Features

BY ANGELA GARY

During our college years and early adult life, I would plan these fun trips for my sister and friends. Traveling along the plantation trail on the Natchez Trace in Mississippi, exploring New Orleans, crossing those amazing bridges as we drove from Miami to Key West.

I was the unofficial travel agent for the group. I took input from everyone, made the arrangements and off we went. Everyone was always pleased with our travels except for one person. Without fail, my younger sister, Amanda, would look around and say, “It’s not what I expected.”

I never knew exactly what she was expecting on our travels but it must have been really amazing. Her imagination must have conjured up something really unusual. Maybe Scarlet and Rhett showing up at the plantations, a parade in her honor in New Orleans or diving off the bridges from Miami to Key West.

My sister was always quick to say she was having fun. She just had to add, “It’s just not what I expected.” Decades later, I’m still not sure what she was expecting.
I am afraid that Amanda’s son, Jake, has inherited this trait from her. I planned a last mini trip for the boys before school started. Grayson loves trains, so I planned a train ride for us on the Dinosaur Train excursion offered by the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad in Bryson City, N.C.

Grayson really loved the train ride, train museum and train shop. Some of his comments were, “This is the best day ever,” “You are the best GGY ever” and “This is amazing!” Grayson is already planning our next train excursions—the pumpkin ride in the fall and the Polar Express in December.

Jake wasn’t as impressed with the outing. He enjoyed the family time but for some reason, he thought our Dinosaur adventure would be more along the lines of Jurassic World with the day to include us flying through the jungle in a jeep with T-rex chasing us. That didn’t happen. It would have been really cool but it didn’t happen.

Instead, we took the train ride, stopping off in the train adventure area to play putt putt, have our photo made with a Dinosaur character and play a few games. It was great family fun but apparently not what Jake was expecting. Great to see another generation carrying on this trait! It really is all in your perspective.

Angela Gary is an editor with MainStreet Newspapers. She can be reached at AngieEditor@aol.com.

BY SHERRY LEWIS

When planning a girlfriend get-away, dining options are always an important consideration. On a recent weekend get-away where we made the Loews Atlanta Hotel our headquarters, we found the perfect dining spot that was just an elevator ride to the lobby.

Newly opened, Saltwood Charcuterie & Bar, is named for its emphasis on salted, cured meats and classically rustic presentation on wood blocks. It’s a small-plate-style restaurant where a charcuterie station serves as the restaurant’s centerpiece. Patrons can pull up a bar stool and sample house-made and locally sourced items while watching the chef hand-carve the meats and assemble the plates.
We could see the chef making our delectable meat, cheese, bread and olive tray, from our nearby table where we were enjoying a leisurely time of food and fellowship with our friends.

Our server, Tiauna, was a gem. She gave us intricate details of many menu options, and she led down the right path from the moment we arrived until we waved goodbye and headed to the elevator. [Full Story »] 

Burn Social Club great place for night out

BY ANGELA GARY

Visitors to Burn Social Club will be stepping back in time to an era where supper clubs were the gathering place for socializing, listening to live music and enjoying light fares and specialty drinks.

Located in Andrews Entertainment District, Burn Social Club is next to Czar Ice Bar, both located at 56 East Andrews Drive NW, in the heart of Buckhead. It’s a sophisticated modern supper club featuring a seven-piece house band, dinner and dancing.

Inspired by the supper clubs of the 30s and 40s, Burn is a social club where guests gather to eat and drink, be entertained and enjoy the company of friends. I have been to many supper clubs in Wisconsin, where they are still thriving today, and was looking forward to checking out this new development. I wasn’t disappointed. It’s a great place to go with friends for a night out to enjoy some great live entertainment and socialize. [Full Story »] 

BY ANGELA GARY

Fall means festival time in the South and my favorite festival of all is coming up next month in Greenville, S.C. The 10th annual Euphoria culinary celebration is planned Sept. 17-20 and singer/songwriter and euphoria co-founder Edwin McCain will be returning in honor of the 10th anniversary McCain will be at the Songwriter's Recipe and Taste of the South.

Greenville is the place to be every September as the best restaurants in Greenville all come together for a celebration of food and entertainment. I have attended for several years and am looking forward to the 10th anniversary event.

One of my favorite activities during the weekend is the Taste of the South, which will be held on Friday, Sept. 18. It’s the perfect way to spend a Friday evening... under the stars in downtown Greenville, along the soothing currents of the Reedy River, listening to live music from euphoria's co-founder Edwin McCain. You can also enjoy a full array of Southern dishes from a selection of the Upstate’s finest restaurants. [Full Story »] 

BY JAKE MYLER

Whether you want to visit an amusement park, eat at the top places, get your picture made with legends, enjoy a good theatre or just spend a wonderful time with your family, Myrtle Beach is the place for you.

My first stop was at Thunder and Light Theater. I was amazed at all the performances by the famous group “All That,” a male clogging group. They used to compete against each other in clogging competitions and then decide to form a group for people’s entertainment. They even went on a popular television show called “ America’s got Talent. “ I really enjoyed seeing all their fancy footwork. In between their acts, a magician and his wife preformex their magic acts. I was really amazed and in shock about how they pulled off all of the illusions that they did. [Full Story »] 

Trip includes ziplines, rope courses, amusement park

BY SHERRY LEWIS

If you want to experience balancing on a board while dangling in the air, riding a breath-taking roller coaster or relaxing on a lazy river, then Myrtle Beach is the perfect place for your family vacation. On a recent trip seeking outdoor adventure, we didn’t walk away disappointed. In fact, we had the time of our lives.

While in the Myrtle Beach area, we found tree top adventures, along with an amusement park and water park.

GO APE
Go Ape Treetop Adventure Course is the perfect place for a real challenge. It was a fantastic day and I felt such a major sense of accomplishment when I completed the course. [Full Story »]