Looking to visit a peaceful town that's full of interesting attractions? Well, my husband, Jim, and I highly recommend Georgetown on the South Carolina coast.

Originally established in 1729 as a shipping point for rice and indigo grown on area plantations, this cute little seaport on the Sampit River is historic yet Mayberry-esque. You'll admire the 32-square-block downtown district that's listed on the National Register of Historic Places (keep an eye out for the light-blue markers that identify historic structures) and love the friendly hometown atmosphere.

We're big Civil War buffs, so we wanted our grandchildren, Jessica, 10, and Mikey, 8, to experience some Civil War history. But we didn't want to overwhelm them with a big and crowded historic site like Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania. Read the rest of this entry »

When my husband, Myles, and I travel, we try to include enough time in our schedule for those unexpected road signs we just can't resist following. That strategy worked like a charm recently as we drove along U.S. Highway 64 in south-central Tennessee.

When we saw a sign that read "Falls Mill" pointing down a side road, we decided to explore. A mile or so later we found ourselves in front of a three-story red-brick working mill, owned and operated by John and Jane Lovett. Read the rest of this entry »

When I saw the Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, I had to check it out. I found it's the only museum in the world devoted to these humble kitchen objects. Read the rest of this entry »

Some of the most amazing caves and rock formations around can be found at Pickett State Park, a 17,372-acre wilderness area in northeast Tennessee.

This oasis never seems to be crowded and offers nine great hiking trails. Many of them take you past Indian rockhouses–huge rock overhangs that once provided shelter for Native Americans. The 1/4-mile Indian Rockhouse Trail leads you to one of the park's most impressive rockhouses. Read the rest of this entry »