Actress Betty Lynn to Appear at Andy Griffith Museum, Mt. Airy, NC

Meet the actress who played "Thelma Lou" on The Andy Griffith Show

by MaryAnne Gragg | July 19, 2010

Don't miss this event happening tomorrow! Check out the press release below for more details:

MOUNT AIRY, N.C. - Actress Betty Lynn, who played "Thelma Lou" on The Andy Griffith Show, is making a series of appearances at the new Andy Griffith Museum.

Lynn will meet with fans, discuss her role on the show, and sign autographs the third Tuesday of every month from July through September. Those dates are: July 20, Aug. …

How to File a Claim with BP for Oil Spill Losses

How to File a Claim With British Petroleum for Losses Resulting from Deep Horizon Oil Spill

by Karen Gros | July 09, 2010

Are you one of the many thousands of people that have been affected by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill?  Many have lost their jobs since the April 20, 2010 explosion that caused the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, now the largest known oil spill in United States history.

The BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill has left many fishermen, charter boat captains, shrimpers, restaurants along the Gulf Coast, hotels along the Gulf Coast, and more unemployed.  …

Florida’s springs: Where oil can’t spoil your swim

Coastal oil worries tarring your getaway? Cool off in Florida's inland waters

by Alisson Clark | July 05, 2010

If you’re thinking of canceling your Florida vacation this summer – or if you’d like to plan a getaway to the Sunshine State but aren’t sure how to avoid fallout from the oil spill – consider this: Many of Florida’s most inviting waters aren’t along the coast, but inland, where oil can’t reach.

North Florida is home to the world’s highest concentration of first-magnitude springs, the “big bubblers” that pump millions of gallons of …

How are Destin’s beaches?

The Atlanta Insider offers her Outsider's perspective

by Anna Bentley | June 28, 2010

Many months ago, when BP was just another gas station and no one had heard of Deepwater Horizon, my boyfriend got an email. His company’s annual summer trip to Destin – deep sea fishing and all – was slated for mid-June. Hooray!

The day before the trip, he got another email. Because of the ongoing oil spill and ever-spreading oil plume, deep sea fishing had been canceled (dang!), but the trip was still on …

How to Volunteer to Rescue Birds and Wildlife from the Oil Spill

Whether willing to be hands-on or make contributions, anyone can help

by Mary Lou Janson | May 27, 2010

The devastation and damage from the oil spill the has put wildlife, natural habitats and workers’ livelihoods at risk throughout the Gulf Coast. Help is needed to do everything from monitoring the spread of the spill to reporting injured birds or wildlife that need to be rescued. Whether you are able to lend a hand - literally - or willing to donate cash, there are many opportunities for individuals anywhere to assist.

Dan Shapely, …

Southern James Beard Award Winners

Congratulations to these fine chefs and restauranteurs!

by Jason Horn | May 05, 2010

After hearing about the semifinalists and final nominees, we've been waiting with bated breath for the James Beard Awards announcements Sunday and Monday night to find out how many Southerners would win.

The main restaurant categories were (as they usually are) disappointingly New York-centric, but there are a few folks to congratulate below the Mason-Dixon.

Michael Schwartz of Michael's Genuine Food and Drink in

Gulf Coast Oil Spill Updates

The latest information on how you can help

by Susan Vallee | May 04, 2010

(See bottom of post for latest updates)

The thoughts of the entire world are with the Gulf Coast, as oil from the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform disaster inches ever closer to land.

We at VisitSouth are keeping a close eye on the situation, and several of our local Insiders on the Gulf Coast have put together posts with lots of useful information:

• Info on volunteer efforts and …
  

Southern Event of the Week: Abbey Road on the River, Louisville, KY

World's largest Beatles music festival is May 27-31

by Jason Horn | May 04, 2010

Whether you grew up watching them on the Ed Sullivan Show or only discovered them when you dragged your parents' old records out of the basement, there's no denying the lasting influence and continued popularity of the Beatles. And if you're a superfan of the Fab Four, you won't want to miss the Abbey Road on the River festival in Louisville.

The twice-a-year festival (its other iteration takes place in September …

The Straw Hat, Trussville, AL

Remember what it's like to be really attended to by a helpful staff

by Jen Barnett, Managing Editor | May 01, 2010

We were almost finished compiling this fun gallery of unusual shops around the South, when I realized how remiss I'd be if I didn't mention my own mom Charlene's boutique, The Straw Hat of Trussville.

Along with partner Randa Mosley, they sell ladies' clothing, jewelry, and accessories from brands like Pure and CP Shades. But more than that, they sell the experience--one you probably remember from the ready-to-wear departments of stores …

Southern Glossary: Beaches of South Walton

Sun, sand, surf, and New Urbanism

by Jason Horn | April 29, 2010

The South is home to a lot of beaches, on both the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. But some of the prettiest can be found in the Beaches of South Walton, along with high-end shopping and luxury hotels that can make for a fantastic vacation.

The Beaches of South Walton is a 26-mile stretch of beach between Destin and Panama City Beach on …

Southern Event of the Week: Heart of Virginia Festival, Farmville, VA

One of the best small-town festivals we know of

by Jason Horn | April 27, 2010

A town of about 7,000 located rougly 60 miles southwest of Richmond, Farmville has good claim to the title "heart of Virginia:" It's pretty darn close to the exact geographic center of the state. Despite its agricultural name, Farmville is today a college town, home to both Hampden-Sydney College and Longwood University.

And Farmville's Heart of Virginia Festival, held the first Saturday in May …

Southern Barbecue Primer

Everything you need to know about the greatest cooking method ever conceived

by Jason Horn | April 23, 2010

Barbecue is serious business in the South, and every Southerner seems to have a different opinion on the best style, method, meat, and sauce to use. So to clear up some of the confusion, we've created this barbecue primer.

First things first: That apparatus you might have in your yard that runs on propane or charcoal and cooks food over a flame on a metal grate is NOT a barbecue. It is a grill. …

Southern Glossary: Greens

Get a handle on this ubiquitous but misunderstood soul food.

by Jason Horn | April 22, 2010

Everyone's heard of collard greens, but if you're not a resident of (or frequent visitor to) the South, you may not fully comprehend the depth and variety of green leafy vegetables that fall under the heading of "greens."

One thing that all Southern greens share is the classic traditional cooking method: long simmering with onions and some kind of smoked or cured pork product (usually ham hocks, but neckbones, fatback, and bacon are all …

Southern Event of the Week: Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival, Breaux Bridge, LA

Mudbugs and more in the Crawfish Capital of the World

by Jason Horn | April 16, 2010

In honor of the city's centennial in 1959, Breaux Bridge, a town about 10 miles east of Lafayette, was officially named the "Crawfish Capital of the World" by the Louisiana Legislature. The next year, the town kicked off its first crawfish festival.

The Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival has since become one of the largest Cajun music festivals in the world in addition to a celebration of Louisiana's best-known native crustacean. …

Southern Glossary: The Outer Banks

The wilds of nature, historic sights, and a whole lot of beach await on these islands.

by Jason Horn | April 14, 2010

If you're like most people, "Outer Banks" probably conjures up images of lighthouses (that's Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the Banks' most famous, at left) and maybe the Wright Brothers. But really, what are the Outer Banks?

The short answer: They're a 200-mile-long series of narrow barrier islands that separate mainland North Carolina from the Atlantic Ocean. Technically, the Outer Banks' northernmost point is in Virginia, between Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge …

Southern Event of the Week: North Carolina Pickle Festival, Mount Olive, NC

Celebrate your favorite brined vegetable April 23-25

by Jason Horn | April 13, 2010

We Southerners throw festivals for some weird stuff—chickens and eggs (together), shrimp and petroleum (also together), boll weevils (it doesn't have a Web site, but the Boll Weevil Fall Festival takes place in Enterprise, AL); you name it.

But if you know a little bit about Mount Olive, NC, you'll see that its North Carolina Pickle Festival actually makes perfect sense. The small town, located roughly …

Girls’ Weekend and Romantic Getaway

With a little planning and a bit of luck, you can do both in Atlanta

by Jen Barnett, Managing Editor | April 12, 2010

As noted in my post on online travel deals, I recently bought two nights at the W Hotel in Buckhead at a fantastic rate that included breakfast for two each morning and four complimentary cocktails. It was my first getaway since launching VisitSouth, and I was looking forward to a romantic weekend with my new hubby, but I also wanted to spend time with my favorite girls from b-school, …

Seafood Express, Meridian, MS

It's a gas station...that serves one of the best oyster po'boys I've ever had.

by Jason Horn | April 08, 2010

I am convinced that tiny, middle-of-nowhere gas stations are the source of some of the best food in the South. I'm not talking about the candy and chips you can get at any BP or Shell; I mean the independent gas stations with tiny restaurants or steam tables serving up homemade deliciousness.

I'm a Southern road-trip veteran, and recently I've taken to planning meal stops along my routes so I don't have to eat …

Southern Glossary: “Coke”

It's not soda or pop, it's just coke.

by Jason Horn | April 07, 2010

Coca-Cola has a long and storied Southern history. John Pemberton debuted the original formula (which contained a large amount of coca leaves, the principal ingredient in cocaine) in 1886 at Jacobs' Pharmacy in Atlanta. It was only available at soda fountains until 1894, when the first bottles were produced in Mississippi. Then in 1899, a pair of Chattanooga lawyers bought the rights to bottle Coke for one dollar, and …

Southern Event of the Week: Gamble Rogers Folk Festival, St. Augustine, FL

Big-name music fest honors writer and guitarist who became a real-life folk hero

by Jason Horn | April 06, 2010

Born in Winter Park, FL, Gamble Rogers made his name in the '60s, '70s, and '80s as a singer-songwriter, storyteller, and author, touring the country with his guitar and appearing frequently on National Public Radio. His songs and stories speak of the fictional Oklawaha County, a place suspiciously similar to his northeast Florida home. His ballads were a strong influence on the style of other Southern folk singers, especially Jimmy Buffet, who dedicated …

Southern Glossary: Cajun vs. Creole

No, they are NOT the same thing.

by Jason Horn | March 31, 2010

When people think of Louisiana, especially South Louisiana, they think Cajun and Creole. Many people use the terms interchangably (heck, even our own Trip Planner classifies restaurants as "Cajun & Creole"), but they shouldn't. Both Cajun and Creole culture is influenced by the French colonization of the New World, but their similarities end there.

A quick history lesson: In the 17th Century, the French built colonies in Acadia, an area …

Southern Event of the Week: National Cornbread Festival, South Pittsburg, TN

A fitting tribute for the South's most ubiquitous food

by Jason Horn | March 30, 2010

Where can't you find cornbread in the South? It's on the menu of restaurants from the humblest meat-and-three to the classiest haute-Southern bistros, and at every picnic and get-together. Cast-iron cookware maker Lodge even makes a corn-shaped cornbread pan.

So it's only appropriate that South Pittsburg, TN, home of Lodge's headquarters and factory, hosts the annual National Cornbread Festival, held this year on April 24 and 25. There's …

How to Find Festivals Around the South

Our Trip Planner has maps, links, and info for hundreds of festivals

by Jen Barnett, Managing Editor | March 25, 2010

We just published a slideshow of 56 spring festivals around the South that our Insiders have written about. We also have a page that updates every day with the latest Insider posts about festivals. To find info about hundreds more festivals that content editor Jason Horn has collected, visit the VisitSouth Trip Planner.

How to use the Trip Planner:

• The last drop-down menu on the left hand side says …
  

Southern Glossary: Meat-and-Three

Visitors shouldn't overlook these sources of some of the best Southern food available.

by Jason Horn | March 25, 2010

If you've never heard the term before, lunch at a meat-and-three might not sound so appealing, but if you get the chance to visit one on a Southern vacation, jump at it!

More often than not, meat-and-three restaurants are in out-of-the-way places most tourists couldn't find without help. But ask a food-loving local and you're bound to get a suggestion or two.

The name "meat-and-three" comes from the way you order your food—choose …

Southern Event of the Week: Virginia Fly Fishing & Wine Festival, Waynesboro, VA

For the refined fly fisherman

by Jason Horn | March 23, 2010

What do fly fishing and wine have to do with one another? We don't know either, but you can get 'em both April 16 and 17 at the Virginia Fly Fishing and Wine Festival.

The festival features seven tents of demonstrations and classes, plus appearences by authors who literally wrote the book on fly fishing, all on the banks of the South River in Waynesboro, VA, which is about 30 …

North Carolina Quilt Trails

See over a hundred quilt blocks, including one that tells time

by Jen Barnett, Managing Editor | March 23, 2010

On the Western North Carolina Quilt Trail, you can travel from town to town, seeing one-of-a-kind quilt blocks like the clever Cat Tracks and Snail Trails quilt block in Penland or the stunning Over and Under quilt block made from bottle caps in Celo.

If you lose track of time along the way, you can consult the newest addition to the trail--a quilt-block sundial that actually works. Installed on the Yancey Times …

James Beard Award final nominees announced

National food awards honor some of the South's best

by Jason Horn | March 22, 2010

This morning, the James Beard Foundation announced the finalists for the 2010 James Beard Awards, the Oscars of the food world.

And there are a whole bunch of Southern chefs and restaurants having a great day today.

Most prestigiously, Highlands Bar and Grill in Birmingham is a nominee for Outstanding Restaurant. Chef Frank Stitt previously won the Beard Award for Best Chef: Southeast in 2001 …

March Madness in the South

We've got a lot of championship basketball going on this month.

by Jason Horn | March 16, 2010

Hope everybody has their brackets filled out by now; the NCAA basketball championships kick off with Arkansas-Pine Bluff taking on Winthrop tonight in the play-in game, for the dubious honor of losing to Duke in the first round.

Whether or not you like basketball (and even if you're rooting for Duke to be the first #1 in history beaten by a #16 in the men's tourney), the South will be host to a whole …

Southern Event of the Week: Arkansas Literary Festival, Little Rock, AR

Get your read on April 8-11.

by Jason Horn | March 16, 2010

Literary publications are what got me into journalism (I was editor-in-chief of both my high school lit mag and the Tulane Review), so I'll always have a soft spot for poets and fiction writers. Heck, my girlfriend is one.

And that's why I'm excited about the Arkansas Literary Festival in LIttle Rock. Besides the dozens of authors in attendance, there'll be plays and puppet shows for kids, a …

Southern Event of the Week: St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Savannah, GA

186th annual parade expects more than 400,000 visitors

by Jason Horn | March 10, 2010

By far the biggest St. Pat's celebration in the South and the second-largest in the US (only Boston's is larger) as well as the seventh-oldest, Savannah's St. Patrick's Day Parade starts rolling at 10:15 on the morning of March 17th at the corner of Abercorn and Hall streets, a block east of Forsyth Park. The parade route winds through the historic district, making its way around several of Savannah's famous squares—Calhoun, Lafayette, Oglethorpe, …

Admiral Ackbar for Ole Miss Mascot

Star Wars rebel leader is student favorite to replace Colonel Reb

by Jason Horn | March 04, 2010

Ole Miss has been working for decades to eliminate the negative associations it has with the Old South, especially in athletics (the team's name is the Rebels). Confederate flags were banned from stands in 1997, and in 2003 the school's semi-official mascot, the bearded, possibly-plantation-owning Colonel Reb, was kicked off the sidelines.

The University of Mississippi has been officially mascot-less since then, but two weeks ago, students voted to begin …

Southern Event of the Week: French Quarter Festival, New Orleans, LA

Jazz Fest's smaller cousin highlights local musicians and food April 9-11

by Jason Horn | March 02, 2010

With national acts like Pearl Jam and Aretha Franklin coming to town for Jazz Fest two weeks later, the French Quarter Festival is practically a locals-only secret by comparison. But with over 100 jazz, soul, and zydeco acts on 17 stages spread across the historic French Quarter, this fest is not to be missed, either.

And this being New Orleans, there's food too—dozens of vendors selling everything from egg rolls …

Colleges and Universities in the South

If you're planning to be a pro-stud or prospie this spring, we've got Insider info on dozens of schools

by Jen Barnett, Managing Editor | March 02, 2010

Between us, Jason and I have attended classes at 11 different colleges and universities across the South. (Ok, 9 of those were me. Never stop learning!) But we both loved our Southern college experiences—the ability to have class on the lawn most months, the fervor for college football, the study of literature in the land of Harper Lee, William Faulkner, and Carson McCullers.

My memories of Rhodes College in Memphis,

The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, Manchester, TN, June 10-13, 2010

Tips for surviving the memorable music festival

by Elissa Pugh | March 01, 2010

Four days. 80,000 tickets. Over 90 performers. The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is held on a 700-acree farm in Manchester, Tennessee.  Epic and unforgettable performances range in genre from rock and roll to hip-hop to bluegrass.  The festival’s 100-acre village includes multiple stages, arcade, cinema, comedy club, beer festival and many other attractions.  Bonnaroo was named one of the 50 moments that changed the history of rock and roll by Rolling Stone …

Run a 5k This Spring!

If I can do it, you can do it.

by Jason Horn | February 26, 2010

I am so not in to exercise. But when I greeted my mid-20s with a painful-but-not-serious back problem, I knew I should probably get in shape. My girlfriend and I joined a gym and went sporadically, but I just ended up feeling unmotivated and too out-of-shape to even work out (which doesn't even make sense, I know).

That's when we found the Couch-to-5K plan. It's a really simple three-days-a-week set of workouts …

Southern Event of the Week: Holly and Shamrock Parade, Gatlinburg, TN

St. Patrick meets hundreds of Santas & Mrs. Clauses in annual festival March 13

by Jason Horn | February 23, 2010

St. Patrick's Day is coming up in a few weeks, so how better to celebrate than a parade...of hundreds of Santas, Mrs. Clauses, elves, and reindeer?

We're not sure why Gatlinburg's Celebrate Santa Festival takes place in the middle of March, but it' a tradition that draws tens of thousands of visitors every year. The festival also includes a Santa fashion show and snow-tube race, which both promise hilarity.

…

Southern Foodways Alliance Oral History Project

Interactive map lets you plan your own roadtrip to classic Southern food destinations

by Jason Horn | February 22, 2010

The Southern Foodways Alliance has to be the greatest academic-research organization ever. Founded in 1999 and based in Oxford at Ole Miss' Center for the Study of Southern Culture, the SFA "documents, studies, and celebrates the diverse food cultures of the changing American South." In other words, they discover and publicly enjoy the best food the South has to offer. Writer, possible future TV host, and all around awesome …

Insiders’ Travel Guides to the South

Find Southern hospitality by the bushelful as our Insiders share tips for visiting their towns

by Jen Barnett, Managing Editor | February 22, 2010

A couple of weeks ago, we asked each of our Insiders to make the case for why you should visit his or her town. We thought these mini-guides might help travelers narrow down their choices as they planned spring breaks and summer vacations.

So much for that. Each destination--whether a beachside resort town, mountaintop hamlet, rural whistle-stop, theme park Mecca, or busy metropolis--sounds so fun, so lovely, so vacationable that I want to …

Hiking Trails, Alabama

Extending the Appalachian Trail into Alabama is just one of the big plans to entice hikers into the state

by Jen Barnett, Managing Editor | February 19, 2010

If you've already crossed "Hiking the Appalachian Trail" off your bucket list, you may want to grab your Wite-Out. The Alabama State Legislature has created the Alabama Appalachian Mountain Trail Commission to support extending the trail into the state, making Coosa County's Flagg Mountain the new terminus. To accomplish the goal, state resources will go to improving the existing Pinhoti Trail.

Also new is the Alabama Trails Commission, who will …

James Beard Award Semifinalists Announced

Restaurant world's highest award nominates many Southern spots

by Jason Horn | February 19, 2010

Yesterday was a red-letter day for foodies as the James Beard Foundation announced the 2010 James Beard Award semifinalists. Named for the cookbook author and pioneering TV chef, the James Beard Awards are basically the Oscars of the food world. Based as they are in New York, the Beard Awards tend to be pretty Yankee-centric (NYC gets a Best Chef category all to itself), but a number of Southern restaurants and chefs were honored …

Participate in an Archaeological Dig, St. Stephens, AL

The perfect volunteer vacation for the history-minded traveler

by Jen Barnett, Managing Editor | February 17, 2010

I'm certain that at some point in my childhood (probably 1981), I wanted to become an archaeologist when I grew up. Suffice to say, I didn't. But I had no idea that nearly any Tom, Dick, or Indy could roll up his sleeves and join in at archaeological digs around the country, until I read today's email announcement from the Alabama Department of Archives & History. It states, "Interested in assisting …

Southern Event of the Week: Magnolia Film Festival, Starkville, MS

Documentary on organic farming highlights three-day festival

by Jason Horn | February 16, 2010

When's the last time you saw seven movies for ten bucks? You can February 18-20 at Starkville's Magnolia Film Festival.

We may not have Cannes or Sundance, but just about every city in the South—from New Orleans to Birmingham to Little Rock—has a great film festival.

Being a college town, Starkville has no short supply of indie-film buffs, and Magnolia's lineup reflects that. Each screening block …

What is Points of Interest?

Our new editors' blog features the wild, the wacky, the weird, and the best across the South.

by Jason Horn | February 09, 2010

Welcome to VisitSouth's newest blog, Points of Interest! On this page, managing editor Jen Barnett and I (content editor Jason Horn) will bring you the latest Southern travel news, highlight Insider posts you need to check out, tell you about out-of-the-way places you should visit, and maybe throw in a travel deal or two if we can find 'em.

From the Andy Griffith Museum in Mt. Airy, NC, …