the state before you, ahem, "kick the bucket," that includes spending the night in Cove Point Lighthouse and watching the Preakness Stakes, the second jewel in the Triple Crown.  But don’t wait that long to enjoy what the state has to offer, and they invite you to make your own list.

Even though Lincoln’s Bicentennial is still a year away, there are a number of celebrations happening in Kentucky beginning on February 11. Be sure to visit his …read more

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Celebrate Black History month during February by visiting some of the historical sites around the South:
 

Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site, in Tuskegee, Ala., was the site of the "Tuskegee Experience," where African-American pilots were trained for War World II.

She was probably best known for helping slaves escape to their freedom through the Underground Railroad. Learn more about Harriet Tubman, who was called the "Black Moses". The Harriet Tubman Museum in Cambridge, Md., details her life and work.

See the longest running African-American newspaper in America. Based in Baltimore, Md., tours  of the Afro-American Newspapers are given by appointment.

Take a self-guided driving …read more

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The South played a pivotal role in the nation’s civil rights movement. Today, you can closer examine some of the key places and sites across the region. This is not a comprehensive list by any means, but provides you with a good start.
In Alabama: Selma, Montgomery, Birmingham

The 54-mile Selma to Montgomery National Voting Rights Trail takes you by the National Voting Museum and Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. Along the way to Montgomery, you will pass the Lowndes County Interpretive Center, dedicated to the marchers and volunteers.

It was 1955 in Montgomery, and Rosa Parks refused to give up …read more

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If you happen to be in Baltimore, Md., January 28 – February 3, be sure to pack a fork because it’s restaurant week. Get ready to sample some of the best food that the city has to offer.

This Saturday, January 26, is the 11th Annual Kumquat Festival in Dade City, Fla. This event includes a farmer’s market, arts and crafts show and, of course, kumquat dishes.

Any Blues fans out there? If so, you don’t want to miss the 2008 International Blues Challenge Contest in Memphis, Tenn. The event features over 160 acts from around the world performing in different venues …read more

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Punxsutawney Phil isn’t the only weather prognostication who can determine an early spring or an extended winter. Albeit, he is probably the most well-known, but here in the South, in the land of such names as “Pardon Me Pete” (Tampa, Fla.), “Arkla-homa Will” (Arkansas) and “Pierre C. Shadeaux” (New Iberia, Lou.), we have our favorite furry forecasters as well.
On February 2…

In Alabama, Birmingham Bill at the Birmingham Zoo in Birmingham, is scheduled to emerge around 10 a.m. (CST) to give his prediction.

General Beau Lee, Ph.D., at Yellow River Game Ranch in Lilburn, Ga. (outside metro Atlanta), will be awoken at …read more

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The South is filled with so much to do and to see. If you happen to be visiting the region with your family soon, why not…

explore caverns. The South is filled with these underground wonders. Here are a few to get you started: Natural Bridge in San Antonio, Texas, is said to be the largest commercial cave in the Lone Star State. In central Kentucky, Cave Country is named such because of all of the caves in the area. Virginia has numerous caves to choose from. Cumberland Caverns in McMinnville, Tenn., is not only the state’s largest show cavern, but …read more

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February is Gullah Culture Month. If you aren’t familiar with the Gullahs ( or Geechees, depending on the region), they first came to America from Africa as slaves. Today, many of the descendants still live in the same areas as their ancestors-  along the coastal areas of South Carolina to northern Florida, known as the "Gullah/Geechees Corridor."
One of the more fascinating features of this population is the fact they have kept a lot of their traditions and ways of life (includes language, crafts and beliefs) intact. Pretty amazing in today’s 24/7, have-to-have-it-now, technological society.
Want to learn more? Consider the following:

During …read more

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A little ways up the road from where I live is Between, Georgia. When I first saw the sign, I was curious to know exactly what the town is "between." It’s named such because the town is located between Atlanta and Athens. Okay, fair enough. When it comes to different or unusual names, Georgia also happens to be home to Hopeulikit (outside of Statesboro in south Georgia), Experiment (south of the metro Atlanta area in Spalding County), and Enigma (near Tifton).
I know, I know – unusual names aren’t limited to the South. Every state in the nation has a …read more

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We love to celebrate our food in the South. Nearly every month there is some sort of food festival happening somewhere in the region. Here is a sampling of some of the food events occurring soon. On January 27, the Lowcountry Oyster Festival at Boone Hall Plantation in Mount Pleasant, S.C. will grill around 65,000 pounds of oysters. Oysters will be sold by the bucket. In addition, the festival will also feature oyster-shucking and oyster eating contests.

Let’s see, there’s garlic pizza, garlic black beans and rice, and even garlic ice cream (yes, you read that right) at the 9th Delray …read more

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