http://www.ajc.com The latest headlines from AJC en-us Copyright 2008, Cox Newspapers Inc., AJC Tue, 2 Dec 2008 23:36:15 EST Newspapers COXnet RSS Generator v1.0 http://img.coxnewsweb.com/C/08/17/52/image_1352178.jpg http://www.ajc.com 5 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/otherdestinations/us_stories/2008/10/12/meridian_mississippi.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/otherdestinations/us_stories/2008/10/12/meridian_mississippi.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:06:50 EDT Meridian, Miss. — During its golden age of 1890-1930, Meridian was the state's biggest city. Railroads carried cotton, timber and passengers. Wealthy families built Victorian mansions in the Poplar Springs area. Vaudeville shows and silent movies played at the Temple Theater. A grand opera house in the center of town could seat 1,800. And a 15-story Art Deco skyscraper dominated the skyline. Today Meridian, like so many other Southern cities, struggles to maintain and renovate its historic downtown. But unlike some other cities, Meridian hasn't lost its transportation. Freight and timber trains pass through Union Station, while Amtrak and Greyhound provide passenger service. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/la_stories/2008/08/29/Gustav_Airlines_Flight_Changes.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/la_stories/2008/08/29/Gustav_Airlines_Flight_Changes.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:48:48 EDT Delta Air Lines and AirTran Airways encouraged travelers whose flights may be affected by Hurricane Gustav to check their flight status, and the carriers are waiving certain fees for those who change plans. Atlanta-based Delta said those whose flights are canceled or significantly delayed can get a refund. The airline is waiving certain change fees for those traveling to, from or through Fort Walton Beach, Fla.; Gulf Port, Miss.; Louisiana; Mobile, Ala.; Panama City, Fla. and Pensacola through Sept. 3 who want to change plans with a new travel start date by Sept. 8. Delta also is waiving certain change fees for travel to, from or through the Dominican Republic, Grand Cayman and Jamaica through Sept. 1. However, passengers must pay for any increase in fare. AirTran, which is based in Orlando and has its main hub in Atlanta, is waiving certain change fees and fare adjustments for passengers with flights booked to or from Gulfport/Biloxi, Miss.; New Orleans and Pensacola through Sept. 1 who change their plans to another date within seven days of the original travel date. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/ms_stories/2008/07/03/Columbus_Ms_Historic_Sites.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/ms_stories/2008/07/03/Columbus_Ms_Historic_Sites.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Thu, 3 Jul 2008 16:27:03 EDT Columbus, Miss. — While many Southern towns open the doors of their mansions for tours once a year, Columbus keeps the welcome mat out year-round. That's just one thing that sets the city apart. And perhaps it's one reason the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Columbus one of its 2008 Dozen Distinctive Destinations. "Columbus will surprise you with its diverse and abundant cultural resources," said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust. "As one of the best kept secrets in the state of Mississippi, it is an unrivaled destination for anyone who enjoys Southern architecture, savors down-home cooking and seeks an escape to the great outdoors." http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/ga_stories/2008/03/21/trfest_0321.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/ga_stories/2008/03/21/trfest_0321.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Tue, 3 Jun 2008 09:35:38 EDT JUNE "Savor Sarasota" Restaurant Week. June 1-14. Eateries from lively Longboat Key to vibrant Venice show off their culinary expertise. Sarasota, Fla., 1-800-522-9799, www.savorsarasota.org. Fiesta Days Celebration and Boat Parade. June 5-13. Celebrate the founding of Pensacola, beginning with a light-hearted re-enactment of the 1559 surrender of the seaside city to Spanish explorer, Don Tristan DeLuna, Pensacola, Fla., 850-433-6512, www.fiestaoffiveflags.org. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/ms_stories/2008/06/02/beauvoir_jefferson_davis.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/ms_stories/2008/06/02/beauvoir_jefferson_davis.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Tue, 3 Jun 2008 09:20:22 EDT BILOXI, Miss. (AP) — More than 150 years of history guide every brush stroke by Philip Ward and Linda Croxson as they dab thin lines of paint on walls and ceilings inside one of Mississippi's most famous landmarks. Their canvas is Beauvoir, the retirement estate of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Their task is to restore painted murals that Hurricane Katrina's flood waters nearly erased. Ward and Croxson, a husband-and-wife team of painters, always keep a researcher's dossier within reach. Century-old photographs and color charts in the report show them how to painstakingly duplicate the murals as they originally were painted in 1856. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/ms_stories/2008/04/15/TRgetaway_0416.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/ms_stories/2008/04/15/TRgetaway_0416.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Tue, 3 Jun 2008 09:10:10 EDT Oxford, Miss. — The last time I saw Emmylou Harris, the elegant country songbird was warbling a high, lonesome tune against a darkening sky. The crowd was hushed and her voice seemed to float above Oxford's postcard-perfect town square. Such moments of unearthly beauty can rise up unexpectedly at Oxford's Double Decker Arts Festival, scheduled this year for April 26. And then there are the festival's more predictable earthly delights, from plates of fried catfish to bowls of steaming gumbo. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/ms_stories/2008/03/20/trcivil_0320.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/ms_stories/2008/03/20/trcivil_0320.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Tue, 3 Jun 2008 09:08:37 EDT JACKSON, Miss. — The $73 million National Civil Rights Museum will be located on a 9-acre site at Tougaloo College in north Jackson, but not everyone is happy about it. A commission set up by Gov. Haley Barbour voted 22-9 in favor of the location on March 11. Opponents argued that downtown Jackson would be a more viable site for the museum, which is expected to draw 125,000 visitors a year. Along with several other museums and tourist attractions, proponents say downtown Jackson was at the heart of the civil rights movement in Mississippi. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/fl_stories/2008/03/13/TRgocasinos_0316.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/fl_stories/2008/03/13/TRgocasinos_0316.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Tue, 3 Jun 2008 09:04:44 EDT Gaming areas in the Southeast seem to be changing as often as the jackpots. Additions to areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 include Margaritaville Casino & Resort, which is under construction on U.S. 90 in Biloxi on the site where Grand Casino and Casino Magic operated before the storm. The $700 million resort, owned by Harrah's Entertainment in partnership with Jimmy Buffett, is scheduled to be complete in 2010, with a 798-room hotel, 100,000-square-foot casino, full-service spa, pool and meeting space. Plans also call for a 250,000-square-foot shopping complex in partnership with Simon Property Group, which owns malls, including Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza in Atlanta. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/ms_stories/2006/10/24/1025como.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/ms_stories/2006/10/24/1025como.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Tue, 24 Oct 2006 17:35:17 EDT • What to know if you go Como, Miss. You might think it's snow. Mile after mile of sugary white fields stretch before you, all painted with an underskirt of brown mud. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/ms_stories/031506monmouth.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/ms_stories/031506monmouth.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Wed, 15 Mar 2006 08:55:28 EST • What to know if you go Natchez, Miss. — Nestled among other lovely homes in this Old South city is Monmouth Plantation, a perfect place for romance. The original home was built in 1818 and later settled by General John Quitman, hero of the Mexican-American War who became a Mississippi governor and United States senator. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/specialty/casinos_stories/031206tunica.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/specialty/casinos_stories/031206tunica.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Thu, 9 Mar 2006 16:29:15 EST A little bit of Russia has come to the northwest Mississippi gambling mecca of Tunica with the colorful show "Taganai" at the Gold Strike's Millennium Theater through June 18. "Taganai," a Russian word translated as "moon holder" and the name of the Ural Mountain chain that divides Russia from Siberia, features a cast of 30 Russian performers including acrobats, aerialists, clowns, jugglers and dancers. The high-energy production combines athleticism, humor and an original score in a choreographed performance that showcases artistic disciplines of the traditional Russian circus, including high bar, flying trapeze, trampoline, rope skipping, contortion-hand balancing and limbo. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/ms_stories/0605/01getawaynatcheztrace.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/ms_stories/0605/01getawaynatcheztrace.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Tue, 31 May 2005 12:05:42 EDT The meandering Natchez Trace winds through lush forests and expansive fields of yellow wildflowers, offering a serene escape from the beaten path. It also offers a bridge to the past — where bandits waited in the shadows and Native Americans struggled to survive the advance of settlers and traders. The 444-mile Natchez Trace Parkway, which connects Southern portions of the Mississippi River to central Tennessee, experienced its heaviest use from 1785 to 1820 by the "Kaintuck" boatmen who floated the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to markets in Natchez and New Orleans. The weary boatmen would sell their cargo at markets, dismantle their boats, sell the lumber and begin the often deadly trek back North on foot. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/0505/22trgoing.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/nc_stories/0505/22trgoing.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Thu, 19 May 2005 10:45:23 EDT Tweetsie Railroad — the Wild West adventure theme park in Blowing Rock, N.C. — celebrates almost 50 years with a series of special events, beginning with "Day Out With Thomas" June 3-12. Also coming up: July Fourth fireworks, concerts by the Grammy-winning cowboy quartet Riders in the Sky on July 16-17, the Purina Incredible Dog Team on July 23-31, and the Ghost Train Festival weekends Sept. 30-Oct. 29. The state's first theme park is highlighted by a Wild West adventure aboard the vintage steam-powered Tweetsie train — a three-mile ride to Fort Boone, complete with a gold heist and gunfights between the outlaws and the good guys. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/ms_stories/0305/20troxford.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/ms_stories/0305/20troxford.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Wed, 16 Mar 2005 22:07:14 EST "I can invent much more interesting people than God can," William Faulkner once claimed. So can this town, apparently, seeing as how so many of the Nobel laureate's characters were based upon folks who once roamed it. Faulkner was born in New Albany, Miss., in 1897. Just before his fifth birthday, his family moved up the road to Oxford. As a young man he wandered the East and South, including a stretch in New Orleans, where he composed his first novel, "Soldier's Pay," while getting some poetry out of his system and pellets out of his BB gun (often aimed at nuns leaving St. Louis Cathedral). But he soon returned to his home of Oxford and married an old girlfriend in 1929. There he employed his "own little postage stamp of native soil" to create "Yoknapatawpha County" with "Jefferson" (Oxford) at its heart. "The one house rule was that when you heard the typewriter clicking, you had to tiptoe," says Dean Faulkner Wells, Faulkner's niece, whom he raised as a daughter. The smell of cedars floats through Bailey's Woods, quiet as ever behind her uncle's home. In 1930, Faulkner bought and restored the white clapboard house that predates the Civil War, and named it Rowan Oak for a Scottish legend about the protective powers of the rowan tree (although there were never any such trees around). http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/ms_stories/0305/02getaway.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/travel/southeast/ms_stories/0305/02getaway.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=23 Wed, 2 Mar 2005 12:25:46 EST Darn that hoop skirt. It wouldn't fit into my suitcase. The old-fashioned Southern belle attire at first seemed so "perfect" to wear in Natchez, Miss., the heart of the old Southern cotton kingdom. Yet, standing on the banks of the Mississippi River, fortified with gumbo and contemplating a mint julep, I was thankful that I'd opted for more modern dress.