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Ashlyn Stallings, June 22, 2009 in Photos from the Road
, Random Roaming
, Tennessee
, Where to Eat
Friday 6/12/2009 at 4:02 p.m. - I get an email from my best friend, an intern at Birmingham's stunning Museum of Art. What on earth were we going to do over the weekend? The following is our conversation: Ashlyn: Cabin fever. BAD. i'm about to say lets jet off to ATL or nashville
Sloan: really?? can we please? i just said those exact same words to my mother i am DYING to get outta this town. (I should add at this point that, despite a Braves game, we have been kicking it in the fabulous 'Ham for approximately 5 consecutive months.)
Ashlyn: you think we could swing it? you know i'm in if you are.
Sloan: well. we'd have to decide where first.
Ashlyn: ha. okay, hm. can we go to n'ville?
Bingo. 1.5 hours later, with Vera Bradley bags packed and Dave's new album blaring, my counterpart and I hit the road: I-65 northbound to Nash-town.
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Ashlyn Stallings, June 16, 2009 in Alabama
, Food and Drink
, Where to Eat
Maybe it's just that it's-my-birthday ecstasy, but when my mother pulled in from Montgomery to take me out to birthday lunch, I was thrilled to spend some time catching up in the beautiful (albeit steamy) June sunshine. I adore my internship in the Travel/Livings Department of Southern Living, but when mom asked to whisk me away from my cubicle for a bit, I delightfully obliged.
CHEZ LULU
The choice of restaurant was easy: Give a girl French lessons for five years, and she's got a built-in affinity for anything francais, mais oui. We trotted over to Chez Lulu, a bohemian yet refined French cafe tucked into Birmingham's English Village. (Think decor of Grayton Beach's Red Bar with less flip flops and sand, more ballet flats and white table cloths.) Lush reds, walls covered in scrolling-gold frames, and European food: Perfect ambiance for a new 21-year-old and her mama.
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Ashlyn Stallings, June 9, 2009 in Alabama
, Food and Drink
, Where to Eat
Okay, okay. So while I may be interning in a city where I go to college, let's be honest: You kinda lose the "explorer" habit when sophomore year hits. This summer, I'm going to finally dig into Birmingham like I am a fresh out of the gates traveler. And while I may be no novice to Birmingham, there a a plethora of mossy Shades Creek rocks I have left to unturn. Keep checking back with me--I'm a girl on a mission and I will welcome any and all ideas you have for me!
GILCHRIST'S
I've smugly uttered the following phrase approximately 26 times: "Oh, well I never order the same thing twice." My, my. How cosmopolitan. But alas, as I add years to my life I find some comfort in having my "usual." At my table. In my restaurant.
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Richard Banks, June 9, 2009 in Green Travel
This past weekend my family and I experienced the beauty of the Locust Fork River for the first time. One of Alabama's longest remaining free-flowing rivers, it twists and turns its way between ridges and cliffs just north of Birmingham. Home to several rare aquatic species, including a few stands of the beautiful Cahaba lily, the river meanders lazily in places, while at others its waters rush between rocks, over shoals, and, when I hit the chutes just right, over the bow and all over my wife.
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Tanner Latham, June 5, 2009 in South Carolina
by Ashlyn Stallings
You know those little triggers that cue the voice in your head to say, “This time last year?” Lately for me, memories ensue with the thick scent of confederate jasmine or the lowcountry cookbooks lying around my apartment—it’s safe to say I miss Charleston these days.
This time last year, I was interning at the fabulous Spoleto Festival USA in the Holy City. Trotting up and down King, George and East Bay streets to hit up shows with my comp tickets, I was high on art, music and dance during the 17-day festival. This is the last weekend, so check it out now.
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