2013 Travel Guide
12 STATES
VACATION IDEAS!
ALABAMA • ARKANSAS • FLORIDA • GEORGIA • KENTUCKY • LOUISIANA • MISSISSIPPI NORTH CAROLINA • SOUTH CAROLINA • TENNESSEE • VIRGINA • WEST VIRGINIA
ESC APETOTHESOUTHEAST.COM | 2013 TRAVEL GUIDE
www.EscapeToTheSoutheast.com
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FROM THE EDITOR
Come See the Southeast for Yourself Bill Cosby tells a story about how Americans claim they can’t get any exercise, even though doctors say a daily 20-minute walk works wonders. “There’s a three-step solution,” Cosby says, as if he’s ready to impart great knowledge. “Step 1: Go to your front door. Step 2: Walk for 10 minutes. Step 3: Go home.” With that in mind, this edition of the Escape to the Southeast Travel Guide starts each state’s section with “A Good Walk Enjoyed.”These 12 walks get you out and about in some of the Southeast’s great destinations. Walk along the Chattahoochee River in Roswell north of Atlanta, stroll the promenade along Lake Charles in southwest Louisiana and enjoy the treasure that is Cherokee Park in Louisville. Take our encouragement to see, to explore, to experience. In our “What a Character” series, meet folks such as Bill Keogh, who can take you kayaking in the Florida Keys, or Captain Bruce Herring, who can take you on a cruise on the Kentucky River. In our “Quite the Attraction” features, learn where to absorb Louisiana’s Cajun/Creole culture in Lafayette, and get directions for climbing to the top of Chimney Rock in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Our “Big Event” features tell you about the Fiesta of Five Flags in Pensacola, the Cherry Blossom Festival in Macon, the Charleston Wine and Food Festival and where you might become a juror in a production of “To Kill a Mockingbird.” These pages are packed with reasons to escape to the Southeast every month of the year. Enjoy yourself in our friendly region. Tom Adkinson, editor
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T R A V E L
G U I D E
Before You Go, Go Online. EscapeToTheSoutheast.com
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If getting there is only half the fun, get off the beaten path.
FIND YOUR WILD AND WONDERFUL
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WVTOURISM.COM | 800-225-5982
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Table of Contents Alabama ...................... 10 Arkansas ...................... 17 Bentonville
Florida ......................... 25
Harrison Fayetteville
B
Georgia ....................... 33
40
North Little Rock
Kentucky ..................... 44 Louisiana ..................... 48 Mississippi ................... 58 North Carolina ............ 67 South Carolina............. 76 Tennessee .................... 82 Virginia ....................... 93
Little Rock Hot Springs 30
ARKANSAS
M Ruston Monroe Shreveport 49 Natchitoches
Ja
5
Alexandria
LOUISIANA Lafayette 10 Lake Charles
Baton Rouge Co 10
New Orle
LaFourche Houma
Quick Links ............... 106
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Vicks
Natchez
West Virginia .............. 98
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Morgantown
Huntington 64
Monroe
a
NA
afayette
s
64
Charleston
Greenbrier
Richmond Jamestown
Beckley
Currituck 81
77
Bowling Green
Nashville
Columbia 40
Brownsville
40
Tunica
Murfreesboro
Lewisburg
TENNESSEE
Memphis
Oak Ridge 75
24
Dalton
Tupelo
65
Birmingham
Greenwood
59
Atlanta
Meridian 20
Wilmington
Aiken 20 Augusta
Summerville
Charleston
Beaufort
GEORGIA
16
Myrtle Beach
Savannah
Atlantic Ocean
Montgomery
Jackson
95
Albany
ALABAMA
Dothan
Natchez 55
95
SOUTH CAROLINA
85 75
Beaufort Atlantic Beach 40
Columbia
Macon
MISSISSIPPI
Fayetteville
Rock Hill Spartanburg Greenville
85
Roswell Sandy Springs Marietta DeKalb
Columbus
Vicksburg
Cleveland
Raleigh
Gaston Charlotte County
Oconee County
75
Oxford 55
Asheville
Haywood County
Chattanooga
Huntsville
Corinth
Sevierville
Manteo
95
NORTH CAROLINA
Johnson City
Pigeon Forge Gatlinburg
Newport News Virginia Norfolk Beach
85
Mammoth Cave National Park
s
on
VIRGINIA
KENTUCKY
k
SAS
Arlington
79
Lexington
son
le Rock
Frankfort
Louisville
77
WEST VIRGINIA
65 59
Mobile
Baton Rouge Covington Gulfport Biloxi 10
Pensacola
Gulf Shores New Orleans Chalmette LaFourche Houma
10
Jacksonville
Tallahassee
Gainesville
Daytona Beach
Orlando 4
Gulf of Mexico
Tampa Polk County
Sarasota
Cocoa Beach Melbourne 95
FLORIDA 75
Big Cypress Reservation Hollywood Reservation
Fort Lauderdale Miami
Key West
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T R A V E L
G U I D E
Jointly Published by the Southeast Tourism Society and AJR Media Group Southeast Tourism Society 555 Sun Valley Drive, Suite E-5 Roswell, Ga. 30076-5624 Phone: (770) 542-1523 www.southeasttourism.org President & CEO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bill Hardman Vice President of Marketing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Chuck Bonelli Vice President of Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Suzanne Moon President Emeritus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bill Hardman Sr.
AJR Media Group 25132 Oakhurst Drive, Ste 201 Spring, TX 77386 (713) 942-7676 www.AJRMediaGroup.com CEO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nelson Gumm President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Larry Schweinsburg Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tom Adkinson Associate Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Annette Thompson Copy Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Becky Gumm, Jodi Reiter Creative Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jared Van Bruaene Project Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Richard Palmersheim Make the most of your travels to the Southeast. Search: destinations, attractions, accommodations, events and more!
Visit Today! www.EscapeToTheSoutheast.com 8
Senior Account Executives . . . . . . . . . . . . .Stu Barash, Rick Gower EscapeToTheSoutheast.com Director of Integrated Media & Destination Marketing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carla Sage Marketing Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jessy Stivers Production Consultant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bendani Publishing Editorial Consultant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BOHAN For additional copies please email: distribution@ajrmediagroup.com Š Copyright 2013
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ALABAMA Tennessee Huntsville
Birmingham
Georgia
Alabama Montgomery
Mississippi
Dothan
Mobile
Florida
Gulf Shores
Gulf of Mexico
Copyright All rights reserved by Alabama Tourism Department
Brownsville
Chugging into Birmingham Once upon a time, a weed-choked, trash-strewn wasteland sidled up to Birmingham’s historic railroad district, but that urban space was transformed into a lush, 19-acre linear park with a lake, a meandering creek and an amphitheater. Walk under the more than 600 hardwoods, evergreens and flowering trees along century-old cobblestone pavers discovered on the site. And if you must, Railroad Park includes free Wi-Fi, a skate park, a playground and even workout equipment a la Muscle Beach. The Birmingham Barons’ new baseball stadium is the park’s newest neighbor. RailroadPark.org
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Q U I T E A N AT T R A C T I O N
Virginia Beach
rgia
Hug That Tiger, Cuddle That Kangaroo Did you know tiger cubs don’t purr? But they do cuddle and play just like a typical house cat. And, you don’t have to watch from the other side of a fence or wall to find out. At the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo in Gulf Shores, you can catch a tiger cub by the tail and then hold it in your hands. Each spring, Zoo Director Patti Hall brings in tiger cubs, plus baby kangaroos and lemurs. Her Animal Encounters program puts visitors and babies face to face. You pay an upcharge from the regular admission for this once-in-alifetime experience. In return, the wild animals become accustomed to being handled. It’s a good relationship all around. When the creatures grow to a certain size – for tigers, it’s 25 pounds – they move on to other zoos for permanent residence. Last year, Hall had two sets of tiger cubs, one white and the other yellow, for the interactions. Animal Encounters aren’t the only reason to stop by this old-timey zoo just five minutes from the Gulf of Mexico.
Photos by Annette Thompson
epartment
Atlantic Ocean
Take your time walking around the shady paths and learning the stories behind the scenes. CNN nicknamed it “The Little Zoo That Could” because the menagerie made international headlines during hurricanes Ivan and Katrina when the property flooded. Hall was a quick thinker. She loaded all 270 animals onto trailers and drove them 15 miles inland to her own backyard to ride out the storms. Videos of her bears as they frolicked in her swimming pool captured hearts as far away as China and Russia. Today, Hall wants to move the animals again. Because of the threat of floods and the growth of Gulf Shores, the zoo is developing 46 acres north of town. “We’d love to be there by the end of 2013,” she said. As a non-profit, she is accumulating donations to make the move. One thing is for sure: If she keeps putting these cute animals in people’s hands and hearts, she’ll get there soon. AlabamaGulfCoastZoo.org
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A Novel Destination This inspiring place moved the town’s daughter to write the most endearing of all Southern novels 53 years ago.
Paper fans swish and swash, stirring the courtroom’s hot, humid air. Atticus Finch, crisp in his three-piece linen suit speaks to the packed crowd. “To begin with,” he says, “this case should never have come to trial. This case is as simple as black and white.” You’ve heard Gregory Peck say this before in the 1962 movie classic To Kill a Mockingbird, but only in Monroeville can you sit in the same courtroom where Peck spoke those lines – the same courtroom where author Nelle Harper Lee often visited as a girl as her lawyer daddy tried cases.
Monroe County’s historic courthouse is open to visitors year-round to showcases exhibits about Lee and her friend, Truman Capote, but it comes alive each April and May. That’s when the story of Scout, Jem and Dill springs to life again. The drama opens on the courthouse grounds and moves into the courtroom for its second half. The audience is directly involved, because the play’s actors pick white male members from those present to sit as the jury. People visit from all over the world to see the play, take a walking tour and imagine where Atticus Finch lived. Walk the streets that look not too different from the setting of the 1930 novel and listen. You just might here the whisperings of children coming of age around one of the old shade trees. MonroeCountyAL.com
Looking for More Discover other sites of Alabama’s literary heritage. Here are three to get you started. • Each June, The Miracle Worker, the story of Helen Keller’s awakening, is acted out at Ivy Green, her childhood home in Tuscumbia. HelenKellerBirthplace.org
Photo by Annette Thompson
THE BIG EVENT
• In addition to visiting the Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum in Montgomery, you can also download an interactive tourism edition of This Side of Paradise from Amazon.com to discover the actual sites that inspired the fictional story and even see where Fitzgerald fell in love with the daring Zelda Sayre. FitzgeraldMuseum.net • Order up a mess of fried green tomatoes at the Irondale Café, just east of Birmingham. Fannie Flagg is the niece of the cafe’s original owner, which the author made famous with her novel, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café. IrondaleCafe.com
Located on the southern tip of ordinary, Mobile is perpetually unique. It’s where glitz meets grits and old school joins with new to make this one of the most transcendiest places in the country. There’s such an explosive mixture of Southern hospitality that no other state would dare harbor these city limits. Maybe that’s why it’s taken so long for the word to spread.
secretly awesome mobilebay.org
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to the
moon and back by dinner
Relive some of America’s most patriotic steps in space exploration. Live out your dream with family and friends.
For more information on flying to the moon and other super cool experiences visit us online or call 800.843.0468.
Huntsville/Madison County Alabama Convention & Visitors Bureau
Huntsville.org
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A REAL TREASURE
Whooping It Up for Whooping Cranes Although you’re going to wheel into Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in north Alabama, most of its visitors arrive by air.
That’s because most visitors here are birds – many, many birds. In fact, 285 species have been identified on this 35,000-acre tract along the Tennessee River between Decatur and Huntsville.
Dothan Murals • Monuments • Memories
The most storied, and conspicuous, of Wheeler’s visitors are whooping cranes. These giants stand up to five feet tall and have wingspans of almost eight feet. A few whoopers, North America’s most famous endangered bird, plus thousands of slightly shorter sandhill cranes spend winters at Wheeler. There are now a few hundred whooping cranes in existence thanks to human intervention and protection after the total population plunged to only 15 birds. The first whooping cranes found Wheeler thanks to a follow-theleader game. A man disguised as a bird flying an ultra-light aircraft first led juvenile cranes to land here as part of Operation Migration, which established an eastern wintering ground in north Florida.
Where memories are made! Come see our growing collection of larger-than-life murals, while taking time to experience our many attractions, monuments and historical sites. You will be able to see and feel true Southern heritage and hospitality.
Dothan Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Toll Free: 1.888.449.0212 334.794.6622 www.VisitDothanAL.com 14
Operation Migration teaches whoopers from central Wisconsin the route. In the program’s early years, they stopped at Wheeler. Now, mature birds bring youngsters with them. Wheeler’s wildlife observation building offers a glass-enclosed room (spotting scopes included) that provides you a sheltered place to see a great variety of birds – migrating songbirds in spring, hummingbirds returning from Central America as summer approaches, warblers in October and thousands upon thousands of ducks and geese in autumn and winter. In addition, other wildlife is abundant, five hiking trails are open and fishing is good. fws.gov/wheeler and OperationMigration.org.
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g e o t t away from it all. on i t a c a v on o g You Only to find everything you need.
Particularly when what you really need is time away focusing on what’s really important. Fortunately, we’ve got just the place to do it. 32 miles of white-sugar sand beaches stretching along Alabama’s Gulf Coast teeming with abundant wildlife, southern sun, fresh seafood, family-friendly activities, attractions and accommodations that offer multiple options for spending quality time doing anything you could dream of, or perhaps, nothing at all. What more could you ask for?
Find what you’re looking for at Gulf Shores & Orange Beach by calling 1-877-558-6368, or visiting gulfshores.com/escape
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W H AT A C H A R A C T E R
A Monument to a Pest There’s a 13-foottall memorial to an insect at the intersection of College and Main streets in the center of Enterprise. Here’s why. Early in the 1900s, boll weevils invaded the U.S. from Mexico, eating up cotton crops wherever they spread. Rather than throw in the towel, farmers around Enterprise resisted – not by fighting the insects, but by planting crops the weevils wouldn’t eat.
In short, they heeded the advice of agricultural scientists such as George Washington Carver at Tuskegee Institute and rebounded dramatically with crops of peanuts, sweet potatoes and soybeans. In 1919, an Enterprise city councilman proposed honoring the boll weevil for forcing Enterprise to diversify its economy. A monument was dedicated that year. The monument is a classical Greek female figure standing on a pedestal and holding high a giant boll weevil. The inscription reads: “In profound appreciation of the Boll Weevil and what it has done as the Herald of Prosperity this monument was erected by the Citizens of Enterprise, Coffee County, Alabama.” Every October, the South Alabama town renews the tribute with a one-day Downtown Boll Weevil Fall Festival. It’s small-town fun at its best. EnterpriseAlabama.com and Alabama.travel
A L A B A M A T R AV E L R E S O U R C E S STATE TOURISM
Alabama Tourism Department 334-242-4413 www.alabama.travel/ DESTINATIONS
Alabama Mountain Lakes 866-NORTHAL www.northalabama.org Auburn-Opelika Tourism Bureau 866-880-8747 www.aotourism.com Birmingham CVB Greater 800-458-8085 www.birminghamal.org Boaz Chamber of Commerce 256-593-8154 www.boazchamberofcommerce.com Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce 800-489-1087 www.calhounchamber.com/visit/ visit2.htm Childersburg Chamber of Commerce 256-378-5482 www.childersburg.com City of Pelham 205-620-6400 www.Pelhamonline.com
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City of Troy 334-670-2283 www.troyalabama.com
Florence Tourism 888-356-8687 www.visitflorenceal.com
Clay County Chamber of Commerce Foley CVB 877-25-FOLEY 256-396-2828 www.foleycvb.com www.ClayCoChamber.com Colbert Co. Tourism & Conv. Bur. 800-344-0783 www.colbertcountytourism.org
Greater Jackson County Chamber 800-259-5508 www.jacksoncountychamber.com
Decatur-Morgan County CVB 800-524-6181 www.decaturcvb.org
Greater Limestone County Chamber of Commerce 866-953-6565 www.visitathensal.com
DeKalb County Tourist Association 888-805-4740 www.discoverlookoutmountain.com Dothan Area CVB 888-449-0212 www.dothanalcvb.com Elmore County Economic Development Authority 334-514-5843 www.visitelmoreco.com Enterprise Chamber of Commerce 800-235-4730 www.VisitEnterprise.com Etowah County Tourism Bureau 888-565-0411 www.etowahtourism.com Eufaula-Barbour County Chamber of Commerce 800-524-7529 www.eufaulachamber.com
Greater Valley Area Chamber of Commerce 334-642-1411 www.greatervalleyarea.com Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism 800-745-SAND www.gulfshores.com Huntsville-Madison County CVB 800-843-0468 www.huntsville.org Jackson County Tourism 800-259-5508 www.jacksoncountychamber.com Mobile Bay CVB 800-5-MOBILE www.mobilebay.org Mobile Film Office 251-438-7102 www.mobilefilmoffice.com
Montgomery Area Convention & Visitor Bureau 800-240-9452 www.visitingmontgomery.com
Early Works Museum Complex 256-564-8100 www.earlyworks.com
Huntsville Botanical Garden Phenix City-Russell Co. Chamber of 256-830-4447 Commerce www.hsvbg.org 800-892-2248 Talladega Superspeedway www.pc-rcchamber.com 877-462-3342 Selma & Dallas County Tourism www.talladegasuperspeedway.com Division The Outlet Shops of Grand River 800-45-Selma 205-702-8369 www.SelmaAlabama.com www.shopsofgrandriver.com South Baldwin Chamber of Vulcan Park and Museum Commerce 205-933-1409 251-943-3291 www.visitvulcan.com www.SouthBaldwinChamber.com Tuscaloosa Tourism and Sports Commission 800-538-8696 www.visittuscaloosa.com ATTRACTIONS
Alabama Music Hall of Fame 800-239-2643 www.alamhof.org Ave Maria Grotto 256-734-4110 www.avemariagrotto.com Bellingrath Gardens and Home 800-247-8420 www.bellingrath.org Cullman County Museum 800-533-1258 www.CullmanCountyMuseum.com
EVENTS/FESTIVALS
B.A.S.S. LLC 877-227-7872 www.bassmaster.com Toadlick Music Festival 334-792-2149 www.toadlick.com LODGING
Doublehead Resort 800-685-9267 www.doublehead.com ASSOCIATION
Alabama Travel Council Inc. 334-271-0050 www.alabamatravel.org
EscapeToTheSoutheast.com
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ESC
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ARKANSAS
Ken
Bentonville
Harrison
Fayetteville
Tennessee
Arkansas North Little Rock Little Rock Hot Springs
Mississippi
Louisiana
A G O O D WA L K E N J OYE D
A Path to Peace and Quiet The Arkansas River Trail is 17 miles of peace and quiet that slices right through Little Rock and North Little Rock and unites the entire metro area. You’ll encounter walkers, joggers, cyclists and skaters enjoying the Arkansas outdoors. A highlight is strolling over the Arkansas River on the Big Dam Bridge, the longest bridge in North America built specifically for bicyclists and pedestrians. Another river crossing is on the Junction Bridge, formerly a railroad bridge. ArkansasRiverTrail.org 2013 Travel Guide
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Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville
Gaming in Hot Springs and West Memphis Gaming in Hot Springs and West Memphis
Thorncrown Chapel, Eureka Springs Thorncrown Chapel, Eureka Springs
AWE AWE inspiring. inspiring. THRILL THRILL inspiring. inspiring. Just Just plain plain INSPIRING INSPIRING.. Take a tour around The Natural State to change your point of view – Take tour around Thelookouts Natural State to change your and point of view – from aincredible scenic to charming retreats from incredible scenic lookouts to charming retreats and world-renowned museums, Arkansas offers a unique world-renowned museums, Arkansas escape that will set your spirit soaring.offers a unique escape that will set your spirit soaring. Visit our website or call 1-800-NATURAL Visit our your website call 1-800-NATURAL to order freeorVacati on Planning Kit. to order your free Vacation Planning Kit.
Sam’s Throne, Ozark National Forest Sam’s Throne, Ozark National Forest
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Photos by Annette Thompson
R E S T YO U R H E A D H E R E
You’ll find special places to rest your head across Arkansas. Consider these: The finest hotel in Arkansas, The Capital, has been around since 1873. An elegant blend of historical architecture and contemporary comfort, the grand dame of Little Rock is still the best place to stay. (Rates from $199) CapitalHotel.com
An Unexpected Razorback Retreat The University of Arkansas sprawls across a hilly stretch of Fayetteville, carved out of old neighborhoods long since changed by students and faculty. Hidden amid this land of Razorback pride, a shady lane leads from the football stadium to an old estate perched atop Sassafras Hill on 140 acres of woodlands. Known today as Pratt Place Inn and Barn, it’s a labor of love for Julian and Jane Archer. Julian’s family bought the property in 1890 when it was the first home west of the university. Today, the couple has transformed the frame cottage into a plush 4-star bed and breakfast along with a handsome red barn that’s ideal for tailgating, weddings and parties. Julian taught at the university, and he and Jane led numerous European tours during his tenure there. They collected household items wherever they went and dreamed of becoming innkeepers some day. “We felt well positioned to open an inn because we’ve conducted tours in France and Italy, staying in the
top hotels and inns. We knew what an upscale hotel should be,” Jane said. And what a fancy inn they’ve created. The home, with its 14-foot ceilings and wide-planked oak floors, boasts three parlors: “One for socializing, one for dancing and one for laying the body out,” Jane said. An antique piano fills the smaller “body” room now, while the others exude elegance with the couple’s Euro antiques and Chinoiserie furnishings. There’s even a pine-paneled cigar room “with its own air exchange so you can smoke in here,” Julian explained. The seven upstairs guestrooms are masterpieces. The rooms, each named for a native tree, feature the finest furniture and linens in western Arkansas. Even the bathrooms offer indulgent style. The Catalpa room boasts a replica of Cleopatra’s bathtub cut from a 1.2-ton solid piece of Carrera marble. Now that’s a bathtub fit for a queen. (Rates are from $275.) PrattPlaceInn.com
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Scheduled to open in March 2013, the 21c Hotel in Bentonville is a blend of art gallery and on-trend guestrooms. 21CMusuemHotels.com/ Bentonville/ The Inn at the Mill in tiny Johnson north of Fayetteville offers 38 hotel-like rooms and eight artistically inspired suites. The lobby occupies the old Johnson’s Mill, one of the longest continuously operating businesses around. (Rates from $75) InnAtTheMill.com The Arts and Crafts-style Lookout Point Lakeside Inn was built as a B&B on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs. All 11 guestrooms overlook the water. Lush gardens invite you to take in the view with a waterfall, a boathouse and even a grassy labyrinth. (Rates $179-$369) LookoutPointInn.com The Mountain Thyme Bed and Breakfast Inn rests on the southern edge of the Ouachita National Forest, 30 minutes from Hot Springs. Rhonda and Mike Hicks welcome you to their cozy home for a woodsy getaway. (Rates $125-$225) MountainThyme.com
2013 Travel Guide
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W H AT A C H A R A C T E R
Crystal Bridges: Art in the Ozarks
Alice is also pretty good with finances, with success at starting up an investment bank and serving as the first chair of the Northwest Arkansas Council that worked to bring business into the region. Some folks say she has an uncanny ability to handpick foals that become champion cutting horses. Her famous father took a big liking to her, saying in his autobiography that she is “the most like me – a maverick.” But even though her efforts brought an airport to this
AMERICA’S NEXT GREAT MUSEUM IS HERE
One of her finest gifts, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, graces Bentonville with a stunning architectural footprint. It’s the first major art museum (the endowment is more than $200 million) to open in the U.S. since 1974. Architect Moshe Safdie, whose buildings are across the globe, designed the museum’s pavilions to encircle creek-fed ponds with galleries, classrooms, a gift shop and a café.
Photo by Annette Thompson
Alice Walton and art go together just as her family’s Walmart stores and low prices do. She was only 10 years old when she bought her first piece of art – a cheap reproduction of Picasso’s Blue Nude. She picked it out at her daddy’s five and dime.
corner of Arkansas and her name is on the Alice L. Walton Chair of Finance at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, she is probably best known for bringing world-class art to the Ozarks.
Alice quietly collected American works that range from Gilbert Stuart, Mary Cassatt and Thomas Benton Hart to Maxfield Parrish, Georgia O’Keeffe and Andy Warhol. The light-filled galleries of Crystal Bridges open to the water and woods with huge wall-sized windows. Outside the walls, remarkable sculptures mark 3.5 miles of trails through forests and by wetlands. CrystalBridges.org
UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell MARCH 9 – MAY 27, 2013
From the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA
American Encounters: Genre MAY 11 – AUGUST 12, 2013
Continuing partnership with Crystal Bridges, Musée du Louvre, The Terra Foundation, and The High Museum of Art
CRYSTALBRIDGES.ORG BENTONVILLE, ARKANSAS 479-418-5746 Photography by Timothy Hursley
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Angels and Tomboys: Girlhood in 19th Century American Art JUNE 29 – SEPTEMBER 30, 2013
From the Newark Museum in Newark, NJ
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North Little Rock’s Downtown Riverside RV Park is in the heart of all the North Little Rock’s Downtown Riverside RV Park is in the heart of all the action. Everything is just a short stroll away, from the action. Everything is just a short stroll away, from the Clinton Presidential Library and Bridge, to riverboats and restaurants. Clinton Presidential Library and Bridge, to riverboats and restaurants. Your home away from home puts you in the driver’s seat for fun. Your home away from home puts you in the driver’s seat for fun. Reserve your site today! Reserve your site today! Most discount cards accepted. Most discount cards accepted.
One One of of America’s America’s most most unique unique RV RV parks. parks.
50 Riverfront Drive 50 Riverfront Drive North Little Rock, AR 72114 North Little Rock, AR 72114 501-340-5312 501-340-5312 RVPark@northlittlerock.ar.gov RVPark@northlittlerock.ar.gov NorthLittleRockRiversideRVPark.com NorthLittleRockRiversideRVPark.com
2013 Travel Guide
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Q U I T E T H E AT T R A C T I O N
One Cow at a Time in Little Rock Sometimes a vacation experience can be enjoyable and serious at the same time. That’s true at Heifer Village on the campus of Heifer International in downtown Little Rock. Its neighbor, the Clinton Presidential Library, gets loads of attention, but the hands-on learning experience of Heifer Village has a special appeal, too.
events throughout the years for families and adults. Stop by the gleaming headquarters, have a bite of lunch and learn how people in Arkansas extend a helping hand around the world. Forty-five miles away in rural Perryville is another Heifer International facility, the Heifer Ranch, where you and your family can learn even more about practical ways to address hunger. Heifer.org
Heifer International is a global nonprofit whose goal is to end hunger and poverty. That’s a tall order, but it’s been working on it one family and one cow at a time since 1944. In truth, it’s not just cows. Heifer International also provides sheep, rabbits, honeybees, chicks, ducks, goats, geese, pigs, llamas, water buffalo and other livestock to needy people in more than 125 countries. You learn at Heifer Village that the concept is to give livestock and training to families so they can learn to produce more of their own food and help their neighbors. It’s a mission based on the proverb, “Give a man a fish, and you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish, and you have fed him for a lifetime.” As you might expect, Heifer International is big on sustainability, so it’s no surprise to learn that its Little Rock headquarters is a LEED platinum-certified building. Adjacent wetlands along the Arkansas River complement the building’s design and the organization’s mindset. Inside are a visitor center, a café, a gift shop and spaces for a variety of programs and
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TOUR BILL & HILLARY’S FIRST HOME. • Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, view the house where the Clintons were married. • Observe rarely seen memorabilia of Bill’s early political career. • See the new First Ladies Garden.
930 W. Clinton Drive in Fayetteville | clintonhousemuseum.org 479-444-0066, Mo-Sa 8:30-4:30 | Clinton House Museum
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LESSONS OF A
LIFETIME From the State Capitol to the Old State House, Central High School to the Little Rock Zoo, there are many incredible attractions and museums in Little Rock, which appeal to students of all ages and interests. Several are located within walking distance of our River Market entertainment district and the city’s Riverfront Park, and many of them are free! When planning your next student group tour, consider Little Rock. For assistance, please contact Sylvia Blain in our Tourism Sales department by calling 501-370-3510, or via e-mail at sblain@LittleRock.com. She’ll be happy to assist you.
For more information visit LittleRock.com or contact Sylvia Blain at 501-370-3510
Alongside some of Arkansas’ newest attractions, Harrison is becoming one of the state’s hottest destinations. Soar to new heights on the Buffalo River Canopy Tour. Float the world-famous Buffalo National River. Choose from six exhilarating motorcycling routes. Whatever the activity, Harrison is where you stay for fun in the Ozarks.
Get your FREE Vacation Planner Today!
Harrison Convention & Visitors Bureau
888-283-2163 www.HarrisonArkansas.org 2013 Travel Guide
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A REAL TREASURE
Taking the Waters in Hot Springs Naturally flowing water at 147 degrees can change a place. That’s the temperature of the mineral water bubbling out of the ground in 47 spots around Hot Springs. Folks have always gathered at these founts, from pre-history American Indians to today’s vacationers, to wash their cares away.
Patrons line up morning and afternoon for the no-frills Buckstaff. Forget the idea of chic spas with piped-in mood music.
A storied history swirls around the healing waters. Recognized as the first national preserve in the U.S., the area attracted bathers galore before the Civil War. Gangsters, including the infamous Al Capone, laid claim to the town in their era, but not all visitors were so sketchy. Major League Baseball teams practiced here at the turn of the 20th century so players could soothe aching muscles. These days, Hot Springs visitors flow around the National Park Service’s eight historic structures called Bathhouse Row. Start your visit by walking through the Fordyce Bath, which provides a glimpse into early 20th century bathhouse culture. Then, pick out a couple of services at either the Buckstaff or the Quapaw Bathhouse. Both are privately run.
Buckstaff hasn’t changed much in decades, and that’s a good thing. For a whopping $64, you can partake of the Traditional Bath experience that includes sliding into a 100-degree bath for 20 minutes and following that with your choice of a sitz bath or the steam cabinet and then a cool shower. Before you depart, you’re treated to a full-body Swedish massage. BuckstaffBaths.com The Quapaw Bath & Spa reopened a few years ago with several unisex pools open to guests. Each is kept at different temperatures, from 90 to 104 degrees. Even if you forgot your swimsuit, Quapaw’s gift shop offers affordable swimwear as well as upscale Eminence products. You could spend the entire day here, trying out the steam room that’s situated over a natural spring, sampling the café’s salads, sandwiches, beers and smoothies, and relaxing with a soothing massage. QuapawBaths.com
A R K A N S A S T R AV E L R E S O U R C E S
State Tourism
Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism 800-NATURAL www.arkansas.com DESTINATIONS
Bentonville CVB 800-410-2535 www.bentonville.org
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Conway CVB 866-7CONWAY www.ConwayArkansas.org Fayetteville Visitor Bureau 800-766-4626 www.experiencefayetteville.com Harrison CVB 888-283-2163 www.HarrisonArkansas.org
Heart of Arkansas Travel Association 866-672-7682 www.heartofarkansas.com Hot Springs CVB 800-543-2284 www.hotsprings.org Little Rock CVB 800-844-4781 www.littlerock.com
North Little Rock Visitors Bureau 800-643-4690 www.northlittlerock.travel ATTRACTIONS
LODGING
Downtown Riverside RV Park 501-340-5312 www.NorthLittleRockRiversideRVPark.com
Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum ASSOCIATION 501-371-8320 Arkansas Association of CVBs www.aimm.museum www.aacvb.com Arkansas Hospitality Association www.arhospitality.org
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FLORIDA
Charlotte
Kentucky
Memphis
Atlantic Ocean Virginia Mississippi North Carolina
Alabama Pensacola
Georgia Tallahassee
Jacksonville
Atlantic Ocean
Florida Daytona Beach
Houston
South Carolina
Orlando Cocoa Beach Melbourne Tampa Polk County
Gulf of Mexico
Sarasota
Big Cypress Reservation Miami
Fort Lauderale Hollywood Reservation
Key West
A G O O D WA L K E N J OYE D
Photo by Annette Thompson
A Walk Through Miami’s Beginnings Glittering high-rises that reflect golden sunsets and impossibly blue waters – that’s the modern Miami. However, you’ll discover the city’s humble beginnings if you walk from the 1897 Flagler Palm Cottage along the Miami River to Biscayne Bay. A few buildings date to the 1920s, and there’s even a dig under the Hyatt where archaeologists have unearthed sabertoothed tiger and mastodon remains. The river and bay meet at Bayside Park, where a sculpture to city founder Julia Tuttle tells her dream to “see this wilderness turned into a prosperous country.” GMcvb.com 2013 Travel Guide
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THE BIG EVENT
It’s Always Party Time in Pensacola Some 450 years ago, Spanish galleons sailed into Pensacola Bay, and explorer Don Tristan de Luna led an expedition ashore to establish the first European settlement in America. This historic landing is the basis of numerous celebrations every year, making Pensacola a destination where it’s always easy to find a festival or special event. Flags of five governments have flown over Pensacola – Spain, France, England, the Confederacy and the United States – and an organization called the Fiesta of Five Flags organizes an array of activities every year. Its calendar includes the DeLuna Treasure Hunt, the Pensacola Crawfish Festival, the Fiesta Sand Sculpture Contest, the Fiesta Boat Parade and the Pensacola Seafood Festival. June 1 this year is a big day because of the Fiesta Landing Ceremony that reenacts DeLuna’s arrival, and June 6 resounds
with the Fiesta Day Parade. There are more than a dozen events from this one organization. The Pensacola Bay Area’s rich history and diverse population set the stage for many other events. Pensacola starts the year with the family-friendly Pelican Drop Celebration, and Mardi Gras follows quickly in February. Music fills the air in April with the Pensacola Jazz Fest, and November features the two-week Frank Brown International Songwriters’ Festival. The area is steeped in military history as well. Top attractions include the National Naval Aviation Museum and the Navy’s Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels. You can watch the Blue Angels practice their fulllength air show every Tuesday and Wednesday from March through November.
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And don’t forget the beaches. Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key have miles of the sugar-white sand that makes the Gulf Coast famous. After all, these beaches have been attracting visitors for centuries. FiestaOfFiveFlags.com and VisitPensacola.com
YOU, ME AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA. There’s a destination that’s alive in vivid color, with its cool indigo waters and lush greens of nature. In Sarasota, you’ll witness an array of color at The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, or go green at Myakka River State Park. From the deep blue of Mote Aquarium to the brilliantly hued orchids at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Sarasota’s attractions are endless. Enjoy many shades of shopping, fine dining and eclectic entertainment, plus vibrant festivals nearly every week of the year. For an experience that’s as affordable as it is indescribable. So come. See the colors of Sarasota for yourself.
Go Beyond the Beaches. visitsarasota.org/southeast or call 1.800.617.5720 ®
833 833
Siesta Beach is One of America’s Top Beaches!
Alligator Alley EXIT
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LONGBOAT KEY | SARASOTA | LIDO KEY | SIESTA KEY | VENICE | CASEY KEY | MANASOTA KEY | ENGLEWOOD | NORTH PORT
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Q U I T E T H E AT T R A C T I O N
Photo by Annette Thompson
The Park That Snaps Into Place Central Florida’s newest theme park knows how to take building blocks and make something new. The one-year-old Legoland was built on the shoulders of a classic Florida attraction, Cypress Gardens. The old Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven is still as junglelike as ever. You can stroll through 39 acres of tended gardens and marvel at a magnificent banyan tree planted in 1933.
The park boasts play areas where kids build with Legos, as well as more than 50 rides, shows and attractions. You can even build a raft to float on the waterpark’s lazy river. Of course, there’s ample opportunity to buy new Lego building sets. Just like Lego building sets, the park is sized for different ages and abilities. There are smaller-scale rides for families with youngsters up to about age 12, while Lego maniacs find more advanced Technic-style coasters, cycles and water racers. Finally, areas such as the Duplo Splash Safari cater to the tots.
But instead of a Dick Pope water ski show that stacks bathing beauties atop strong men in a human pyramid, Miss Miranda and her loyal soldiers are on skis to take on the Lego pirates on lovely Lake Eloise.
Make sure you visit Miniland USA. This sunny spot showcases Lego re-creations of the White House and Washington, D.C., the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco, the Statue of Liberty and New York City, cars racing around the Daytona Speedway and even the space shuttle on the Cape Canaveral launch pad.
Legos were invented more than 60 years ago, and they take their name from the Danish word for “play well.” The plastic bricks require thought, imagination and planning.
It’s a world in miniature that leads young minds to think interactively with a theme park. Now that’s worth building. Florida.Legoland.com
Anchored by LEGOLAND® Florida, Central Florida’s Polk County is fast becoming “play and stay” central for families everywhere. For trip ideas, things to do and places to stay, log on and plan your escape today.
800 828-7655
facebook.com/VisitCentralFlorida
twitter.com/VisitCentralFL
2013 Travel Guide
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photos by Tom Adkinson
W H AT A C H A R A C T E R
Kayaking with Bill Keogh Through the Florida Keys Bill Keogh began his work life in the dark in Maine. Soon enough, however, he traded up to a place with more daylight. He was a photo darkroom technician at Unity College before discovering the Florida Keys, where his photography background came in handy. He has built a reputation as a professional photographer, science educator and nature guide. It’s the nature guide part that pleases visitors. His Big Pine Kayak Adventures leads people every day into worlds they wouldn’t see otherwise. It’s one thing to admire the scenery while driving along the Overseas Highway to Key West. It’s an entirely different matter to actually experience it from the seat of a kayak.
You cross a channel, all the while watching for playful dolphins or the distinctive double boil of a stingray that has inched toward the surface, before exploring sponge flats, tidal flats and a tidal creek that flows from a seemingly impenetrable mangrove forest. The mangrove canopy closes around you as you ease up the tidal creek. Deep in the shade, you listen intently as Keogh explains the intricate environment you’ve entered. Keogh can take you to many other places, and he can counsel you about the 47 trips he has detailed in his book, “The Florida Keys Paddling Guide.”
Home base for Keogh’s trips is Big Pine Key, just 30 miles from Key West.
Every outing is different, and the wildlife you may encounter seems endless: tiny shrimp in the sargassum seaweed you lift with your paddle, nurse sharks, barracudas, lobsters, conchs, ospreys, pelicans, great blue herons, snowy egrets and much, much more.
He offers half-day nature tours, fishing tours, ecotours and kayak rentals. Keogh’s dog, Scupper, often goes along for the ride.
Spend a few hours with Keogh, and you’ll be happy he traded darkroom tongs for a kayak paddle. KeysKayakTours.com and fla-keys.com
Half-day nature tours explore the backcountry waters of two national wildlife refuges – Great White Heron and Deer Key.
Cool Off at the No Name Pub Paddling a kayak can work up an appetite and a thirst. When you finish one of Bill Keogh’s trips, you’re within walking distance of a solution – the No Name Pub. It’s a Florida Keys institution that dates to 1931. Stroll in for pizza, grouper sandwiches, conch fritters, smoked fish dip, jukebox music and cold beer. If you have a good time, staple a dollar bill to the wall. Thousands before you have. NoNamePub.com
Discover More at
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A TA S T E O F F LO R I D A
Where’s the Best Cuban Sandwich? Tampa residents flock to Ybor City for Cuban sandwiches, but folks in Miami scoff at Tampa and point to their own Little Havana for the pork- and ham-filled treat. Who’s right? We can’t settle the decades-old debate about whose Cuban sandwich is better, but we know that those who eat the sandwiches are the real winners. The basic Cuban fills a baguette-like Cuban loaf with ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese, mustard and thinly sliced pickles fresh bread. Then, the creation is toasted and pressed flat on a hot griddle. In Miami, that’s the basic process, though you’ll find modern variations on the theme. The Little Havana neighborhood, just beyond the new Florida Marlins stadium, remains ground zero for the finest tastes in town. Meanwhile, restaurants all over Florida dish them up with mayonnaise, lettuce and tomatoes – causing purists to turn up their noses.
In Tampa, the sandwich is known as a mixto or a Cubano. Locals claim that its U.S. origins are here, brought by the 19th century trade between Tampa and Havana. In the west Tampa neighborhoods where cigar factories set up shop, workers from Cuba, Spain and Italy worked side by side. They’d bring lunches, often with added slices of salami for the Italians, and no one seemed to mind. The trend caught on, and now it’s a distinctively Tampa flavor. Authentic Cuban bread is the first essential ingredient of the perfect Cuban sandwich. The loaf, about 9 inches long with a soft interior and thin crispy crust, is a longtime staple of Tampa. In another era, homes in Ybor City had long nails next to the front door where bakers would hang fresh loaves early each morning. La Segunda Bakery in Ybor City still makes 12,000 fresh loaves of artisan bread daily – and a mixto that is fabulous. VisitTampaBay.com and GMcvb.com
Looking for More Check out these spots for great Cuban sandwiches: Gulfport: Habana Café, habanacafe-usa.com Jacksonville: Ancient City Subs, ancientcitysubs.com Lake City: Ramirez Restaurant, ramirezrestaurant.com Miami: Versailles, versaillesrestaurant.com; La Carreta, lacarreta.com; El Rey de las Fritas Orlando: Los Autenticos Cuban Café, cubancafeonline.com Ocala: Mojo Grill, mojogrillandcatering.com Tampa: La Tropicana Café, ybor.org; La Segunda Bakery, LaSegundaBakery.com; and Gaspar’s Grotto, GasparsGrotto.com
F LO R I D A T R AV E L R E S O U R C E S STATE TOURISM
VISIT FLORIDA 888-735-2872 www.VISITFLORIDA.com DESTINATIONS
Amelia Island CVB 800-226-3542 www.ameliaisland.com Beaches of South Walton TDC 800-822-6877 www.beachesofsouthwalton.com Central Florida VCB 800-828-7655 www.VisitCentralFlorida.org Charlotte Harbor Visitor’s Bureau 800-652-6090 www.CharlotteHarborTravel.com Columbia County Tourist Development 877-746-4778 www.springsrus.com Daytona Beach Area CVB 800-544-0415 www.daytonabeach.com
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Emerald Coast CVB 800-322-3319 www.destin-fwb.com
Kissimmee CVB 800-333-KISS www.visitkissimmee.com
Tampa Bay & Company 800-44-TAMPA www.visittampabay.com
Flagler County Chamber of Commerce / Flagler County TDC 800-881-1022 www.visitflagler.org
Levy County Visitors Bureau 877-387-5673 www.visitnaturecoast.com
Taylor County Tourism 866-584-5366 www.taylorcountychamber.com
New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau 800-541-9621 www.nsbfla.com
The Original Florida Tourism Task Force 877-955-2199 www.naturalnorthflorida.org
Panama City Beach CVB 800-PCBEACH www.visitpanamacitybeach.com
Visit Jacksonville 800-733-2668 www.VisitJacksonville.com
Pensacola Bay Area CVB 800-874-1234 www.VisitPensacola.com
Visit Orlando 407-363-5872 www.visitorlando.com
Pure Water Wilderness 352-463-3467 www.purewaterwilderness.com
Visit Sarasota County 800-800-3906 www.visitsarasota.org
Santa Rosa Island Authority www.sria-fla.com
West Volusia Tourism Bureau 800-749-4350 www.visitwestvolusia.com/
Florida Seminole Tourism - Seminole Tribe of Florida 800-683-7800 www.floridaseminoletourism.com Florida’s Freshwater Frontier 800-467-4540 www.floridafreshwaterfrontier.com Florida’s Space Coast Office of Tourism 877-57-BEACH www.space-coast.com Gainesville-Alachua Co. VCB 866-778-5002 www.visitgainesville.net Hernando County Tourism 800-601-4580 www.naturallyhernando.org
St. Augustine Ponte Vedra & The Beaches VCB 800-418-7529 www.visitoldcity.com
ATTRACTIONS
Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum 863-902-1113 www.ahtahthiki.com Big Cypress Hunting Adventures 800-689-2378 www.floridaseminoletourism.com/ huntingadventures.aspx Billie Swamp Safari 800-GO-SAFARI www.swampsafari.com Bok Tower Gardens 863-676-1408 www.boktowergardens.org Corey Billie’s Airboat Ride 239-389-7433 www.cbairboatrides.com Ron Jon Surf Shop 888-RJ-SURFS www.ronjons.com LODGING
Residence Inn® by Marriott® Melbourne 800-331-3131 www.Melbourneresidenceinn.com
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GEORGIA North Carolina
Kentucky
Dalton Cleveland Roswell Marietta
Sandy Springs DeKalb Atlanta Augusta
South Carolina
Macon
Alabama
Georgia
Savannah
Atlan Ocea
Albany
Mississippi Florida
A G O O D WA L K E N J OYE D
G u l f ‘Hooch of Strolling the Mexico
It’s easy to escape the frantic pace of Atlanta at the Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell, just above I-285 north of downtown. Its six short trails wind through 127 acres along the Chattahoochee River. Perhaps the most unusual is the half-mile River Boardwalk Trail that lets you keep your feet dry even as you explore wetlands and the river itself. Look for great blue herons, red-wing blackbirds, salamanders, frogs, muskrats and even beavers. ChattNatureCenter.org
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Roswell, Georgia
The Bridge to History and Nature.
A 640+ acre historic district where antebellum home tours, historic sites, Civil War stories, arts, antiques, shops housed in period storefronts, fine restaurants and cozy tea rooms mix with wildflower gardens, nature trails and fun on the Chattahoochee River. Southern hospitality, accommodating lodging facilities and experiences to remember await you!
www.visitroswellga.com • 800-776-7935
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R e s t Yo u R H e a d H e R e
Lake Oconee’s Bedroom Community Reynolds Plantation is a lake-lover’s dream between Atlanta and Augusta. The numbers speak volumes: • A 19,000-acre lake, the cleanest in Georgia • A gazillion fish – including largemouth bass, bream, crappie and striped bass • Six golf courses, with 117 holes rolling along hills, valleys and lakeside • More than 300 hotel rooms in fourand five-star resorts
these cute frame homes are ideal for two or three couples to share for a long weekend of lakeside living. Rates include daily housekeeping, plus breakfast and a round of golf (from $279). When the sun goes down over Lake Oconee and the sky turns to inky black velvet, just try to count all the stars and the reasons to stay here. ReynoldsPlantation.com
When it comes to finding the most comfy digs to overnight, act like a local and sleep peacefully in a stylish cottage with a stunning view. Two neighborhoods of rental cottages put guests around their favorite lakeside amenities. Marina Cove Village offers cozy two-, three- and four-bedroom homes that feature gourmet kitchens, fireplaces, luxury linens and screened porches with rocking chairs and hammocks. It’s only a short walk to the Plantation Marina. The Landing offers three- and fourbedroom luxury cottages near the recently renovated clubhouse for dining, a tennis complex, the Landing golf course and even croquet. Families appreciate the extra space of cottage living, that gives kids space to spread out in their own bedrooms. Or,
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A TA S T E O F G E O R G I A
The Cake Queen of Georgia She’s petite, pixie-ish even. And she makes one mean carrot cake. Meet Vera Stewart, the dynamo behind Augusta’s premier dining, catering and food mail-order business, Very Vera. You can talk to Vera at her eatery, where two small dining rooms with bright green walls and blackand-white floor set a cheerful scene. She sashays around the tables, stopping to twirl with a little girl in between conversations with customers whom she treats like family. “I started in my home kitchen 28 years ago,” Vera said. “This business is like raising a child. As my kids grew, my business grew, too. My first offsite locale was when they were in school.” It’s obvious that the number of her fans grew right along with her.
“Now I’m the cake lady,” Vera declared. “Most of these recipes come from my grandmother. She was 4’11” and the original Very Vera. Every family celebration had one of her cakes, produced by hand.” Yes, the breakfasts and lunches served are good, wholesome Southern cooking, but her cakes are the reason she’s in business. Look around and see how famous they have become. Magazine articles fill the walls, from Oprah to Town &
at your own pace discover albany, georgia
Albany Museum of Art ★ Turtle Grove Play Park ★ RiverFront Park ★ Chehaw Wild AnimalPark Chehaw Disc Golf Course and BMX Track ★ Flint RiverQuarium ★ Imagination Theater Cypress Pond Aviary ★ Civil Rights Institute ★ Ray Charles Plaza ★ Radium Springs Gardens Thronateeska Heritage Center ★ Wetherbee Planetarium
visitalbanyga.com 229.317.4760 ★ 866.750.0840
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A TA s T e o f G e o r G i A
Country to Southern Living, lavishing praise on the layered wonders. You’ll even see the story of her mighty win on the Food Network’s Throwdown with Bobby Flay, when Vera’s carrot cake was the clear favorite. You can sample a variety of flavors, the famous carrot cake, strawberry, Neapolitan or red velvet, plus a selection of dreamy pound cakes (Bitsy’s Amaretto Cream is the local fave) for $2.50 for a ½-inch slice. Or do what the locals do and purchase a whole cake to go.
“Starting my mail-order business didn’t require me being away from my family,” Vera explained. She’s proud of the way the cakes arrive at your home – perfect, unmarred confection, sitting in a beautiful box. “I want to be the ‘it’s not Thanksgiving without carrot cake from Very Vera or Mother’s Day without my strawberry cake,’ ” she said. We’re happy to oblige. Veryvera.com
When you can’t get to Augusta, order a cake by mail.
atlanta’s
DEKALB COUNTY Experience the World’s Largest Laser Light Show at Stone Mountain Park, just East of Downtown Atlanta
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EscapeToTheSoutheast.com
DEKALB COUNTY IS HOME TO... Georgia’s #1 Attraction, Stone Mountain Park The World’s Largest Dinosaurs Ancient Egyptian Mummies at Emory University STS Top 20 Festivals and Events
To Request a Visitors Guide, Call 866-633-5252 ext. 1079
Explore More Online at VisitAtlantasDeKalbCounty.com 2013 Travel Guide
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Q U I T E T H E AT T R A C T I O N
Time Travel at Two Georgia Gardens Just beyond LaGrange’s leafy green square, two attractions cultivate a passion for gardening with a higher purpose.
Dalton CONNECT WITH HISTORY WALK THROUGH HISTORY in the Historic Civil War Railroad Tunnel. DRIVE THROUGH HISTORY with our CD driving tour that leads you to Civil War Sites in Greater Dalton. EXPERIENCE HISTORY through the inception of the Textile Trail which begins at the History Center & Archives.
Scan for our FREE App
www.VisitDaltonGA.com 800.331.3258 38
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The Hills & Dales Estate showcases an artist’s spirituality-infused touch, while the nearby Explorations in Antiquity Museum helps you understand Biblical culture. You don’t have to be on a religious pilgrimage to appreciate either. The Callaway family and gardens go together like sunshine and flowers, which the Callaway Gardens resort proves. However, the garden roots at Hills & Dales pre-date the resort and are intertwined with the women who tended it. In the 1840s, Sarah Ferrell began shaping 35 acres of rolling Georgia hills and shady dales into an Italianate estate that blended faith with gardening. “Sarah was a devout woman, and her garden was a work of worship,” said Jo Phillips, Hills & Dales’ garden guru. When textile magnate Fuller Callaway and his wife, Ida Cason Callaway, purchased the land, they added a stunning 30-room Italianate villa in 1916. Fuller’s son and his wife inherited the garden and the legacy. Today, Hills & Dales still bears Sarah’s designs, including a series of topiaries and beds with Biblical references across the six terraces. A stroll across these lush grounds is like a romp through a European garden, with closeted green places to sit with your sweetheart or to ponder life’s
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meanings. It’s the life work of women with fertile imaginations. The Explorations in Antiquities Museum is another place for contemplation. It’s a living-history museum reconstructing life in Bible times. If you didn’t know you were in Georgia, you might imagine you were in ancient Jerusalem. In fact, founder Dr. Jim Fleming moved his facility to LaGrange from Jerusalem six years ago to help visitors understand life in the deserts of the Middle East two millennia ago. All aspects of ancient life are on display, including the burial traditions of several cultures. A bench for mourners is surrounded by aromatic plants, such as lavender, rosemary and tea olive. “They mask smells and help us to remember the departed,” said Hannaniah Pinto, a former Israeli tour guide who tends these gardens. “We want to explore many meanings of Biblical plants.” Another garden represents the life of a farmer, where rosemary, oregano, parsley, onions, arugula and sage fill in between rocky outcroppings. Shady olive and fig trees blend on the hillside, where chickens and a rooster reside. Pinto and Fleming continue to add to their working garden to help us get a picture of our favorite Bible stories. HillsAndDales.org and ExplorationsInAntiquity.com
Song and Soul of the South Take the ultimate musical tour in Macon, Georgia, home to legendary southern artists. Sit on the dock with Otis Redding then grab a drink at one of Little Richard’s favorite haunts. Stroll the streets on a Rock Candy Tour, and see the legendary spots where southern rock was born. Step through the mushroom gates and right back into the 70s at the Allman Brothers Band Museum. Take a seat for concert performances at one of Macon’s theatres, or dine on local cuisine and enjoy live music from today’s rising stars. Plan your visit today and experience the Song and Soul of the South! Call 800.768.3401 or email maconcvb@maconga.org for customized itineraries. Book your overnight stay and download a free Visitor Guide at VisitMacon.org
2013 Travel Guide
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ThE Big EvEnT
The Pinkest Party on Earth They call the International Cherry Blossom Festival “the Pinkest Party on Earth” for good reason. Every March, Macon basks in the glory of more than 300,000 cherry trees that produce more cherry blossoms than any city in the world – Washington, D.C., included. Japan’s consul general even proclaimed Macon the Cherry Blossom Capital of the World. The festival takes over city life for 10 days every year (March 15-24 this year), and many people make an annual pilgrimage for both the festivities and the blossoms. Among the Cherry Blossom Festival’s big components are Tunes and Balloons (hot-air balloons fill the sky), Cherry Blossom Riding Tours, the International Food Fair, the Mulberry Street Festival (more than 200 artisans from Georgia and the Southeast), nightly concerts and Lantern Light Tours at the Ocmulgee National Monument. As big as the Cherry Blossom Festival is, it only sets the stage for events and attractions that draw visitors to this mid-Georgia city all year.
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Check out these other events: Fired Works in April (Georgia’s largest show and sale of functional and sculptural pottery), the Pan African Festival at the Tubman African American Museum in April, Bragg Jam in July (dozens of bands on multiple stages) and the Ocmulgee Indian Celebration at the Ocmulgee National Monument in September (native American dancing, singing, storytelling and crafts). Even if you’re not in town for a festival, Macon offers you a free activity every night with Lights On Macon, a self-guided tour of the Historic InTown Neighborhood. The route takes you past more than 30 architectural gems, each dramatically illuminated to highlight its antebellum beauty. Indeed, Macon is one of the great historic cities of the American South. It is home to 5,500 structures on the National Register of Historic Places in 11 historic districts – plus all those cherry trees. CherryBlossom.com and VisitMacon.org
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Georgia Department of Economic Development 800-VISITGA www.georgia.org DESTINATIONS
CVB of Dunwoody 678-244-9800 www.cvbdunwoody.com/
Liberty County CVB 912-368-3580 www.discoverlibertyga.com
Vidalia Area CVB 912-538-8787 www.vidaliaarea.com
Dahlonega-Lumpkin County Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center 800-231-5543 www.dahlonega.org
Macon-Bibb County CVB 800-768-3401 www.maconga.org
Warner Robins CVB 888-288-WRGA www.warnerrobinsga.gov
Albany CVB 866-750-0840 www.visitalbanyga.com
Dalton-Whitfield CVB 800-331-3258 www.daltoncvb.com
Alpharetta CVB 877-202-5961 www.awesomealpharetta.com
DeKalb (GA) CVB 800-999-6055 www.dcvb.org
Marietta Welcome Center & Visitors Bur. 800-835-0445 www.mariettasquare.com McDonough Hospitality & Tourism 866-380-6154 www.tourmcdonough.com
Oconee County Department of Douglasville Convention & Visitor’s Tourism Bureau 706-769-5197 800-661-0013 www.visitoconee.com www.visitdouglasville.com Atlanta CVB Peachtree City CVB 877-ATLANTA Gainesville Communications & 678-216-0282 www.ATLANTA.net Tourism www.visitpeachtreecity.com 770-531-2664 Augusta Metropolitan CVB Pine Mountain Tourism www.visitgainesvillega.com 706-823-6600 706-663-4000 www.augustaga.org Georgia’s Historic Heartland www.pinemountain.org 478-988-8000 Baxley-Appling County Board of Port Wentworth Visitors Center www.historicgeorgia.org Tourism 912-965-1999 912-367-7731 Gilmer County Chamber of www.visitportwentworth.com www.baxley.org Commerce Rabun County CVB 706-635-7400 Blairsville - Union County Chamber www.gilmerchamber.com 706-982-4754 of Commerce www.gamountains.com 706-745-5789 Golden Isles www.blairsvillechamber.com Richmond Hill CVB 800-933-COAST 912-756-2676 www.ComeCoastAwhile.com Blue Ridge - Fannin County www.RichmondHillVisit.com Chamber of Commerce Gordon County CVB 800-899-6867 Sandy Springs Hospitality & 800-887-3811 www.blueridgemountains.com Tourism www.exploregordoncounty.com 866-511-7742 Cartersville-Bartow County CVB Greene County Tourism www.visitsandysprings.org 800-733-2280 866-341-4466 www.notatlanta.org Savannah Area CVB www.visitlakeoconee.com 877-Savannah City of Conyers Gwinnett CVB www.savannahvisit.com 888-860-4224 888-GWINNET www.georgiahorsepark.com Southeast Tourism Society www.visitgwinnettcounty.org 706-864-5619 Clayton County CVB Hazlehurst-Jeff Davis Board of www.southeasttourism.org 800-662-7829 Tourism www.visitscarlett.com St. Marys CVB 912-375-4543 800-868-8687 www.hazlehurst-jeffdavis.com Cobb Travel and Tourism www.stmaryswelcome.com 800-451-3480 Henry County CVB www.travelcobb.org Statesboro CVB 770-957-5786 800-568-3301 www.henrycvb.com Columbia County CVB www.visitstatesboroga.com 866-391-7677 Historic Roswell CVB www.columbiacountyga.gov Thomasville Visitors Center 800-776-7935 866-577-3600 www.visitroswellga.com Columbus CVB www.thomasvillega.com 800-999-1613 LaGrange-Troup Co. Chamber of www.visitcolumbusga.com Towns County Tourism Commerce & Tourism 800-984-1543 706-884-8671 Cornelia Hospitality & Tourism www.mountaintopga.com www.lagrangechamber.com 706-778-8585 www.explorecornelia.com Tybee Island Tourism Council Lake Lanier CVB 800-868-2322 888-536-0005 Coweta County CVB www.tybeevisit.com www.LakeLanierCVB.com 800-8-COWETA www.explorecoweta.com USDA Forest Service-Southern Lawrenceville Tourism Region 866-855-7907 404-347-7226 www.visitlawrenceville.com www.southernregion.fs.fed.us Alpine Helen · White County CVB 800-858-8027 www.helenga.org
Columbia, SC
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STATE TOURISM
Charlotte, NC
L
EO I A TTRRAAV GG EO R RGGI A V EE L R EESSOOUURRCCEESS LODGING
Azalea Inn and Gardens 800-582-3823 www.azaleainn.com Days Inns Worldwide Inc. Wyndham Hotel Group 800-DAYS-INN www.daysinn.com/promo
ATTRACTIONS
Atlanta Braves 404-577-9100 www.braves.com
Green Palm Inn 888-606-9510 www.greenpalminn.com
Augusta Canal National Heritage Area 888-659-8926 www.augustacanal.com
Jekyll Island Club Hotel 912-635-2600 www.jekyllclub.com
BabyLand General Hospital Birthplace of the Cabbage Patch Kids 706-865-2171 www.cabbagepatchkids.com Booth Western Art Museum 770-387-1300 www.boothmuseum.org
Lake Lanier Islands Resort 800-840-LAKE www.lakelanierislands.com Splendor Mountain Inc. 706-212-2897 www.SplendorMountain.com ASSOCIATION
Chattahoochee Nature Center 770-992-2055 www.chattnaturecenter.org
Georgia Association of CVBs 912-897-6339 www.gacvb.com
Flat Creek Lodge Fish And Game 877-352-8273 www.flatcreeklodge.com
Southeast Festivals & Events 678-443-9619 www.southeastfestivals.org
Hills & Dales Estate 706-882-3242 www.hillsanddales.org
Travel South USA 404-231-1790 www.travelsouthusa.org
National Foundation of Patriotism 877-276-1692 www.museumofpatriotism.org See Rock City Inc. 800-845-0675 www.seerockcity.com Stone Mountain Park 800-317-2006 www.stonemountainpark.com EVENTS/FESTIVALS
Blessing of the Fleet 912-437-6684 www.BlessingoftheFleet.com Georgia Mountain Fair 706-896-4191 www.georgiamountainfairgrounds. com Macon GA’s International Cherry Blossom Festival 478-751-7429 www.cherryblossom.com Oliver Hardy Festival 706-556-0043 www.harlemga.org/ohfest Watermelon Days Festival 866-426-3566 www.cordelecrispga.com/
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KENTUCKY West Virginia Frankfort
Atlantic Ocean
Lexington
Louisville
Kentucky Mammoth Cave National Park
Virginia
Bowling Green
North Carolina
Tennessee
s
Mississippi
Alabama
Georgia
South Carolina
Louisville’s Cherokee Park
Florida
Gulf of Mexico
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After cheering yourself hoarse at Churchill Downs, the quiet of Louisville’s Cherokee Park is a proper antidote. Frederick Law Olmsted, father of landscape architecture, designed the 389-acre park, plus 17 more in the city. Its prime feature is the 2.4-mile Scenic Loop. As you stroll, marvel at what Mother Nature has done to repair the ravages of a gigantic tornado in 1974. LouisvilleKy.gov/MetroParks
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A TA S T E O F K E N T U C K Y
Traveling Safely on the Bourbon Trail For every one of Kentucky’s 4.3 million residents, there’s a barrel of bourbon whiskey aging in the Kentucky hills – with 600,000 barrels left over.
visitors from all 50 states and 50 nations have enjoyed all or part of the trail. It started with six distilleries – ones such as Marker’s Mark, Jim Beam and Wild Turkey – and in 2012 added a seventh, Town Branch in Lexington. All offer tours (most are free), and each is a bit different. If you get a trail “passport” and get it stamped at all seven, trail organizers have a commemorative t-shirt for you. KyBourbonTrail.com
That’s one way to show that distilling an amber liquid from corn and limestone-rich spring water is a big deal in Kentucky. It also explains the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, a driving route through the countryside south of Louisville and Lexington that unites seven distilleries and their tours, gift shops and photo opportunities. Distilled spirits have been part of Kentucky’s heritage since Kentucky still was part of Virginia. Even the name “bourbon” comes from one of Kentucky’s original three counties – Bourbon County, created in 1785. The state distillers’ association started the trail in 1999 to promote the history, tradition, art and science of their famous product. In just the last five years, two million
A REAL TREASURE
Chasing a Moonbow at Cumberland Falls Here’s an item for your bucket list: Marveling at a magical moonbow – not a rainbow, but a moonbow. This phenomenon occurs at Cumberland Falls in southeastern Kentucky and nowhere else in the western hemisphere. Cumberland Falls, the centerpiece of a popular Kentucky state park, is a curtain of water 125 feet across and 60 feet tall. It pours into a rocky gorge, and on the nights of a full moon, magic happens. There, arching across the night sky, is a moonbow.
The park also has rental cabins, camping, hiking trails and a stable. Guided rafting trips are offered nearby, and the surrounding Daniel Boone National Forest provides panorama after panorama of mountain beauty.
Kentucky native T. Coleman DuPont bought the falls in 1927 and gave it to the state for a park. He’s the namesake of the 51-room DuPont Lodge, which is accented by solid hemlock beams, knotty pine paneling and massive stone fireplaces.
Cumberland Falls, sometimes called the Niagara of the South, is beautiful in the daylight, too, but it is too often bypassed as travelers zoom along I-75. It’s only 20 miles southwest of Corbin, but it’s a world apart. parks.ky.gov/ parks/resortparks/cumberland-falls and TourSEKY.com 2013 Travel Guide
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There’s Only One Kentucky.
There’s only one Horse Capital of the World. There’s only one Birthplace of Bluegrass Music. There’s only one Bourbon Country. And there’s only one place to find them all. Start planning your one-of-a-kind Kentucky vacation today.
KENTUCKYTOURISM.COM • 1-800-225-TRIP
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W h at a C h a r a C t e r that preserves and interprets the Shaker sect that once lived here. From late April through late October, Capt. Herring narrates trips on one of the longest rivers in the country that flows entirely inside one state. Capt. Herring shows off just a bit of the Kentucky River’s 255.4 miles during onehour excursions. Among the manmade sights he points out is the High Bridge – and it’s really high. At normal river level, the tracks of the Norfolk & Southern Railroad on the bridge are 315 feet overhead, making it the highest railroad bridge over a navigable river, according to Capt. Herring. More impressive, though, is how quickly the Dixie Belle glides into true wilderness terrain.
Cruising Through Kentucky There may be a little bit of Mark Twain inside Bruce Herring. Herring loves riverboats – so much so that he’s the captain of the Dixie Belle, an excursion boat on the Kentucky River.
Of particular note are the Kentucky River Palisades, limestone cliffs that tower 200 to 300 feet above the Dixie Belle. Capt. Herring keeps up a running narrative about the surroundings and what’s in the river, even explaining that 242 of the state’s 252 species of fish are in the Kentucky River. “I like getting to a stump where turtles often are sunning themselves and announce that I’ve seen turtles two and three times the size of the Dixie Belle at that very spot. That’s when I determine whether anyone’s listening to me,” a smiling Capt. Herring said. ShakerVillageKY.org
The 112-passenger Dixie Belle is part of Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill, the living history museum at Harrodsburg
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K e N t u C K Y t r av e l r e S o u r C e S
State touriSm
Kentucky Department of Travel 800-225-8747 www.kentuckytourism.com Louisiana Travel Promotion Association 800-487-3457 www.ltpa.org DeStiNatioNS
Bardstown-Nelson Co. Tourism & Conv. Bureau 502-348-4877 www.visitbardstown.com Bell Co.-Pineville-Middlesboro Tourism Comm. 606-248-2482 www.mountaingateway.com
Berea Tourist & Convention Commission 800-598-5263 www.berea.com
Lexington CVB 800-848-1224 www.visitlex.com
Carrollton/Carroll County Tourism 800-325-4290 www.carrolltontourism.com
Marshall County Tourist Commission 800-467-7145 www.kentuckylake.org
Elizabethtown Tourism & Convention Bureau 800-437-0092 www.TourEtown.com
Munfordville Tourism Commission 888-686-3673 www.visitmunfordville.com
Hart Co. Tourist Commission 270-218-0386 www.kygetaway.com Hopkins County Tourism Commission 877-243-5280 www.visitmadisonvilleky.com/ Lebanon Tourist & Convention Center 855.HEARTKY www.visitlebanonky.com
Shepherdsville-Bullitt County Tourism 800-526-2068 www.travelbullitt.org TOUR Southern and Eastern Kentucky (TOUR SEKY) 877-TOURSEKY www.tourseky.com attraCtioNS
Northern Kentucky CVB 859-261-4677 www.northernkentuckycvb.com/
BBarton 1792 Distillery 866-239-4690 www.1792bourbon.com
Oak Grove Tourism 866-779-1250 www.visitoakgroveky.com
BB Riverboats-Port of Cincinnati 800-261-8586 www.bbriverboats.com
Paducah McCracken County CVB 800-Paducah www.paducah.travel
Buffalo Trace Distillery 800-654-8471 www.buffalotrace.com
Kentucky State Fair 502-367-5000 www.kyfairexpo.org Mammoth Cave National Park 270-758-2254 www.nps.gov/maca Renfro Valley Entertainment Center 800-765-7464 www.renfrovalley.com aSSoCiatioN
Kentucky Travel Industry Association 502-223-8687 www.ktia.com
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LOUISIANA
K
Tennessee
Arkansas
Alaba
Monroe Ruston Shreveport-Bossier
Louisiana Louisiana
Mississippi
Natchitoches Alexandria
Baton Rouge
Covington
Lafayette Lake Charles
New Orleans Lafourche Houma
Chalmette
Gulf of Mexico
A Sunny Promenade Along Lake Charles MonsoursPhotography.com
The Lakefront Promenade is an art-filled, scenic stroll in Lake Charles along the glistening lake that is the city’s namesake. Ironwork lampposts with themed banners and a variety of sculptures accent the cobblestone walkway. The Louisiana Landing Fountain marks its start behind the Lake Charles Civic Center. Millennium Park, the 9/11 Memorial, PPG Sprayground and the new Bord du Lac Marina are nearby. Tinyurl.com/9fbzvwy
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West Virginia
Atlantic Ocean
Virginia
Kentucky
North Carolina Tennessee South Carolina
Georgia
Alabama
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Florida We’re always coming up with new ways to prepare food. We’ve got boiled,
broiled, blackened and fried. the only thing we have more of than the ways we prepare food is the number of places we have to eat food. it’s one of the things that make us who we are.
Scan V ithis s i tmarker O u rfor your chance to win.
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800 LA ROUGE
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Photos by Annette Thompson and Tom Adkinson
Q U I T E T H E AT T R A C T I O N
Getting Baptized in the Cajun/Creole Culture If you don’t have a Cajun or Creole bloodline, it’s daunting trying to figure out the culture of South Louisiana. Oh, it’s easy to enjoy that culture, but knowing it and understanding it can be a challenge. That’s solved with a visit to Vermilionville in Lafayette. Even people who have been to South Louisiana a hundred times learn things at the place known formally as the Vermilionville Living History Museum and Folklife Park. It’s a representation of a village from 1765-1890 featuring 19 restored and reproduced buildings. Real people bring it to life. Stroll around, and you’ll meet Cajun accordion player Jules Guidry, seamstress Brenda LaLonde, woodcarver Cliff Mire, fiddle player Merlin Fontenot and many others who know the folkways and folktales of the region. If you’re smart, you’ll meet Ronnie Brown, otherwise known as “the gumbo lady.” She’s a big attraction at La Cuisine de Maman (Mama’s Kitchen), a restaurant where her gumbo competes for attention with chicken and
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sausage jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, shrimp etouffee and other temptations. Dining is in the restaurant’s main room or on a glass-enclosed porch that overlooks Bayou Vermilion. If you time it right, you’ll see a traditionally built bateau glide by with passengers out to explore Bayou Vermilion. A Vermilionville restoration specialist built the boat, and there’s a package ticket that covers a boat ride, lunch and a self-guided tour of the grounds. Saturdays are especially known for music because of a free Cajun jam session that Vermilionville and the Cajun French Music Association organize. Fiddle and accordion are guaranteed, and, as the literature says, there are “no amps, no filter, just pure Cajun music from the heart.” BayouVermilion.org and LafayetteTravel.com
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“How do you
Bayou ?”
Just 35 miles Southwest of New Orleans Exit 215A US 90 West and Exit 215 US 90 East Raceland, LA 70394
1-877-537-5800
www.facebook.com/VisitBayouLafourche www.visitlafourche.com • info@visitlafourche.com
The Best Food in the USA*. The Tastiest Town in the South**. No matter how you say it, Lafayette is the best place to eat, except maybe your mama’s kitchen. Add in a dash of music, a sprinkling of history, topped with festivals and a heaping serving of fun, and Lafayette is calling your name. So come see what all the fuss is about.
*Best Food City in Rand McNally Best of the Road® Rally **Southern Living Tastiest Town of the South
800 346 1958
www.Lafayette.Travel
2013 Travel Guide
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W h at a C h a r a C t e r
Talking about War, Art and Life in Shreveport Gary Ford has what many would consider a great job – he’s a listener. No, he’s not a psychiatrist listening to people’s woes. Instead, he’s an oral historian who captures stories in danger of disappearing, first from members of the “Greatest Generation” and then from veterans of the Korean War, Vietnam and other conflicts. His “listening room” is what’s surprising – an amazing art museum in an unexpected place. It’s the R.W. Norton Art Gallery in Shreveport. “You’d think a project like this would belong in a history museum somewhere, not an art museum in northwest Louisiana,” Ford said, giving credit to the second generation of the Norton family for wanting to save the oral heritage of the region’s veterans, as well as to project director Phil Lynch and archivist Loren Culver. The Norton opened in 1966 to honor Richard Norton, a discoverer of Louisiana’s Rodessa Oil Field. It has expanded twice to accommodate an ever-growing collection of European and American Art. You’ll find works by Rodin, Old Masters’ paintings, French tapestries, silver made by Paul Revere, American landscapes by Albert Bierstadt and a strong collection of western art by Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell.
Pick Your Passion in Ruston.
The crown jewel of the Norton’s library is a very rare and complete folio of John James Audubon’s “Birds of America.” How rare? Only about 100 exist. Forty acres of gardens recognized as some of the best in the Southeast complement the art that fills 24 galleries. The gardens are a riot of color in azalea season when 15,000 plants show off. Amid all of this beauty, you may see Ford, totally wrapped up in conversation with someone eager to record his or her story from a time and place that weren’t nearly as tranquil and beautiful as the Norton. Admission to the Norton is free, and you always can go online to learn more about the oral history project. You may even know someone who should meet Ford – just to have a talk for posterity. rwnaf.org
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SHOPPING MUSIC ARTS FOOD HISTORY SPORTS OUTDOOR FAMILY FUN
experienceruston.com
1.800.392.9032
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R E S T YO U R H E A D H E R E
The Other River Road
Looking for More Here’s a selection of other River Road plantation homes, listed south to north above New Orleans. All welcome exploration, some serve memorable Southern meals and some welcome overnight guests.
Stately plantations once spread from the banks of the mighty muddy Mississippi out from New Orleans. These River Road grand dames have become the stuff of legend, Greek Revival mansions nestled among live oaks with shaggy arms hanging gray Spanish moss.
Destrehan DestrehanPlantation.org San Francisco SanFranciscoPlantation.org Houmas House HoumasHouse.com Magnolia Mound FriendsOfMagnoliaMound.org Nottoway Nottoway.com
You can wander along the road today to tour these architectural wonders and contemplate the Creole culture that sprang from the people who lived and worked on them.
Oak Alley OakAlleyPlantation.com Laura LauraPlantation.com Evergreen EvergreenPlantation.org
One mansion, far from most tourists’ radar, still stands along the river about 40 minutes south of New Orleans.
St. Joseph StJosephPlantation.com
The 1830 Woodland Plantation has survived almost two centuries of devastating hurricanes and still welcomes guests with gracious living in Louisiana’s Deep Delta. At one time, more than 60 plantations once stood along the river between the Crescent City and the Gulf of Mexico. If the Woodland looks familiar to you, that’s not surprising. An 1871 lithograph of the main house was licensed by Southern Comfort whiskey to use as its label after Prohibition ended. Today, you can lodge here amid burnished antiques in historic rooms (rates from $125). The adjacent Spirit Hall, a restored 1883 Catholic chapel transplanted here, hosts elegant dinners of fresh fish and oysters, steak and game – all with traditional Creole and Cajun flavors. This part of Louisiana offers some of the best fishing in the state. Many guests come to explore the low-lying waters between the levees and the Gulf. Others come for the excellent birding and nature tours. All find comfort in this hospitable style of Southern living. WoodlandPlantation.com
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Gather the Troops! Step back in history to experience the Battle of New Orleans at Chalmette Battlefield where Andrew Jackson and a heroic band of Americans defeated the British in the War of 1812. Open daily with special Anniversary Commemoration and reenactment of the battle on January 10-11, 2014, where history comes to life! 200th Anniversary Commemoration - January 9-10, 2015 8606 West Saint Bernard Highway Chalmette, LA
Only 5 miles from New Orleans www.visitstbernard.com (504) 278.4242 2013 Travel Guide
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A TA s T e o f Lo u i s i A n A
Muffuletta: One Sandwich, Multiple Mouths Even people who don’t particularly like to share their food often offer chunks of a New Orleans muffuletta sandwich to their dining companions. “Big” is only one adjective for this distinctively New Orleans high-carb, high-protein sandwich that shows the city’s Italian side to go along with its famous French-CreoleCajun influences. Many sources credit the sandwich’s origin to the Central Grocery, an Italian-American grocery that opened in the French Quarter in 1906. The folks there pronounce the name “moo-foo-LET-a,” but you’ll find most others say “muff-uh-LOT-uh.”
horizontally and filled with layers of Genoa salami, Cappicola ham, mortadella (Italian bologna), provolone and olive salad – or variations thereof.
A whole muffuletta is made with a hearty Italian roll about 10 inches across that’s covered with sesame seeds. It’s split
With so many components, it’s easy to see why heated discussions can arise about whose muffuletta is best.
RE CUISINE CULTU A LS NATURE FESTIV
The only way to decide is to sample for yourself. Here’s a starter list of muffuletta purveyors.
SERVED UP R I G H T!
• Central Grocery in the French Quarter (hint: take your sandwich to the Moon Walk and enjoy it with a river view) CentralGroceryNewOrleans.com • Café Maspero in the French Quarter CafeMaspero.com • napoleon House in the French Quarter NapoleonHouse.com
usic, vents, live molf e & ls a tiv s fe g Visit unique rt gaming and pristine r, view o O s . re a n o ia in s is ca uthwest Lou the greens in Sod remote beaches on stay! n to a s rs n e pla alligato re Trail! Mak Creole Natu
• Arabi food store and Café in Arabi (St. Bernard Parish) ArabiFoodStore.com • La Divnina Gelateria in the French Quarter and the Garden District (for its panini variation of the classic) LaDivinaGelateria.com • Cochon Butcher in the Central Business District CochonButcher.com
WLA 800-456-S
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lEs.oRg/eScApE
ViSiTlAkEcHaR
• Liuzza’s in Mid-City (warning: it’s on French bread) Liuzzas.com
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A TA S T E O F LO U I S I A N A
Eat Like a Cajun Boudin (pronounced BOO-dan) is the savory, squishy, eat-behind-the-steering wheel treat that rivals crawfish as the quintessential food of Acadiana, the Cajun region of south Louisiana. It’s a sausage made of pork, rice, onions and various spices, but there are spirited debates about other ingredients and ingredient proportions. From gritty convenience stores to upscale charcuteries, boudin markets are more popular than the region’s ubiquitous drive-thru daiquiri bars. Most times, it’s eaten close to where it’s made – very close. Consider this wonderful quote from a Calvin Trillin essay about boudin: “I figure that about 80 percent of the boudin purchased in Louisiana is consumed before the purchaser has left the parking lot, and most of the rest is polished off in the car. In other words, Cajun boudin not only doesn’t get outside the state; it usually doesn’t even get home.” Some spots, like the Best Stop Supermarket just off I-10
in Scott or Charlie T’s Specialty Meats in Breaux Bridge, are internationally famous. A University of Louisiana at Lafayette history professor known as Dr. C has sampled and mapped boudin purveyors at BoudinLink.com, and the Southern Foodways Alliance offers more at SouthernBoudinTrail.com.
Experience Northshore Flavor AND Southern Charm We’ll feed you well in St. Tammany Parish, 45 minutes north of New Orleans. Savor stellar meals from James Beard-honored chefs and mom-and-pop seafood joints. Home to chef John Besh and Abita Beer, the Northshore’s culinary scene is shaped by the culture and bounty of the bayou. Come hungry! To plan your
Pontchartrain Vineyards
getaway, call 800.634.9443 or visit our website.
LouisianaNorthshore.com/es
Life’s a feast on the northshore
VISIT COAST
2013 Travel Guide
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A TA s T e o f Lo u i s i A n A
You couldn’t get away from music in Louisiana if you wanted to. It permeates every corner of the state. It seeps out of people’s pores. It accompanies every story – and sometimes is the story.
The Louisiana Office of Tourism is putting a special emphasis on the state’s musical treasures throughout 2013, and it built a thoroughly entertaining website, LouisianaSoundtrack.com, to inspire you to tour the state with the radio blaring. One website link showcases five musical events sponsored by Oxford American Magazine. The events are a tribute to the Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport, a creole music salute in Natchitoches, a zydeco party in Lafayette, a blues and rock ‘n’ roll blast in Ferriday (hometown of Jerry Lee Lewis) and a jazz blowout in New Orleans.
Destrehan Plantation
This history class serves mint juleps. Countless stories live within the walls and grounds of our plantations which have held watch over the Mississippi for centuries.
Frenier Landing
Swamp tours will fuel your spirit for adventure, and you can sip a spirited mint julep along the way. Experience hands-on history and dine on amazing cuisine. Plan your visit today and find yourself here. For specials and deals, VisitNOPC.com/travel-deals or snap this code with your smartphone 866.204.7782
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VisitNOPC.com
Photos Courtesy of Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism and Louisiana Public Broadcasting
Singing with the Band in Louisiana
Other links lead you to music festivals, concerts, jam series and clubs across Louisiana, and the trivia quiz link starts by asking you to name the second most recognized song anywhere. (Answer: You Are My Sunshine trails only Happy Birthday in worldwide recognition.) Perhaps the most fun link is called “Louisiana Playlist.” If you bare your soul and answer a series of questions, you learn your favorite type of Louisiana music and where to go hear it. It’s perhaps the most clever trip planner you’ve ever seen. LouisianaSoundtrack.com
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Lo u i S i a N a t r aV e L r e S o u r C e S
State touriSm
Louisiana Office of Tourism 800-33-Gumbo www.LouisianaTravel.com DeStiNatioNS
Acadiana Tourism Coalition 337-232-3737 Alexandria Pineville Area CVB 800-551-9546 www.louisianafromhere.org Ascension Parish Tourist Commission 888-775-7990 www.ascensiontourism.com Baton Rouge Area CVB 800-LAROUGE www.visitbatonrouge.com Bayou Lafourche Area CVB 877-537-5800 www.visitlafourche.com Houma Area CVB 800-688-2732 www.houmatourism.com
Iberville Parish Tourist Commission 225-687-2642 www.visitiberville.com/ Jeff Davis Parish Tourist Commission 800-264-5521 www.jeffdavis.org Jefferson CVB 877-572-7474 www.Experiencejefferson.com Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission 800-346-1958 www.Lafayette.Travel Monroe-West Monroe CVB 800-843-1872 www.monroe-westmonroe.org New Orleans Metropolitan CVB 800-672-6124 www.neworleanscvb.com Plaquemines Parish Economic Development & Tourism 888-745-0642 www.plaqueminestourism.com/
Ruston-Lincoln CVB 800-392-9032 www.rustonlincoln.com
Webster Parish CVB 800-2MINDEN www.visitwebster.com
Sabine Parish Tourist Commission 800-358-7802 www.toledobendlakecountry.com
West Baton Rouge CVB 800-654-9701 www.westbatonrouge.net
Shreveport-Bossier CTB 800-551-8682 www.shreveport-bossier.org
West Feliciana Parish Tourist Commission 800-789-4221 www.stfrancisville.us
Southwest Louisiana CVB 800-456-7952 www.visitlakecharles.org
985-446-1187 www.thibodauxchamber.com LoDGiNG
attraCtioNS
L’Auberge du Lac Casino Resort 866-580-7444 www.ldlcasino.com traNSPortatioN
St. Bernard Parish Tourist Commission 888-278-2054 www.visitstbernard.com
Creole Nature Trail All-American Road District 337-436-9588 www.visitlakecharles.org
St. Tammany Parish Tourist Commission 800-634-9443 www.louisiananorthshore.com
Nottoway Plantation & Resort 866-527-6884 www.nottoway.com
Tangipahoa Parish CVB 800-617-4505 www.tangi-cvb.org
Oak Alley Plantation Restaurant & Inn 800-44ALLEY www.OakAlleyPlantation.com
VisitLouisianaCoast.com River Parishes Tourism Commission 504-982-6278 866-204-7782 www.VisitLouisianaCoast.com www.neworleansplantationcountry.com
French Quarter Hotels 800-800-0550 www.frenchquarter.com
Baton Rouge Metro Airport 225-355-0333 www.flybtr.com/ aSSoCiatioN
Louisiana Travel Promotion Association 800-487-3457 www.LTPA.org
eVeNtS/FeStiVaLS
Thibodeauxville Fall Festival
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Kentucky
MISSISSIPPI Tennessee Tunica
Corinth
Oxford Tupelo
Arkansas
Columbus Greenwood
Mississippi
Alabama
Meridian
Vicksburg Jackson
Natchez
Louisiana
Gulfport
Biloxi
Gulf of Mexico
A Quiet Riverside Walk Just below the quaint town of Columbus, where historic cottages line peaceful streets, a paved path winds along the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. The Columbus Riverwalk meanders 2.2 miles from town to a lock and dam. Birds flit in and out, and shady spots with picnic tables offer up respites with a watery view. You may even spy a youngster on a rope swing beneath a bridge before dropping into the cool, green water. It’s a classic Southern scene. ColumbusMainStree.com/Riverwalk
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West Virginia
Virginia
entucky
Atlantic Ocean
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall in love with Columbus
North Carolina
People are passionate about Columbus, and no wonder:
South Carolina
Three historic districts, over 650 historic homes and properties listed on the National Register, and a pedestrian-friendly city offering over 900 hotel rooms and quaint B&Bs. Come for great fishing, boating and bird-watching. Or shop, dine and savor.
Georgia
Your heart’s content is in Columbus – all year round!
ama
Follow your passions, follow your heart, to Columbus in 2013! Year-Round Daily Historic Home Tours
Florida
January 18-21 Dream 365 MLK Celebration March 1 Catfish in the Alley® April 1-13 Annual Spring Pilgrimage Tour of Homes
of ico
April 3-12 Tales From the Crypt April 12-13 Grilling on the River Festival May 3-4 Market Street Festival June 14-15 Juneteenth Festival July 5-6 Southside/Townsend Park Blues Festival July 12-13 Crawford Cotton Boll Festival August 1-4 Artesia Days September 3-8 Tennessee Williams Tribute October 3-5 Seventh Avenue Heritage Festival October 4-6 Fall Tour of Homes October 24-26 Eudora Welty Writers’ Symposium Oct 31-Nov 2 Decorative Arts and Preservation Forum & Antiques Show and Sale
Tennessee Williams Home & Welcome Center 300 Main Street • 800-920-3533 www.columbus-ms.org
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Q U I T E T H E AT T R A C T I O N
The Spirit of Mississippi’s Coast It is easy to see where the inspiration for Ocean Springs’ earthy art and colorful renderings of Mississippi life originated. Browse around Shearwater Pottery to discover great blue herons, blooming flowers, alligators, fish, and even oystermen, flounder men and hunters gracing handmade ceramics, while the glazes reflect the blues of the sky and the Gulf, the golds of the sands and the greens of the forests. These pottery pieces tell a story. They represent a family heritage and serve as landmarks to the local culture. Though nearly washed away by Hurricane Katrina, this indomitable little town’s creative spirit can’t be dampened. This same essence is captured in the local art, especially by the Anderson family. When Annette and George Walter Anderson moved here in 1918 with three sons, they sent their boys to art school
with intentions not only to teach them to become trained craftsmen, but also to make a living at it. In 1928, the eldest son, Peter, opened Shearwater Pottery. His brothers, Walter and James, were the lead designers on the utilitarian and decorative earthenware pieces. While Peter pioneered pottery production, the two younger brothers became captivated by painting, drawing and etching. They moved into their own studio, the Shearwater Annex, and began creating murals, prints and paintings that blend classical style with their Mississippi world. Though the Shearwater studios and gallery were destroyed in 2005, the Anderson descendants rebuilt them and still ply their craft here. A collection of the first generation of Shearwater pottery is on display at the nearby Walter Anderson Museum of Art, along with the paintings, prints and murals by Walter and James. Silkscreened and watercolor reproductions of the artists’ work fill the displays at Realizations gallery in the old L&N Depot. Nearly a century ago, Annette and George Walter Anderson taught their sons that art should be affordable and, consequently, enjoyed by everyone. Ocean Springs still carries on that vision. ShearwaterPottery. com, WalterAndersonMuseum.org and walteringlisanderson.com
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Play for
Keeps
You can play for keeps at world-class casino resorts. Enjoy sundown along 62 miles of beach. Play one of our signature golf courses. Savor a mouthwatering dining experience. Shop to your heart’s content in unique boutiques and factory outlets. Go to www.gulfcoast.org to discover all the ways to play on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Play Your Way! Call 800-237-9493 or download a free Fun Times Guide today!
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R E S T YO U R H E A D H E R E
The Grand Hotel of the Delta A fancy hotel in the small Mississippi town of Greenwood takes its name from the earth. Called the Alluvian, the name is a formal nod to the land formed by the mighty Mississippi River – and this cosmopolitan hotel is connected to its land. The Alluvian’s contemporary style reflects the region’s historic presence with modern panache. Gleaming marble floors, sparkling chandeliers and a quiet patio with a splashing fountain greet guests. The 45 rooms are accompanied by five suites and a handful of lofts, all with luxe linens, fine furnishings and rich colors that reflect the nature of the Delta’s alluvial plains just outside (rates from $195). The Alluvian’s expansive spa and yoga studio indulge guests as well. Southern literature, cultural movies and regional music fill the hotel’s library, preparing you to tour the Mississippi’s Blues Highway and
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to wander through scenes from the movie, “The Help,” that was filmed here in Greenwood. But it’s the flavors of the Delta and beyond that bring most folks to the Alluvian. Greenwood is the headquarters for Viking Range Corporation, and Viking has teamed up with the hotel for the popular Viking Cooking School. Multiple classes meet each week geared toward novices as well as chef wannabes. Sessions focus on an array of topics, including seasonal and trendsetting menus, basic techniques, baking, vegetarian, cocktail parties, ethnic cuisines and holidays. You can tour the Viking headquarters and take home a new enthusiasm for cooking. Afterward, settle into one of the private booths at Giardina’s, the Alluvian’s storied restaurant. Labeled Delta casual fare, Chef Lee Leflore meals interpret Delta cuisine with a decidedly Italian filter. Another option is relaxing for the evening with an ovenbaked treat from Mockingbird, an artisan bakery at the Viking Cooking School. Either way, you’ll have a very tasteful evening. TheAlluvian.com
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A TA S T E O F M I S S I S S I P P I
Holy Hot Tamale – They’re Good! The Mississippi Delta is known for so much – from the blues to bonfires on the levees to tamales. What? You don’t know about the tamales? Well, come on over and take your own little journey to one of the South’s finest cultural foodie spots. Why tamales are in this portion of Mississippi, the flat, alluvial plain along the Mississippi River, is subject to debate. Are they descended from the area’s Native Americans? Did Mississippi soldiers bring them back from Mexico after the U.S.-Mexican War in the 1840s? Did 20th century migrant farm workers bring them north? It really doesn’t matter why these soft pillows of savory cornmeal embracing spicy meat concoctions are here. What’s important is that
cooks have generations of experience shaping tamales into great meals. True Delta tamales are smaller than their Latin-style brothers, and they are simmered, not steamed. Styles still vary. Some folks use traditional cornhusks, while others use parchment for wrapping. Some cooks serve tamales on a plate drenched in a sauce and cheese like an enchilada. Pork is the typical first choice for the filling, but beef, chicken and turkey may also be offered. So set out in search of the perfect tamale. Make your first stop the Southern Foodways Alliance online map to locate some of the best. You’ll discover a tasteful blog that will keep you up to date on tamale happenings. TamaleTrail.com
Here’s a sampler list of locations to get you started. • The Ranchero in Clarksdale • Ervin’s Hot Tamales in Sledge • Stewart’s Quick Mart in Cleveland • Scott’s Hot Tamales in Greenville • The Yazoo Market in Yazoo City
IN 1862, CORINTH’S RAILROAD CROSSINGS WERE CONSIDERED TO BE THE SIXTEEN MOST IMPORTANT SQUARE FEET IN THE SOUTH. NOSTALGIC SHOPS, MEMORABLE MUSEUMS AND RICH HISTORY AWAIT YOU … Corinth Visitors Bureau
( 8 00) 748-9048 • WWW.C O R IN T H.N H .N ET 2013 Travel Guide
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A REAl TREASURE
Slow and Easy on the Natchez Trace Parkway While you’re on a quiet, slow-paced Natchez Trace Parkway drive, try to imagine that walking was how people traveled this route until just a few decades ago. In 1810 alone, 10,000 Americans trudged north from Natchez, Mississippi, to Nashville, Tennessee, and then home to the Midwest. Whether from Kentucky, Ohio or Pennsylvania, they were called “Kaintucks.” They had floated commodity-laden riverboats down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to Natchez or New Orleans, sold their goods, dismantled their boats for lumber and headed home by foot. Their more-than-500-mile trek on the Natchez Trace took about 35 days – that’s 14 miles a day, and they probably weren’t admiring the scenery along the way. The Natchez Trace Parkway, all 444 miles of it today, is one of America’s most scenic and history-laden drives. It is a unit of the National Park Service and a true treasure. Milepost 0 is at Natchez, and parkway maps point out
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numerous reasons to stop, stretch your legs and soak in your surroundings. At Milepost 41.5 is a stretch of the actual footpath used by Native Americans, explorers, Kaintucks and soldiers. It is called the Sunken Trace, and as you walk along it, think of how many footsteps it took to carve this path into the Mississippi soil. The two-lane parkway touches four ecosystems and eight major watersheds. It goes through swamps, across rivers and beside prehistoric Indian mounds. It’s a pristine drive – lodging, food and fuel are just through the trees in nearby towns – and you can enjoy the drive as one big adventure, or just sample parts. The parkway visitor center is at Milepost 266 at Tupelo, and fried chicken, country ham, homemade preserves and some of the best biscuits ever baked await you at the Loveless Motel, strategically located just past Milepost 444 near Nashville. nps.gov/natr
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A REAL CHARACTER
The Man Who Really, Really Loves Elvis Elvis just won’t die. And we don’t want him to, because the entertainment just keeps on coming. Sure, you know about Tupelo. Sure, you know about Memphis and Graceland. But do you know about Graceland Too in Holly Springs? Elvis is the love of Paul McCleod’s life. For the past 25 years, he’s devoted his entire home, a royal blue two-story affair just off the city’s central square, to the King. Part museum, part shrine, this very peculiar hoarder’s dream is one you simply can’t miss if you are an Elvis fan, too. Crammed, stacked, piled, cataloged, amassed, heaped and mounded into every corner, wall and cubbyhole of the house is Elvis memorabilia. It’s called the largest personal collection in the world.
And if that’s not quirky enough, McCleod welcomes guests 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. See a pattern here? Best yet, if you visit three times, McCleod will make you a lifetime member, with guaranteed free admission. Plus, he’ll take your photo in a black jacket that Elvis once wore and tack the picture on the wall. You, too, can become part of the exhibit. So come on, put on your blue suede shoes. Elvis has decidedly not left this building. VisitHollySprings.com
2013 Travel Guide
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Is there such a thing as too much hospitality? This is the place to find out.
Can the human system handle an overload of impeccable service? Courtesy? Kindness? To put it simply, yes. We’ve been welcoming guests to Jackson with such treatment for years. Call 800.354.7695 or hit visitjackson.com for things to see, do and enjoy in the most hospitable place on the planet. C i t y w i t h f l a v o r. C i t y w i t h c h o i c e . C i t y w i t h s o u l . JCV7364-1 Mayflower Escape to SE Sept.indd 1
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M I S S I S S I P P I T R AV E L R E S O U R C E S Greenville-Washington Co. CVB 800-467-3582 Mississippi Development Authority www.thedelta.org - Tourism Development Division Greenwood CVB 601-359-3297 800-748-9064 www.visitmississippi.org www.gcvb.com STATE TOURISM
DESTINATIONS
Cleveland-Bolivar Co. Chamber of Commerce 800-295-7473 www.visitclevelandms.com Coahoma County Tourism Commission 800-626-3764 www.clarksdaletourism.com Columbus/Lowndes County CVB 800-327-2686 www.columbus-ms.org Corinth Area CVB 800-748-9048 www.corinth.net DeSoto County Tourism www.sodesoto.com
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Grenada Tourism Commission 800-373-2571 www.visitgrenadams.com Hattiesburg CVB 800-638-6877 www.hattiesburg.org Holly Springs Tourism & Recreation Bureau 888-687-4765 www.visithollysprings.org Jackson CVB 800-354-7695 www.visitjackson.com Meridian Lauderdale County Tourism Bureau 888-868-7720 www.visitmeridian.com
Natchez CVB 800-647-6724 www.visitnatchez.org
Vicksburg CVB 800-221-3536 www.visitvicksburg.com
Ocean Springs MS Chamber of Commerce - Main Street Tourism Bureau 228-875-4424 www.oceanspringschamber.com
Yazoo County CVB 800-381-0662 www.yazoo.org
Oxford CVB 800-758-9177 www.oxfordcvb.com Ridgeland Tourism Commission 800-468-6078 www.visitridgeland.com Starkville CVB 800-649-8687 www.visit.starkville.org
ATTRACTIONS
Mississippi Museum of Natural Science 601-576-6000 www.mdwfp.com/museum Natchez Pilgrimage Tours 800-647-6742 www.natchezpilgrimage.com EVENTS/FESTIVALS
Tunica CVB 888-488-6422 www.tunicatravel.com
Gautier Mullet & Music Fest 228-215-0828 www.gautiermulletfest.com
Tupelo CVB 800-533-0611 www.tupelo.net
The Trail of Honor 601-372-5770 www.trailofhonor.org
LODGING
Caesar’s Entertainment Tunica Properties 800-946-4946 www.caesarstunica.com Hyatt Place Jackson/Ridgeland 888-492-8847 www.jacksonridgeland.place.hyatt.com Wyndham Worldwide 800-DAYS-INN www.daysinn.com/promo ASSOCIATION
Mississippi Tourism Association 888-812-6738 www.mstourism.com
Mississippi Gulf Coast CVB 888-467-4853 www.gulfcoast.org
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ESC
PE TO
NORTH CAROLINA Virginia Currituck Manteo Raleigh
Tennessee
North Carolina
Asheville
Charlotte Gaston County
Maggie Valley Waynesville Canton Clyde Lake Junaluska
Fayetteville
South Carolina
Beaufort Atlantic Beach
Wilmington
Atlantic Ocean
Georgia
Alabama
sissippi Florida A G O O D WA L K E N J OYE D
Gulf of Mexico
Burn Off Some Calories on a Piedmont Trail Crowders Mountain State Park is a treasure near Gastonia that local citizens saved. Mining was a threat in the 1970s, but people rose up to protect thousands of diverse acres of Piedmont terrain. Today, you can pick from 11 trails that range from flat and easy around a manmade lake to some calorie-burning routes to King’s Pinnacle or Crowders Mountain itself. Look for hawks as they ride the thermal updrafts and rock climbers as they practice their daring sport. NCParks.gov
NC Division of Parks and Recreation by Joe Mickey
2013 Travel Guide
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THE BIG EVENT
Photos Courtesy of the Biltmore
Blooming Biltmore It’s time for a garden party. Put on your comfy shoes, bring a parasol and head to the mountains around Asheville to celebrate spring’s showy season. There, in the 8,000 acres surrounding our nation’s largest private house, flowers burst out of the greening countryside. The Biltmore’s Festival of Flowers carpets the estate with bouquets and swaths of blossoms from March 21 through May 19. It’s the best place to re-awaken your senses for the warmth of the new season. The tired grays and silvers of winter transform with color-popping tulips at the entrance to Biltmore as well as in the formal Walled Garden. As the weeks warm, other flowers take their place, with poppies, pansies and snapdragons all competing for your attention. The estate also features acres of blooming azaleas, native rhododendrons, roses and mountain laurels on the landscape designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. Be sure to check out the weekly bloom reports on the Biltmore website to time your visit with the blossoms you
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love the most. When you arrive, join a garden tour, or simply green up your thumbs at the Ask a Gardener station in the Walled Garden. Inside the Conservatory, experts lead seminars on houseplants, wreaths and Asian-inspired arrangements. In between, expect live music performances to fill the gardens with beautiful sounds and an Easter egg hunt on the grand lawn on March 31. You’ll be inspired to take ideas home with you to your own garden so you can live with just a little bit of Biltmore too. Biltmore.com
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Watching me run. That’s total freedom. Trying to ride me. That’s totally not happening. –Wild Horses of Shackleford Banks
Want to see freedom in its purest form? Then watch me, a wild Spanish horse, as I gallop across the tides of North Carolina’s Crystal Coast, a place where my ancestors have roamed free for over 400 years. Today we’re protected – you can look but don’t touch – and we’re ready to put on a show you won’t forget. For more visit crystalcoastnc.org or call 800-786-6962. AT L A N T I C B E A C H
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EMERALD ISLE
B E A U F O RT
MOREHEAD CITY
CA P E L O O K O U T
9/25/12 10:37 AM 12/27/12 10:09 PM
A TASTE OF NORTH C AROLINA
Have Wheels, Will Cook in Wilmington The future is here. Instead of fast-food drive-thrus, the 21st century rolls in the age of artisan cooking on wheels. Otherwise known as the food truck craze, vans with ranges motor chef-inspired treats to new locations every day. Wilmington’s food trucks are out-driving the fast-food business. And that’s a good thing. You can nosh on slow-cooked North Carolina barbecue from Poor Piggy’s. Featuring fall-off-the-bone pork as well as tender and savory beef brisket on two different trucks, the Poor Piggy’s meat masters park one vehicle in the same location each day and roam in the other to satisfy ‘cue cravings all over town. The Patty Wagon makes the rounds by shackling fans with a craving for 1/3-pound burgers made from Carolina Farmin’ beef, crammed in between a soft brioche bun. Not all food truckers come from culinary backgrounds. The Cheesy Banker stacks together fab sandwiches these days. It’s
a tasty break after 27 years as a Wachovia banker. Don’t miss his Too Big To Fail, a classic grilled cheese layered with mac and cheese and Boston butt. And the best part of a meal on wheels? You can roam around for each course. Just be sure to end yours with Sweet Bliss. The classically trained pastry chef dishes up all natural homemade ice creams, cakes and pastries. Now that’s sweet! WilmingtonAndBeaches.com
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
U.S. National Whitewater Center
Schiele Museum of Natural History
Crowders Mountain State Park Christmas Town USA
Gastons Gaston ’s Got It All!
Come explore the many exciting attractions and things to do in Gaston County, NC. Gardens, mountain climbing, planetarium, museums, whitewater rafting, baseball, racing and more.
Gastonia Grizzlies
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NORTH CAROLINA
704.825.4044 | 1.800.849.9994 | www.visitgaston.org
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Paul Green’s
America’s Premier Symphonic Outdoor Drama
Waterside Theatre Fort Raleigh National Historic Site • Manteo, NC May 31, 2013 • August 23, 2013 • 8:00 pm For tickets/information: (252) 473-2127 www.thelostcolony.org
The Best Family Entertainment on the Outer Banks
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Q U I T E A N AT T R A C T I O N
Looking for More There are many more places in North Carolina to get a good view of the surrounding territory. Consider these suggestions – three outdoors and one inside.
Reaching the Pinnacle at Chimney Rock For 105 years, four generations of the Morse family cared for one of the Southeast’s most dramatic natural features – Chimney Rock, a towering 315-foot-tall monolith at the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains and overlooking Hickory Nut Gorge and Lake Lure.
404 feet of it, splashes right beside the trail, creating a natural air-conditioner, even on a hot summer day.
In 2007, Chimney Rock and its related features became a North Carolina State Park, guaranteeing that many more generations of visitors will enjoy this treasure of Mother Nature. It’s only about 25 miles southeast of Asheville.
Chimney Rock offers great bird watching, rock climbing (led by true experts), wildflower walks and some unusual concerts.
There are two ways to get to the top of Chimney Rock – a walk of 15 to 20 minutes up the 491 steps of the Outcroppings Trail or quick ride up a 26-story elevator. Walkers earn bragging rights, but everyone who goes to the top gets a 75-mile view from a perch at 2,280 feet elevation.
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The park’s featured performer, John Mason, regularly brings the lilting notes of the hammered dulcimer to the park. It’s mountain music that befits this mountain setting. ChimneyRockPark. com
• Mount Mitchell near Asheville, at an elevation of 6.684 feet, is the highest point east of the Mississippi River. RomanticAsheville. com/mtmitchell.htm • Grandfather Mountain offers, among many other attractions, a milehigh swinging bridge. Grandfather.com • Bentley’s on 27 is a restaurant offering a French and American menu along with stunning views of Charlotte from the 27th floor of Charlotte Plaza. BentleysOn27.com
Photo by Tom Adkinson
There are four other trails in the park, and the route to Hickory Nut Falls features one of the coolest payoffs – literally. Hickory Nut Falls, all
It is one of the highest waterfalls east of the Mississippi River, and it’s possible you’ve seen it at the movie theater. Part of the romantic adventure “The Last of the Mohicans” was shot at Chimney Rock Park, and the waterfall got some great exposure.
• Jockey’s Ridge State Park on the Outer Banks has the tallest active sand dune system in the eastern U.S. JockeysRidgeStatePark.com
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T it y h V
See yourself in the Smokies
The only thing missing from the coolest vacation possible is you! Whether it’s hiking, paddling, biking, taking a scenic drive, or soaking under a waterfall, see yourself in Maggie Valley and Waynesville, North Carolina. To learn more about having a mountaintop of fun and adventure, get in the picture at VisitNCsmokies.com or call 800.334.9036 to request your FREE Travel Planner.
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Where the road ends,
your vacation begins. At literally “the end of the road,” a unique vacation experience awaits. Just north of Corolla where the paved road ends, lies twelve miles of Outer Banks shoreline so remote that it is only accessible by four-wheel-drive vehicles. Nothing but unspoiled beaches, cool Atlantic Ocean breezes, secluded beach cottages, and wild Spanish mustangs. Come experience the joy and serenity of ocean life at the Currituck Outer Banks, where the perfect beach vacation is our specialty.
www.VisitCurrituck.com
Call 877-287-7488 to request your free visitor’s guide and start planning your trip today!
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N o r t H C a r o l i N a t r av e l r e S o u r C e S State touriSm
NC Division of Tourism Film and Sports Development 800-VisitNC www.visitnc.com DeStiNatioNS
Asheville CVB 828-258-6101 www.exploreasheville.com
Currituck County Travel & Tourism 877-287-7488 www.visitcurrituck.com Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center 877-771-8333 www.dismalswamp.com Dunn Area Tourism Authority 910-892-3282 www.visitdunn.com
Durham CVB Blue Ridge National Heritage Area 800-446-8604 828-298-5330 www.durham-nc.com www.blueridgeheritage.com Fayetteville Area CVB Burlington/Alamance County CVB 888-NC-CHARM 800-637-3804 www.visitfayettevillenc.com www.VisitAlamance.com Gaston County Department of Cabarrus County CVB Tourism 800-848-3740 800-849-9994 www.visitcabarrus.com www.visitgaston.org Cape Fear Coast CVB 800-222-4757 www.capefearcoast.com
Goldsboro Wayne County Travel & Tourism 866-440-2245 www.greatergoldsboro.com
Cherokee Tribal Travel & Promotion Office Greater Mount Airy Chamber of 800-438-1601 Commerce-TDA www.cherokee-nc.com 800-948-0949 www.visitmayberry.com Cleveland County Tourism 866-305-9973 Greater Raleigh CVB www.TourClevelandCounty.com 800-849-8499 www.VisitRaleigh.com Crystal Coast TDA 800-786-6962 Haywood Co. TDA www.crystalcoastnc.org 800-334-9036 www.smokeymountains.net
Heart of North Carolina Visitors Bureau 800-626-2672 www.HeartofNorthCarolina.com
Pinehurst Southern Pines Aberdeen CVB 800-346-5362 www.homeofgolf.com
Highlands Chamber of Commerce 828-526-2112 www.highlandschamber.org
Smoky Mountain Host of North Carolina 800-432-4678 www.visitsmokies.org
Lexington Tourism Authority 866-604-2389 www.visitlexingtonnc.com Martin County TDA 800-776-8566 www.visitmartincounty.com Mooresville CVB 877-661-1234 www.racecityusa.org New Bern / Craven County CVc 800-437-5767 www.visitnewbern.com
Stanly County CVB 800-650-1476 www.stanlycvb.com
Wilson Visitors Bureau 800-497-7398 www.wilson-nc.com attraCtioNS
Battleship North Battleship North Carolina 910-251-5797 www.battleshipnc.com Billy Graham Library 704-401-3270 www.BillyGrahamLibrary.org
Statesville CVB 877-531-1819 www.visitstatesville.org The Cascade Highlands 888-602-2722 www.thecascadehighlands.com Transylvania TDA 800-648-4523 www.visitwaterfalls.com
North Carolina’s Brunswick Islands 800-795-7263 Visit Charlotte www.ncbrunswick.com 800-722-1994 www.Charlottesgotalot.com North Carolina’s Northeast Commission Visit Lake Norman 888-872-8562 800-305-2508 www.visitncne.com www.VisitLakeNorman.org Onslow County Tourism 800-932-2144 www.onslowcountytourism.com
Visit Winston Salem 866-728-4200 www.visitwinstonsalem.com
Outer Banks Visitors Bureau 877-629-4386 www.outerbanks.org
Watauga County TDA 800-852-9506 www.exploreboonearea.com
Biltmore Company 828-225-6101 www.biltmore.com Chimney Rock Park 800-277-9611 www.chimneyrockpark.com Grandfather Mountain 800-468-7325 www.Grandfather.com Mast General Store 866-FOR-MAST www.MastGeneralStore.com North Carolina Zoo 800-488-0444 www.nczoo.org Southern Highland Craft Guild Folk Art Center 828-298-7928 www.craftguild.org
CABARRUS COUNTY, NC
The Lost Colony 252-473-6000 www.thelostcolony.org
THE OFFICIAL SPONSOR OF VACATIONS
Tweetsie Railroad 800-526-5740 www.tweetsie.com
Where fun is measured in sMiles per hour
eveNtS/FeStivalS
Swiss Bear Downtown Development Corporation 252-638-5781 www.mumfest.com loDGiNG
Cataloochee Ranch 800-868-1401 www.cataloocheeranch.com Emerald Isle Realty 800-849-3315 www.EmeraldIsleRealty.com Sun Realty of Nags Head Inc. 800-334-4745 www.sunrealtync.com
WITHOUT SPONSORS, THERE WOULD BE NO RACE.
Twiddy & Company Realtors 866-457-1190 www.twiddy.com
And without our dining, shopping and attraction partners, there wouldn’t be as much to do here. Learn more about all that Cabarrus County, North Carolina has to offer by stopping into our Visitor Center located at: 10099 Weddington Road, Suite 102, Concord, NC 28027.
Cherokee Historical Association 866-554-4557 www.cherokee-nc.com
WHERERACINGLIVES.COM
aSSoCiatioN
| 800-848-3740
2013 Travel Guide
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SOUTH CAROLINA North Carolina
y
Rock Hill
Spartanburg Greenville Oconee County
South Carolina Columbia
Aiken
Summerville Charleston
Atlantic Ocean
Beaufort
Georgia
Roswell Marietta
Dunwoody
Columbus
Florida Albany
Gaston County
Gulf of Mexico Columbia Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau
In Nature, but in Town
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The Three Rivers Greenway in Columbia, West Columbia and Cayce, South Carolina, earned federal recognition as one of the nation’s most promising ways for Americans to reconnect with the environment. You’ll just recognize its 9.5 miles of lighted trails and boardwalks along the Broad, Saluda and Congaree rivers as one of the most beautiful natural places you’ll find in an urban setting. Many people combine some exercise on the greenway with a visit to Columbia’s famous Riverbanks Zoo and Garden. RiverAlliance.org and Riverbanks.org
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A reAl TreAsure
The Tide of the Revolution Turned at Kings Mountain Our popular images of Revolutionary War battles feature red-coated professional British soldiers facing upstart Continentals not nearly as well trained or well dressed. Cast those images aside at Kings Mountain National Military Park in South Carolina’s Piedmont region. The battle here, pivotal in the war’s progress, pitted American against American. The Revolutionary War was not going well for the Americans in the South in autumn 1780. They had suffered a string of defeats from Lord Cornwallis, who was advancing deeper into the Carolinas. The Battle of Kings Mountain was fought not by regulars from either army but by Patriot and Loyalist militias. Major Patrick Ferguson, the only Briton present, led the Loyalists. Ferguson had stoked the fire by challenging Patriot leaders to lay down their arms or he would “lay waste to their country with fire and sword.”
“This brilliant victory marked the turning point of the American Revolution.”
The National Park Service explains this important site through exhibits, a 26-minute film and a 1.5-mile battlefield trail. Throughout the year, the Kings Mountain Backcountry Militia and other demonstration groups, stage special events showcasing militia service, weapons, equipment and life skills of the 1700s such as leatherworking, blacksmithing and woodworking. Kings Mountain National Military Park is at Blacksburg, S.C., about 40 miles southwest of Charlotte, N.C. It is adjacent to Kings Mountain State Park, which offers hiking, camping and fishing. nps.gov/kimo and SouthCarolinaParks.com
MOUNTAIN LAKES CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU
ADVENTURE AWAITS...
— Theodore Roosevelt
The response? Militias from the Carolina mountain region, many from what became Tennessee, rose in defiance. They were the Overmountain Men, and they came to fight. The battle was fierce, short – 65 minutes – and a total Patriot victory. The Patriots lost 28, while the Loyalists lost 225 and had 716 captured. Cornwallis, upon learning of his proxies’ defeat, abandoned his campaign, which would have cut off the Carolinas and Georgia from the rest of the rebellious colonies.
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www.mtnlakes.com
INFO@SCMOUNTAINLAKES.COM 877-MT-LAKES 2013 Travel Guide
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South Carolina’s
FRAMPTON PLANTATION
It’s a Pirate’s Life for You Blackbeard and other Carolina rogues of the sea were unsavory characters, but Dolly Parton has turned a night with pirates into a family-friendly encounter in Myrtle Beach. The attraction is “Pirate’s Voyage,” a spectacle involving two competing bands of pirates color-coded Crimson and Sapphire, three pirate ships, a multi-course meal and, of course, a treasure hunt.
Dolly wrapped that show after an 18-year run and called on her pirate buddies to take up the slack. She even wrote the new show’s musical score, but that’s almost to be expected for one of the most prolific songwriters ever. “Pirate’s Voyage” is quite a swashbuckling spectacle (you didn’t think you’d see a story about pirates without seeing the word “swashbuckling” at least once, did you?) with a cast of two dozen aerialists, divers, singers and dancers, some of whom are pretty good brandishing a cutlass, too.
I-95 EXIT 33 ♦ CIVIL WAR SITE ♦ REV WAR SITE “The most unique visitors center ♦ museum ♦ gift shop in the South.” Free travel info ♦ 800-528-6870 ♦ SCLowcountryEscape.com
Funded in part by York County H-Tax
If you’re a regular visitor to the Grand Strand, you might look at the theater and wonder what happened to the horses and riders that once occupied the space for galloping productions of “Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede.”
1868
ACCESSIBLE • AFFORDABLE • AUTHENTIC
EXPLORE
In addition to the humans in the show, there are trained dogs, exotic birds and sea lions that get into the act. The 30,000-square-foot arena contains an indoor lagoon that is 15 feet deep and holds 750,000 gallons of water. Set pieces include two pirate galleons and one 44-foot sunken wreck. And lest you get bored, mermaids are part of the treasure hunt, too. PiratesVoyage.com
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Catawba Indian Nation
NarroW ay Thea
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Request a FREE Visitors Guide and explore Rock Hill / York County, SC! (888) 702-1320
ExploreRockHillSC.com
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The Big evenT
Eat More Grits, Drink More Wine
Looking For More
If “Eat more grits, drink more wine” isn’t the motto for the Charleston Wine and Food Festival, it ought to be.
Anson AnsonRestaurant.com
Outside of festival days, here’s a starter list of 10 area restaurants.
Jack’s Cosmic Dogs JacksCosmicDogs.com Fig EatAtFig.com
South Carolina’s Holy City has transformed itself from the preeminent historic spot in the South to the high altar of fine food and drink.
Hominy Grill HominyGrill.com Husk HuskRestaurant.com
For eight years, this growing festival has featured the South’s brightest and best chefs, all washed down with some mighty fine nectars. Scheduled for February 28-March 3, 2013, its centerpiece is the Culinary Village, which features more than 80 food and beverage vendors. That means you can nosh and sip your way across an afternoon and evening, sampling in tasting tents, relaxing in the BB&T Lounge, checking out new cooking methods in the Outdoor Living & Grilling tent, meeting chefs in the Celebrity Kitchen and hobnobbing with culinary connoisseurs at the Southern Foodways Alliance Hub.
McCrady’s McCradysRestaurant.com Peninsula Grille PeninsulaGrill.com Poogan’s Porch PoogansPorch.com Slightly North of Broad mavericksouthernkitchens.com Tristan TristanDining.com Photo Courtesy of Explorecharleston.com
You can learn mixology tips, watch pitmasters at work and pick up tips from top sommeliers. Temptation will greet you at every turn during the Charleston Wine and Food Festival – so plan to arrive hungry. You’ll need to purchase tickets in advance, because popular sessions sell out quickly. Before and after the festival, Charleston’s restaurant scene is one of the most vibrant and enticing anywhere. That means you can satisfy your appetite in royal fashion whenever you are in this lovely city. No matter when you visit, don’t worry about eating and drinking too much. Charleston’s wonderful streets are ideal for walking off each meal – which is a good thing. You don’t want to be weighed down after kneeling too long at this altar of feasting. CharlestonWineAndFood.com and CharlestonCVB.com 2013 Travel Guide
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R e s t Yo u R H e a d H e R e
Dreaming by the Mountains When you simply must get away to the mountains, pick from one of the Carolina Upcountry’s best accommodations. Here are two great stays that will have you coming back again and again. Red Horse Inn in Landrum. The views of the mountains are enough to make you fall in love with this special inn, but when you select your little bungalow or suite for the night, you’ll see why it’s one of the dreamiest places in the state. Six individual cottages nestle strategically onto the horse farm so they have the best view and the most privacy. And like the six farmhouse suites in the main building, each exudes a distinct luxurious personality. Expect fully stocked kitchens, wide shady porches, crackling fireplaces and deep whirlpool tubs. (Rates from $175) TheRedHorseInn.com Pettigru Place in Greenville. You can walk to restaurants and parks along Main Street or hop in your car for the 20-minute drive into the mountains when this stylish Georgian Federalist home in downtown Greenville is your escape location.
in the five guestrooms, and there is an indulgent breakfast each morning in the dining area. Even if you can’t stay here, log onto the website just to download the breakfast of the month recipes, such as crème brulee French toast or ham and zucchini frittata. (Rates from $125) PettigruPlace.com
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LE EENVIL EE | GR HEROK PARTANBURG C | N O S S ANDER E | PICKENS | OCONE
Intriguing History Quaint Downtowns Outdoor Adventures Crystal Clear Lakes Beautiful Mountain Vistas Majestic Waterfalls Scenic Drives FREE Upcountry Visitors Guide 800.849.4766 | UpcountrySC.com
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EscapeToTheSoutheast.com
All the amenities of a fine inn are here
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S o u t H C a r o L i N a t r aV e L r e S o u r C e S
State touriSm
South Carolina Parks Recreation & Tourism 803-734-0166 www.discoversouthcarolina.com DeStiNatioNS
North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce 877-332-2662 www.northmyrtlebeachchamber.com Olde English District Tourism Commission 800-728-1842 www.sctravel.net
Sumter CVB Swan Lake Visitors Center 800-688-4748 www.sumtersc.gov/VisitingUs/Tourism.aspx Thoroughbred Country 888-834-1654 www.tbredcountry.org
Berkeley Chamber of Commerce 800-882-0337 www.bcoc.com
Pee Dee Tourism Commission 843-669-0950 www.peedeetourism.com
Capital City Lake Murray Country 866-SCJEWEL www.lakemurraycountry.com
Pendleton District Commission 800-862-1795 www.pendleton-district.org
Charleston Area CVB 800-774-0006 www.charlestoncvb.com
Rock Hill - York County CVB 800-866-5200 www.visityorkcounty.com
Charleston Museum 843-722-2996 www.charlestonmuseum.org
Charleston Heritage Federation www.heritagefederation.org
Santee Cooper Country 800-227-8510 www.santeecoopercountry.org
Drayton Hall 843-769-2600 www.draytonhall.org
Spartanburg CVB 800-374-8326 www.visitspartanburg.com
Gibbes Museum of Art 843-722-2706 www.gibbesmuseum.org
City of Aiken Parks Recreation & Tourism 888-AikenSC www.visit.aiken.net City of Walterboro 843-538-4353 www.walterborosc.org
Town of Mount Pleasant South Carolina 843-884-8517 www.TownofMountPleasant.com attraCtioNS
Middleton Place Foundation 800-782-3608 www.middletonplace.org NarroWay Theatre & Conference Center 704-831-8893 www.narroway.net eVeNtS/FeStiVaLS
Dickens Christmas Show and Festivals Week (The) 800-261-5991 www.dickenschristmasshow.com Flowertown Festival Summerville Family YMCA 843-871-9622 www.summervilleymca.org/flowertown
LoDGiNG
Charleston Area 800-868-8118 www.gchma.org Charlestowne Hotels Inc. 877-946-8772 www.charlestownehotels.com Resort Rentals of Hilton Head Island 800-845-7017 www.HHIVacations.com Savannah Getaways 866-690-2074 www.savannahgetaways.net
Historic Charleston Foundation 843-722-3405 www.historiccharleston.org Preservation Society of Charleston 843-722-4630 www.preservationsociety.org
Discover Upcountry Carolina 800-849-4766 www.theupcountry.com Florence CVB 800-325-9005 www.florencesccvb.com Georgetown County 800-777-7705 www.georgetownchamber.com Greater Summerville-Dorchester County Chamber of Commerce 843-873-2931 www.visitsummerville.com Greenville CVB 800-351-7180 www.greenvillecvb.com Greenwood Regional Tourism & Visitors Bureau 866-493-8474 www.visitgreenwoodsc.com Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce & VCB 800-523-3373 www.hiltonheadisland.org Lowcountry & Resort Islands Tourism Commission 800-528-6870 www.southcarolinalowcountry.com Mountain Lakes CVB 877-MT-LAKES www.scmountainlakes.com Myrtle Beach Area 800-356-3016 www.mbhospitality.org Myrtle Beach Area CVB 800-356-3016 www.myrtlebeachinfo.com
2013 Travel Guide
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Wes Virgi
TENNESSEE
Virgin
Kentucky Johnson City Oak Ridge Nashville Sevierville Pigeon Forge Murfreesboro Columbia Gatlinburg Lewisburg
No Caro
Tennessee Arkansas
Brownsville Memphis
Sout Carol Mississippi
Alabama
Georgia
Florida
The majority of visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park experience the park only through their windshields. That’s a shame, and the park’s Quiet Walkways are the solution. Quiet Walkways are just that – peaceful and short strolls into the forest. The longest is only a halfmile. Parking for each Quiet Walkway is minimal, so you’ll never have to share a crowded trail – even though this is America’s most visited national park. nps.gov/grsm
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Photos Courtesy Tennessee Department of Tourist Development
Quiet Times G u l f o f in the SmokiesM e x i c o
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West Virginia
Virginia
Atlantic Ocean
North Carolina
South Carolina
lorida
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A REAl TREASuRE
Cool Temps, Hot Bluegrass at Cumberland Caverns Construction of the theater for the “Bluegrass Underground” show near McMinnville began 3.5 million years ago. That is when geologists estimate Cumberland Caverns started forming in the limestone hills of Middle Tennessee. One result was the Volcano Room, described as one of the most acoustically pure natural spaces on earth. Once a month, the otherwise perpetual silence of Cumberland Caverns gives way to some of the best bluegrass musicians ever to sing that “high, lonesome sound” Bill Monroe originated. Hot licks from top bluegrass pickers ring through the cool cavern air, a constant 56 degrees. “Bluegrass Underground” starts 333 feet beneath the surface, but its sounds go worldwide because the show is on the lineup of WSM-AM in Nashville, also home to that
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other famous country music show, the Grand Ole Opry. “Bluegrass Underground” is the monthly novelty that complements the daily excitement of touring Tennessee’s largest show cave. The standard tour is a 1.5-mile walk into some of America’s largest underground rooms, past a waterfall, near an 1812-vintage saltpeter mine and stunning cave formations. Every tour also includes an inspiring sound and light show called “God of the Mountain.” Cumberland Caverns, a U.S. National Natural Landmark, is in the middle of a triangle formed by Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga. CumberlandCaverns.com
Discover More at
EscapeToTheSoutheast.com
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Start your adventure in Johnson City, nestled in the beautiful mountains of East Tennessee, where a variety of attractions and excursions await you. Let the outdoors become the set for making some new family memories. Take a hike on one of the many trails that host spectacular lakes and waterfalls. Get soaked by whitewater rafting or plan a relaxing afternoon picnic near a peaceful overlook. Discover our rich history celebrating one of the first settlements in the Appalachian Mountains and its mixed heritage. Experience the true meaning of southern hospitality. Your adventure starts today!
Uncover a world of prehistoric wonder at the Natural History Museum and Gray Fossil Site. You and your family will take a journey back almost 7 million years. You can stroll among unique creatures of the past and experience dynamic displays, current digs and explorations.
Become part of the happenings of the year 1791 through the firstperson interpretation of daily lifestyles, domestic and work skills, food, clothing, furnishings and games. Rocky Mount also offers a variety of special events, educational programs and meeting facilities. Call for days and hours of operation and special tours.
rockymountmuseum.com 423-538-7396
grayfossilmuseum.com 423-439-3659 or 866-202-6223
Discover a new adventure around every corner at Hands On! Regional Museum. Families can play together in over 27,000 sq ft of interactive exhibits and learn fun ideas about science, art and humanities. Become a scientist, create an artistic masterpiece, fly a real airplane, and slide into a coal mine, in one of this country’s best children’s museums! handsonmuseum.org 423-434-HAND (4263)
As you walk along Jonesborough’s well-preserved Main Street, you easily drop back in time to the days of Daniel Boone, Andrew Jackson, David Crockett, John Sevier and the many other historical figures who lived in or around Jonesborough. Learn about storytelling and its creative applications at the International Storytelling Center and enjoy the many antique stores and other shops that have something for everyone who visits historic Jonesborough.
Johnson City Convention & Visitors Bureau • 603 East Market Street • Johnson City, Tennessee 37601 800-852-3392 • visitjohnsoncitytn.com
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W H AT A C H A R A C T E R
Justin Timberlake’s Memphis There’s just something about Memphis that makes a mark on a musician. Elvis had it. Aretha had it. Isaac Hayes, B.B. King and John Lee Hooker had it. And so does Justin Timberlake.
The Grammy Award winner often stops by the Lobby Bar in the Peabody Hotel whenever he returns home. Called the “living room of Memphis,” this elegant spot is ideal for watching the hotel ducks splash in their fountain while you sample Timberlake’s own brand of tequila named 901, for the Memphis telephone area code.
Likewise, these musicians have left their mark on Memphis. The *NSYNC star grew up on the north side of Memphis, and Timberlake is slowly adding to the culture of his hometown.
Timberlake also filmed the 2009 movie “The Open Road” with Jeff Bridges as his dad and Lyle Lovett as the bartender in the Peabody. You can stay in room 1053, where a major scene between Timberlake and Bridges was filmed. Not only does the former Mouseketeer enjoy a night or two out on Memphis’ Beale Street, he recently became a part owner of the Memphis Grizzlies NBA team. Fans expect to catch a glimpse or two of him at this year’s games at the FedEx Forum just off Beale. An avid golfer with a 6 handicap, Timberlake’s main gift to the city is the Mirimichi golf club in his hometown of Millington, about 25 minutes from downtown. The course features pit bunkers, large elevated greens, native grasses and mirror-like lakes to challenge every level golfer. Mirimichi is one of the most ecofriendly courses in the U.S. The name is taken from the Cherokee word for “place of happy retreat.” It’s the first golf course in the country designated as a Certified Audubon International Classic Sanctuary. The golf course feels natural, like Timberlake’s relationship to Memphis. PeabodyMemphis.com, nba.com/ grizzlies and Mirimichi.com
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WHERE FAMILY VACATIONS TURN INTO
FAMILY TRADITIONS. With its unbelievable natural beauty and amazing attractions, you won’t find a better place to create long-lasting family memories than Gatlinburg. Maybe that’s why so many families who discover Gatlinburg come back year after year.
You’ve never been closer. 1-866-866-4285 — gatlinburg.com Like us on Facebook! facebook.com/gatlinburgtn
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Q U I T E T H E AT T R A C T I O N
Back in Time and Fresh from the Oven
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Most of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, is sparkly and shiny, neon and new – but not Old Mill Square. Its sign on the main drag at Traffic Light #7 tells the story well: “Turn here. Go back 175 years.” One block off the glitz of the main drag is the centerpiece of Old Mill Square. Yep, it’s an old mill, but not just any old mill. This one was built in 1830, has been in operation ever since and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Inside, honest-to-goodness millers produce about half a ton of flour, cornmeal, grits, pancake mix and hushpuppy mix six days a week. This is the real deal, and what’s even better is that two adjacent restaurants use some of the mill’s output to make cornbread, biscuits, fritters, pancakes and more.
Breakfast at the Old Mill Restaurant provides enough energy to plow a field or perhaps challenge the rides at Dollywood for a full day, and lunch at the Pottery House Café & Grille will send you home with tales of freshly baked bread and wedges of carrot cake that will feed a foursome. A row of shops adds to the flavor of Old Mill Square. The biggest is the Pigeon River Pottery, where you can watch potters at work – just as you can watch millers at work at the Old Mill itself. The Old Mill Farmhouse Kitchen is full of edible souvenirs, and next door are an ice cream shop, a candy store, a toy store and a shop full of apparel, purses, jewelry and other shiny things. OldMillSquare.com
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Where W here families come together.
Where you bring luggage but lose baggage. In Pigeon Forge, we are firm believers in the family vacation. It’s the perfect way for families to reconnect, grow stronger and flourish. With so many ways to entertain people of all ages, we also believe our city is the perfect place for your next vacation or short getaway.
MyPigeonForge.com
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A TA S T E O F T E N N E S S E E
Some Like It Hot ... And Some Like It Very Hot The hottest lick in Nashville isn’t Ricky Skaggs on the mandolin or Vince Gill on the guitar. It’s what you do as you chow down on a fiery food that has become Nashville’s signature food – hot chicken. It’s a variant of Southern fried chicken with a spicy bang. True hot chicken is served in places not known for their ambience or the aesthetic appeal of their neighborhoods – but they’re patronized by people of all social strata. Former Tennessee legislator and later Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell gets considerable credit for publicizing hot chicken. He helped create the Nashville Hot Chicken Festival (a July 4 local favorite) and called Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack his “second office.” For most, hot chicken is take-out food – perhaps so others won’t see them cry, yelp or moan when the
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cayenne kicks in. The progression is mild, medium, hot and extra hot, and experts can tell the variations by the darkness of the chicken’s spicy coating. First-timers shouldn’t be brave; mild is plenty. Presentation is plain, plain, plain. Order hot chicken, and you get hot chicken, two pieces of white bread and some pickles. That’s it. Well, sometimes, you do get some advice, as in, “Have lots of lemonade or milk handy,” or “For goodness’ sake, don’t rub your eyes until you wash your hands.” Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack (123 Ewing Lane) is the acknowledged originator and king of Nashville hot chicken. You might find it on some nice restaurants’ menus, but the experience just isn’t the same as trying Prince’s or one of these establishments: • Pepperfire Hot Chicken at 2821 Gallatin Pike • Hot Stuff Spicy Chicken & Fish at 585 Stewarts Ferry Pike • 400 Degrees at 319 Peabody Street • Bolton’s Spicy Chicken and Fish at 624 Main Street • Pie Wagon at 1302 Division (only on Tuesdays at this “meat ‘n’ three” cafeteria)
Experience
Maury
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Antebellum Homes Capital of Tennessee
Enjoy beautiful historic homes, a Presidential site & exhibit hall, driving tours, Civil War Trail sites, antiques & specialty shopping, unique eateries, Natchez Trace Parkway, great parks & recreation and true Southern hospitality… in Maury County, Tennessee.
Want more information? Call 888-852-1860 or visit www.antebellum.com 2013 Travel Guide
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T E N N E S S E E T R AV E L R E S O U R C E S
STATE TOURISM
Tennessee Dept. of Tourist Development 800-GO2-TENN www.tnvacation.com DESTINATIONS
Chattanooga Area CVB 800-322-3344 www.chattanoogafun.com Clarksville Montgomery County CVB 931-648-0001 www.clarksville.tn.us Cleveland-Bradley Chamber of Commerce 800-472-6588 www.visitclevelandtn.com Cocke County Partnership 423-625-9675 www.cockecounty.com Collierville Culture Recreation & Tourism Commission 888-853-1949 www.TourCollierville.com
Maury County CVB 888-852-1860 www.antebellum.com
Sevier County 865-774-3643 www.seviercountytn.org
Memphis CVB 901-543-5327 www.memphistravel.com
Sevierville CVB 888-Sevierville www.VisitSevierville.com
Monroe County TN Tourism 800-245-5428 www.monroecounty.com
Smoky Mountain TDA 800-525-6834 www.smokymountains.org
Morristown Area Chamber of Commerce 877-586-6382 www.morristownchamber.com
South Central Tennessee Tourism 931-993-3286 www.sctta.net
ATTRACTIONS
Applewood Farmhouse Restaurants 865-428-1222 www.stokelyhospitality.com Battle of Franklin Trust 615-786-1864 www.battleoffranklintrust.org Gardens of Sunshine Hollow 800-669-2005 www.sunshinehollow.com
Ruby Falls 800-755-7105 www.rubyfalls.com EVENTS/FESTIVALS
Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration 931-684-5915 www.twhnc.com LODGING
Sumner County CVB 888-301-7866 www.sumnercvb.com
Graceland - Elvis Presley’s Heartbreak Hotel 800-238-2000 www.elvis.com
Gaylord Entertainment www.gaylordhotels.com
Oak Ridge CVB 800-887-3429 www.oakridgevisitor.com
West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center 731-779-9000 www.westtnheritage.com/
Jack Daniel Distillery 931-759-6180 www.jackdaniels.com
Pigeon Forge Tourism 800-251-9100 www.mypigeonforge.com
Williamson County CVB 866-253-9207 www.visitwilliamson.com
Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort & Amusement Park 800-251-9202 www.obergatlinburg.com
Tourism Association of Southwest Tennessee 866-261-7534 www.tast.tn.org
Rutherford County CVB 800-716-7560 www.ReadySetRutherford.com
Wilson County CVB 800-789-1327 www.visitwilsoncounty.com
Pickwick Belle 877-936-2355 www.PickwickBelle.com
Nashville CVB 800-657-6910 www.visitmusiccity.com
ASSOCIATION
TRANSPORTATION
Metropolitan Knoxville Airport 865-342-3001 www.FlyKnoxville.com
Cookeville-Putnam County CVB 800-264-5541 www.mustseecookeville.com Dickson County Chamber of Commerce 877-718-4967 www.dicksoncountychamber.com Elizabethton/Carter County Tourism Development Council 423-547-3850 www.tourcartercounty.com Gatlinburg CVB 800-568-4748 www.gatlinburg.com Hardin County CVB 800-552-3866 www.tourhardincounty.org Historic Jonesborough Dept of Tourism 866-401-4223 www.historicjonesborough.com Humphreys County Tourism 877-296-4865 www.HereYaAre.com Jackson-Madison Co. CVB 800-498-4748 www.jacksontncvb.com Johnson City CVB 800-852-3392 www.johnsoncitytnchamber.com/ Kingsport CVB 800 -743-5282 www.visitkingsport.com Knoxville Tourism & Sports Corporation 800-727-8045 www.Knoxville.org
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Arlington
West Virginia
Virginia Richmond Jamestown Newport News Virginia Beach
Kentucky
North Carolina Tennessee
A G O O D WA L K E N J OYE D
South Carolina
On Teddy Roosevelt’s Island
Alabama
Mississippi
You know all about the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial, but there’s a fitting memorial toGeorgia outdoor lover Theodore Roosevelt nearby. It is Theodore Roosevelt Island on Virginia’s side of the Potomac River. It is 88.5 acres of nature complete with 2.4 miles of trails, and TR, no doubt, would appreciate the outdoorsy nature of his memorial. Reach it by car on the George Washington Memorial Parkway or via a pedestrian bridge near the Rosslyn Metro Station in Arlington. nps.gov/nr/travel/presidents/t_roosevelt_island.html and StayArlington.com Florida
2013 Travel Guide
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Gulf of Mexico
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Q u i t e t h e At t r A c t i o n
America Through a Marine’s Eyes America’s story is told from a special perspective at the National Museum of the Marine Corps – that of Marines who have stood up for America from a time even before the nation existed.
Marines date their history to November 10, 1775, when the Continental Congress authorized two battalions. The museum is adjacent to the Marine Corps Base Quantico, 36 miles south of Washington, D.C., and 76 miles north of Richmond. Its 210-foot-tall stainless steel spire, which conjures up images of the raising of the American flag at Iwo Jima in World War II, is visible from I-95.
Make Room for the Memories. An adventure of historic proportion is waiting for you—at two living-history museums that explore America’s beginnings. Board replicas of colonial ships. Grind corn in a Powhatan Indian village. Try on English armor inside a palisaded fort. Then, join Continental Army soldiers at their encampment for a firsthand look at the Revolution’s end. Don’t forget your camera. Because the history here is life size. And your memories will be even bigger!
Save 20% with a combination ticket to both museums.
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By the way, one of the two flags raised at Iwo Jima always is on display. Curators alternate showing the first, smaller flag that flew over Mt. Suribachi with the larger one made famous in AP photographer Joe Rosenthal’s famous image. As you stroll the galleries, you’ll see approximately 1,000 artifacts. They range from tiny, but personally important (a field ration can opener) to the gigantic and historically important (a Grumman Panther jet, one of the first two Marine jets flown in combat). You’ll learn about the Marines’ first amphibious landing (in the Bahamas in 1776), “the Shores of Tripoli,”“the Halls of Montezuma,” Harpers Ferry, the Boxer Rebellion, Belleau Wood, Guadalcanal, Inchon, Khe Sanh, Kuwait, Bosnia and more. Some artifacts may catch you by surprise, such as an Academy Award. Yes, the Marines won an Oscar for a documentary titled “With the Marines at Tarawa.” usmcmuseum.com
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eati ty fis a
Deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains lies a truly unique community where imagination blossoms and a love for the arts is all around. You’ll find inspiration in the beauty of nature along the Virginia Creeper Trail and from actors in the spotlight at the famous Barter Theatre.
Discover your passion at the most colorful place in Virginia.
WWW.ABINGDON.COM
888-489-4144 · 276-676-2282
2013 Travel Guide
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W H AT A T R E A S U R E
Where the Wild Ponies Roam There’s something that stirs your patriotic heart when you see wild horses running free. That’s especially true when the creatures stand at attention on the seashore, tails swishing like flags in the wind. This distinctively American sight happens on Virginia’s Eastern Shore near the town of Chincoteague. Popularized in the 1960s in the movie “Misty,” the horses draw crowds each year during the annual roundup when local firemen drive the ponies across the channel from their wild Assateague Island home for a fundraising auction. You can also spy the horses most any other day by taking one of the local pony-tour boat rides out of Chincoteague. You’re also likely to see dolphins cavorting in the water and bald eagles overhead.
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Wild horses aren’t the only natural draw to this community that reaches beyond the Chesapeake Bay to the Atlantic Ocean. The Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge sits at the southern end of Assateague Island. Its 14,000 acres of beach, maritime forest and marshes are home to migrating waterfowl and plenty of wild creatures. You can spend the day at one of the wildest beaches in America or hike along trails for an up-close view of the wildlife. For a birdseye view, climb the steps to the top of the 1867 Assateague Lighthouse. For those who want a land-based guided tour, hop a 90-minute wildlife bus to catch glimpses of the ponies, white-tailed deer, spotted Asian elk and other smaller furry creatures. No matter how you see it, this stretch of wilderness is one of America’s finest treasures. Chincoteague.com and fws.gov/northeast/chinco
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THE BIG EVENT
There’s Music in Those Hills In the shadows of the Shenandoah, something magical happens each summer. The sound of music has transformed into a modern-day cast where the best and brightest classical musicians stage shows on old Virginia farms. The Castleton Festival runs for three weeks each June and July near Washington, Virginia. Created and beloved by Maestro Lorin Maazel of New York Philharmonic fame and his talented wife Dietlinde, the event produces operas, musical theater, cabaret and chamber music in a part of the world where country music typically takes center stage.
Get
Closer
Don’t expect a stuffy waist-coated crowd putting on airs here. The fans come from the Virginia countryside as well as from neighboring D.C. (just an hour away), and they’re just as often in jeans and ball caps or khakis and white buttondowns as sequined gowns and tuxedos. Performances take place in the Maazels’ elaborate Festival Theatre and in the stunning little Theatre House building built amid lush gardens. These sultry evenings introduce new generations to a new country sound. CastletonFestival.org
Great Outdoors
History of America
Ocean & Ships
This & More! Plus Williamsburg and Virginia Beach!
Virginia
888.493.7386
newport-news.org
2013 Travel Guide
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V I R G I N I A T R AV E L R E S O U R C E S
STATE TOURISM
Virginia Tourism Corporation 804-371-8175 www.virginia.org DESTINATIONS
Bristol TN/VA CVB 423-989-4850 www.visitbristoltnva.org
Dickenson County 276-926-6074 www.dickensonchamber.net
Norfolk CVB 800-368-3097 www.norfolkcvb.com
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation 800-HISTORY www.colonialwilliamsburg.org
Carroll County Office of Tourism 888-785-2781 www.carrollcountytreasures.com
Franklin County Commerce and Leisure Services 540-483-9293 www.visitfranklincountyva.org
Richmond Metropolitan CVB 800-370-9004 www.VisitRichmondVa.com
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation 888-593-4682 www.historyisfun.org
Roanoke Valley CVB 800-635-5535 www.visitroanokeva.com
Luray Caverns Corporation 540-743-6551 www.luraycaverns.com
Russell County Tourism 276-889-8041 www.russellcountyva.org
EVENTS/FESTIVALS
Abingdon CVB 800-435-3440 www.abingdon.com/tourism
Chesapeake Conventions & Tourism Bureau 888-889-5551 www.visitchesapeake.com
Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce & Tourism 888-430-5786 www.VisitAlleghanyHighlands.com
City of Waynesboro Virginia 540-942-6512 www.visitwaynesboro.net
Heart of Appalachia Tourism Authority www.heartofappalachia.com
Civil War Trails 888-CIVILWAR www.civilwartrails.org
Lexington & Rockbridge County Tourism 877-453-9822 www.LexingtonVirginia.com
Arlington Convention & Visitors Service 800-296-7996 www.stayarlington.com Arlington CVS 800-296-7996 www.stayarlington.com Bedford Area Tourism & Welcome Center 877-HI-PEAKS www.visitbedford.com
County of Bath Tourism 800-628-8092 www.discoverbath.com Culpeper Department of Tourism 888-Culpeper www.visitculpeperva.com
Danville Parks Recreation & Tourism Department 434-793-4636 Botetourt County Office of Tourism www.visitdanville.com 540-473-1167 www.visitbotetourt.com
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Fredericksburgvacations.com 877-404-5810 www.fredericksburgvacations.com
Lynchburg Regional CVB 800-732-5821 www.discoverlynchburg.org
Salem VA Tourism 888-VASALEM www.visitsalemva.com Virginia Beach CVB 800-VA-BEACH www.visitvirginiabeach.com
Warrenton-Fauquier Co. Visitor Center Martinsville-Henry County Division 800-820-1021 of Tourism www.visitfauquier.com 888-PACE-4-YU www.visitmartinsville.com/ ATTRACTIONS
Newport News Tourism Development Office 888-493-7386 www.newport-news.org
Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion 423-573-4898 www.bristolrhythm.com LODGING
Massanutten Resort 800-207-MASS www.massresort.com TRANSPORTATION
AMTRAK 202-906-4622 www.amtrak.com
Barter Theatre 276-628-3991 www.bartertheatre.com
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WEST VIRGINIA c Morgantown
West Virginia Charleston Huntington
Kentucky
Greenbrier
Virginia
Beckley
North Carolina
Tennessee
South Carolina
Walking to Sunrise
Alabama
Carriages don’t travel the Sunrise Carriage Trail anymore, but you can walk the zigzag path up to Sunrise, the mansionGeorgia that Gov. William MacCorkle built in 1905. The trail is a quiet escape in Charleston that’s shaded by an urban forest of tulip poplar, oak, beech, buckeye, walnut and other trees and decorated with abundant wildflowers. Sunrise, now home to a law practice, and a sweeping view of Charleston below are your reward at the top of the trail. CharlestonWV.com
Mississippi 2013 Travel Guide
Florida
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W H AT A T R E A S U R E
In a Class by Itself Monkeys do it. Birds do it. Even little squirrels do it. Now you can do it, too. Let your inner Tarzan out for a day hanging out in the trees, flying around like some wild thing. The rumpled countryside of West Virginia’s New River Gorge has one of the best zip lines and arbor playgrounds in the U.S. It’s ideal for youngsters, oldsters and anyone else who’s willing to tighten up the harnesses and wear gloves for a day that pushes their land-based boundaries to the sky. Start at Class VI in Lansing, where you can sign up for one of three aerial courses. Here’s the low-down on a day of feeling high. The Timbertrek Aerial Adventure Park option is part high ropes, part zip line. The self-guided track offers five courses of varying difficulty, from “tame to insane” marked like a ski hill, from green to black diamond runs.
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Some stations have you balancing on wooden beams suspended by cables, all the while safely strapped into gear that prevents you from falling. So there’s no danger, other than getting rid of your fear of heights. The TreeTops Canopy option lays claim to the longest route in the eastern U.S. It includes 10 zip lines and five cable bridges, with views of unsullied woodlands and a babbling brook in the Mill Creek area. Two guides accompany you onto and off of the zips that range from 100 feet to up to 730 feet long. You may reach speeds of 30 mph as you zip along. The adventure ends with a rappel from a platform. If the other two adventures seem too pedestrian for your adrenaline junkie self, sign up for the Gravity Zip Line. The mile-long open-air tour makes the most of distance and speed. The shortest zip is 500 feet, and the others range up to 3,000 feet at speeds up to 55 mph – and you’re not in the trees, but above them. No jets involved. Just you, your fearlessness and the sound of slick metal against metal as the forest blurs by in a green scream. Class-vi.com
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R E S T YO U R H E A D H E R E
Off-Season Means Active Season at Snowshoe Truth be told, you’ll probably not “rest your head here” very much at Snowshoe Mountain, regardless of what season you visit. Snowshoe, of course, started as a winter destination, and you trekked here to ski, ski and ski some more at this Allegheny Mountain highpoint, where most of the lodging is at the top of the chair lifts, not the bottom of the mountain as at many resorts. Summer, therefore, was the off-season, but the secret is out – and the range of activities will keep you burning off the calories and eager for a place to rest at day’s end. Resort accommodations vary widely. There are condos at Highland House, townhomes at Creekside, one-bedroom hideaways called Sundown Hutches and individual homes such as the three-bedroom Pedestal House. There also is an array of privately owned cabins and rental homes in the vicinity, making research all the more challenging to find exactly what you want. When you do pick your lodging, know that all your waking hours can be filled.
The Ballhooter Lift, bereft of skiers in summer, will carry you to Shavers Lake, billed as the highest beach in West Virginia, for swimming, canoeing and kayaking, or you can go down the mountain for one of the eight rivers that originate in Pocahontas County and chase the wily trout that love the Mountain State’s waters. There’s golf on the Gary Player Signature Raven Golf Course – some holes have drops of 200 feet from tee to green – two sporting clays courses, horseback rides, hiking trails and even off-road Segway tours. You’ll have every reason to want to climb into bed after a summer day at Snowshoe. SnowshoeMtn.com
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Q u i T E T h E AT T r A c T i o n
Art and Music in the Mountains Elkins probably isn’t what you’d expect a little mountain town in West Virginia to be. For a long time, it was a railroad town, but the railroad left in 1997, abandoning a 23-acre railyard on Main Street. What’s a town to do? It has taken years, a lot of vision and tons of work, but Elkins is practically the complete package today that combines the natural beauty of West Virginia, art and all types of music – even some classical music at times. Elkins is a certified West Virginia Arts Community and has been named one of the 100 Best Art Towns in America. Focal points include the Randolph County Community Arts Center – where you can enjoy everything from bluegrass icons The Seldom Scene to a Celtic concert to a cello and
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flute duo – and the Augusta Heritage Center, which is dedicated to traditional folk cultures and offers nationally respected week-long workshops focused on art, music, dance and crafts. American popular music (country, gospel, bluegrass and more) is the draw at the 527-seat American Music Theater directly in the Elkins railyard and at the Gandy Dancer Theatre. And while the commercial train operation is gone, scenic train rides into the mountains are a major attraction here. Among them are the various excursions of West Virginia Mountain Rail Adventures such as the Cheat Mountain Salamander and the New Tygart Flyer. ElkinsWV.com
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The BOY SCOUTS are COMING, are YOU?
If you’ve ever been to Southern West Virginia, you understand completely why The Boy Scouts of America chose this area for their 2013 Jamboree and home to their basecamp. If you haven’t, we invite you to discover
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A TA S T E O F W E S T V I R G I N I A
This Place Is Buzzing Proctor may be the sweetest little town in West Virginia. It overlooks the Ohio River 40 miles south of Wheeling, just south of the MasonDixon Line, and has thousands upon thousands of highly productive citizens. Those citizens are honeybees, and their work product is on sale at Thistle Dew Farm. The farm sells many types of honey, beeswax candles, beeswax skin and lip cream, honey mustard and other sweet items. There even are little two-ounce “Mini Honey Bears” for wedding favors.
It’s possible you’ll see someone famous when you visit Thistle Dew Farm. That’s farm owner Steve Conlon, whose nickname is “The Beeman.” He’s known all over for wearing a “bee beard,” which means covering his face and chest – in the style of ZZ Top – with thousands of live honeybees. It’s impressive enough that Conlon got to show it off on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” ThistleDewFarm.com
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W E S T V I R G I N I A T R AV E L R E S O U R C E S STATE TOURISM
West Virginia Division of Tourism 304-558-2200 www.callwva.com DESTINATIONS
Cabell-Huntington CVB 800-635-6329 www.wvvisit.org Charleston CVB 800-733-5469 www.charlestonwv.com
Greater Bridgeport CVB 800-368-4324 www.greater-bridgeport.com
Greenbrier County CVB 800-833-2068 www.greenbrierwv.com
Pocahontas County CVB 800-336-7009 www.pocahontascountywv.com
Greater Clarksburg CVB 304-622-2157 www.cityofclarksburgwv.com
Lewis County CVB 800-296-7329 www.StonewallCountry.com
Putnam County CVB 304-562-0518 www.putnamcounty.com
Greater Morgantown CVB 800-458-7373 www.tourmorgantown.com
Marion County CVB 800-834-7365 www.marioncvb.com
Tucker County CVB 800-782-2775 www.canaanvalley.org
Greater Parkersburg CVB 800-752-4982 www.greaterparkersburg.com
Mercer County CVB 800-221-3206 www.visitmercercounty.com
Visit Southern West Virginia 800-VISIT-WV www.visitwv.com
LODGING
Comfort Inn West - Charleston WV 800-798-7886 www.comfort-inn.com TRANSPORTATION
Yeager Airport 304-344-8033 www.yeagerairport.com
New River Gorge CVB 800-927-0263 www.newrivergorgecvb.com
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There’s an observation beehive at the farm’s gift shop where you can watch the little critters buzz around while you put together your own gourmet gift basket that also can include folk toys such as whimmy diddles, flipper dingers and locally crafted marbles from the Marble King factory in nearby Paden City.
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Find Your True Thrill Since when were you able to share a real fish tale? Now’s the time to get in on the action because some of the best fishing anywhere is right here in Mississippi. From offshore deep sea fishing in the Gulf of Mexico and inshore around our barrier islands, bays, freshwater lakes and rivers, Mississippi is full of spots to catch a variety of fish. You might be in the mood for a pure and simple lazy day by yourself or the charter trip of a lifetime with family or friends. In any case, you’re sure to get hooked when you Find Your True South in Mississippi.
Mississippi Gulf Coast
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Lots of websites let you read about American History.
urs shows you where to drive so you can experience it yourself.
Market House
Civil WarTrail Site # 2
Sandford House Heritage Square Gaelic Beginnings Trail Site # 12
The Revolutionary War. World Wars I and II. The Cold War. Much of that happened right her here in Fayetteville/Cumberland County. We have more American History here in our beautiful backyard than you could absorb in hundreds of history books. Then again, who wants to sit inside and read a dusty old book? Why not start by getting in the car and going out for a drive? We suggest hitting our Cultural Heritage Trails. Whether exploring the Cape Fear Botanical Gardens on our Patri-Arts & Gardens trail, visiting historical sites on our American Independence trail, or touring antebellum homes on our Historic Architecture trail,
Poe House
Historic Architecture Trail Site # 25
there’s something for everyone. There are over a dozen themed driving trails to pick from on our website, literally covering over 750 miles of history. We spent years building one of the most unique websites in the country that helps you organize and plan your trip. It’s called Customize It. Just plug in your interests, budget, and travel dates and Customize It will create a distinct itinerary with maps, photos and audio descriptions. So, spend a few minutes on our website and see all that Fayetteville has to offer. Then get ready for an amazing trip that you won’t be forgetting any time soon.
for more information about Fayetteville visit armysarmy.com e
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