Southern Byways

I love to go exploring when I’m away, yet really don’t want to explore by car. So, I will walk or find another means of transportation. You can’t imagine how happy I was to find out that Redfish Village offers complimentary bike rentals.
So braving the cold and donning a stylish gray bike hat, it was time to hit the bike paths.
For those who aren’t familiar with the area, 30-A is about 20-miles long. At first, that may seem like a lot, but since the communities are close to each other and there is always something new to see, it’s …read more

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I’m somewhat of an outdoorsy-type person. When I say “somewhat”, I mean that never pass up an opportunity to go walking, hiking or just exploring the outdoors – especially when I’m on vacation. When I was at Redfish Village on Blue Mountain Beach (Beaches of South Walton/30-A in the Florida Panhandle), I had it planned out to go for a walk early morning and late evening. I also wanted to go bike riding if possible. So, when I heard about Yolo boarding – I knew it was something I just had to try. 
Perhaps I should’ve mention that I’m quite …read more

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Do you need a jump start to get into that holiday mood? I just might know something that’ll have you feeling that holiday spirit in no time -  lights and a lot of them.
Not only does the days soon after Thanksgiving bring sales, but also large configurations of lights as well. From now until New Years, many towns and cities across the South will glow with different colors.

Prepare to be dazzled from the Holiday Trail of Lights that includes Kilgore, Texas‘ “Christmas in the Oil Patch” to Fantasy of Lights in Sumter, S.C., to Zoolights at the …read more

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Happy Thanksgiving weekend to everyone. Hope you are ready to have some fun! Because there is a lot going in the South the weekend. If the relatives are starting to overcrowd you, or you need to work off that turkey and dressing, I guarantee you’ll find some (or more) event(s) to attend.
Here’s a brief list:
 
 In you are in the “gifty” mood, there’s the…

Alma (Ark.) Holiday Market on November 28 – 29.
21st Annual Winter Wonderland Arts and Crafts Festival in Hot Springs, Ark., on November 28-29.
Eureka Springs (Ark.) Fall Art Show, November 29-30.
Harvest Art Fest, Bastrop, Texas, …read more

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Happy Thanksgiving from Southern Byways! May you spend this day surrounded by the ones you love.
Don’t forget to take a break later today from food and football to ready the latest on Southern Byways. You can find out what’s happening this weekend around the region, such as Alpharetta, Ga.’s, North Point Mall opening at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, November 28, read part two (read part one here) of where to find the incredible light displays across the South, discover Yolo boarding and more from my adventures at Redfish Village on the Beaches of South Walton and experience …read more

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Special beach experience. Now, as a frequent beach-goer as myself, I take that statement to heart. But what does it mean? To me, it means having that one (or more) experience(s) that can’t be duplicated anywhere else.
Like at Redfish Village, located in Blue Mountain Beach along 30-A/Beaches of South Walton.
I could go into elaborate detail about the condos, the pool area (heated pool, by the way), or the shops (definitely get a chicken box from Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken and a cup of joe or a sinful, calorie laden speciality coffee drink from PJ’s Coffee) but that’s only part …read more

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By now you probably know that it’s physically impossible to keep me away from the beach.
This past weekend, I was back down heading back down south to my favorite place, the Florida Panhandle. This time I was going to be exploring the Beaches of South Walton, located along 30-A.
On this particular journey, my stop would be at Redfish Village, located in Blue Mountain Beach.
However, since I was back at the beach (can’t say that enough), I wanted to take my time and enjoy every minute. So, I decided I would stop places that caught my attention.
One such …read more

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Lights and Other Holiday Events
Don’t miss out on the light displays at Guido Gardens in Metter, Ga. The free event opens on Thanksgiving night and concludes on Christmas Day. You can view the lights daily, during evening hours. Other light displays around the state include Lights of the South in Grovetown happening through December 30.
It’s called the 2008 Arkansas Trail of Holiday Lights and features ALL of the events (lighted displays, open houses and more) happening across the state during the holiday season.
There are 3.5 million lights in Hulen Park in Cleburne, Texas for the Whistlestop Christmas. The parks starts …read more

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You think you have a lot of lights to put for the holidays? I can guarantee you that they don’t even come close to these elaborate displays. So, put away that box and see how the professionals do it.From Athens, Texas’ Land of Lights (through January 1, 2009) to Lights Before Christmas at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden(through December 30) in Columbia, S.C. to Winterfest of Light (through January 1, 2009) in Ocean City, Md.,  the South is glowing in holiday colors.Here’s a brief round-up of some of the current light displays:In Arkansas, discover the splendor of over 1.7 millions at …read more

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You know about Rock City’s breathtaking views during the day, just imagine what it looks like at night when it’s all lit up.
Rock City is glowing for the holidays with over 1 million lights and other holiday-themed displays. Opened Friday, November 21 and running through January 3, to is the 14th annual Enchanted Garden of Lights.
“(It) takes Rocky City Gardens to a whole new level,” says Bill Chapin, president of Rock City. “The unique rock formations and views from the bluffs and bridges are not available to anyone in the area except for Rock City.”
The concept was created about …read more

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