Last December, I watched the classic film “It’s a Wonderful Life” for my first time (no, really!) and was particularly captivated by an early scene, where our protagonist meets his bride-to-be at the soda fountain. I found myself filled with what I figured was misplaced nostalgia, thinking to myself, Gosh, wouldn’t it be nice to sit somewhere on a Saturday, passing the time with a cheeseburger, a milkshake and a pleasant conversation, in between holiday shopping?
Read MoreSweet tea is a demarcation line for Dixie, much like “Hey y’all!” or the Piggly Wiggly. If a restaurant server asks whether you want your tea “sweet or unsweet,” you know you are solidly below the Mason-Dixon. Despite its celebrity status within the South, sweet tea has a muddled heritage. Sweet tea is not like a MoonPie, which is solidly from Chattanooga. Or Elvis Presley, from Memphis by way of Tupelo. We know their backstories. But where did you come from, Sweet Tea? Who are your people?
Read MoreNashville Hot Chicken is a well-known cuisine, but a brief synopsis of the backstory involves a roaming boyfriend and a girlfriend who unsuccessfully tried to get a little revenge on her beau by serving him some extremely spicy fried chicken. The revenge failed and the boyfriend loved it; he even opened up a shop serving the chicken. That shop, Prince’s Hot Chicken, still exists today and is considered the originator of the style.
Read MoreLocated on the Southern end of South Carolina’s famous “Grand Strand,” Pawleys Island is known for more than just pristine beaches, sandy dunes and iconic rope hammocks. Because it is quieter and less populated than many other neighboring coastal towns—even offering a bit of intriguing local “ghost lore”—this barrier island, merely one square mile in size, is an ideal spot to spend time with family and friends for either the day or a whole vacation.
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