Recently I've started hooping for exercise. As in hula hooping, the thing that you did when you were a kid. It's a ridiculous amount of fun, and there are even health benefits (but that's another story for another time).

Let's just say you can't feel bad when you have a brightly colored hoop spinning around your body and the music way up. I even have a collapsible one for travel, which gets a lot of attention in airports.

What? You've never seen a grown woman carry a laptop on one shoulder and a fold-up hoop on another? It is a conversation starter to say the least.

Random person: Um, what's that around your neck?

Me: It's a hula hoop.

Random person: Seriously?

Me: Yep, wanna try?

Random person looks suspiciously at me, backing away slowly.

OK, so it's a bit bulky and I don't take it everywhere. But I'm not the only Southerner who is into hooping --  in fact the Hotel Palomar in Dallas is offering a 50% discount to anyone who can hula hoop for one minute upon check-in. And if you can't make the full minute, they'll offer a free-upgrade if you hoop for 20 seconds. How fun is that?

The deal is upon availability and runs through Sept. 7. Now go get your hoop on.

Related Links:

Southern Living: Dallas Like A Local

Southern Living Live Healthy: Hula Hooping To Health

Hooping.com - What is Hooping?

Mark your calendars for April 19-20 and 25-26: The global music community is descending onto Houston for iFest. From Celtic to Tejano to African drum circles, the city will be jamming out both weekends. Since 1971, the iFest has been THE international event of the year in hTown, and for good reason. When you look at all the offerings, it will make your head hurt it's so packed. 

Editor's Pick: Rootz Underground, one of Jamaica's hottest reggae bands, shown above. There's plenty of good acts to catch on the 10 stages. So, if international travel is out for your family this summer, head into Houston. Tip: If you buy before March 31, one-day tickets to all the shows are only $7.50.  For a preview of Rootz Underground and other performers, continue reading...

Downtown Roswell, Georgia, a suburb about 14 miles north of Atlanta's Buckhead neighborhood, feels much like a little English village. Clockmakers, painters, tidy and cute cottages, the whole bowl of cheerios. Now, as restaurant men with an affinity for country pubs opened Salt Factory, Roswell really feels like Sussex.

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.

Have you heard of CityPass? If not, then listen up: There's no better value offer for exploring Atlanta and Houston (plus other major metropolises outside the South) than CityPass. The booklet of tickets is basically a pocket-sized, front-of-the-line golden ticket to each city's spotlighted attractions. All-in-one for less of a price.

If you were in Houston, you would pay $34 for adults/$24 for kids and recieve entry into Space Center Houston (NASA); Downtown Aquarium; Houston Museum of Natural Science; Houston Zoo; either The Health Museum OR George Ranch Historical Park; either Museum of Fine Arts, Houston OR The Children’s Museum of Houston. The adult value for this package would be more than $65. Plus, the CityPass comes with preferential seating and a free appetizer at one of 33 Landry's restaurants in the city.

If you were in Atlanta, adults pay $69/kids $49 to access World of Coca-Cola; Zoo Atlanta; CNN Atlanta; Georgia Aquarium; High Museum of Art OR the Atlanta History Center; Fernbank Museum of Natural History OR Atlanta Botanical Garden. A normal adults entry into these places would cost nearly $120. The added value in ATL comes for shoppers: Lenox and Phipps malls honor the CityPass with savings options in selected stores.

If you do find yourself in either Houston or Atlanta, I can't help but give my two cents tips for favorites in each. In H-town, Hermann Park is awesome; the reflecting pool and the Sam Houston statue reminds me of the Mall in DC. It's a wonderful morning spot. For Atlanta, I have three words. Get. To. Decatur. Especially for two fantastic restaurants: Brick Store Pub and Cakes and Ale, shown to the left. Stellar.

To read up on both cities, visit our Southern Living's website by clicking on the city names Atlanta and Houston. And before you visit, check into CityPass.

photo by Scott Suchman

We've chosen our five favorites in this Virginia city.

We're huge fans of the Old Town district of Fredericksburg, and here's why: All the stores are locally owned.  When browsing for everything from antique furniture to contemporary gifts, you'll find the shop owners right on the spot.  Check these out.

Nashville hosts the best and brightest in Southern Books this weekend, October 10-12, and it's wide open to the public. Even Oprah's next book pick will be there. If curling up with a stirring novel or a fascinating dive into history suits you, keep reading this post for my own "Cliff's Notes" of how to best experience the Southern Festival of Books.

Tonight (Tuesday, September 2) James Beard-winner John Besh's New Orleans Brasserie Lüke reopens after Hurricane Gustav. Quite a turn-around. It's the first of Besh's four restaurants to turn the lights back on, and it's a good sign for the city post-storm.

Doors open at 5 PM, no reservations are necessary, and guests are invited to walk in at their leisure. The menu will be limited, but shall include some of Lüke’s signature dishes - Lüke Burger with Allen Benton’s Bacon; Carmelized Onions and Emmenthaler Cheese; Pressed Sandwich of Whole Roast “Cochon de Lait” with Cherry Mustard; and Croque Monsieur Croque Madame et Frites with Emmenthaler Cheese.

Also, try the French "75" cocktail. A friend described it as "like kissing a ruddy-faced, blonde-haired boy on the beach." I'll take her word on that one, but i tried it. Perfect summer drink. 

(Bluff-top art, the mighty Mississippi, and the green expanse beyond. Photo by Richard Banks)

I lived 33 of my 44 years in Memphis. Now after eight years away, the city’s culture is still under my finger nails like ribs and sauce, and its music reverberates in my head. When I get back to town, it’s like I can breathe again and I hyperventilate as I can’t stop paying visits to old haunts. Back home after a long weekend, I’m usually spent after days of reconnection and no sleep.

I’m happy to report – in between naps in my office, of course – that a recent trip was no different. The city is as entertaining as ever and the local populace as hospitable as any in the South – both perfect ingredients for a quick weekend escape.

(Photo by Gary Clark)

The Outer Banks. Ah, just saying the name makes me feel pleasantly far from reach. North Carolina's 200-mile string of Atlantic beach towns - Kitty Hawk, Hatteras, Nags Head, Manteo, Duck, and several other coastal hamlets - all offer summer sunrises with your toes in the surf. Roam Carolina's east coast while the long days last.

(Photo courtesy of Galatoire's Restaurant)

The New York Times published a story this morning about the return of Times-Picayune restaurant reviews for New Orleans, a missing part of the daily since Katrina nearly three years ago. First up for hometown scrutiny: Mr. B's Bistro in the French Quarter. The look in the mirror for NOLA means much more than an extra column in the paper. It means normalcy.

(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.

(Photograph by MacQ)

I realize you are reading this in the simmer of summer. And I know, far west Texas (194 miles southeast of El Paso to be exact) does not bode well for cooling off. But in Marfa, nearly mile-high elevation and devoid of hellish humidity, the Thunderbird Hotel truly is a Highway 90 oasis of flair and of temp. Yes, revamped with Marfa’s own style-of-thumb (local art in rooms, Judd-inspired spareness, Sante Fe in feel), the Thunderbird uses its desert locale with reclaimed oil-piping latticework and well-groomed cacti. But it’s the cool-conscious list of hotel amenities that keep guests out of the heat and in the hip, indoors and outside, with vintage offerings and thoughtful features. The West never was so chic or so sunny.

(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.

*This post contributed by Travel Editor Carolanne Roberts

If you know Rosemary Beach, you’re saying aaaaaaah right now and nodding your head as those-in-the-know often do. If you don’t—and it’s still something of a secret, even in Southern reaches of Florida—then you’ll want to this place the rest of us rank high on our Beaches to Sigh For list.

(Photo courtesy of Joe in DC via Flickr)

I’m mighty partial to this 6-mile stretch of bronze-tinged sand between the thrills of Daytona and the quiet beauty of St. Augustine. I lived here not too long ago. I got sand in my shoes everyday—something I’ve yet to shake. These days, when I want to go somewhere out of the way yet near all sorts of interesting side trips, I pick this place.

(Photo courtesy of Fleur Design via Flickr)

I’ve been going to Gulf Shores, Alabama, since the early 70s, and I still love it as much as I did when I was a kid wearing floaties. Now I’ve got kids of my own, and the reasons for that affection are the same. While other beaches offer better shopping, more sophisticated dining, and more houses that belong on a magazine cover, Gulf Shores maintains a simplicity that’s hard to replicate. It’s very much a family place, with wide beaches and blue-green water. The vibe of the whole place is laid-back and very Southern. (Any place that proudly calls itself the Redneck Riviera is obviously without pretension.) In Gulf Shores, you’re left to enjoy the things that matter most at the beach: sun, sand, water, food, and family. That’s the equation for a perfect vacation.

(Photo courtesy of Texas Parks and Wildlife)

Matagorda Island - rugged and untamed, sea-oat-pure, populated by whooping cranes, wild turkeys, and white-tailed deer - lays 5 miles across the Espiritu Santo Bay from mainland Texas. If cowboys were sailors too, this is where they'd roam.

(Photo by Meg McKinney)

Ah.  A week of beaches.  Each day we'll highlight our favorite places to dig our toes in the sand. 

We kick off our Beach Week with one of the alltime family beach destinations:  Myrtle Beach.

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.

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.

Riverfest Arkansas is an annual event that takes place over Memorial Day weekend in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Tickets are $10.00 in advance at select area stores and $20.00 at the gate, and they are good all weekend. Musical acts include Better Than Ezra, One Republic, ZZ Top, among others.

If you'll be in the area, here are a list of five attractions in Little Rock to see while you're there (recommended by Associate Travel Editor Jennifer Mackenzie Frazier, photography by Art Meripol).

Virginia Beach may have missed the list, but there's plenty of reasons to give it another look this summer. (Photo by Meg McKinney)

Southern Living Editors put together a top ten list of Memorial Day Destinations. Our list follows below, but our question to you is this: where are you headed this Memorial Day? Whether it's a backyard barbecue or a trip cross country, drop a comment and let us know your Memorial Day plans below.

"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.

Yesterday I drove 266 miles in a steady rain throughout southeast Missouri’s Mark Twain National Forest, towns like Rolla, Winona, Eminence, and Fredericktown. The landscape was just gorgeous, rolling forests and old barns tucked onto bright green pastures, the Current and Jack’s Fork Rivers along curvy backroads, what Missouri writer William Least Heat-Moon calls blue highways.
    Rain at first put a literal and figurative damper on my day of research and exploration: I was supposed to be checking out hiking trails, canoe companies, and camping spots. But it turned out, as I drove south from Salem, Missouri, towards the upper fourth of the Current, the rain brought a needed sense of serenity, quiet, and even dripping beauty.
    The stormy day reminded me how to travel well in the rain.

Normally, manatees are long gone from Blue Spring this time of year, as they’ve made their way back to the waters closer to the Gulf of Mexico or Atlantic Ocean. I, however, got lucky on my visit to the state park (on the western edge of Orange City, Florida) in late-April, as two calves were being reintroduced into the wild. The story was they had been injured and taken to Sea World. The staff there had nursed them back to health and placed them at Blue Spring. Having been acclimated to people, they chose to hang out at the dock with their radio transmitters bobbing on the surface just above them as they lounged on the spring’s bottom.

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. Native to the Amazon basin, these catfish are exotic to waters in the South, such as the Blue Spring basin in north central Florida where this specimen was captured in late April.

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 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. 

How do you deal with an overly friendly seat mate on an airplane?

It’s enough to make me want to wear a mask, gloves, and blinders. But seriously. I work for a polite magazine, and when I’m on the road I try hard to be pleasant. Still, most of the time when I’m ferrying between destinations I prefer a little quiet time to prepare for work or to transition into being back home.

While I’m not a testy flyer, these are my top five ways to enjoy the plane ride by myself:

And in This Corner…

Up the road a piece in St. Petersburg, the Ringside Café serves delicious burgers, cold beer, and frequent live music. During the recent Tampa Bay Blues Festival, the Ringside hosted Texan Lucky Peterson and the place was packed with music fans from as far away New Jersey and Texas. It was so crowded that the club was at capacity when my buddy and I arrived. As a result, we spent the first 30 minutes of Peterson’s show watching from the club’s windows (see photo).

Even as busy as they were, the staff remained exceptionally accommodating and efficient throughout Peterson’s two-set show. And even with the out-of-towner infusion, the Ringside still had an air of neighborhood hangout, with locals happy to offer inside tips on other area must-see restaurants, clubs, and attractions.

2742 Fourth St.
St Petersburg, FL 33704
Google Map

(727) 894-8465

Currently, Ringside Café doesn’t have a web site.

When You Hear the Bell Ring…

If you’re in Sarasota and in need of live music, try the 5 O’Clock Club. Located on Hillview, on the southern edge of downtown, the club offers classic rock and rockabilly to dance and reggae. The night I visited, Tampa-based Democracy cranked up the Rastafarian groove with covers of reggae icons Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, and a few of their originals.

Sporting the slogan “the neighborhood club with a national sound,” the 53-year-old 5 O’Clock advertises live music seven nights a week and is managed by – check out this name – Sally Majestic. No, she doesn’t leap buildings in a single bound, but she does run a sizeable nightclub – which could certainly be considered a superhuman effort – and answers the same question night after night, as patrons query if hers is the name her parents gave her.

1930 Hillview St.
Sarasota, FL 34239
941-366-5555
http://www.5oclockclub.net

I have a confession. I hoard hotel room amenities. There. I’ve said it.

Shampoos. Lotions. Mouthwash. Matchbook-sized sewing kits I never use.

If I’m in a hotel room more than one night, I’ll hide the cute little bottles I’m using so the staff will re-stock the bathroom counter right next to their dazzlingly artistic display of folded wash cloths.

Here’s a Travel Tip:

Most of the hotel-sized liquid items pass through airport security swimmingly, so that’s a bonus. Knowing that information helps me justify my problem. At least that’s what my therapist has offered.

The above image is a picture from my shower. No doctoring. Well, I did hide the Hello Kitty loufah sponge. I see it as an art installation called “Decadence in Miniature.” I buy shampoo from the store roughly once a year, and it’s only as a backup. I smell like roses, orange blossoms, and sandalwood. Why? Because it’s free.

(For more of Urevbu's work, click here).

If you’re in the Memphis International Airport and need a change of scenery or perhaps some artistic inspiration, check out Ephraim Urevbu’s paintings in the connectors between concourses A and B, as well as B and C. The Nigerian born artist who now calls Memphis home portrays such subjects as drummers from his homeland to bluesmen of his new hometown with an intensity of color and a style that borders on the Modern with hints of Impressionism and Cubism.