House to Home offers a wide variety of Home Decor products & SUPER low prices.
House to Home is a Home Decor Superstore, located at the intersection of Hwy 51 and Stateline Road in Southaven, Mississippi. HOUSE TO HOME offers home furnishings at wholesale prices. We’ve been called “the best kept secret in Southaven”.
RUGS VASES SILK FLOWERS MIRRORS WALL DECOR RIBBON MESH 8961 Hwy 51 North. Southaven, Mississippi housetohomewholesale@comcast.net www.housetohomewholesale.com
662-393-2121 Mon - Sat 9am-6pm. Closed Sunday
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April CONTENTS 2020 • VOLUME 17 • NO.3
features
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Vacationing Close to Home
Luxury Cruising On the Amazon River
Motorcycle Road Trips Through the South
departments 16 Living Well Time Away for Your Health
42 On the Road Again Augusta, Georgia
20 Notables Kelli Davis
44 Greater Goods 68 Homegrown Hoover Sauce
24 Exploring Art Meow Wolf Museum 28 Exploring Books Hidden History of the Mississippi Sound 30 Southern Roots Organic Gardening
74 Southern Harmony Adam Holt 78 In Good Spirits Lessons in Libations
34 Table Talk Global Café 38 Exploring Destinations The Great Escapes
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70 Southern Gentleman Auto Museums
80 Exploring Events 82 Reflections Sitting on Top of Old Smoky
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editor’s note | APRIL
Becoming an Armchair Traveler Editors need two traits that are seldom mentioned in journalism school: planning skills and flexibility. As DeSoto Magazine went into the final days of production for our annual travel issue, the staff needed both because our timing for this popular issue could not have been worse. Long after we assigned stories to our writers and just as we were beginning to design the pages, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pretty much shut down the travel industry. Producing a print magazine starts months before readers actually flip through the pages. The DeSoto editorial team met in January to plan the April issue; then, we assigned stories to writers who had a month to interview sources and produce stories; and in late February we were editing and checking photos. In early March, production began as the news was filled with dire warnings about this insidious virus that was spreading around the globe. Why am I offering a primer on magazine production? I want readers to understand that planning each issue takes time. Short of cancelling the April issue entirely, we had to proceed with some adjustments. We join the thousands of health experts who recommend using sanitary precautions and staying away from crowds. We hope readers will enjoy this month’s destination stories as armchair travelers and include these places in future travel plans. After all, travel is a multi-billion-dollar industry, and we hope it rebounds quickly from this nightmarish situation
APRIL 2020 • Vol. 17 No.4
PUBLISHER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR Adam Mitchell PUBLISHER & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Paula Mitchell ADVERTISING CONSULTANT Melanie Dupree MANAGING EDITOR Mary Ann DeSantis
Marry Ann DeSantis at Meow Wolf Museum
While we advise precautions about travel plans, we also know that you can’t sit home all summer without a few outings, especially after the Coronavirus subsides. Make this the summer to explore your own backyard. Cheré Coen and I pulled together some staycation ideas that will create memorable experiences – without getting on airplanes or ships. Although most of us won’t be exploring our big, beautiful world this summer, we hope this issue helps you to be a well-informed armchair traveler full of future travel dreams. Happy dreaming!
ASSISTANT EDITOR Cheré Coen CONTRIBUTORS Tom Adkinson Michele Baker Cheré Coen Mary Ann DeSantis Verna Gates Jackie Sheckler Finch Jason Frye Pamela Keene Noreen Kompanik Debi Lander Gary McKechnie Tracy Morin Dayle Shockley Karon Warren Kevin Wierzbicki PUBLISHED BY DeSoto Media 2375 Memphis St. Ste 208 Hernando, MS 38632 662.429.4617 ADVERTISING INFO: Paula Mitchell 901-262-9887 Paula@DeSotoMag.com
on the cover Being outdoors is the best cure for cabin fever. Pitching a tent and exploring nature is one of the most relaxing getaways you and your family will ever have. And the best part: there are no crowds.
SUBSCRIBE: DeSotoMagazine.com/subscribe
DeSotoMagazine.com ©2020 DeSoto Media Co. DeSoto Magazine must give permission for any material contained herein t o b e re p ro d u c e d i n a n y m a n n e r. Any advertisements published in DeSoto Magazine do not constitute an endorsement of the advertiser’s services or products. DeSoto Magazine is published monthly by DeSoto Media Co. Parties interested in advertising should email paula@desotomag.com or call 901-262-9887. Visit us online at desotomagazine.com.
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living well | VACATION TO HEALTH
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Hit the Road for Better Health By Pamela A. Keene | Photography courtesy of Pixabay
Traveling is good for the mind and soul, say health experts, so what are you waiting for? How do you pick your ideal vacation? Are you a beach and water baby or do the mountains float your boat? Both destinations have their benefits, and both can be easily accessible for a long weekend, a week or longer. And the added payoff of a trip away can be healthier you. The advantages of a beach vacation can tip the scales: Sunshine provides vitamin D. Sunlight can help decrease depression. The minerals in sea water, including salt, can reduce aches and pains. Being at the beach or near a lake or river can also help you unplug.
The mountains provide quiet getaways surrounded by the sounds of nature. Tall trees and babbling streams can create a relaxing soundtrack for reflection. Fresh air, mountain trails, and hiking to waterfalls can invigorate the soul. Mississippi and the Southeast offer one of the latest trends in vacations—glamping. Choose a tiny cottage near a lake, a semi-permanent safari tent complete with air conditioning, or a tin-roofed upper-story treehouse with a kitchen and bath for accommodations that are rustic but come with all the comforts of home. Glamping gives you a chance to DeSoto 19
get close to nature and become immersed in your surroundings. “Selecting a vacation destination is completely up to a person’s likes, interests and passions,” says Oxford, Miss., psychologist Ashley Dickey. “Select a place where you feel most connected, somewhere you can be in the moment.” Vacations provide a chance to recharge, to get away from daily stressors, and to check out for a bit. But how many people simply put off taking time away? How many vacation days do you leave on the table each year? Many people say they’re too busy to take a vacation, but at what cost? “Vacationing and traveling are part of self-care and being in the present,” Dickey says. “Both factors are important to a person’s overall well-being. Being out of the everyday norm and venturing out helps decrease stress levels and increase positive thoughts.” Scholarly articles and media sources suggest traveling supports a strong correlation between self-care and physical well-being. “When self-care is achieved, the brain produces natural serotonin, promoting happiness, positive feelings, and a good sense of well-being,” she says. “Traveling also heightens the present-moment state, which helps you be more mindful and cognizant of the here and now.” A recent article about travel and health by Sarah Shields, director of industry communications for the U.S. Travel Association, puts it succinctly: “Travel has a positive impact on so many aspects of our lives: from the memories it helps us create with family and friends to the trillions in economic impact it delivers and the millions of American jobs it supports.” Australian travel blogger Sarah Blinco recently wrote in her blog “Travel Live Learn” about taking a nine-month sabbatical from work to rediscover her health and happiness. She and her husband, Cooper, realized that their stressful jobs threatened their mental health and well-being. They made a plan and saved up to fund their travel. To help make ends meet, they combined some freelancing with house-sitting. Six months into their journey, the couple found that negative feelings melted away, allowing them to focus on the here and now. Along the way, they have been taking unplanned adventures, including sunrise yoga classes on the beach, mountaintop cooking classes in Spain, and experiencing the lives of the locals. She shares some valuable lessons. “If you’re unhappy in your situation, getting away can be the best way to clear your head and gain perspective,” Blinco says. “Over the past six months, we’ve enjoyed the freedom to exist in new places, get curious and motivated, and clear out brain clutter.” In reality, not everyone can take extended time off work or escape daily life long-term, but taking that first step can open doors. “The duration of a vacation is not significant as long as the person is being mindful in the present,” Dickey says. “Even a long weekend away can help reduce anxiety, stress, and depression significantly.”
Pamela A. Keene is a travel journalist and photographer based in Atlanta who writes about the Southeast. She enjoys journeying the world and has visited five of seven continents.
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notables | KELLI DAVIS
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Promoting Tourism in the Magnolia State By Michele D. Baker | Photography courtesy of Rory Doyle and Laura Beth Strickland.
As president-elect of the Mississippi Tourism Association, Cleveland’s Kelli Davis is passionate about creating positive experiences for the state’s visitors. Kelli Davis is fiercely proud of her adopted hometown of Cleveland, and a committed cheerleader for the Mississippi Delta. A marketing degree from Delta State University, experience as a writer and social media specialist, and a freshout-of-college job at Coopwood Communications are just a few of the stepping-stones that led the 38-year-old to the impressive position she holds now: Tourism Director for Visit
Cleveland Mississippi, and president-elect of the Mississippi Tourism Association (MTA), a statewide association of tourism professionals created to support and empower Mississippi’s tourism industry through advocacy and education. Growing up, Davis and her family moved around a lot and she experienced being the new kid and having to make new friends on a regular basis. “Good thing I played tennis and DeSoto 23
love talking to folks!” she jokes. “Seriously, though, those skills have served me well, and I now have family and friends all over. When I moved to Cleveland to attend Delta State, I was near my grandparents, and that was nice, too.” The moving around also shaped her life in other ways which became clear only after she herself became a mother. “I have three children now: Ann Riley, Granger, and Henry. Instead of material things, we often take trips and enjoy experiences. I firmly believe in the motto ‘expand your brain’!” Kelli is passionate about travel for its own sake, but she also recognizes its transformative impact on the state’s economy. “Tourism is the fourth largest industry in Mississippi, employing more than 127,000 people and generating more than $6.5 billion each year,” says Davis. “People don’t realize it, but more than 24 million people visited Mississippi in the past year. People come here because they saw a certain product on TV or read about a restaurant or a museum in a magazine, and they want to see it for themselves.” Davis got involved in the regional arm of the MTA and was elected to the regional board as part of her job at the Cleveland tourism council, learning firsthand how hard it was to promote the sites in her own backyard. “Funding for tourism statewide used to be so low, and we needed a way to advocate with our legislature and educate them on the importance of bringing more tourists into the state. So we worked through the MTA to get a 2 percent tax passed on hotels and restaurants, to use for promotion and marketing Mississippi.” As president-elect, Davis will ensure that the Tourism Association’s executive director has the resources she needs to promote tourism. “The MTA also provides education – for example, with hotel staff – to ensure that front line employees know what to tell visitors who want recommendations for what to do, where to eat, where to visit. If those people don’t know and can’t help visitors, there’s a disconnect. We want all visitors to Mississippi to have a positive experience. 24 DeSoto
“But what exactly is tourism, and how do we move forward?” she asks. “Many people are just doing a drivethrough, and then they find something amazing.” Davis points out that there is so much available, even in a little town like Cleveland. “We have beautiful hotels like the Cotton House, James Beard-nominated chefs and culinary tourism, exceptional shopping on our Main Street downtown, civil rights sites, a railroad museum, the Bologna Performing Arts Center at Delta State, and so much more,” she gushes. “People come to Mississippi, to the Mississippi Delta, the birthplace of the blues – everybody everywhere knows the Delta. I hear all the time how amazed visitors are at our hospitality, but to me that’s just manners,” she adds. “People usually come to see a specific place – like the Grammy Museum – but then they find so much more. It’s the authentic experience of Mississippi that keeps them coming back.” “I’ve always been a people person. I love to know people’s stories, and to share my own stories and stories from the Delta. For example, right now in Cleveland, director Ivan Kavanagh is filming ‘Son,’ a horror/thriller starring Emile Hirsch,” notes Davis. “The cast and crew are calling me all the time, asking where they can get a certain prop, or where to go for dinner, or for location scouting. That’s not unusual at all. Everybody has a story.” Ultimately, though, Davis is interested in more than just the tourism numbers and additional tax dollars. “Here in Mississippi, we have room to grow, there’s a high quality of life. We’re showing a positive side to Mississippi and leaving the area better for our children. I love to see Delta State grads move back and start their families here,” she explains. “Go off and experience life and see things, and then come back and appreciate where you came from.” visitclevelandmississippi.com mstourism.com Michele D. Baker is a freelance travel writer and food lover based in Jackson, Miss.
Kelli Davis on the Coronavirus I have seen the overwhelming effects of this virus on the travel and hospitality industry like I’ve never imagined. Friends who have lost millions of dollars of business in a mere morning, conferences and events cancelled where thousands of hours and even more money were poured in to them, but most of all, how bad this is hurting the small businesses. I do urge caution, and common sense as these are serious times, but please don’t stop supporting the small businesses, artists, restaurants, and attractions in your area. While big time events are put on hold and schools around the country go to an online platform, I encourage you to support your local community. Keep traveling wisely, go see a band, buy some drinks, and shop locally, or else some of these places might not be here after this is over. Tourism is the fourth largest industry in Mississippi, bringing in over $6 billion in revenue statewide. For many, it’s their only source of income. It’s the mom and pop places, juke joints, art studios, and restaurants that make each of our communities unique. We need to band together to watch out for our friends and neighbors during this bumpy ride. Exercise caution, stay home if you are sick or elderly, or simply not feeling well. For healthy travelers please follow CDC protocol, but continue to get out as you can and experience the rich treasures in your own and surrounding backyards. While it might not be that huge concert or sports event, that’s what makes life in Mississippi special — finding the unexpected experiences. If we can all do this, and continue to support our local communities, things will rebound. But we need these treasures to not be lost in such troubling times. We are a resilient industry, surviving hurricanes, fires, zika-carrying mosquitos, terrorism, and floods, but we will come out of this with the help of each other. DeSoto 25
exploring art | MEOW WOLF
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A Different Kind of Art Museum By Noreen Kompanik | Photography courtesy of Kate Russell from Meow Wolf Museum
Sante Fe’s interactive Meow Wolf takes visitors through a wacky wonderland of art. Santa Fe has always been renowned for its phenomenal art scene. With over 250 galleries and dealers, the New Mexico town is the third largest art market in the country. When a group of young creative but penniless “art punks,” as they call themselves, didn’t fit into the city’s traditional gallery and art scene, they found themselves on the outside looking in. These intrepid artists decided to create a unique art experience, transcending the typically conforming, and grasping the surreal. The result was Meow Wolf, a pop-cultural phenomenon that has made national news, including stories in
USA Today, Rolling Stone magazine, and on “CBS Sunday Morning.” Time Out Magazine ranked the unusual museum No. 4 on its 50 Best Experiences in the World list in 2018. The starving group of artists all living under the same roof began their bizarre and intriguing art adventure in 2008. With no money for supplies, they collected trash and engaged in dumpster-diving for materials. Initially displayed anywhere they could find space, their creations became so popular, they soon needed a more permanent venue. An abandoned bowling alley seemed the ideal solution, but they lacked the money to buy it. That’s where Game of DeSoto 27
Thrones creator George R.R. Martin stepped in. He was so intrigued with the artists’ “back of the napkin” plan that he bought the bowling alley. “We asked him to take a chance on us, and he did,” says Vince Kadlubek, co-founder and CEO of Meow Wolf, a name that was literally a combination of words drawn from two hats by the artists. Meow Wolf opened in March 2016 after enlisting 140 artists and 300 volunteers to build the wacky wonderland of weird exhibitions and platforms. The multiverse entertainment venue is unlike any other, bringing together an eclectic team of artists, painters, architects, sculptures, performers, and writers who create a whimsical neon universe built on the idea of pure self-expression. Located five miles from the heart of Santa Fe, Meow Wolf is now one of Santa Fe’s most popular attractions. Meow Wolf boasts an immersive and interactive experience that transports visitors on a journey to another dimension of the time-space continuum. Its unconventional off-beat “House of Eternal Return” virtual reality trip begins when guests enter what appears to be a normal Victorian mansion. This mystery house is like walking into a Sci-Fi movie set. There are secret passages and portals to another fantastic world of surreal dimensions. The story begins with the Selig family, once residents of the mansion. While experimenting with interdimensional travel, they accidentally tapped into a mysterious force. The fabric of time and space dissolved, and the family disappeared 28 DeSoto
to an alternative dimension on the “other side.” And how does a Meow Wolf visitor actually get to the “other side?” Through the refrigerator, of course. That’s when things get really weird. No maps or guides are provided, as the purpose is for each guest to explore and discover the exhibitions on their own, within their own time frame. Chroma depth glasses provide for an even more enhanced three-dimensional journey. Dozens of chambers, more secret passageways, wormholes, an entrance through a washing machine, a neon kelp forest and so much more complete the experience. All provide a mind-bending, unearthly funhouse encounter that’s a continuously shifting blend of control and chaos. It’s beyond anything you can imagine in your wildest dreams. One such dichotomy etched on a wall reads, “be realistic, demand the impossible.” And these artists deliver. But there’s more to Meow Wolf than its immersive exhibition. The artists believe that giving back to the community is of utmost importance so a multipurpose room off the lobby, known as the David Loughridge Learning Center, was established to promote local artistry. Its goal is to engage the community in freedom of expression and encourage selfexpansion and free-choice through art-making. The collective members know full well the impact art has on the human ability to grow, learn, and express oneself. Learning Center Studio Monitor Kathy Stevenson is especially proud of the work Meow Wolf has done locally.
“When you see a smile on the face of a developmentally disabled child who’s so proud to have created his own personal masterpiece, it’s heartwarming,” says Stevenson. “And we see it time and time again.” Meow Wolf ’s impressive gift shop carries unique apparel, books, artwork, and home products for those who wish to take a piece of fantasy home with them. Since their grand opening, more than a million visitors have ventured into Santa Fe’s “House of Eternal Return.” The concept has become so popular that Meow Wolf is opening four new immersive experiences in Las Vegas, Denver, Washington, D.C., and Phoenix. Honestly, though, you really have to see it to believe it. meowwolf.com Noreen Kompanik is a freelance journalist and former registered nurse based in San Diego, Calif.
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exploring books | HIDDEN HISTORY OF THE MISSISSIPPI SOUND
From left, authors Josh Foreman and Ryan Starrett.
The Coast’s ‘Hidden History’ By Cheré Coen | Photography courtesy of The History Press, cover; Josh Foreman, authors.
Childhood friends have side career penning books about little-known Mississippi and New Orleans stories. Jackson’s Josh Foreman studied journalism and creative writing while his best friend since childhood, Ryan Starrett, preferred history. Both obtained advanced degrees in their subjects and lived many years outside Mississippi. When they moved home and met up once again, they discussed writing history books together. Their initial idea was to pitch three books to The 30 DeSoto
History Press’s “Hidden History” series: Jackson, the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and the Delta. Their first collaboration, Hidden History of Jackson, hit bookstore shelves in February 2018, and included chapters filled with unusual stories of both heroism and horror. This past June the authors published Hidden History of the Mississippi Sound, a collection of tales that begins with
the coast’s origins, a blend of French and Spanish beginnings that stands in stark contrast to the rest of Mississippi. “The history of the coast is so unique and so different from the rest of Mississippi,” says Josh Foreman. “It was almost an extension of Canada.” The first known European contact happened in the fall of 1528, when a group of Spaniards searching for the Rio Grande after exploring Florida arrived somewhere between Mobile and Pascagoula. The men were starving and thirsty for fresh water, so members of what possibly were the Pensacola tribe took them in. After feeding the Spaniards, the Pensacolans attacked the men, driving them from the coast. One of the party members, Cabeza de Vaca, survived and lived to write of the tale, according to the authors. Almost 200 years later Canadian Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville arrived, claiming a vast area named Louisiana, which included the Gulf Coast, in the name of French King Louis XIV. He established a colony at Fort Maurepas, in what is now Ocean Springs, and named it Old Biloxi. When his brother, Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville arrived, the settlement and its people were struggling to stay alive. Survive they did, but the stories Foreman unearthed during his time living in Bay St. Louis while he taught at the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast had a recurring thread. “Every chapter I researched I realized there was a theme,” Foreman says. “It was struggle against adversity and overcoming adversity.” Bienville, for example, became “half wild,” Foreman explains, learning native ways, covering his body with tattoos, and sometimes fighting in the nude. “Early Europeans learned to interact with the natives and do savage things,” he says. “Bienville was right there and did some dirty, nasty things. He earned fear and respect — however you want to call it — when very few could survive.” One of Foreman’s favorite stories is of Harriet Waters, otherwise known as Grandma Aken, who grew up on Horn Island off the coast. Her father manned the lighthouse on the 13-mile-long barrier island once visited by Bienville. Waters lived in mostly isolation, until an Irishman named Patrick arrived in 1853 and wooed her. Harriet’s father attempted to force Patrick to marry Harriet but a Norwegian named Peter Baker intervened and professed his love. Waters chose to wed Peter. She was 12 at the time, and newspaper accounts of her wedding made her a somewhat celebrity. “Harriett’s wedding gown was a ‘course factory wrapper’ and a ‘robe of native innocence,’ and she wore neither shoes nor a veil,” the book reads, quoting a Picayune article of the time. “They divorced 10 years later,” Foreman says. “In the records, it says she left him. She moved to Deer Island and remarried.” Foreman and Starrett have bypassed the Delta for now. They released their third book in the series, Hidden History of New Orleans, in late February, their biggest book
to date. Acclaimed Jackson novelist Katy Simpson Smith has written the foreword. Their recent book is a natural progression, Foreman says, considering that the Mississippi Gulf Coast and New Orleans share a history, that of the LeMoyne brothers as founders and the capital of Louisiana being Old Biloxi and New Orleans at different times in history. Starrett lives in Jackson and is also the author of Mississippi Bishop William Henry Elder and the Civil War, also from The History Press. Foreman now lives in Starkville where he teaches communications at Mississippi State University, but he treasured his time on the coast. “The coast has a special place in my heart,” the author says. “It’s one of the prettiest and most interesting places on earth.” Cheré Coen is assistant editor at DeSoto and the author of three Louisiana-themed books with The History Press.
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southern roots | ORGANIC FARMING
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Fresh, seasonal, organic produce can be found at your local farmer’s market.
Growing Organically By Verna Gates | Photography courtesy of David Allen and Alabama Extension Service
Third-generation farmer Daniel Allen of Springville, Tenn., transformed his family farm into one of the largest Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms in Tennessee Daniel Allen hasn’t sprayed pesticides on his vegetable crops in five years. His organic practices made chemicals obsolete. He discovered that by spraying, he killed the lady bugs, praying mantises and predatory wasps that now happily dispose of the bad bugs at no charge. “If you are doing everything right, after a period of years pesticides are not necessary,” says Allen, who runs Allenbrooke Farms in Springville, Tenn. “The ‘beneficials’ [insects] are so prolific, they do the job. If you spray, everything gets out of whack.” For him, the secret to organic farming lies in the soil. Using compost and cover crops on the off season, he is developing a soil with a healthy microecology. He calls his soil a “fertility bank.” “Good vegetables are a byproduct of good soil,” Allen says.
Allen transformed his family farm into one of the largest Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms in Tennessee. He sells “shares” to 400 members who come by weekly for 22 weeks a year to pick up a bushel of fresh-picked vegetables. Much to his family’s surprise, he routinely grosses in the mid-six figures as an independent farmer. His income increased as soon as he received his organic certification from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Another certifying agent is the Certified Naturally Grown, a group composed of farmers and academics. This group encompasses many organic farmers, such as a chicken farmer in Hartsell, Ala., “who don’t want to deal with the government.” “USDA certification is a lot of paperwork at first, but it has been beneficial to our business,” says Allen. With the farm-to-table movement, organic foods have DeSoto 33
risen to premium prices as they are snatched up by high-end restaurants and health-conscious consumers. Taste-makers have gone organic and more and more Americans are seeking out local wholistic farmers, like Allen. On menus across the nation, local farmers are named and credited with everything from the Brussel sprouts to the pork belly. Supporting local farmers has become a source of pride among restaurants, who keep many of the small farms in business. Frank Stitt, recently named Outstanding Restaurant by the James Beard Foundation, is often called “the godfather of Southern cuisine,” for his early adoption of local, organic, seasonal dishes in Highlands Bar and Grill, opened in Birmingham in 1982. While the organic movement has roots in the 1940s, and first exploded in the counter culture 1970s, it was 1990 when Congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act, forcing the USDA to install standards in the industry. It was 2002 before the USDA issued the final draft of the rules, which basically said: no contaminate land, no genetic engineering, no radiation, and no sewage sludge. In addition, organic farmers can only be approved for bio or synthetic fertilizers and pesticides when best practices (for example, crop rotation, chicken poop, and lady bugs) fail according to Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education. PLANT STRESS At the heart of the organic debate is chemical pesticides and herbicides. Much like humans who can be vulnerable to disease during stress, mismanaged crops can also demonstrate reactions to stress. Organic crops must be carefully selected for appropriate varieties for the climate and for the water need and availability. For example, Arizona plants do not thrive in the humid South and would need a shipload of chemicals to survive. “Any stress on a plant is a calling card for pests,” said Dr. Ayanava Majumdar, an entomologist and farm consultant at Auburn University. While organic pesticides are gentler on the whole system, Majumdar recommends, like Allen, more physical ways to dodge pests, such as covering crops to protect them or planting a sacrificial crop to draw pests away from the cash crop. Even so, approved pesticides for organic gardeners are available and tend to be bio-based, like a harmless-to-humans fungi that bugs don’t like. A big difference in commercial crop dusting with pesticides and herbicides rests in how deep the chemicals go — hitting the roots is forbidden in organic best practices. As for Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), the original corn and soybean modifications introduced a bacteria that would bolster insect protection. However, adding herbicides into the DNA of a plant violates all of the principals of organic farming. “There is no bad intention, but it is what people are afraid of,” Majumdar says. “You can’t use these in organic farming.” The good news, according to Majumdar, is the intense interest in organic. More research has been conducted on organic farming in the last 15 years than the preceding 50, 34 DeSoto
he says. Perhaps soon, our taste buds won’t be the only ones accessing the value of organic foods. To find organic farmers in your area, visit www.organic. ams.usda.gov/Integrity/ or www.certified.naturallygrown.org.
Verna Gates is a freelance writer and the author of 100 Things to Do in Birmingham Before You Die. Daniel Allen
Daniel Allen is a third-generation farmer who chose to keep the family tradition going, with one twist - he went organic to a set of subscribers. His business, Allenbrooke Farms, is a successful independent farming operation thanks to his organic business model. Labeling: What You Need to Know Only certified farmers can use the labels provided by the USDA and Certified Naturally Grown organizations. These two organizations send inspectors to ensure that their farmers are meeting organic standards. To be labeled organic, a product must contain 95 percent organic ingredients and the remaining 5 percent must be allowed ingredients, such as boric acid or newspaper. If it says “made with organic,” then 70 percent must be certified organic ingredients. Other ingredients may include non-approved substances such as baking soda, pectin, or enzymes in yogurt.
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table talk | GLOBAL CAFÉ
Dama
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Ibti cutting chicken
The Global Good By Tracy Morin | Photography courtesy of Global Café
Global Café brings a trio of under-represented ethnic foods—and a whole lotta heart—to Memphis’ Crosstown Concourse. Though Global Café in Memphis, Tenn., didn’t open its doors until August 2018, the concept had been years — perhaps a lifetime — in the making. After all, owner and CEO Sabine Langer had once been an immigrant herself, moving to the United States from Switzerland at 21 years old. But her desire to make a difference was the true driving force that led her to develop Global Café. “A few years ago, I came across an article about a Laotian man who helped the local refugee community in Memphis,” Langer recalls. “As an immigrant, I could relate to many of the challenges described, but I knew that what I had personally encountered, emigrating from one of the richest countries in the world, was nothing compared to what refugees go through.”
For nearly two years, Langer researched the best way she could tangibly benefit the lives of immigrants and refugees. In the process, she encountered two Memphisbased organizations, the Refugee Empower Program and Binghampton Development Corporation, which introduced her to people from a wide variety of backgrounds. “Among those people were several women who cooked as a way to make money,” Langer explains. “Unfortunately, it was too cost-prohibitive for them to consider having their own food truck, let alone opening a restaurant. That’s when I came up with the concept of a multicultural food hall.” Langer landed on an ideal spot for her new enterprise. Memphis’ Crosstown Concourse had bounced back from its own difficult history — like the refugee chefs themselves, a fitting DeSoto 37
embodiment of second chances, reinvention, and overcoming obstacles. Once a bustling Sears distribution center and retail store on a 12-acre site a stone’s throw from downtown, the building shuttered in 2009, until its unrecognizable revival and reopening in 2017. Today, the mixed-use space exemplifies a modern-day Cinderella story, now encompassing its own brewing company, private residences, retail outlets, nonprofit outposts, an art gallery, and, yes, a variety of foodie-approved concepts like Global Café. “Opening Global Café inside the Crosstown Concourse was a win-win,” Langer notes. “It provides customers with clean, easily accessible foods that they might have never tried otherwise, and it provides Global Café with a pool of 3,000 potential customers who live and work at the Concourse or in the area.” The Global Café concept centers around real-deal home cooking via three female chefs who were once refugees: Maria Bracho from Venezuela, Ibti Salih from Sudan, and Fayha Sakkan from Syria. They are housed in a compact but colorful cafeteria-type setup, one beside the other, encouraging diners to sample a little bit from each, thanks to affordable prices. Customer favorites from the Syrian stall include the kobabs and yalangi (stuffed grape leaves). In the Sudanese section, the chicken shawarma and the soup du jour, served with stuffed cheese potato bread, are reliable best-sellers, while four varieties of empanadas (meat-based, vegetarian, and vegan options) and the pabellón (shredded beef with beans, rice, and fried plantain) from the Venezuelan chef fly off the menu. Global Café also boasts outdoor seating and a full bar, which features internationally inspired cocktails and beers from Crosstown Concourse Brewing Co., all overseen by general manager Juan Viramontes, an immigrant who himself overcame dire poverty in Mexico to recreate his fortunes in the U.S. The profit-sharing business model ensures a true team effort, while the refugee chefs feel empowered by being able to start their own businesses without any up-front costs. “Global Café is unique because it offers three authentic and affordable world cuisines under one roof,” Langer says. “Memphis has made a lot of progress in offering a variety of cuisines, but I think there’s always room for expanding one’s palate and learning about new food and cultures. All of the dishes on our menus are authentic. The chefs will often say, ‘I remember cooking this dish with my family back home.’” globalcafememphis.com
Based in Oxford, Miss., Tracy Morin is an award-winning freelance writer and editor with a passion for covering food, beverage, beauty, and boxing.
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Somaya chicken shawarma
Their Secrets to Success The three refugee chefs behind Global Café share their experiences of spreading (and receiving) love through their home-cooked concept:
Maria Bracho, Venezuela “When I prepare a meal, I feel happy and do it with a lot of love—that’s my secret of success. I don’t work, I have fun! I also like how the Venezuelan community feels happy to find those flavors we used to eat in our country, so we can always remember our culture.”
Ibti Salih, Sudan “Since starting to work at Global Café, my life has changed quite a bit. I’ve made a lot of connections with different types of people from various backgrounds. I’ve learned about other cultures and become more experienced in cooking. Introducing Sudanese culture to Memphis made me feel a lot closer to the community, because I could finally share a piece of myself.”
Fayha Sakkan, Syria “I love to work at Global Café, because people learn more about our culture. It makes me happy when a customer says the food is delicious. I also like to work with other people from different countries—I learn a lot about them. The great part about Global Café is that we work as one hand, one team.”
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exploring destinations | ESCAPE ROOMS
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The Great Escapes By Jason Frye | Photography courtesy of Deadbolt Escape Rooms
Escape the ordinary in these area businesses where you’ll need to solve puzzles and crack clues to find your way out. As Indiana Jones stood in the jungle temple having switched a worthless bag of sand for a priceless golden idol, a smug look of satisfaction crossed his face. He’d won. Dr. Jones, a preeminent archaeologist and explorer, had correctly translated the clues, filled in the missing pieces of the map, and dodged spike-filled pits and a clutter of fist-sized spiders to come to this jungle temple and retrieve this artifact. If you watched the opening of Raiders of the Lost Ark and wanted to be Indiana Jones, dashing in his fedora, dangerous with his bullwhip, and defying the odds to emerge from any scrape with the prize in hand, you can. All you need to do is head to your nearest escape room, no fedora required. Escape rooms are live-action team-based games where players are “locked” in a prop-filled room and attempt to “escape” within 60 minutes by solving puzzles, cracking clues, and finishing riddles. They offer a taste of the Indiana Jones experience (minus the boulders, swarms of poison darts, guntoting bad guys or high-altitude drinking contests) and they’re popping up everywhere. Across the South, escape rooms large and small draw in hundreds of visitors a day to test their wits and wiles against the clock and leaderboard, a list of completion times used to measure a participant’s success and time. Tupelo’s Deadbolt Escape Rooms, TripAdvisor.com’s number two escape room in the state; Liberation Escape Rooms in Southaven, Miss.; and Tennessee’s own Memphis Escape Rooms with locations downtown and in East Memphis have legions of loyal fans. Though all escape rooms operate on the same idea— solve the clues and finish the puzzles to beat the clock and emerge victorious—they’re all a little different. You can play the part of a cop closing in on a serial killer before the next murder, or be that cop trying to escape from the serial killer who is holding you hostage. Maybe you’d rather be a pirate searching the Captain’s cabin for a treasure map before he
comes off duty in an hour. Or maybe you’d like to try your hand at fixing the mad scientist’s time machine so you can bring him back from wherever he went. Themes and difficulty vary, making escape rooms an appealing game to just about any age or experience level. Most escape rooms (including the ones mentioned above) host private family or friend gatherings, team building and corporate events, birthday parties, and more. Susan Smiley, who co-owns Southaven’s Liberation Escape Rooms with her husband, sister and brother-in-law, recently introduced her oldest daughter to escape room puzzles. “A lot of talk goes into what ages work for an escape room, so we were a little nervous when our eight-year-old daughter tried her first escape room puzzle,” Smiley says. “But when we saw her solve it, we knew she was hooked.” It’s a good thing since Smiley and her family find escape rooms when they’re on vacation. In 2016, Smiley and her family headed to Memphis to try their first escape room for her brother’s birthday. “We loved it. We talked about it for days,” she says. “And it wasn’t long after we tried our first escape room that my brother threw out the idea of opening our own.” Smiley’s brother and wife would handle puzzles, clues, and the flow of the room while Smiley and her husband would build props and source the puzzle components and decorations. Within a year, Liberation Escape Rooms was open. Escape rooms are games, so the puzzles at Liberation, at Deadbolt, and at Memphis Escape Rooms are designed to be won. “We don’t want a room no one can win,” says Smiley. “What we want are rooms that are challenging but fun. Fun to win. Fun to attempt. Fun to be in.” Liberation Escape Rooms has five rooms, each with a different theme and difficulty level. The two intro rooms—a science fair-themed room and another where players try to DeSoto 41
help Santa clear up a situation with a rogue elf—are easier, geared toward younger or inexperienced players like Smiley’s daughter. Others, like the knight-themed room, are more difficult and cater to experienced players. At Deadbolt Escape Rooms and at the two locations Memphis Escape Rooms runs, the setup is similar but themes and difficulty vary. Deadbolt’s four rooms stay busy, and their Magnolia Mystery Room, where you work to “find the hiding place of a Mississippi millionaire’s treasure,” brings things close to home with a bit of local flavor. Deadbolt also has The Deadbolt Mystery Society, a subscription box service that sends boxes full of puzzles, clues, and interviews to participants for them to solve a new mystery every month. It’s like an escape room, but at home. Memphis Escape Rooms, which has 10 rooms between the two locations, has a Memphis-themed puzzle where players search a trove of Memphis memorabilia to find the lost Key to the City and win the game. Deadbolt Escape Rooms 1186 Cliff Gookin Blvd., Suite B Tupelo, Miss. (662) 213-8893 www.deadboltescaperooms.com Liberation Escape Rooms 975 Goodman Rd. East, Suite 31 Southaven, Miss. (662) 536-6231 www.liberationescaperooms.com Memphis Escape Rooms East Memphis 1010 June Rd., Suite 100 (901) 602-6372 Downtown Memphis 530 S. Main (901) 646-1376 www.memphisescaperooms.com
Jason Frye lives in Wilmington, N.C., and has successfully escaped from all but one escape room. He’s still there now.
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on the road again | AUGUSTA, GEORGIA
, a t s AuguGeorgia
8:30 - Start the day with an adventurous meal at Bodega Ultima, a welcoming eatery reminiscent of neighborhood cafes found in Spain and Italy. Try The Basque, a breakfast sandwich comprised of fresh ricotta, tomato, avocado, chorizo, and an organic brown egg omelette with house aioli. 9:30 - The boyhood home of President Woodrow Wilson provides a look at this president’s childhood in the home where he spent the longest period in one residence. During this tenure, Wilson’s father served as the pastor of Augusta’s First Presbyterian Church. 10:30 - Take a boat journey down the nation’s only industrial power canal still in use for its original purpose, and experience a glimpse of the city’s history, scenery and recreation along the Augusta Canal. Choose between a history and nature tour or a Civil War history tour. Noon - At Farmhaus Burger, choose from gourmet burgers, hot dogs and spiked milkshakes using locally sourced ingredients. Not sure which Farmhaus creation to choose? Just build your own: Choose your own patty meat (or vegan!), bun, sauce and gourmet toppings to create your own signature sandwich. 1:30 - While not everyone can play Augusta National (members only), you can test your skills at disc golf at Lake Olmstead Park. This course is short with nine holes, but is a great introduction to the growing sport. 2:30 - Start your downtown exploration at the visitor center, known as Augusta & Co., which contains a wealth of information and knowledgeable staff members. Then head out to some of the museums, including the Morris Museum of Art, which features close to 5,000 pieces of art by Southern artists. 4:30 - Stroll along the Augusta Riverwalk along the Savannah River, and enjoy the city’s natural beauty. Along the way, take in the various gardens or turn the kids loose to play on the children’s playground. 5:30 - Take in panoramic views of downtown Augusta as you relax with a handcrafted cocktail from the P.I. Rooftop Bar at The Partridge Inn. 6:30 - At Finch & 5th, choose from a menu filled with Southern classics that feature an artisanal twist. Think tomato, bacon and brie sliders, artisanal grilled cheese with truffles and seahive, and meatloaf with tomato relish. 8:00 - As the hometown of James Brown, you can bet Augusta overflows with live music, much of which is inspired by the Godfather of Soul. The James Brown Arena, the Miller Theater, the Imperial Theatre and the Jessye Norman Amphitheater maintain full schedules of entertainment.
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To plan your visit:
The Partridge Inn - Augusta Convention and Visitors Bureau.
www.visitaugusta.com augustacanal.com/boat-tours.php
Upcoming Events: Quickies Short Play Festival April 10-19 This annual short play festival at Le Chat Noir showcases original works by local writers. A juried show of 10- to 15-minute plays, the festival is a wonderful way to experience new genres and theatrical styles. Sacred Heart Garden Festival April 24-25 This annual classic Southern gardening event welcomes the arrival of spring while raising funds to support the Sacred Heart Cultural Center. Activities include an afternoon tea, floral exhibits, educational speakers, a tour of gardens, and the everpopular Derby Garden Party. Cookin’ for Kids Oyster Roast April 25 Held at Daniel Field Airport, this event welcomes all attendees to indulge in all-you-can-eat steamed and roasted oysters as you enjoy live music by The Unmentionables and bid on great items during the live auction.
The Hive, photo by Jason Piper
Augusta Canal Tour - Augusta Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Augusta skyline - Augusta Convention and Visitors Bureau.
-- Compiled by Karon Warren
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greater goods | APRIL SHOWERS
April Showers
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1. Roma rain boots, Center Stage Fashions, 324 W Commerce Street, Hernando, MS 2. Rain jackets, The Pink Zinnia, 134 West Commerce Street, Hernando, MS 3. Rain boots, The Speckled Egg, 5100 Interstate 55, Marion, AR 4. Kid’s rain coats, Aiden + Ollie, 5627 Getwell Road, Southaven, MS 5. Reverse close umbrellas, Bon Von, 230 W Center Street, Hernando, MS 6. Umbrella, Mimi’s on Main, 432 Main Street, Senatobia, MS 7. Rain jackets, Center Stage Fashions, 324 W Commerce Street, Hernando, MS 8. Charles River Apparel rain jackets, Bon Von, 230 W Center Street, Hernando, MS 9. Duck boot, The Bunker Boutique, 2400 Hwy 51 S #1, Hernando, MS
- Please continue to support local businesses during this difficult time. Call, Facebook message or order from their websites. Most are offering curbside pickup or free shipping. 46 DeSoto
greater goods | EASTER DECOR
Easter Decor
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1. Easter Bunny evidence kit, Cynthia’s Boutique, 2529 Caffey Street, Hernando, MS 2 T-towel and candle, Bon Von, 230 W Center Street, Hernando, MS 3. Decorative bunnies, Bon Von, 230 W Center Street, Hernando, MS 4. Coontown Pottery bunnies, Mimi’s on Main, 432 Main Street, Senatobia, MS 5. Easter Ribbon, House to Home, 8961 Hwy. 51, Southaven, MS 6. Etta B platter, Paisley Pineapple, 6542 Goodman Road, Olive Branch, MS 7. Easter Gnomes, The Speckled Egg, 5100 Interstate 55, Marion, AR 8. Monogrammed bunnies and hand towel, Commerce Street Market, 74 W Commerce St, Hernando, MS 9. Mudpie Deviled egg tray, Cynthia’s Boutique, 2529 Caffey Street, Hernando, MS 10. Hand painted Easter baskets, Merry Magnolia, 194 E Military Road, Marion, AR 11. Etta B platter, Ultimate Gifts, 3075 Goodman Road E, Southaven, MS DeSoto 47
Discovery Park of America - Union City, Tennessee
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Staying Close to
home By Mary Ann DeSantis and Cheré Coen Photography courtesy of GRAMMY Museum; The Guest House; Discovery Park of America; Tishomingo County Development Foundation & Tourism; Mary Ann DeSantis and Cheré Coen
While the Coronavirus may have disrupted your major travel plans for upcoming vacations, don’t despair. Plenty of nearby destinations offer memorable getaways and a chance to relax without the crowds. And the best part: all you have to do is hop in your car and go! DeSoto 49
The Guest House at Graceland Lobby
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Central Ave. in Laurel, MS
If you find yourself looking for a cure for the summertime blues, a short getaway to these area attractions might be just what the doctor orders. The DeSoto editors remembered some of their favorite places with hopes that these ideas will encourage you to plan a staycation this summer. The Guest House at Graceland Memphis, Tenn. guesthousegraceland.com It’s a long way from a heartbreak hotel to The Guest House, the 450-room luxury resort adjacent to Graceland, the iconic home of Elvis Presley. Open since 2016, The Guest House is more than a nod to Elvis and an extension of Graceland. Many Memphians say it’s the ultimate staycation with large, comfortable rooms and suites, excellent dining, luxurious amenities, and a big dose of Southern hospitality. Nods to Elvis are everywhere: curved, high-backed sofas in the lobby are meant to mimic the collars on some of Elvis’ capes, and the heart-shaped outdoor fire pit is called “Burning Love.” The gabled entrance and grand staircase are largescale replicas of those at Graceland. Elvis fans will love the nonstop soundtrack of Elvis songs playing in the lobby and public areas. The “make-yourself-at-home” vibe is evident throughout the resort, especially on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights when you can make your own s’mores on the back lawn. It is easy to while away an afternoon poolside or playing games on the back lawn. If you want to explore, however, it’s a short walk or shuttle ride to Graceland and the Elvis Presley Memphis attraction, a 200,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art entertainment complex that showcases the life and career of the King of Rock ’n’ Roll. Mississippi Petrified Forest Flora, Miss. mspetrifiedforest.com Long before conservation became a buzzword, Bob and Shirl Schabilion acquired the Petrified Forest in August 1962 to preserve it. Although Mississippians knew about this primeval forest since the 1800s, it opened to the public only after the couple bought it. The forest supposedly formed 36 million years ago when fir and maple logs washed down an ancient river channel to DeSoto 51
Legacy Guitars at the Grammy Museum
the current site where they later became petrified. Declared a National Natural Landmark in 1965, the Mississippi Petrified Forest combines natural history with peaceful surroundings. The science lessons abound. Visitors learn how the giant, earth tone stones were once living trees, some reaching more than 100 feet in height and 15 feet in diameter. The Nature Trail offers signs at each point of interest, and a leisurely stroll tells the story of how this unusual forest unfolded. The most photographed “log” is Caveman’s Bench, which lies right on the trail. The on-site Earth Science Museum displays, among other things, dinosaur footprints, whale bones, and a complete cast of a prehistoric camel. Kids will find visiting the Petrified Forest to be a memorable experience as they enjoy the gem-mining flume, where they receive a bag of “mine muck,” a real term for rocks out of the mine. They wash and screen the muck for real gems – which they can keep. The Mississippi Petrified Forest is so peaceful that you might want to stay overnight in the small, secluded campground where RV and tent sites are available. Discovery Park of America Union City, Tenn. discoveryparkofamerica.com To say there’s something for everyone at Discovery Park of America would sound like an overused cliché, but we’ve yet to find an attraction that comes close. Located in west Tennessee, Discovery Park offers 100,000 52 DeSoto
square feet of exhibits that run the gamut from an extensive dinosaur and fossil collection to a 20,000-gallon aquarium showcasing aquaculture lying beneath area lakes. Visitors can view military equipment and vintage cars, learn about technology, science and Native Americans — even view a gallery of artwork. A 4-D simulation theater lets visitors experience the earthquakes of the early 1800s, seismic activity that transformed the region. And that’s just naming a few of the exhibits. In addition, the temporary exhibit “Astronaut,” through May 3, lets guests explore the challenges involved in space exploration with 26 different stations that demonstrate how life is lived in space with zero gravity. Outside the main building is the 50-acre Heritage Park, several historic buildings where craftspeople may be viewed at work, dressed in period costumes. There’s also the Train Depot where visitors may enter and tour antique train cars, the Chapel with working bell tower, tractor displays, and much more. Naturally, since this is a full-day adventure, the park offers dining options. Union City is only home to 10,000 people so accommodations are limited to Sleep Inn and Mainstay Suites but Holiday Inn Express & Suites will be opening soon. Historic Downtown Laurel Laurel, Miss. laurelms.com/travel-tourism/history Tu c k e d a w a y i n t h e s o u t h Mississippi’s Pine Belt region, Laurel has undergone an amazing resurgence
in the past four years due to the popular HGTV “Home Town” television series. Dedicated fans of the show have descended on the charming town for weekend visits, and some from as far away as Canada – as seen on a recent episode – have even stuck around to buy houses. With the most intact collection of early 20th century architecture in Mississippi, Laurel is a natural setting for the HGTV series that features Laurelites Erin and Ben Napier renovating the historic properties. Stroll down Fifth and Sixth avenues near the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art and you’ll see several of the homes that have been featured on the series. A visit to Laurel should include a stop at the world-class Lauren Rogers Museum, which was built in 1923 in the heart of the historic district and features fine arts from around the world. Although not in the historic district, the Veterans Memorial Museum on Hillcrest Drive houses an array of war-time memorabilia and tells how the world wars impacted Laurel and Mississippi. Staffed by volunteers, the museum hours can change so call ahead before going. An afternoon of shopping in the quaint boutiques – many of which have been featured on “Home Town” – will uncover quite a few “Made in Mississippi” items, especially at the Laurel Mercantile, co-owned by the Napiers. Make a stop on Central Avenue at the Leontyne Price Musical Park, which honors Laurel’s native daughter and legendary opera singer. You can ease stress by playing on the musical instruments that were installed last summer and then head across the street for an ice cream cone or cookie at Sweet Somethings Bakery. Grammy Museum Mississippi Cleveland, Miss. grammymuseums.org Mississippi was fortunate to acquire the second Grammy Museum outside of Los Angeles, an educational component of the Recording Academy which hosts the annual Grammy Awards. It’s a treat to visit anytime, but now through the end of August the Cleveland museum honors female musicians who have long been a vital component of country music. The special exhibit, “Stronger Together: The Power of Women in Country Music,” honors both the pioneers and modern trendsetters. DeSoto 53
Tishomingo State Park
The exhibit begins with early female artists such as The Carter Family, Kitty Wells, Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, and Patsy Cline. Their hard work and influence paved the way for newcomers such as Alison Krauss, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and Rosanne Cash. The exhibit finishes with new female powerhouses Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, and the Dixie Chicks, to name a few. Curated by the Los Angeles Grammy Museum, the exhibit includes artifacts such as Caylee Hammack’s guitar given to her by her father, Rosanne Cash’s Martin OM-28M acoustic guitar, and Swift’s banjo used in her music video “Mean.” There are also outfits worn by the musicians, including performance clothes by Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman and Karen Fairchild at the Dolly Parton Tribute at the 61st Grammy Awards and Brandi Carlile’s custom Manuel Cuevas Duster worn during the first all-female headlining set at the 2019 Newport Folk Festival. Videos of Grammy performances top off the exhibit, with some exquisite, tear-inducing moments. Tishomingo State Park Tishomingo County, Miss. mdwfp.com/parks-destinations/state-parks/tishomingo Visit for the day or stay the night at Tishomingo State Park located north of Tupelo along the Natchez Trace Parkway. The park is named for Chickasaw Chief Tishomingo, but archaeological excavations have unearthed presence of Paleo Indians dating back to 7000 B.C. It’s easy to see why Native Americans loved this spot nestled in the Appalachian Mountain 54 DeSoto
foothills, with its streams, cool rock formations, and unique flora and fauna. The park contains 13 miles of nature trails that range from easy to moderate hiking. Rock climbing on the park’s unique bluffs is available by permit from the park office and climbers must bring their own equipment. Bear Creek with its sandstone bluffs and shoals flows through Tishomingo and the park offers a 6.25-mile canoe trip daily from mid-April through mid-October, weather permitting. The 45-acre fresh water Haynes Lake is popular with fishermen. Other park attributes include picnic area with grills, playgrounds, and swimming pool during the summer months. Sports enthusiasts will want to check out the disc golf course, volleyball court, and a multi-use field. Accommodations vary from primitive campsites and 62 RV sites along the edge of Haynes Lake to six rustic cabins nestled on the rocky bluffs above Bear Creek. The park also offers a two-bedroom modern cottage and a group camp facility.
As summer approaches, editors Mary Ann DeSantis and Chere Coen hope you’ll consider some family road trips around the South.
Game Night at Home
It’s quite ok to spend your leisure time at home instead of on the road, because family time is priceless. Games are a low-cost way to spend quality time with your family, and the friendly competition is healthy for all ages. Children also learn math and critical thinking skills without even realizing they are getting an educational component along with all that fun. The DeSoto Magazine staff is playing a lot of their favorite board and card games during the selfimposed quarantines. Please share your game night recommendations on our Facebook page as we plan to make game night a regular thing in our homes, and we’re looking for more ideas. In the meantime, here are our top choices for a family night of fun: Jenga Heads Up! (both the board game and iPhone app) Chutes and Ladders Dominos Exploding Kittens® (cards) Bears vs. Babies® (cards) Twister® Pictionary® Trivial Pursuit® Rummikub® Scrabble® Making the Best of It
If games aren’t your thing, plan a themed movie night. Nashville writer Chris Chamberlain and his wife, Lisa, decided to reprise a “greatest hits” of their favorite past travel destinations. They listened to themed playlists while they cooked regional meals and watched movies filmed in those locations. Think spaghetti dinner while viewing “Roman Holiday.”
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Motorcycling through the
south By Gary McKechnie Photography courtesy of Nancy Howell and visitnc.com
The author of Great American Motorcycle Tours takes us on a ride through his favorite Southern routes. Motorcycles on Blue Ridge Parkway Near Haywood Overlook in Waynesville
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Mississippi Blues Cruise
Mississippi Blues Cruise
I flip up my helmet’s visor and flood my lungs with cool, clean mountain air. The engine of my motorcycle is pulsing like a power drill and every ounce of acceleration I need is there for the asking. At the crest of a hill, I twist the throttle, drop into a curve, and accelerate through a canopy of trees. The wind sweeps over my helmet and from the hills and rivers and lakes and forests the power of nature washes over me. Ask any rider and they’ll tell you how a two-wheeled tour enhances your existence because a motorcycle doesn’t just get you there, it takes you back. Back to a time when you had the freedom to follow your passions…and follow the roads less traveled.
Arkansas Mountain Run, 210 miles Hot Springs to Eureka Springs
Road Scholar
While writing a travel guide of nationwide motorcycle tours, I’d connect three destinations — usually walking towns — that offered a nice blend of culture, history, and scenery. On research rides I took back roads that followed the curves of a river or rolled past endless fields of wildflowers or led to an overlook. A constant source of pleasure was finding Southern diners where, if a waitress asked me “What’ll you have, honey?”, I’d make a mental note to include that café in the book. Whether you plan to travel on a motorcycle, a car, pickup truck, or your family mini-van, consider exploring a few of my favorite Southern tours that’ll give you an excuse to get off the laptop – and get on the blacktop. 58 DeSoto
It was always a hot time in Hot Springs when this was a favorite getaway for gangsters and gamblers. While things have calmed down considerably, I was impressed half of downtown is a national park and I could still “take the waters” in centuryold vintage bath houses. Riding north, I escaped into the 1.8 million-acre Ouachita National Forest where the Scenic 7 Byway kicked things into gear with a few slow drops, casual S-curves, and steep climbs. From the crest of the hills, I could spy sunken valleys and a porous landscape sprinkled with mirror-like lakes. The traffic of Russellville eventually yielded to the countryside where a traffic sign told me I would soon drift into a rider’s dream: 63 miles of steep curves and sharp drops. After rolling through the Piney Creeks Wildlife Area where narrow roads led higher to Moccasin Gap and the Hog Heaven Scenic Overlook, I split off Scenic 7 for 74 West where, just west of Ponca, there’s an amazing confluence of environments blending scenes from North Carolina, vistas from Vermont, the grasslands of central California, and traces of Wyoming prairie. In fact, the road seldom flagged all the way to Eureka Springs, an overachieving town of around 2,000 where there are dozens of bed and breakfasts, three historic hotels, a steam railroad, a Passion Play, Native American site, around 100 spas and massage studios, a preserve for orphaned and abused tigers and bears, and more than 7,000 weddings a year,
some held at Thorncrown Chapel, named by members of the American Institute of Architecture as the fourth best building design of the 20th century. Great roads and new discoveries. The essence of a perfect motorcycle run.
Mississippi Blues Cruise, 224 miles Memphis to Vicksburg
The Mississippi Delta may lack the dramatic natural landscapes of the American West, but it more than compensates in its global influence. And that’s why I needed to see it. I started in Memphis where, like other travelers, I visited Graceland, Sun Records, Stax, Beale Street, the National Civil Rights Museum, and assorted barbecue joints and watering holes. And when it was time to saddle up and head out, I was fueled by adrenaline knowing I’d be rolling south with the current of the Mississippi River. Although it was usually out of sight, it was never far from my mind. Not long after leaving Memphis, the buildings disappeared and the farmland began. Aside from Tunica which flared up and faded away, I was lost in the emptiness of a region where the blues grew like cotton; its incredible story told at Clarksdale’s mustsee Delta Blues Museum. It was strangely calming to return to riding the Delta flatlands where the wind struck with force because there was nothing to stop it but me. Shelby was the next town of any size followed by Merigold, then Cleveland, and then Shaw where some cows varied the scenery slightly, but then the road drifted back to sleep. On the final 80 miles into Vicksburg, I was already reflecting on the journey. While some might view the Delta as a desolate region, I felt it was actually a region of hope. Despite the lack of culture as outsiders define it, the people here developed a culture that, more than opera or ballet or Broadway, spoke to young people around the world who, in turn, channeled this music into a social and political force that changed the way we live. And it all started right here. In towns like Panther Burn and Nitta Yuma and Hushpuckena. Suddenly the Delta didn’t seem so empty anymore.
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Arkansas Mountain Run
Blue Ridge Parkway Run, 200 miles Mount Airy to Hendersonville, North Carolina
In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was working overtime to bring America out of the Great Depression. Among the items in his toolkit was the Civilian Conservation Corps which provided work to hundreds of thousands of young men who built parks, dams, bridges, and the Blue Ridge Parkway – a 469-mile toll-free dream that winds its way through the Appalachians. Although Mount Airy isn’t the starting point of the BRP (that’s in Front Royal, Va.) it’s Andy Griffith’s hometown and so I would start there. The town delivered everything I wanted including a barbershop, a diner, and plenty of Mayberry memorabilia. When it was time to move on, I entered the Blue Ridge Parkway in Fancy Gap at Mile Marker 200 where the air was instantly perfumed by the grass and flowers of the surrounding mountains and valleys. As I rode past mile after mile of dogwoods, evergreens, meadows, and glades, I often saw cars and motorcycles had pulled over and travelers relaxing on the soft grass to enjoy picnics, naps, and nature. The road continued, smooth and flowing past gaps and overlooks like The Lump, Benge Gap, and Calloway Gap where I couldn’t resist stopping just to gaze at America. After a night in Blowing Rock, I explored the town and toured the web of country roads that surrounded it. After discovering towns like Valle Crucis where I found the original Mast General Store, it was back to the Parkway where visions 60 DeSoto
on the road ahead surpassed those of the day before. The Linn Cove Viaduct reminded me of the famed Bixby Creek Bridge on the Pacific Coast Highway, and a mix of gradual dives and immaculate ascensions thrilled me on a 50-mile stretch through the Pisgah National Forest before 30 additional miles kicked in with curves and angles Pythagoras couldn’t calculate. With granite columns on my left and valleys and mountains on my right, it was a rollercoaster ride that delivered the USDA recommended allowance of excitement. At Interstate 26 I waved farewell to the Blue Ridge Parkway and headed into Hendersonville where a closer look at a map reminded me where I was: just three miles away from the Flat Rock Playhouse and Carl Sandburg home, 17 miles to Chimney Rock, 18 miles to the Pisgah National Forest, 19 miles to the fabulous Biltmore Estate, and less than 20 miles to Saluda, Tryon, Bat Cave, and Brevard. Hendersonville was the hub and two-lane back roads radiated out like the spokes of a wheel… a motorcycle wheel. Gary McKechnie is a two-time National Geographic author, two-time winner of the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award, and author of Great American Motorcycle Tours. His website is www.garymckechnie.com.
Arkansas Mountain Run
Before You Ride
• The first and most essential step in learning to ride a motorcycle is taking the Basic Rider Course sponsored by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. Up to 10 hours of classroom-style instruction prepares you for 10 hours of hands-on riding exercises in a controlled, off-street environment — typically, a paved parking lot. Sign up at www.msf-usa.org. • If you know how to ride but don’t own a motorcycle, don’t worry. Eaglerider (www.eaglerider.com) rents Harleys, BMWs, Suzukis, Yamahas, Hondas, Kawasakis, and other brands for around $150 per day. You’ll need a driver’s license with a motorcycle endorsement. • If you find you like motorcycling and want to invest in a bike, beginning riders can take modest tours on bikes with a cruiser design, saddlebags, and at least a 650cc engine. On longer rides, a sport/touring model with at least 800cc’s should work. DeSoto 61
Zafiro at dusk
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Luxury Cruising on the
Amazon River By Tom Adkinson Photography courtesy of Tom Adkinson and International Expeditions
The 38-passenger Zafiro vessel offers a chance to view unique cultures and nature in one of the most isolated places on earth. DeSoto 63
Skiff and lily pads
Spotter
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A trip to Peru usually means gasping for breath high in the Andes Mountains at Machu Picchu, but for a select few adventurous souls it means gasping in delight at the sight of pink dolphins, howler monkeys, or big-beaked toucans while cruising in luxury on the Amazon River. The Zafiro, a three-deck vessel itself built deep in the rainforest, is the reason “luxury” and “Amazon River” are not mutually exclusive. The Zafiro is a powerful, somewhat boxy-looking boat that is a mobile island of creature comforts in one of the most isolated regions on earth. It has air-conditioned cabins with floor-to-ceiling windows for 38 passengers, nice linens, hot water showers, power to recharge electronics, and a crew of 24 that has three chefs, including a baker. Even better, it carries an expedition leader and up to three Peruvian naturalists who seem to know every bird that flies, the cry of every monkey in the trees, and the hiding place of every frog, snake, and caiman. As comfortable as the Zafiro is, a seven-day trip on the Amazon remains an adventure. Unlike a European riverboat cruise that offers tours of castles and vineyards, the Zafiro delivers two or three mini-excursions a day to search for wildlife, kayak on a placid tributary, fish for piranhas, and meet an honest-to-goodness shaman. These excursions take place on small flatbottom boats with powerful outboard motors. International Expeditions, a nature-oriented soft-adventure firm in Birmingham, Ala., organizes approximately 16 weeklong trips on the Zafiro every year. “We attract interesting people who want to do more than check off a bucket list item,” says Steve Cox, founder and executive director. “They really want to get to know a place, and there is much to learn in the Amazon.” When my wife and I were aboard, our fellow adventurers included a Virginia couple and their children ages 6 and 8, a California mother-daughter duo (the mother, definitely past 70, jumped right in when a chance to swim with pink dolphins came along), a couple of serious nature photographers, and a baby boomer couple. The destination intrigued all of us. Cox notes that the word “Amazon” alone is a magnet. The region is not so much inherently dangerous as it is overwhelmingly big. The Amazon River DeSoto 65
Piranha stringer
Poison dart frog
system touches eight countries and drains an area the size of the continental United States. The Amazon River has five major tributaries, a n d t h e Z a f i r o ’ s route includes the confluence of the 1,100-mile-long Ucayali River and the 879-mile-long Marañón River, the point where “Amazon” appears on maps. The cruise starts and ends in Iquitos, the world’s largest city unreachable by road. The river already is two miles wide when it gets to Iquitos and has 2,200 miles to go to reach the Atlantic Ocean. Grasping the scale of the region is almost impossible. Cruise groups assemble in Lima and jet over the Andes to get there. Naturalist Juan Tejada, an Iquitos native, knows his home territory as well as any Southern country boy knows his own hunting and fishing grounds—perhaps even better, since Tejada has so much biological diversity to learn. His love of the Amazon is infectious. “It’s as big a thrill to see a little red-capped cardinal as it is to see a toucan colorful enough to be the model for the Fruit Loops cereal box,” Tejada said, recalling his early years of learning how to observe wildlife and how to mimic their calls. 66 DeSoto
He happily coaxes monkeys into view, can tell the difference between the cry of a red howler monkey and that of a donkey bird (they are very similar), and can deliver an impressive rat-atat-tat machine gun impression to a banded kingfisher. In my week with Tejada and his fellow naturalist Edgard Vascones, we saw sloths, caimans, 11 types of monkeys, two dolphin species, frogs, toads, butterflies, an anaconda, a red-tailed boa, scores of bird species, a red-rump tarantula— and that was just at the start of our journey. International Expeditions provides an animal checklist, and debriefing sessions in the Zafiro’s lounge were opportunities to recall exactly what we’d seen. At the start of the week, the list seemed impossibly long; at week’s end, it was astounding the variety and quantity we had seen, some extremely up close. To Tejada and Vascones, the objective of a Zafiro cruise is showcasing this immense ecosystem, and part of that is getting to the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, a protected region the size of Belgium. Only about 3,000 people a year sign ledger books at one of the reserve’s seven ranger stations. At 3.7 million acres, the reserve is seven times bigger
Three-toed sloth
than Great Smoky Mountains National Park, yet a Zafiro day trip into the reserve featured a breakfast aboard our motorized skiffs that would have made any five-star resort proud—hot coffee in ceramic mugs, cold orange and papaya juice, wicker trays filled with omelets, cereal, chicken salad in soft rolls and a surprise piece of chocolate cake—all under a tropical sky and with a rainforest backdrop. That set the stage for seeing a three-toed sloth, a tree full of capuchin monkeys, long-ear bats, squirrel monkeys and a howler monkey, all before lunch. There’s a human side to a Zafiro trip, too. International Expeditions has built relationships with seven villages, and that permits meeting people such as a shaman named Roman and his apprentice Sergio. To Roman, the rainforest is a living pharmacy that helps him care for people in DeSoto 67
several villages. From Roman’s medicine cabinet: One plant treats bronchitis, another produces an elixir to combat pinkeye, and another that looks like philodendron produces antivenom for snakebites. Vascones tells a harrowing tale of how the antivenom saved his father’s life. Another village highlight is meeting a group of children in their one-room school. Zafiro passengers are encouraged to bring simple gifts (crayons, pencils, writing pads, small calculators) for the children. The reward for my group came when the kids grabbed our hands and proved that “The Hokey-Pokey” transcends cultures. Back on the Zafiro, all crewmembers are cross-cultural educators who want their passengers to learn about Peru. Chef Jose Rabanal explains the Peruvian dishes he serves, the on-board masseuse is an inspiring dance instructor, and more than a fourth of the crew formed a very tight band that performs almost nightly. The musicianship of an engineer who plays a 10-string Peruvian instrument called a charango would have impressed Ricky Skaggs or Bill Monroe. Every day on a Zafiro cruise dawns with the expectation of seeing amazing sights while still pinching yourself because you are traveling in luxury. ietravel.com/experience/small-shipcruises/zafiro Ceveche demonstration
Tom Adkinson, a member of the Society of American Travel Writers, enjoys being on the water wherever he is, and he wants to return to the Amazon for another chance to catch a piranha. He failed the first time.
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homegrown | HOOVER SAUCE
A Zingy Sauce with Style By Jackie Sheckler Finch | Photography courtesy of Shari Lee
Asian-inspired, Mississippi Delta-made Hoover Sauce has become so popular it’s now being shipped coast to coast. When Hoover Lee would grill ribs and wings for family and friends, he yearned for the delicious Cantonese duck sauce from his Chinese homeland. Since Hoover couldn’t find the sauce in his Mississippi hometown of Louise, the creative cook came up with a solution. He made his own sauce. “Dad would cook for the fire department and church fellowship meals, and our friends would come in and ask for Hoover’s sauce from the meal,” his daughter Shari Lee says. “It was word of mouth how Hoover Sauce was created.” Besides the love that went into it, Hoover Lee’s sauce has something extra added. “Dad wanted to incorporate flavors he’d come to love while growing up in the Delta,” Shari Lee says. 70 DeSoto
As a result, the Asian-inspired, Mississippi Delta-made Hoover Sauce is a sweet savory mix that has been described as having a special zing to it. “Dad perfected the sauce and people loved it and wanted to buy some to use at home,” Lee says. “In 1975, Dad bottled it himself and sold it in our store, Lee Hong Company.” Word began to spread and the sauce quickly became a regional specialty that attracts local townspeople and connoisseurs around the world. When Cole Ellis opened his Delta Meat Market in 2013 in Cleveland, Miss., the chef had never heard of the local sauce. He quickly learned about it through an employee.
“We found that we were selling a lot of barbecue ribs and sauces and one of my first employees was from Louise, and he was really eager for us to carry it so I gave it a shot,” Ellis says. The result? Ellis says he was pleasantly surprised. “We primarily use it on our steak frites, but customers have started requesting it to put on all sorts of dishes on our menu. While a lot of locals have known about Hoover Sauce for years, most people had traditionally used it as a marinade as opposed to a sauce that you add to a dish. Now we have to make the trip to Louise to buy more sauce a lot more regularly.” When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration began requiring nutrition labels in 2015, Shari Lee worked with the Food and Science Department at Mississippi State University— the alma mater of her father, her brothers and herself—to meet FDA requirements. The sauce that was first developed and made by Hoover Lee in his home kitchen is now manufactured and bottled by a Mississippi co-packer. Since then, the devoted fan base for the sauce has grown even more. The sauce has been featured by chefs around the country and highlighted in local as well as national magazines. Hoover Sauce is now shipped coast to coast in the United States as well as to such distant locales as Germany, France, and Hawaii. As owner of Ultimate Gifts in Southhaven, Miss., Lauren Norton has seen firsthand the booming popularity of the sauce. “It’s a hot seller for sure,” Norton says. “We sell it by the gallon. I use it myself to add a different twist to venison, pork, chicken, steak. It’s a perfect marinade, but you also can use it as a dipping sauce.” Hoover Sauce is a wonderful addition to the gift baskets created by Ultimate Gifts and is a featured item in the store’s men section. “It can be so hard to buy for guys, but many guys love to barbecue and Hoover Sauce is a neat Mississippi product,” Norton says.
As for that name, Hoover Sauce is a salute to the family’s Chinese/American heritage. Hoover Lee was named after the U.S.S. Hoover which safely brought Hoover as an infant from China to the U.S. in 1934. Lee Hong, Hoover’s father, had emigrated from China to the U.S. in 1917 and established a grocery store business in Louise. He returned to China several times before bringing his family to the U.S. When Hoover grew up, he went to Mississippi State as a business major and met his future wife. After Hoover earned his college degree and completed a term in the U.S. Army, he and his wife returned to his family hometown of Louise to help run the store, which they eventually took over in 1960. While running the store, Hoover also served six terms as the mayor of Louise (population 177). More than six decades later, Hoover and his wife Freeda have three grown children and a thriving family business. Since Hoover and Freeda retired, his sons Stan and Tim now run the family store while Shari manages the sauce business in Madison, Miss. “The sauce has always been there for my family,” Shari Lee says. “Now, when I see the sauce on the shelves at stores and gift shops, I am so proud. I pretty much touch every box that goes out. I call it putting a little ‘Hoover love’ on it so that others will love it as much as my family does. I feel so blessed to share my Dad’s sauce and story with the world. I just want to honor my dad. I’m so proud to be his daughter.”
An award-winning journalist, Jackie Sheckler Finch loves to take to the road to see what lies beyond the next bend.
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southern gentleman | STUTTGART, GERMANY
Mercedes Benz Museum
Porsche Museum
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MotorWorld Tourists
Stuttgart:
The City of Car-Making Royalty Story and photography by Debi Lander
While many visitors head to Germany for Octoberfest celebrations, Christkindl markets, and Rhine River cruises, car enthusiasts have discovered Stuttgart as the place for automotive history and vintage cars. Founded in the 10th century, Stuttgart is the capital of southwest Germany’s Baden-Wßrttemberg state and has become a major economic and industrial hub, particularly after World War II. The city is home to both the Mercedes-Benz and Porsche factories as well as their magnificent automobile museums, which are attracting tourists from around the world who have a passion for luxury cars. In addition, MotorWorld Stuttgart and the adjoining V-8 Hotel rev up enthusiasm among visitors of all ages.
 The V-8 Hotel and MotorWorld Stuttgart are located at the site of the former Wurttemberg state airport in Boblingen. During World War II, it served as the manufacturing site for military engines, making it a target for allied air raids. A building where forced labor helped arm the Third Reich still stands. History buffs will find the renovated location includes old airplane hangars and the former airport tower in the distance. Today, the sprawling MotorWorld property (over DeSoto 73
New V-8 Hotel
64,000 square feet) showcases vintage, historic, and classic automotive rarities, plus showstopping collector’s vehicles housed in ultra-modern, stacked glass-sided garages. Think Maserati, Ferrari, and McLaren. Visitors can spend hours drooling over these beauties and can even feed their need for speed by arranging daily sports car rentals through the V-8 Hotel. The hotel complex carries out the auto theme in clever ways, such as a vintage Dodge truck that separates space in the Pick-Up Restaurant and rear car seats used as lobby benches. The design of the 26 individually themed V-8 double guest rooms will evoke your inner child, with beds featuring actual front ends of vintage cars complete with working headlights. “When I saw the bed was in the shape of a car, I felt like I should be wearing little-boy Spiderman pajamas,” says American visitor John Antony. “Finding out the bed was from an actual Mini Cooper body gave the concept a lot more appeal, and fun.” Hand-painted murals and crafted furniture also add to the theme of the hotel. For example, the Jaguar room, painted in British racing green, features the Jaguar XJ2 body and murals depicting various angles of the cat hiding in the jungle. The Drive-In Cinema-themed room provides a cinematic experience under the stars. The snuggly bed is a true to the original, converted Cadillac Coupe de Ville – the ticket booth now the wardrobe. When the lights go out, a fascinating starry sky shines above. Best of all, MotorWorld is free: browse the salesroom and enjoy the sophisticated combination of a classic car museum, an exhibition of sports cars, and fine food. You’ll also see many BMWs, Porsches, and Mercedes on the streets; after all, Germany is their home. Mercedes-Benz Museum The stunning Mercedes-Benz Museum (built at the staggering cost of $192 million between 2003-2006), appears as a double-helix of sleek rounded glass and metal, like a curved piece of a car bumper. Visitors ride elevators to the top floor, then wind their way down nine levels and 130 years of automotive history. This is where the automobile began, the pioneering invention of Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz. Even non-car buffs love the easily digestible history lesson. Important world events, especially both World Wars, as well as the development of the Daimler-Benz 74 DeSoto
company, are depicted through large photos or video screens with minimal label reading. Each area cor responding ly showcases vehicles, more than 160 in total, some dating back to the earliest days of the motorcar engine. The museum’s curators have done a magnificent job of putting the company’s development into the context of local, national, and world developments. The lower floors display futuristic concept models and an extensive gift shop. This impressive facility lives up to the company’s high standards. Porsche Museum The newer Porsche Museum, finished in January 2009 at the cost of over $110 million, also offers architectural design that matches the grace and power of its vehicles. The building appears to hover off the ground. The visual showpiece, standing 78-feet high, wows with three columns, each mounted by a different version of the Porsche 911. The Porsche Museum takes a more technical approach to present the racing legacy that underpins the brand’s appeal. You’ll see 80 legendary racing cars, such as the 1971 Le Mann’s entry, 917/20, called the Pink Pig. Look for its body parts outlined as butcher cuts. Also exhibited are series production vehicles such as the 356 or 911, and many interactive displays. Of course, you’ll find an all-embracing Porsche gift shop as well. Helpful Hint: Don’t try to see both museums on the same day; each brings an overload of auto history and both require much walking. In addition to the auto museums, many annual events attract lovers of classic cars to the charming towns of Ludwigsburg or Heidelberg, with its famous castle, just 50 miles away. But, no doubt, the city of Stuttgart will keep your motor running for as long as you want to stay. stuttgart-tourist.de/en
Freelancer writer Debi Lander lives in Sarasota, Fla., when she’s not traveling. After visiting the authentic Christmas markets in Germany last December, she spent time exploring Stuttgart’s automotive wonderland.
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southern harmony | ADAM HOLT
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An Alabama Song By Kevin Wierzbicki Photography Credits: CD cover and ‘Balcony’: Jennifer Handley Photography, ‘Mural’ and ‘Parking lot: Irwin Funes Photography
Alabama native Adam Holt shares sounds of the southland in his latest album, Kind of Blues. Besides having a fine new album to offer his fans, Adam Holt might just have the secret to a happy marriage: Don’t write songs with your spouse. Having co-written three songs on Kind of Blues with his wife Jillian, the singer and guitarist offers that advice in jest. “We joke that the only time we argue is when we’re writing a song,” Holt explains. The pair were certainly in sync when they penned the Kind of Blues opening cut “Mr. Morning Drive.” A bouncy pop-rocker with a memorable vocal hook, it’s the kind of song meant to get you moving just like the “morning drive” deejays that it honors. A native of south Alabama currently residing in the Mobile area, Holt’s music reflects the fact that he’s soaked up all
the sounds of the southland along with more typical radio fare. Kind of Blues is an amalgam of blues, country, and Southern rock, all performed soulfully. There’s no jazz on the album, but Holt has a background that includes jazz. “I got my start in music playing trumpet in middle school and high school,” says Holt. “Once I got into high school I started playing guitar as well, and my love of performing truly blossomed from there. I played trumpet in jazz band for two years and also the first two semesters of community college. I got into (fellow trumpet player) Miles Davis around my senior year of high school. His Kind of Blue is my favorite jazz album.” From the Creedence Clearwater Revival-recalling “The Bourgeoisie” to the ominous blues of “The End” to the DeSoto 77
sweet Southern rock of “Don’t Give Up on Me Baby,” Holt’s music has a warmth to it that comes not only from his voice but also from his use of old-school recording techniques. Holt owns his own recording studio and he recorded Kind of Blues there using analog equipment. “It’s my preference for every album I make, whether I’m the artist or if I’m producing someone else,” says Holt. “Digital recording is great but it lacks the warmth, punch, depth, and transient response that a 2-inch tape machine and analog recording console can offer. Every major recording studio in the world still has an entire analog set up to use along with Pro Tools.” While Holt owns his own recording studio, he has – like many of his contemporaries – responded to the siren song of the legendary Sun Studio in Memphis where he went to record as a sort of one-manband. Holt explains, “I took a road trip in July of 2018 through blues country, up through Mississippi, into the Delta, and finally to Memphis. When I got to Sun Studio, it was pretty amazing and surreal to be standing in the same spot where rock ’n’ roll was born.” Holt had about six hours booked and recorded two songs that night, on which he played all the instruments. He started with acoustic guitar and vocal tracks then added drums, then bass, then lead guitar, and Hammond B3 organ. “Once I started the first song, Johnny Cash’s ‘Folsom Prison Blues,’ about halfway through the first take I was overcome with the fact that I was recording that song in Sun Studio,” he remembers. “It was an amazing feeling. I even made a short documentary-style video of the experience and added it to my website.” The song selection on Kind of Blues is amazingly cohesive despite the fact that Holt works in different genres throughout. “I have a deeply diverse taste in music so when I write, I struggle to force any song into a single box,” the singer says. “Of course, generally speaking, a song is a song and can be produced and/or arranged to fit a certain genre, but for me I prefer to let the song come into its own as I write it.” One song on the album, ‘The Bourgeoisie,’ is heavily defined by the guitar lick that is repeated throughout.
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“That type of lick is definitely a blues lick and so I built the song around that, adding the lyrics as I built it,” he says. “Other songs like ‘I’m Still Holdin’ On’ were written without any specific guitar riffs in mind and more centered around the content of the message, which in the end lent well to a more country feel.” And about that “writing songs with your spouse” thing? Playful quibbles or not, it works out very nicely for the Holts. “Jillian is a writer and musician in her own right, so I often come to her with an idea for a song, or even with a song that is almost fully fleshed out, and we’ll bounce ideas back and forth,” notes Holt. “It helps that she has access to hearing these songs from the very beginning. I play them around the house as I work on them, or I’ll play them on the piano any time I walk by it. It gives her ideas that she’ll share when I ask for them.” After hearing Kind of Blues, fans too will be asking for more ideas. adamholtmusic.com
Kevin Wierzbicki is a freelance music and travel journalist based in Phoenix. He loves to leave the desert now and then to explore the rich musical culture of the American South.
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in good spirits | SAKE CRUZ
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Lessons in Libations Story and photography by Cheré Coen
Vacations can be opportunities to imbibe great cocktails — and learn how to make a few. When I traveled last summer on Holland America’s Eurodam, enjoying a seven-day cruise through southwest Alaska, I learned about whales, Glacier Bay, and Alaskan history while onboard the ship. There’s plenty of hours at sea traveling from Seattle to the Inside Passage. The nation’s 49th state lies well above the continental United States and remains the country’s largest state by far. After a day exploring the island city of Ketchikan, and with our final stop of Victoria, Canada, at least a day’s voyage away, I landed in the Tamarind Lounge to learn mixology. Mixology classes can be found just about everywhere these days, on food tours, at resorts, and as schools in hot destinations. For example, bartender Daniel Victory leads a cast of mixologists spreading the love of cocktail creations at his New Orleans Drink Lab. A visit to The Big Easy, where many cocktails were born (and arguably where the cocktail itself originated), naturally includes many ways to sample indigenous and specialty drinks. But it’s also an opportunity to learn how to make libations found in upscale lounges. Victory teaches cocktails such as the Sazerac and the Ramos gin fizz, plus instructs participants in tricks of the trade. Libations classes are also routinely on the activities list of cruise ships. In my case, we learned techniques such as muddling, creating simple syrups, and decorating glasses with a variety of garnishes. Our menu consisted of three cocktails, the first a “Shiso Sour” with an interesting mix of bourbon, rye, sauvignon blanc, sour mix, and a sugar syrup with a final dash of Angostura bitters and a garnish with shViso leaves, a pungent member of the mint family. Next came the “Far East Legacy” cocktail which combined Absolut Mandarin, Asian pear sake, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, Cointreau, peach puree and simple syrup poured in a martini glass.
What was equally educational was sitting next to Martin Kimeldorf of Washington, a playwright, teacher, photographer, and author of the book My Mixology: Cocktails, Funny Tales and Literary Sleight of Hand, among other books. While our bartender mixed up the third and final cocktail, demonstrating how to slice lemon grass for a dramatic finish to our drink, Kimeldorf shared a few mixology secrets that I stored in my brain for future use. So, when traveling and the destination offers to teach you a cocktail that you may also imbibe at the end of class, grab the opportunity. You’ll learn something new, whether mixology techniques or a new flavor combination. Plus, you never who you might meet. Here is the recipe for “Sake Cruz,” a refreshing drink with a fascinating flavor that Kimeldorf and I sipped while watching whales and the coast of Canada pass by. Momokawa Pearl Sake is an Oregon craft sake with fruity tropical notes that marries well with the vanilla rum and fruit juices. Just don’t forget the lemon grass stick. Sake Cruz 2 ounces Momokawa Pearl Sake 1 ounce vanilla rum 1 ounce pineapple juice 1 ounce cranberry juice Directions: shake and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with lemon grass stick. Cheré Coen is a native of New Orleans and thus, a lover of cocktails. Her roots hail back to Mississippi, however, which may be why she loves Four Roses bourbon as much as Faulkner.
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exploring events | APRIL
Cher - Postponed to September 16 FedEx Forum Memphis, TN 7:30pm For tickets visit Ticketmaster.com.
Behind The Big House Tour - Cancelled April 2 - 4 Holly Springs, MS For more information call 901-336-4090 or visit preservemarshallcounty.org.
Leann Rimes - Postponed to July 11 Gold Strike Casino Tunica Resorts, MS 8:00 pm Purchase tickets online or by calling the Gold Strike Box Office at 888-747-7711.
Chris D’Elia - Postponed April 3 Horseshoe Casino Tunica Resorts, MS Purchase tickets at ticketmaster.com.
Gladys Knight - Postponed Gold Strike Casino Tunica Resorts, MS Purchase tickets online or by calling the Gold Strike Box Office at 888-747-7711.
45th Aberdeen Spring Pilgrimage - Postponed April 3 - 5 Aberdeen, MS For more information visit aberdeenpilgrimage. com or call 662-369-9440.
80th Columbus Spring Pilgrimage - Cancelled March 26 - April 4 Columbus, MS For information about other upcoming events in Columbus visit www.visitcolumbusms.org or call 800-920-3533.
Art in the Loop - Postponed to October 2 - 4 April 3 - 5 Memphis, TN For more information and updates visit artintheloop.org.
Natchez Spring Pilgrimage - Postponed Through April 14 Natchez, MS For tickets and more information visit natchezpilgrimage.com or call 800-674-6742.
Ridgeland Fine Arts Festival - Cancelled April 4- 5 Renaissance at Colony Park Ridgeland, MS For more information on 2021 event visit ridgelandartsfest.com.
Bloomin’ Art - Cancelled Through April 30 DeSoto Arts Council Hernando, MS For updated information visit desotoarts.com or call 662-404-3361. Grammy Museum Mississippi presents - Closed temporarily Stronger Together: The Power of Women in Country Music Through August 30 Grammy Museum Cleveland, MS Stronger Together: The Power of Women in Country Music will take visitors on a journey through the history of women in country music, from the early years and post-World War II, to the emergence of Nashville as a country music mecca. For more information visit grammymuseumms.org or call 662-441-0100.
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16th Annual Mudbug Bash - Postponed to June 6 April 4 Panola Street Hernando, MS 6:00pm Benefiting Palmer Home for Children. Featuring food & libations, auction and live music. Fore more information visit palmerhome.org. A Bronx Tale - Cancelled April 7 - 12 Orpheum Theatre Memphis, TN For tickets visit orpheum-memphis.com or call 901-525-3000. Kool & The Gang - Postponed April 17 Horseshoe Casino Tunica Resorts, MS Purchase tickets at ticketmaster.com.
Garry Goin: Sounds of Vinyl — From Gospel-Blues to Rock & Roll-Soul Music - Postponed April 17 Orpheum Theatre Memphis, TN For tickets visit orpheum-memphis.com or call 901-525-3000. Monster Jam - Cancelled April 17 - 19 Landers Center Southaven, MS For more information visit landerscenter.com, call 662-470-2131 or visit Ticketmaster.com. 82nd Annual Tour of Homes - Postponed April 17 - 19 Holly Springs, MS Call 901-230-3587 or visit hollyspringsgardenclub.com for more information. 17th Annual Juke Joint Festival - Cancelled April 18 Clarksdale, MS For more information on 2021 event visit jukejointfestival.com. 51st Crosstie Arts & Jazz Festival - Update on event April 1 April 18 Cleveland, MS For the latest information visit crosstiefestival.com. Bay Shark Live! - Postponed April 24 Orpheum Theatre Memphis, TN For tickets visit orpheum-memphis.com or call 901-525-3000.
Memphis in May - Postponed Memphis, TN For more info and updates visit memphisinmay. org or call 901-525-4611. Five Star City Fest - Postponed until Sept. 11-12 May 8 - 9 Senatobia, MS For more information visit facebook.com/ fivestarcityfest. Junior Auxiliary presents Day at the Derby May 2 The Gin Nesbit, MS Live music, silent auction, complimentary beer and wine, raffle-run and more! Purchase tickets from any JA member or from jadesoto.gives. Delta Roots Music Festval: A Tribute to Leon Helm Moved to June 6 Helana, AR 10:00am - 9:00pm Live music, arts & crafts, food vendors, harmonica and drum lessons, bike ride, kids area and much more. Tickets can be purchased at deltarootsmusicfest.eventbrite.com or at the King Biscuit Blues Festival office.
Double Decker Arts Festival Moved to August 14 - 15 Oxford, MS A two-day celebration of food, music and the arts! For more information visit doubledeckerfestival.com.
Together at the Table - Postponed April 28 The Gin Nesbit, MS A four-course dinner with wine, highlighting local DeSoto County restaurants in a gorgeous setting - The Gin in Nesbit, Mississippi. Benefiting Together Ministry Center. For ticket info and updates visit TogetherMinistryCenter.org.
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reflections | ON TOP OF OLD SMOKY
On Top of Old Smoky By Dayle Shockley | Photography courtesy of Acroterion
I awoke to the sound of rain falling on the rooftop of the RV, tapping out a melody fit for a Tennessee morning in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. After making coffee, I sat at the table and stared out the window, reflecting on the magical week it had been. I first came here as a young girl, no older than seven, and I fell in love with this part of the country. My husband and I have been returning to the Smokies for almost 30 years now, and no matter how familiar it feels, we always find something to do that we’ve not done before. The highlight of this particular trip occurred one sunny morning when we put on our exploring shoes and headed out for a drive. Our first stop was Newfound Gap, a mountain pass situated on the Tennessee/North Carolina state lines. Newfound Gap is a popular stopping point and on this day the parking lot was overflowing. With stunning views, lingering comes naturally. Since we’d never been to Clingmans Dome, we figured it was time to go. Clingmans Dome, is the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains, the highest point in Tennessee, the highest point along the Appalachian Trail, and the third highest summit east of the Mississippi River. We had read that the vistas from the observation platform are nothing short of spectacular, and on those rare days, when the conditions are just right, you can see 100 miles and beyond. What’s not to love? The drive from Newfound Gap to Clingmans Dome is quite curvy, with lots of scenic pullouts along the way. A sun84 DeSoto
drenched day, the road was crowded with like-minded folks, and the closer we got to the top, the slower the traffic moved. At the end of Clingmans Dome Road is a parking area with views galore and plenty of space for walking or sitting. After visiting the gift shop, we started the steep trek to the summit. While the trail is completely paved, and only a halfmile long, it’s uphill all the way. Gaining 330-feet in elevation, it is a challenging climb. At times, I wondered if I would make it to the top, but the thought of turning back did not exist. Finally, after many rest-stops on the benches provided along the way, there it was—the observation tower soaring 6,643 feet in the air. As we walked onto the circular platform, a hush settled over the crowd. In all of my travels, I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced such a distinct moment, but it happened to me at Clingmans Dome. The view was so spectacular it left me spellbound and speechless. To those who may have wondered how it feels to be “on top of Old Smoky,” it’s an exhilarating experience, one that will never be forgotten. In this big wide world, the travel destinations are boundless, but I was reminded recently that sometimes the best moments, the best views, are those closer to home. greatsmokies.com/clingmans-dome A native of Lucedale, Miss., Dayle Shockley is an award-winning writer and the author of three books. She and her husband live in Spring, Texas.
Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.
2020 Toyota Camry TRD
CHUCK HUT TON TOYOTA
Our goal is to provide all customers from Memphis and north Mississippi the best in new Toyota models, quality used vehicles, exceptional auto repair and car service, and high-end OEM car parts. Because we are the only locally owned car dealership in Memphis, our mission is to always treat our customers and community with the care and respect that they deserve. When you are ready to purchase a new vehicle or have your own serviced, look no further than Chuck Hutton Toyota, a family-owned dealership committed to our community.
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