Some people think of Oxford and immediately think of The Square, The Grove, and Ole Miss. For me, Oxford is a bastion of Mississippi culture and great Southern dining. So it disheartens me to report that Yocona River Inn, one of the community's culinary landmarks, was destroyed by fire on on Thursday, March 12.

The James Beard Foundation recently announced the Semifinalists for the annual James Beard Awards, the Oscars of the food world. And not one, but three Charleston chefs got the nod.

Pictured from left: Chef Aaron Deal of Tristan (nominated for Rising Star Chef of the Year), Chef Sean Brock of McCrady's (Rising Star Chef of the Year and Best Chef: Southeast), and Chef Mike Lata of FIG (Best Chef: Southeast)

Now, Momma taught me it's rude to say, "I told you so." No one likes a know-it-all. But in the February issue of Southern Living,

(Photo by Jennifer V. Cole)

Anyone who has read any of my Tales from the Road posts has surely picked up on a theme. From nostalgic musings on bacon grease to recounting a muddy afternoon spent with feisty pigs in a North Carolina pigsty to my ode to Donald Link's Cochon restaurant--when it comes to pork, I'm like a kid in a candy store. Sometimes I even hear angels.

When I found out that Aaron Deal put a new dish on his lunch menu at Tristan that celebrates pork belly, I had to make a pilgrimage. I don't mean to be sacrilegious, but let's just say I was moved by the porcine spirit.

Join the editors of our travel blog this month as they share their best tips for staying green on the road.

#31 Flip the switch: Save energy by turning off the air conditioning/heat, lights, and TV when you leave your hotel room—whether it’s for the afternoon or when you are checking out.

Join the editors of our travel blog this month as they share their best tips for staying green on the road.

#30 Pass It On: If complimentary newspapers are provided, place them in the lobby, lounge, or nearby coffeehouse for others to read when you’re done.

Join the editors of our travel blog this month as they share their best tips for staying green on the road.

#29 Recycle on the road: Ask your hotelier about their recycling program. Many hotels participate in recycling efforts, even if it’s not advertised. If they don’t have a recycling program, suggest they start one.

Join the editors of our travel blog this month as they share their best tips for staying green on the road.

#28 Use E-Tickets: Using an e-ticket saves paper, not to mention protects you against the specter of a lost ticket.

Join the editors of our travel blog this month as they share their best tips for staying green on the road.

#27 Offset Your Travel: Unless you’re doing all of your travel on foot, chances are you’re responsible for some hefty carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Over the past year, I’ve logged approximately 35,000 miles in planes and cars while researching stories, resulting in a whopping 10 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

Join the editors of our travel blog this month as they share their best tips for staying green on the road.

#26 Choose an Eco-Friendly Hotel: Not all hotels are created equal when it comes to eco-friendliness. Here are a few hotels that are doing their part for the environment:

Join the editors of our travel blog this month as they share their best tips for staying green on the road.

#25 Opt for a Fuel-Efficient Rental Car: At locations across the country, both Avis and Hertz  offer a green collection of cars, which can be reserved by specific make and model, including the incredibly fuel-efficient Toyota Prius Hybrid (48 mpg highway, 45 mpg city).

Join the editors of our travel blog this month as they share their best tips for staying green on the road.

#24: Buy local products: The ingredients of a typical meal travel 1,500 miles before making it to your plate.

Join the editors of our travel blog this month as they share their best tips for staying green on the road.

#22 Use a Solar Charger: Don't rely on fossil fuel-generated power to recharge your iPod or cell phone.

(Photos by Jennifer V. Cole and Kathryn Cole)

This week, on a twisty stretch of Highway 21 outside Philadelphia, Mississippi, the 119-year-old Neshoba County Fair celebrates the very essence of Southern hospitality (July 25-August 1). I've been going since I was 3-months-old, and I can tell you, there's a reason it's known as "Mississippi's Giant House Party." For seven days, folks do a lot of eating (fried foods required), drinking (you might find some 'shine), front porch sittin', and late-night pickin'. It's a time to slow down. To forget laptops and cell phones. And to practice the art of conversation and storytelling on a lazy summer day. I just spent a weekend at the Fair catching up with friends and chasing around after my nieces and nephews (I've got the red-clay-stained feet to prove it), and I can't think of a better place to be in the month of July. If you've never been, add it to your list.  If you have been, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Here are a few photos of life at the Fair:

photos courtesy of Cochon

I see a menu with things like "bacon," "pork belly," and "fried pig's ear," and, friends, I become giddy. I am aware that there are others (bless their hearts) who don't share this enthusiasm. But I'm a little zealous. So when I recently sat down to lunch at Cochon, chef Donald's Link's porcine ode and one of New Orleans' most buzz-worthy restaurants, I whipped out my cell phone to immediately text all of my friends about the feast they were missing. Pork cheeks with a cornbread cake! Oyster and bacon sandwiches!  Pork ribs with watermelon pickle! The vegetarians weren't amused. But, my dear carnivores, get thee to the Crescent City.

It's often said that the word "cocktail" originated in New Orleans. That it is derived from the French word coquetier, an egg cup that was used to serve spirited beverages in the Crescent City in the early 19th century. Whether New Orleans is the official home to the "cocktail" or not, a visit to NOLA (as the city's affectionately called) proves, if anything, that they take their drinks seriously. And now, the city has been honored with its own official cocktail--the sazerac. Laissez les bons temps rouler!

(Image by Jason Langley via Flickr)

Over the next few days, TALES FROM THE ROAD will post musings about one of the South's most treasured towns, New Orleans, the Crescent City of saints, trumpeters, magicians, French Creole recipes, and weatherworn wrought iron. The resurgence is evident to any traveler to NOLA, whether eating barside at Clancey's or strolling down Chartres, catching the streetcar on St. Charles or stopping by the new Musicians' Village.

Even in the summer warmth, there is no city in America quite like New Orleans. So, check in through the weekend to learn where, what, who and why we love this city of endless lagniappes.

I pride myself on being a good packer. I should be--I pack and unpack a suitcase about twice a week. This month alone, I've logged 26 days (out of 31) on the road. So I've pretty much got packing down to a science. Sure I've forgotten things before: toothbrush, running shoes (so much for that workout), sunscreen. All things that I can either go without or find a quick fix. But on my most recent trip to Alexandria, Virginia, I wasn't so lucky. Thank goodness for an understanding concierge at Kimpton's Hotel Monaco.

(Photographs by Scott Suchman)

In the May 2008 issue of Southern Living, we highlighted an urban chic pizzeria in Washington, D.C., called Comet Ping Pong, where you can get top-notch pies and practice your topspin at one of their three ping pong tables. With great food and a laid-back atmopshere that appeals to 20-something hipsters and Baby Boomers alike, this neighborhood joint is perfect for a Friday night out with the kids and for date night. How many places do you know that fit into both categories?  Chuck E. Cheese this is not. 

And it seems the District locals agree. Washington City Paper, in its annual "Best of D.C." edition, gives kudos to Comet Ping Pong for Best Family Restaurant. Well-done, Comet.

Here are a few more photos from the restaurant:

(Photo by Joshua Carpenter)

"Pigs will eat ANYTHING," said my host Jamie DeMent (a little proudly) about her Farmers' Hybrid hogs at the 55-acre Coon Rock Farm, a sustainable family farm that provides food to several restaurants in North Carolina's Research Triangle area. 

Dierks Bentley, dubbed the "hardest working man in country music" for the number of live shows he performs each year, stopped in Birmingham, Alabama, this past weekend as part of his "Throttle Wide Open" tour.  Before the show, I got a chance to spend a little time with the man himself.

I was recently in Charleston, South Carolina, where, one evening, I had the pleasure of sharing conversation and some Basil Hayden's bourbon with Randolph Stafford, a Charleston-based chef with Iverson Catering—and a veritable pork aficionado. As the evening came to an end, he cocked his head, pushed up his glasses, and wished me in his slow Virginia drawl “World Peace and Bacon Grease.”