Go for Mardi Gras, Stay for the Tastes of Shreveport

Parades and Mardi Gras balls give you an excuse to visit Shreveport-Bossier, but the food will make you want to come back

by Karen Lingo, Executive Editor | January 23, 2012

Colorful parades and balls leading up to Mardi Gras on February 16 are already in progress in towns and cities across the South. One area with a lively line-up of events is Shreveport-Bossier, Louisiana.

Mardi Gras balls are scheduled at Harrah’s Louisiana Downs on January 27 and February 10; Shreveport Convention Center on January 28 and February 4; and at the Horseshoe Casino & Hotel and at Fatty Arbuckles Pub …

Ski the South Cross-Country Style

Southern ski areas, especially in West Virginia and North Carolina, offer some of the best snow sports in the Southeast

by Karen Lingo, Executive Editor | January 13, 2012

You’d think that bruising my toes and losing the nails after my first attempt at cross-country skiing, on the Blue Rige Parkway in North Carolina, would put me off the sport. And actually I count the experience more as a winter hike than real cross-country skiing. But remembering it is a blast, and the next time, on my first honest-to-goodness ski trip in West Virginia, I learned the proper way to cross-country ski. It’s been …

Take an Eagle Watching Tour

January and February are prime months for viewing bald eagles in state parks and national wildlife refuges

by Karen Lingo, Executive Editor | January 08, 2012

Now through February is the best time of year for viewing bald eagles, when they’ve moved south to escape the harsh weather in northern areas. Seeing a full-grown eagle soaring overhead, its magnificent wingspan stretching for six or seven feet against a blue sky, is one of the most thrilling experiences in nature.

The bald eagle has been our national bird since 1782. Benjamin Franklin lobbied for the turkey to have that honor. Thank …

Get Away to Little Rock

Spend a post-Christmas holiday in Little Rock, or bring your best duds for a rockin' New Year's Eve party

by Karen Lingo, Executive Editor | December 20, 2011

If you’re looking for the perfect place to get away for a few days after Christmas, or a place to ring in the New Year, take a look at Little Rock. It offers all the ingredients for a few fun-filled days and nights of dining, shopping, cultural attractions, and fabulous places to stay. Through January 8, it even has open-air ice skating at River Market on a pavilion overlooking Riverfront Park …

Nashville Sings a Holiday Song

Millions of lights, spectacular shows, and the lure of country music make Nashville the perfect place to visit over the holidays

by Karen Lingo, Executive Editor | December 13, 2011

Nashville is filled with surprises for the holidays. One is the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, which is awesome any time of year. But during the holidays it’s absolutely spectacular, with more than two million lights turning it into a glittering wonderland.  

It doesn’t cost a thing just to wander through the Gaylord Opryland Hotel’s nine acres of indoor gardens and gaze at the Christmas decorations. But you’ll pay $18 to park, …

Finding Those One-of-A-Kind Gifts

Crafts centers, museum shops, and artists' studios across the South are great places to find high quality handcrafted gifts

by Karen Lingo, Executive Editor | December 01, 2011

I get just as excited as anyone about the holiday sales. But when it comes to something special for giving or receiving, all the electric gadgets and mass-produced goods in the world can’t take the place of a high-quality handcrafted gift.

One-of-a-kind pottery bowls add pizzazz to the dinner table, or make elegant accent pieces in a room. Hand crafted kaleidoscopes bring hours of pleasure to a child or art-loving adult. Delicate hand woven …