As news of the ice storm and its drastic effects on Kentucky and parts of Arkansas, Missouri, and Tennessee, spread in our offices, the common question was "How can we help?" Over the next days and weeks as a staff and magazine, we'll do everything we can to keep readers and travelers updated on progress in those areas touched by the storms.

In this effort, we ask for your help as well.

As news comes to you, please let us know by posting comments at the bottom of this blog post. What restaurants and grocery stores are open? What community projects are starting up? Where can families find aid and relief? Any pertinent information that people in these areas would benefit by knowing, post it. Also, if you read of any info relevant to your family and friends in these towns, consider calling them and letting them know. With such a storm, internet service is likely down. Sources tells us cell phones are your best bet.

Last week's ice storm left considerable destruction in several states, including Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, and Illinois. Some communities may not have electricity or municipally supplied water for weeks. Stay tuned to this site for information concerning how you can help residents rebuild infrastructure and get their lives back on track.

If you're planning a trip to the area or just want to know how family and friends who live in these states are faring, see www.wpsdtv.com for information on utility outages in Kentucky. The list includes county-by-county information concerning electrical outages, what businesses are open, road conditions, locations of warming centers, and water boil orders. The site also includes information on Missouri, Illinois, and Tennessee counties affected by the storm.

(Photo: Wendy Davis, Cunnigham, KY)

Yesterday I hit the red leather-bound volumes of Southern Living, starting at the top left corner of the shelves in 1966. What I found felt very much like a time capsule.

Recently, Time Magazine (a publication owned by our parent company) published a story titled, "50 Authentic American Experiences." These huge types of magazine articles always intrigue me. Rarely do I not grab the magazine or click on the story to see what editors spotlight as the best BBQ in Texas, the greatest songwriters of all-time, or America's favorite beaches. I love the breadth of expertise and the narrowing down of opinions.

Time, though, missed the mark, especially in the South. I'll offer my thoughts and you can decide.

(Photograph via the National Archives)

Sometimes you have a celebrity sighting of a famous Southerner, and it makes for an interesting blip in the day. Other times, you see a legend, and it sticks in your mind for a long while. We had the latter experience this week, on a Southwest plane from Louisville to Chicago, when Muhammad Ali sat across the aisle from us.

Four days, 34 stops, and 400 miles of shopping round out the 5th annual 400-Mile-Sale down Kentucky's historic highway 68. Below are a few stops that piqued our interest, as well as a map of all the locations (check out 400mile.com for details on communities, stores, and special events).

(Photo by Warner McGowin)

Here's a shot of the capitol building in Frankfort, Kentucky, taken from the Governor's Mansion near sunset.

They're everywhere. Giant red plastic penguins. One sits quietly--all 4 feet of him--next to the sofa in the hotel lobby. Another peers stoically out the gift shop window. More congregate in large numbers on the roof and stand sentry on the outside window ledges. Holy cow, it's like something out of a Monty Python movie. I decide to check in and check out this hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, that blends the best of contemporary art and plush accommodations. I also have a sudden yearning to watch Animal Planet.

Kentucky knows how to show off. That's a good thing. We went to the 134th annual Kentucky Derby this weekend, and we started on Friday, the day before the race, with a tour of Calumet, probably the most legendary horse farm in the world. And despite the tragic ending for Eight Belles, the Kentucky Derby remains an icon of the South, rich with history and pride.