Coast Getaways with Flavor: Southern Boutique Hotels, Inns, and B&Bs

Chain hotels often cannot provide the true flavor of a region, but for those of us traveling around the Southeast, we’re in luck: independent lodging options aplenty are waiting to check us in. All of them honor our favorite locations with corresponding art, cuisine, architecture and excursions, which create a memorable sense of place.

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Bert Wood
Big Green Egg: A Backyard Icon Turns 50

When it comes to backyard cooking, it’s hard to beat the iconic Big Green Egg, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2024. The Atlanta-based company brought kamado-style cooking to the United States—especially to the South—where they’re more popular than ever with backyard and professional chefs alike.

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Bert Wood
Respect and Admiration for the Underrated Scallop

Few people in South Carolina need confirmation from the Department of Natural Resources that shrimp is the Palmetto State’s most popular variety of seafood. At least some culinary historians credit Charleston with being the birthplace of she-crab soup, a delicacy that might very well have been invented by chef William Deas in the early 20th century to impress a famous visitor to the Holy City

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Bert Wood
Remembering Dickey Betts

After Duane Allman went down to Miami to record Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, guitar tech Joe Dan Petty asked him what it was like to play with Eric Clapton. Duane said that Dickey Betts would wear out Clapton in five minutes.

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Bert Wood
LAKE SWAMP FARM: Elevating the Farm-to-Table Experience

Chef Adam Kirby wears many hats. Not only does he have a long history of being a chef and owner of multiple restaurants, but a few years ago he branched out and added farmer and farm owner to his bio, a move that further elevates his status in the “farm-to-table” and “locavore” movements emphasizing quality, freshness, sustainability, and community.

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Bert Wood
Wholly Cow, That Ice Cream Is Good

Residents and visitors to the Holy City may not know the name, but they likely know the taste of Wholly Cow ice cream. For 40 years, people have been scooping up the small-batch-created ice cream in some of the Lowcountry’s finest restaurants, hotels, and markets.

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Bert Wood
Skip The Mocktails - A New Zero Proof Way to Drink

In recent years, a quiet but spirited (pun intended) revolution has been brewing in the world of beverages. A growing number of indi- viduals are choosing to forgo alcohol in favor of a healthier, more balanced lifestyle. This shift has given rise to a surge in non-alcoholic (NA)—or zero proof—products and compa- nies, signaling a significant cultural change that goes beyond mere trendiness. Instead, it reflects a fundamental reevaluation of priori- ties, with an emphasis on the quality of life and well-being.

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Bert Wood
Boudin: A Louisiana Favorite Now Found in the Lowcountry

If you drive across Louisiana, you’ll find boudin at most of your stops. Boudin is a sausage made by encasing most commonly pork, liver, rice, seasonings, and spices, then cooked by steam or smoking. It’s a dish that has no barriers; it can be made into an upscale dish or humbly eaten with bread as a sandwich. One thing is certain, boudin has a unique history with its creators who are Acadians or “Cajuns” and Louisiana Creoles—and has even found fervent followers of the rice sausage across the Lowcountry of South Carolina

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Bert Wood
A Feel-Good Pour: Good Boy Vodka’s Mission Is a Reason to Toast 

When Good Boy Vodka founder Alex Pratt decided he wanted a product recognized not only for quality and drinkability but for an admirable mission, the brainstorming process didn’t take long. Supporting animals was already a given—he’d owned a German shepherd himself for years—and aligning the brand with U.S. Veterans also made sense.

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Bert Wood
Masters of Sweet Creations

In the realm of culinary excellence, pastry chefs stand as true artisans, wielding their creativity and skill to craft mesmerizing sweet creations that tantalize both the taste buds and the eyes. These masters of confections transform simple pantry ingredients, like egg, flour, and sugar, into edible wonders.

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Bert Wood
The Upcountry Uncovered

For those of us who reside in the Lowcountry, smaller coastal towns such as McClellanville or Bluffton are already well-traveled and loved for their off-the-beaten-path charm and quirky businesses. But what about the towns and communities of South Carolina’s upcountry?

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Bert Wood
Home Grown: SCDA Encourages Consumers to Buy Local

Fresh from the farm, fruit and vegetables are available year-round in South Carolina, and the state’s Department of Agriculture and its public and private partners have put together a long-running program that makes it as easy as possible for consumers to identify, find, and purchase home-grown and locally-produced products. 

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Bert Wood
Sippin' On Holiday Spirit

The smell of cinnamon in the air; the taste of nutmeg, peppermint, and more dancing on your tongue—the holidays are the perfect time to sip on something a little more creamy and indulgent or test the boundaries of all things sugar and spice.

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Bert Wood
Wild Game Gourmet

Larry White has served in the military, worked as a chef at several fine dining establishments and owned a restaurant and a food truck, and the story of his life even includes a chapter when he was heavily into fitness and weightlifting.

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Bert Wood
An American Icon:

What can I say about the remarkably versatile hamburger that hasn’t already been said? What additional praise can I heap upon an American icon that for generations has captured our attention, invigorated our sense of smell and tantalized our taste buds?

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Bert Wood