Shreveport icon, Strawn's Eat Shop, is best-known for its strawberry pies topped with smooth domes of whipped cream.

But this little restaurant (featured in SL's November mega-story "Secrets of the South's Best Diners") also serves a mean meat-and-three lunch. The daily menu is so stone-sure, it's painted on one of the walls...

My first hike on the AT felt like I stepped into a perfect postcard. October’s blue skies served as a backdrop as I plodded up a steep trail through gold and russet leaves. I was walking up my first rugged mountain: North Carolina’s Standing Indian (5,498 feet) with a group of six friends, and we told stories and sang songs along the way.

The path unreeled ahead, a dusty rut, wide enough for two of us to walk abreast. Grasses with dots of yellow, red, and purple wildflowers swiped against our knees. Fingers of buttery light reached into the trees, lighting the forest floor.

When the trail turned sharply, I’d reach out for a nearby tree trunk, and felt smooth places on the bark, created by countless other hands. At the top, the view made all the sweating and climbing worthwhile.

The AT met my expectations for beauty that day. I went on to hike along much of the Southern half of the AT: in North Georgia, North Carolina to the Smokies and beyond, and even in Virginia and Maryland.

The trail drew me back not too long ago to join the Konnarock Crew—one of the volunteer groups that rebuild portions of the AT every summer (appalachiantrail.org for more info). We camped along Virginia’s Mount Rogers, spied wild ponies, munched wild blueberries, and dug into some back-breaking labor (without a shower for a week!).

The biggest surprise along the AT is how populated it can be It’s more like a friendly pedestrian highway on weekends where hikers stop to greet, to pet each other's dogs, and to chat about the route. In the evenings, the shelters and campgrounds fill with gabfests. 

No matter how beautiful and awe-inspiring the AT can be, at the end of the day, journeys here are all about story making and storytelling.

Have you hiked along the AT? Where are your favorite places? Mine feel more like mental snapshots I took along the way (both of these come from the Smokies):

 --Crossing a rushing stream in winter where rhododendrons the size of school buses hugged the banks in thickets, their glossy leaves curled up tightly like cigars.

-- Cool hillsides in summer’s midday with deer napping in the shade.

--A bear cub shimmying up a tree to hide (fun to see, but I knew momma bear had to be nearby too).

It began innocently enough. Earlier this summer I spent time on a Texas ranch to research a story. While there I fell hard ... fell for the look of cowboy boots. Since returning home my fascination grew. I needed some cowboy boots of my own.

To be perfectly clear, these aren't boots that I'm going to wear horse riding. I just like the look of them, and what Southern girl doesn't? Thus began my quest for the perfect pair: ones that I could wear at work, on the road, with jeans, with dresses, when line dancing. OK maybe not that last part.

Here are some of my favorite stops along the trail of the perfect pair:

 Wildflower & Wax -- Located in Helena, Alabama (just outside Birmingham), this store actually specializes in making their own beautiful and delicious smelling candles (here is their blog). But the owners discovered that customers were interested in the vintage cowboy boots they had on display for decoration, so they started selling vintage boots from all over the country.

I found several pair I liked, but none in my size. If at first you don't succeed ...

Keep shopping.

I looked around online a bit but am a believer in trying on boots for the right fit. So when I had some extra time during a Texas trip last weekend (Lubbock), I tried on a few dozen pair on for size.

At Cavender's, a chain that has been in business since 1965, I found rows and rows of gorgeous new boots in every size, shape, and color.

Simple, ornate, tall, short, dressy and casual (seriously, I had no idea of the range of possibilities), I pulled pair after pair from the shelves, trying them on and learning from their friendly salespeople how boots should feel and fit.

Here were some of my favorites (at right).

Although several of these caught my attention, I had a feeling that the perfect pair was still somewhere out there, waiting for me.

Luckily, I happened to be going to Nashville after Texas.

The odyssey continued.

Following a friend's recommendation, I stopped off at the legendary Katy K's, whose customers sing on the Grand Ole Opry. Rockabilly and rhinestone fashion galore, I knew this was my kind of place. And indeed, this is where I found them: The Ones.

As soon as I put them on I knew I'd found my glass slippers. These vintage boots would go with everything, had an ever so subtle but colorful pattern, and fit like magic.

Move over Carrie Bradshaw. You don't have anything on a Southern girl with the perfect pair of boots. (But if another pair come along, there's still room in my closet ... )

Related Links:

40 Things Every Southerner Ought To Do

Music City Shopping

If there is one thing (and trust me, there's more than one thing) I've discovered in my two months interning in Southern Living travel headquarters, it's that these people know the South. Seriously--any one of the editors can rattle off where locals dine on the freshest seafood, the personality of City A compared to City B, and how on earth to pronounce that little island of the coast of Carolina. 

These erudite scholars of the South were prime suspects for assistance in compiling a Southern Bucket List. Here's their Top 40 Things to Do in the South Before You Die.

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?

Last week I traveled to North Carolina. It was my first trip to NC in the two years I've been on staff at Southern Living. After tens of thousands of miles logged in the far reaches of Texas and in Louisiana's  bayou backwater, seeing the rolling, tree-wealthy range of central North Carolina was the freshest breath of air I've had in a long while. At times, I felt like I was in another country, maybe Scotland.

Okay, so this is really cool.  I caught wind about the Southwest Airlines Wi-Fi, but it didn't cross my mind this morning when I hopped the plane from B'ham to Dallas.  

Then, Bam!  Here I am, blogging in real time from the skies.  Their wi-fi homepage shows me the progress of the flight.  (It's 8:15 a.m., we're going 450 mph, our ETA to Love Field is 68 minutes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses...)  During this testing period, the service is as free as the two packs of peanuts sitting on my tray. 

Now, what could I write about?  The guy in 12D holds his newspaper close to his face.  The woman in 13D brought cheese crackers.  She offered me one, but I politely declined. 

I never promised the post would be exciting. Just cool.

Ah. It's FINALLY here. My very favorite two days of the sporting year. Thursday-Friday of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tourney, the day when giants are knocked off, when the little guy hits the game-winner to clinch immortality on his home turf. Tune in to this post to hear all about the South's best sleeper teams likely to shock the hoops world. Even President Obama is in on the fun. 

Sure, Grand Isle is a famous fishing village in South Louisiana that has endured more than its share of hurricane misery, most recently from Gustav. It's also the name of a new dining spot in New Orleans that captures some of the soul of the Lousiana coast in all its funky appeal.

Continuing our local's look into the city of Dallas, here are the next five reasons to visit Big D. Also, I didn't mention that this list of 25 is not ranked. It's a sum-greater-than-the-parts deal. OK, let's get to it.

16. They've painted the town.

While researching "Old Salem by Candlelight", (p. 40 in Southern Living's December issue) I took a stroll down Church Street in this historic district of North Carolina.  Four birds waddled out, crossed the street, and bee-lined to a pile of corn kernels scattered in a front yard. 

A local later told me he had heard of a gaggle of vagrant guinea hens inhabiting the neighborhood. 

He thought it was an urban legend.

For a slide show of images from the story, click here.

A great reporter digs to find the facts and writes them as he knows them.  When he is wrong, he admits his mistakes.

I was wrong.

After a previous post regarding St. Nick in Fredericksburg, I got a call from Santa.  Rather, I missed a call from Santa.

(Listen to Santa's message.)

Local Santa, Santa Claus (see Retraction post), loves sharing the joy of Christmas. photo by Scott Suchman

I sent our photographer, Scott Suchman, a rather detailed shot list last December for my story, "Shop Fredericksburg."  I gave him specific locations and angles I thought would work.  The main theme, though, was to convey Chrismas in this charming Virginia town. 

I never asked him to find Santa Claus.

(Photos by Art Meripol)

"Black bears rarely attack. But here's the thing. Sometimes they do. That doesn't happen often, but - and here is the absolutely salient point - once would be enough." - Bill Bryson, A Walk in the Woods

I took several walks in the woods this weekend. The jaunts led me along leaf-covered paths of yellow poplar, sassafras, white oak, sweetgum, and red maple so bright your heart could burst. Though I love and grew up exploring the woods, I do not adequately remember the sounds of the woods. You might call me a woodsman right after you call me a Braves prospect. This is why I thought a bear was about to jump me while hiking the Springer Mountain Loop this weekend near Ellijay, Georgia.

What does it say that one town can be proud of having produced both Br'er Rabbit and the Color Purple? Eatonton, GA takes some pride in having been home to both authors Joel Chandler Harris and Alice Walker. The former created the Uncle Remus Tales, starring an ebonic-speaking rabbit most famous for his encounter with a "tar baby." His stories, interpretations of black folk tales he heard from storytellers were popular once with audiences black and white.

In later years, writers including Alice Walker have taken offense at what they and others view as Harris' being credited for what amounts to inappropriate cultural acquisition. Alice Walker, known for her portrayals of long-suffering, but powerfully staunch women of color, also wrote an essay called "Uncle Remus: No Friend of Mine."

Last weekend, Union Station in Washington D.C. turned 100 years old. Though officially opened in 1907, the wonderful example of Beaux-Arts style celebrated its final completion a year later in 1908. Today, the white granite columns, cavernous barrel-vaulted ceilings, and marble floors echo a history of soaring American architecture as bygone as the train whistles just down the hall. If you've yet to experience this old-school grandeur in DC, make it this special year. Even if just for a movie (downstairs theater).

For more images taken by SL Editor Tanner Latham, read on.

(photo by Kelsey Blackwell)

Though I’ve never studied architecture or usually take notice of such things, I know something cool when I see it, like this old Greyhound station on main street in Jackson, Tennessee. From what I could gather from locals, it’s one of two in the country to have retained its original art deco design and is still fully operating. A few calls around town and random Internet browsing place that other at anyone’s guess. When I strolled over to check this one out, along with the design it didn’t seem like much else had changed.

(Photo by Scott Suchman)

Can you imagine a better swing? Visitors to the Florida Panhandle's "Forgotten Coast" spend weekends in Apalachicola hoping the rest of the world continues to bypass this sliver of fishing village untainted by eager land developers. 

There is only one best, right?  It is the ultimate.  Nothing better. 

Interstate travel usually leads to generic, unmemorable, value-meal food stops. On a recent Texas drive from San Antonio to South Padre Island, I found a BBQ place called Van's that made me want to write a story about making I-travel a more local experience. Here are three interstate BBQ joints worth an exit in Texas.

(Photo by Taylor Bruce)

Miesha Williams isn't a bartender, but she's as open-eared as any Moe I've ever met pulling tap handles.

(Photos taken by TB)

In the July heat that seems to rush up and down the Mississippi River and hover over New Orleans, I find respite at Hansen's Sno-Bliz on a boring corner of Tchoupotoulis Street. The crowds gather here like someone's golden retriever is telling spiritual secrets. Summer days, the masses line from the corner, stand inside a beaten screen door, and shuffle along the sunflower yellow line leading to Mr. Hansen's handmade, U.S. Patent-ed ice machine. Ten thousand aging photographs tell you the story you are standing in. The people in them testify to how worth it your wait will be.

photo by John O'Hagan

He's a god in Asheville, NC, brewing circles.

(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.

"Is that the first time you've ever said 'Avocadolicious?'  Because that's the first time I've ever heard it."

Full disclosure: I didn't overhear this. 

(South Carolina's 1,500-year-old Angel Oak. Photo credit.)

When I think of trees, I think of the four spring-flowering Bradford Pears that made a square in my childhood backyard. How the trees formed a lane perfect for pitching baseballs (to my mother mostly). How I watched them, unknowingly, grow from weak treelings to wonderful, burgundy-leafed adults. And how they sort of watched me rise as well. Trees are markers of the changing seasons, givers of shade, reminders of time, and anchors to place.

Here are a few famous ones in the South that bring to mind the words of William Cullen Bryant, "The groves were God's first temples."

(Photo of Charleston's Beard-winner, Hominy Grill, by Shayna Anne)

Foodie powers-that-be recently announced this year's James Beard Awards, the highest culinary accolade out there, America's meal medal of honor. The shindig, which you can see via pictures on the JB Foundation website, looked to be a real tony affair, with the tops of our nation's restauranteurs/chefs/food writers toasting their love of cuisine. And once again the  contingent who call our proud region home showed up bigtime at the celebration.

(Photo courtesy of the Weinstein Company)

Shreveport? Really? Kevin Costner loves Shreveport? Jack Black craves the poboys at Cush's Grocery? Denzel chose here to film a project near and dear to his moviemaking heart. Head's up, Shreveport is making real waves. This former oil man's hub is winning over Hollywood bigtime. One newpaper writer gives us the scoop.

(Photo by Bill McKinney)

I always wondered how Mississippi--and in particular, Greenville--grew such a large crop of brilliant writers, such as Shelby Foote, Walker Percy, Ellen Douglas, etc. etc.  After a recent visit to that Delta city, I found the answer in a terrific independent bookstore.  McCormick Book Inn, overseen by curmudgeonly Hugh McCormick, is only too happy to enlighten the curious.

Last week I sat with Dawn Welch among the sooty remains of the 1939 Rock Cafe in Stroud, Oklahoma. 

(Photos by Bill McKinney)

Driving through the Mississippi Delta on Hwy. 82, we stopped at a BBQ spot in Indianola. I had heard there was a BB King Museum in the works, and the purveyor of pork at Big Daddy's BBQ told us just where it was--101 South Sunflower Avenue.

As I stood beneath the lukewarm spray this morning, six pairs of curtain hooks--like miniature prosthetic pirate hands--hung ominously overhead.

(Photos by Tanner Latham)

1. The Golden Driller, Tulsa, OK (map)

Height: 76 feet
Constructed: 1953
Claim to Fame: Largest freestanding statue in the world

In case you missed them, here are the most popular posts for May:

1. Louisiana's Blue Dog Artist
George Rodrigue's Blue Dog paintings and silkcreen prints have nosed their way into our American visual iconography. Rodrigue walks Assistant Travel Editor Taylor Bruce through his latest exhibit with photos and exclusive audio interviews.

2. Blue Spring State Park Marine Life Part I
Is this a face only a mother could love? Apparently not, as sailfin suckermouth catfish (Pterygoplicthys disjunctivus), like the one pictured, are breeding in such numbers they threaten the health of the rivers in which they live.  Livings Editor Richard Banks gets up close and personal with this "armored catfish."

3. Wakeboarding - Orlando, Florida
Wakeboarding combines the gravity defying, aerial marvels of gymnastics with the ramps, speed, and whacky jargon of skateboarding. While working on a story on an Orlando-based wakeboarder, Livings Editor Richard Banks visited the Air Nautique Wake Games at the Orlando Watersports Complex and saw first-hand just how incredible the sport is.

4. Ave Maria Grotto in Cullman, Alabama
When I first stumbled upon the Ave Maria Grotto, a vast collection of miniature religious sculptures in Cullman, Alabama, I almost dismissed it as mere Southern kitsch. The "Jerusalem in Miniature," however, deserves a closer look.

5. TPC Sawgrass: Dad Conquered #17
"Good luck on #17."
The valet guys at the Sawgrass Marriott in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL whisper it when you toss them your keys. Our breakfast waitress winked when she said it while dropping off the check. No surprise, really. This is arguably one of the most famous holes in golf, and if you play the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass—-home to THE PLAYERS Championship—-it’s the hole that’s stuck in your head from your first swing on the practice range until your final putt on 18.

6. Hotel Monaco Concierge Saves the Day
Associate Travel Editor Jennifer V. Cole prides herself on being a good packer. She should be--she packs and unpacks a suitcase about twice a week. So when she forgot a certain "unmentionable" item on a recent trip to Washington, D.C., it took a hotel concierge willing to go the extra mile to save Cole from days of discomfort.

7. A Tree Growing Straight Through a Truck
A tree grew straight through the passenger side window of this rusted-out 1957 Chevy truck in Providence Canyon State Park in Lumpkin, Georgia. Ironically, at this point removing the truck would do more harm than good to the surrounding park.

8. Sunset Over the Mighty Mississippi
Associate Travel Editor Tanner Latham stood in Natchez--Under The Hill, to be exact--when the sky went pastel as the sun set behind the far banks of the Mississippi River. Cross that bridge, and you'll find yourself in Louisiana. Vidalia.

9. Skippers, Virginia: The Perfect Southern Accent
Associate Travel Editor Tanner Latham grew up in a small town in Alabama. So he has a Southern accent that digs deep or floats shallow, depending on the situation. He thought he knew Southern accents, until he met Lindsey Vincent at the Good Earth Peanut Company while researching a story out last month on the best stops off I-95.

10. Modern Architecture in Nashville
When you think of cutting-edge architecture, Nashville may not be the first city that comes to mind. Designers like Ryan Thewes, however, are making a name for themselves and giving Nashville a splash of unique homes.

(Photos by Taylor Bruce, Tanner Latham, and Robin Weekley)

I was 15 when, as a high school player from Georgia, I first visited Rickwood Field in Birmingham. Forever afterwards, no ballpark experience matched up. None. Suiting up for a game in America's oldest ballpark is the apex. But watching the game from the scoreboard heights might be a close second.

I'm an Alabama fan, so I usually swear under my breath upon hearing "Big Orange," but that's a whole 'nother rant for a whole 'nother blog. (Besides that, I work with too many Tennessee fans who know where I live.) So last week when I stumbled upon Tanner's Big Orange in Greenville, South Carolina, I was immediately taken in by the iconic sign poised like an exclamation point over South Pleasantburg Drive. The giant hot dog did not escape my notice either since I have never been one to turn down nitrates in any form.

After seeing the Birmingham Barons play the Jacksonville Suns in the annual Rickwood Classic Thursday, I'm convinced I've reached the pinnacle of farm league baseball experiences.

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).

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.

(Photos courtesy of Curtis Palmer)

Tomorrow marks my favorite day in the city of Birmingham, Alabama. It is the day Rickwood Field, America's oldest ballpark, comes back to life with the sights, sounds, and smells of baseball. The crack of maple. Venders chanting out sales of hot dogs and peanuts and ice cold sodas. Young players stretching singles into a hard-won doubles. The Rickwood Classic makes grown men become boys again.

"Jerusalem in Miniature"

When I first stumbled upon the Ave Maria Grotto, a vast collection of miniature religious sculptures in Cullman, Alabama, I almost dismissed it as mere Southern kitsch. The "Jerusalem in Miniature," however, deserves a closer look. So if you're driving down I-65 on a Sunday afternoon, take an hour to enjoy this thoughtful and contemplative collection.

When you think of cutting-edge architecture, Nashville may not be the first city that comes to mind. Designers like Ryan Thewes, however, are making a name for themselves and giving Nashville a splash of unique homes (and getting some well-deserved praise here, here, here and this last one is a digital magazine, but you can flip to page 38 to see an award Thewes pulled in).

(Photo and video by Tanner Latham)

“Good luck on #17.”

The valet guys at the Sawgrass Marriott in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL whisper it when you toss them your keys. Our breakfast waitress winked when she said it while dropping off the check. No surprise, really. This is arguably one of the most famous holes in golf, and if you play the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass—-home to THE PLAYERS Championship kicking off today—-it’s the hole that’s stuck in your head from your first swing on the practice range until your final putt on 18.

Why?

(Photo courtesy of Pegasus News)

While walking through Dallas' NorthPark Mall, a place of high fashion, modern art, and exquisite landscaping, Senior Photographer Art Meripol and I came upon a real surprise: John Lennon's Steinway upright, the one where his peace anthem "Imagine" came to life.

(Photo by Art Meripol)

I grew up in a small town in Alabama. I have a Southern accent that digs deep or floats shallow, depending on the situation. I thought I knew Southern accents, until I met Lindsey Vincent at the Good Earth Peanut Company while researching a story out this month on the best stops off I-95.

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.

We're one month in here at Tales From the Road, and here are the most popular posts for April:

1. Top 5 Paths to Plane Peace
Want to avoid that chatty seat mate on your next flight? Follow Annette Thompson's five tips to ensure a peaceful plane ride.

2. Backstage with Dierks Bentley
Meet country music's "hardest working man" with travel editor Jennifer V. Cole.

3. "World Peace and Bacon Grease!"
In Charleston, South Carolina, (and perhaps elsewhere in the South), "World Peace and Bacon Grease!" as an appropriate salutation. Read Jennifer V. Cole's reflections on returning to life in the South...

4. Comet Ping Pong Wins Best Family Restaurant in D.C.
Check out the best ping-pong pizza restaurant in Washington D.C. and get in a quick round of table tennis while you wait for your (other) table...

5. Decadence in Miniature: Stealing Hotel Shampoo
Don't let all that perfectly usable hotel shampoo go to waste. In an era when traveling with toiletries is a matter of national security, these small 2-3 ounce bottles come in handy.

6. Free Art in Dallas
The only thing better than fine art is free art, and in Dallas, you can appreciate both. Take a walking tour of some of the most creative artwork this Texas hub has to offer.

7. Stuck in the Memphis Airport
So you're stranded in the Memphis Airport, but don't fear. Livings Editor Richard Banks has a tip that will make an unexpected hours-long layover fly by.

8. Forest Fire Razes Talladega Superspeedway...Wait, No
A hazy smoke lingers over the Talladega Speedway on race weekend. A forest fire? No, just thousands of happy, grilling NASCAR fans.

9. Only Pumpkin in the Patch: Middleburg, VA
Meet Pumpkin Lee of Middleburg, Virginia. She's done tack repair work for Olympian equestrians, and she's an only child - the only pumpkin in the patch, so to speak.

10. Birmingham Jazz Legend - Cleveland Eaton
So you missed Jazzfest. Well, if you live anywhere near Birmingham, you can check out this living legend every week.

(Photos by Matt Bigelow and Kelsey Blackwell)

A tree grew straight through the passenger side window of this rusted-out 1957 Chevy truck in Providence Canyon State Park in Lumpkin, Georgia. (Google map).

(Photos by Tanner Latham)

I’m not a food writer.  I’m not a golf writer.  I’m not an adventure writer.  I like all these things and write about them generally, but I’m not an authority on any.  There’s one thing I know I can do.  I can read a map. 

(Photos by Richard Banks)

Wakeboarding combines the gravity defying, aerial marvels of gymnastics with the ramps, speed, and whacky jargon of skateboarding. While working on a story on an Orlando-based wakeboarder, I visited the Air Nautique Wake Games at the Orlando Watersports Complex and saw first-hand just how incredible the sport is. While being pulled by a boat like a water skier, wakeboarders flipped backwards and forwards, twisted, whirled, jumped ramps, rode rails, and seemingly flew just yards off shore. It was jaw-dropping, crazy wild, baby.