Today is September 17, 2023. On this day 100 years ago Hiram “Hank” Williams was born in a deep rural section of southern Alabama. He only lived 29 years but his influence is still felt far and wide, and not…

Wherein I attempt to capture a destination in five photographs.

I've lived within 90 minutes of downtown Macon for most of my adult life, but my first proper visit wasn't until the spring of 2022. I liked it so much…

Wherein I attempt to capture a destination in five photographs

My introduction to Bluffton, South Carolina, was a car wreck in a traffic circle. It was my fault. I pulled into a red pickup truck while frantically changing lanes in…

Wherein I attempt to capture a destination in five photographs. 

For the first of my Five Fotos series, we visit a region in northwest Alabama along the wide and majestic Tennessee River known as “the Shoals" comprised of four cities—Tuscumbia…

Georgia — the first week of April 2017

Dad reminded me three times before bed to set the alarm. I found this amusing coming from a man who in the 51 years that I've known him has always risen with…

I recently visited Daytona Beach for the first time. Though I stayed at a beachfront hotel — Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach — I only stepped onto the sands next to the hotel three times. Not because it was too…

Can a $90-a-night roadside motel outmatch a $900-a-night secluded resort? A study in contrasts (and personal tastes) 

View of the creek from the balcony of room 17 at the Stony Creek Motel

This Thanksgiving I'm reminded of a short trip…

Growing up in Birmingham, Alabama, Montgomery was a city I passed through on the way to the beach or visited on grade school field trips to the state capitol building. I even visited the governor's mansion on one of those…

Scenic Highway 30A in the South Walton area of the Florida Panhandle has become more than just a dogleg route off of U.S. 98 connecting small beach communities; 30A is now a lifestyle as well as a study in contrasts…

Cloud Nine. It’s the type of name one would expect for a mountain vacation rental home. It’s one of those places that if you try and follow GPS directions you’ll get lost. The rental agency sent a confirmation that stressed…

Nobel laureate Bob Dylan (it still feels weird typing those words) once said of Louisiana’s largest city, “There are a lot of places I like, but I like New Orleans better." Nailed it. Dylan said that in his 2004 autobiography…

The grounds of The Shack Up Inn in Clarksdale, Miss. Photo by the author. 

The Mississippi Delta is a place of legends, myths, and lore, much of it related to blues music. 

Those familiar with the history of the blues…

Photo of Driftwood Beach: Explore Georgia

Travel bucket lists, by their nature, are arbitrary in number and subjective in content. That’s part of the fun, comparing differences and likenesses. With that in mind, here are 21 special places and…

Originally published in the AJC, Aug. 10, 2020

I first heard about Daufuskie Island in 2015 from a regular at a dive bar in Savannah. He saddled up on a barstool after overhearing me ask the bartender for…

Photo: Michael Weintraub

Originally published in the AJC, June 14, 2021

Summer means outdoor concert season is back after taking a hiatus last year due to the pandemic. A few months ago, the thought of hitting the road to…