Places:
DeGray Lake Resort State Park
The memory of my own family's stay at the DeGray Lake Resort State Park earns this vacation spot an opening slot in "Southern Spotlight". With little time available for a regular vacation, my husband and I took off several summers ago with our teenagers for a brief weekend in neighboring Arkansas, armed with only a pamphlet and the hearty recommendation of friends. We weren't disappointed, discovering a semi-secluded haven with a beautiful body of water, so crystal clear it rivaled the chlorine perfection of any swimming pool.
Since our visit, the DeGray Lake Resort has benefited from a complete renovation. It's the same spectacular island setting on beautiful Lake DeGray, but the lodge has a brand new look. swimming pool, hot tub and fitness room. If you're looking for a special get-a-way, consider DeGray Lodge and enjoy all the amenities of the Arkansas Resort State park. The natural beauty of the 13,800-acre Lake and the surrounding Ouachita Mountains awaits. There is something for everyone in the family. Great fishing, water sports, hiking and horseback riding are just a few of the park's offerings. And the golfers in your group will surely be tempted by the gorgeous greens of DeGray's championship golf course only minutes away.
In addition to the lodge, the park offers lakeshore campsites and a full service marina with a wide variety of boat rentals. Plan your getaway to DeGray soon. Call 1-800-737-8355 for reservations, or visit degray.com for details.
Loveless Café and Motel
Located at the very end of the Natchez Trace Parkway, the Loveless Café remains unchanged in the quaint country charm and good cooking that has made it a landmark in the South since its doors opened nearly 50 years ago. Nationally acclaimed and frequented by celebrities, world travelers and local appetites alike, the Loveless Café serves up award-winning country ham and red eye gravy, real Southern-friend chicken, and Nashville's favorite scratch biscuits with homemade preserves cooked right in the kitchen. The Loveless story has been told the world over, from Gourmet Magazine ad Bon Apetit to U.S. News and World Report, CBS Television, and People Magazine. Come discover Loveless for yourself, and experience Southern dining and hospitality at their best.
Content courteously supplied by www.lovelesscafe.com
Louisiana Cotton Museum
From Volume I Issue II
Did you know it's easy to overlook something special
in your own backyard? I do, so before I commit such
an oversight, I'm shining this week's spotlight on a
deserving subject right here in my own hometown.
I remember when the Louisiana Cotton Museum was just
an "idea". Now, six years later you can explore one
of the newest members of the Secretary of State's
official museums, and benefit from the hard labor of
those industrious folks who put flesh and blood (or
rather wood and nails) into seeing the project
realized.
Located 35 miles north of Interstate 20 on U.S.
Highway 65, the museum sits on the banks of beautiful
Lake Providence in East Carroll parish, headquartered
in what was once a cotton planter's home. The doors
were opened in March of 1995. The museum is dedicated
to preserving the history and heritage of cotton
cultivation, and its influence on life in Louisiana.
To meet this goal, there are currently four exhibits
on display: The History of Cotton, The Impact of
Cotton on Westward Expansion, The Impact of Cotton on
Society and Culture and The Impact of Cotton on the
Economy.
You can see the main building of the Museum at
http://www.sec.state.la.us/museums/cotton/cotton-index.htm
but you should really plan a trip to town to get the full
story. The museum's gracious curator, Ms. Holly Howard
will show you around. (Tell Holly I said hello!) Come on
now, the history of King Cotton awaits...
The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9 AM to 5 PM.
No admission is charged. For information, call (318)
559-2041, or write to the museum at P.O. Box 641,
Lake Providence, LA. 71254.
Everglades Alligator Farm
From Volume I Issue IV
I admit it--it's obvious anyway; I find alligators
fascinating. If you don't, you might want to skip the
spotlight this week. I stumbled across a really cool website
with neat pics of my favorite reptile.
Just outside the Everglades National Park is one of
South Florida's best kept local secrets, EVERGLADES
ALLIGATOR FARM, drawing tourist and camera crews
from all over the world.
Although the Everglades Alligator Farm is located at the
edge of the Everglades, it's not a part of the Everglades
National Park. The owners, Charles and Deborah Thibos, have
endeavored to keep a rustic atmosphere representative of the
first settlers to the area, while at the same time living in
harmony with the Everglades' pristine environment.
If you have vacation time coming--consider a road trip to
Florida. Or if you're like me, and too many obligations
have you tied at home, then surf over to
http://www.everglades.com/welcome.htm and enjoy a mini
virtual tour.
Shellie
P.S. Welcome back. I hope you enjoyed your little cyber
vacation! Sure, they aren't as cuddly as teddy bears, but
if these ancient looking guys steal your heart, too--you can
find a souvenir 'gator for your deck, patio or bookshelves
at my online store, http://www.allthingssouthern.com. Look under
Ag Products and get yourself a great conversation piece!
THE ROANOKE RIVER
From Volume I Issue VI
THE ROANOKE RIVER http://www.roanokeriver.com
"And I thought it was just a big mud hole!"
That’s what a surprised local resident said recently during a
tourism meeting. But a growing number of people from across
North Carolina are exploring this mud hole, which happens
also to be part of the largest intact bottomland hardwood
swamp forest east of the Mississippi. Some take canoe or
kayak day trips down the river or its creeks to enjoy the
wildlife and scenery. Others camp near the river or venture
into the swamp to spend a night or two on specially designed
platforms provided by Roanoke River Partners. Short trip or
long, the experience is like entering another world. Once you
do it, you will probably understand why people travel for
miles to get here and enjoy it.
The area is home to black bear, river otter, white-tail deer,
bobcat, beaver and mink. Over 200 bird species have been
identified including bald eagles, barred owl, osprey, and
anhinga. Coupled with the hundreds of great egrets and great
blue herons nesting in the region, it is a birdwatcher's
paradise. The River is renowned for its abundance of striped
bass, largemouth bass, black crappie, lunker catfish, gar and
bowfin. Just above the waterline, turtles sun on logs near the
banks.
For more info on the Roanoke River as well as beautiful pictures
of the scenery and wildlife surf to www.roanokeriver.com
Events
Buford Pusser Festival
Buford Pusser is a Southern legend and the folks of McNairy County in Adamsville, Tennessee have no intention of letting his memory fade. Pusser was their hero, a larger than life, legendary sheriff. Even his life story reads like a tall tale. Some say he wrestled a live grizzly and came out on top. Others tell of his violent but successful campaign against moonshiners, gamblers, prostitutes and gangsters; he was shot eight times and knifed seven. He once fought off six men, sending three to jail and three to the hospital. But whatever the stories, they all end up with the same refrain: Buford Pusser's determination to enforce the law made him a legend-and a target. Although the big sheriff survived many assassination attempts on his own life, in the end he was unable to protect his wife, Pauline. Her death during an attempt on his life in 1967 would leave him forever scarred. Buford's story was later fodder for the big screen as three major motion pictures explored his extraordinary life. We southerners like to pay homage to our heroes. The Buford Pusser Festival of McNairy County in Adamsville, Tennessee provides the perfect occasion to do just that. It coincides with the Memorial Day Holiday Weekend and features a host of family activities. A focus of the festival is the presentation of the Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award and Memorial Awards. Other events include an antique car show, arts and crafts exhibits and sales, concessions, a Lawn Mower-Tractor Pull sponsored by the Middle Tennessee Lawn and Garden Tractor Pullers, a softball tournament and a Carnival offering swings, a fun house, moonwalk, kiddy bikes and games. Live entertainment features gospel, country, and southern rock bands and the presentation of the Buford Pusser Beauty Pageant contestants.
Read more about Buford Pusser and the Festival that bears his name at http://bufordpusser.com
ANGOLA PRISON RODEO
Hurry! There's only a couple of Sundays left to catch the event
billed as the wildest show in the South.
Every Sunday in October for the past thirty-five years the Angola
State Prison has served up guts and glory to all comers.
Tickets for the month long event went on sale in August, but
if you get bright and early on Sunday mornings you can
buy them at the gate. Don't be late, they sold out last week by
noon!
The Angola Rodeo, the longest running prison rodeo in the nation,
got its start in 1965. What began as a small rodeo, staged just
for the entertainment of prisoners and employees, has grown into a
professionally produced rodeo, complete with arts and crafts,
entertainment, sponsorships and food galore. Non-professional
cowboys in prison stripes compete for prizes before an average
attendance of five thousand spectators. Proceeds from the rodeo
supplement the Louisiana State Penitentiary Inmate Welfare Fund,
providing inmates with educational and recreational supplies,
while record sales of tickets, concessions, and crafts prove
the name of the game is still fun.
Each year, a contest is held among the Angola Inmate Artists to
design a commemorative poster. The Rodeo Committee reviews
all artwork submitted and makes the final selection. Posters can
be purchased at the rodeo or obtained by contacting a rodeo
representative at (225) 655-2060 or 2133. The fee for the poster
is $10 + $2 S&H.
To see this year's poster and find more formation about the Angola
Prison Rodeo, including contact numbers for ticket sales, surf
over to www.angolarodeo.com. Get in line now for "The
Wildest Show in the South".
SWAMPSTOCK 2001
It's been big--it's getting bigger! For the last few years
Rayville, La,. has been the place to be in October when
superstars Tim and Faith McGraw, along with their growing
family, come home to celebrate Tim's roots!
Now, to the delight of country music fans, Swampstock organizers
have recently announced the addition of country music great
Merle Haggard to the concert program.
One of the most popular activities of the weekend comes in
the form of the annual celebrity softball game. Stars expected
to participate this year include Tim and Faith, Martina McBride,
Carolyn Dawn Johnson, the Warren Brothers and Brett Favre.
Tickets, available through Ticketmaster, are $15 in advance,
$25 at the gate, and free for kids 6 and under.
If you're craving more Tim and Faith visit their official websites:
www.timmcgraw.com and www.faithhill.com
The Delta Queen
When I was a little girl my elementary class toured the Delta Queen Steamboat on a field trip. I remember my excitement standing on her deck. I closed my eyes and the other kids and teachers faded away and I was Scarlett O'Hara in a big hoop dress, shading my eyes with my fan and scanning the crowd for Rhett. I'm a little older now, and Rhett never came but the Delta Queen still travels the Mississippi today and for a true southern experience, you must schedule time to climb aboard!
Intimate, romantic and a National Historic Landmark,the Delta Queen is the only remaining example of the thousands of paddlewheel steamers that once plied our great American waterways. She truly is America's Steamboat. Deep in the old South, the mighty Mississippi River carries us into a world of pillared mansions, rich plantations and glorious gardens. Along the upper Mississippi await magnificent landmarks and scenic panoramas. On the banks of the beautiful Ohio are peaceful rural vistas and bustling cities. The tranquil Cumberland and powerful Tennessee fire the imagination with their rich Civil War history and legendary heroes. Way down on the Gulf Coast, The Intracoastal Waterway and Atchafalaya link the port of New Orleans to Cajun Country and Galveston. Along the intriguing Red, many of the "Big Houses" remain to remind us of plantation life in Louisiana not so long ago. And along the pristine Arkansas, the land looks much the same as when the settlers first ventured here. In the land of Lincoln, the pastoral Illinois takes us through a region of forested islands and dramatic rock formations. Within the Mountain State of West Virginia, the winding Kanawha traverses mile after mile of unspoiled countryside.
The period from 1811 to the turn of the century was the era of the paddlewheel steamboat in America, and more than 10,000 of these fascinating vessels plied the nation's rivers. In fact, Steamboats were directly responsible for a period of unprecedented progress, accelerating the development of the American frontier. The great inland waterways became the main highways, and everything from livestock to fine furniture could be waiting on the banks for shipment. Within a few years of the steamboat's introduction, river villages grew into small towns, towns became cities, and the course of American history was changed forever. Then, as now, the magic of Steamboatin' held a special place in the hearts of the American people. Since 1890, The Delta Queen Steamboat Co. has continued the uniquely American Tradition of Steamboatin' at its best, offering memorable journeys onAmerica's historic rivers. Journeys just like they used to be, and still are...aboard an all-American paddlewheel steamboat! From the moment you step aboard, you enter a world far removed from today's fast-paced, jet propelled society. Amid the atmosphere of an authentically detailed, all-American paddlewheel steamboat, you will enjoy the vacation of a lifetime.
For more info surf to www.deltaqueen.com
People
Rick Bragg's "Somebody Told me"
If you're looking for an easy read, I offer this unforgettable collection of newspaper stories by Pulitzer Prize writer Rick Bragg . William Morris says, "Rick Bragg's stories help tell us who we are as Southerners and Americans."
The people Rick Bragg introduced to me in "Somebody Told Me" have all taken permanent residence in my memory. Dirty Red still comes to me at odd times and forces me to wonder how old he is now, and what he is doing and if he has recovered from being accused of molesting a seven year old girl with a stick when he was only six himself. To wonder how it felt to be taken away as a child, photographed, fingerprinted and charged with something you don't understand, but knowing it must be horrible.
I miss Dirty Red. I still wish I could help him. Though the charges against this little boy didn't stick, the stigma of his accusation did. Dirty Red's nickname didn't come from the sexual molestation charge; that tag came from the tint of his skin at birth. But the meaning behind the moniker changed as surely as the little boy who had his childhood stolen and never returned. Because the police didn't come back and say he was innocent, because they didn't make a scene when it was over, like the one they made when they took him away; the neighborhood still sees him as a molester, a pervert.
When Rick introduced me to Dirty Red, he was a sad, introverted little boy who didn't play outside anymore because of his judges' taunts, a little boy that stayed close to his mom rather than risk the punches and kicks of other children and the harsh stares of their parents. Mr. Bragg's story left Dirty Red on the porch of an apartment complex in Fort Lauderdale, Florida-and in my heart, forever. And then he repeated that feat over and over again, with different people in different places -until the last page had been read and the people I had met were gone, and I was left with their memories.
To order your copy of "Somebody Told Me" surf to
www.amazon.com
Gumbo from New Orleans to New York 9/28/01
When disaster strikes in a southern community, feeding
the survivors is one of the first responses of the
victim's friends and relatives. As a little girl growing
up in the Delta, I knew that in the aftermath of a natural
disaster, a hospital stay, or a death in the family, my mom
and her friends would scurry home to prepare steaming pots
of southern comfort for those in need. We Southerners know
a hot meal won't change the circumstances--we just believe
the act of love behind it helps heal the spirit. The following
story exemplies this heritage of southern hosptality.
Louisiana gumbo crew heads for Big Apple NORCO, La. (AP)
Shawn Bradley was appalled to see heroic
New York City firefighters and police officers on
television sustaining themselves with mere hamburgers and
hot dogs after the World Trade Center attack.
He knew that just wouldn't do, so he hatched a plan to
serve up something more substantial, Louisiana gumbo.
The Gumbo Crew: Bradley and his wife, Danielle; brother,
Jarred, and a friend, left Wednesday for New York in a 30-
foot camper pulling a 12-foot tag-along trailer emblazoned
with stars and the words:GUMBO CREW and NEW ORLEANS TO NEW
YORK.
They hope to feed more than 1,000 people with the
chicken-andouille gumbo they'll make in four huge stainless
steel pots, each capable of holding about 10 gallons of the
steamy, spicy soup.
Ever since they decided to make the trip, they've been
chopping vegetables, boiling chicken and rice, and fielding
donations of everything from money to hot sauce to bowls and
spoons.
In addition to the gumbo ingredients and the water to boil
them in, the crew also packed dozens of loaves of French
bread and 20 Mardi Gras king cakes.
"As my husband said, if we didn't use our own Mississippi River
water, it wouldn't taste the same," Danielle Bradley explained.
The group hoped to make the drive from southern Louisiana to New
York in 23 hours, and camp at a site about 70 miles outside the city.
Once in the city, they'll look for a place to set up a makeshift
kitchen and start making the roux.
"I know God will guide us to where we need to be," Danielle Bradley
said.
They hoped to feed the rescue workers but know that if that doesn't
happen, many others in New York would welcome a hot, home-cooked
bowl of gumbo.
"Even if we feed the homeless people, the people in New York all
need something," said Mrs. Bradley. "We'll sit in front of Wall
Street. We'll feed the people going in to buy stocks, and maybe
they'll buy a few more."
Thanks to the Associated Press and The Delta Democrat Times from
Greenville, Mississippi for today's spotlight.
http://www.ddtonline.com
Elvis
A sampling of our southern heritage would be incomplete without a look at the king of rock and roll, Elvis Presley. Like most people over thirty I remember where I was and what I was doing the day he died. It was a brutally hot summer day and I was a bored thirteen- year old on a babysitting job. Both the television and radio were on and blaring when the airwaves exploded with the news. Immediately, masses of people began to gather at Graceland, his mansion in Memphis,Tennessee. I remember being awed at the expressions of raw grief on their faces as the camera panned the crowd.
Elvis Aaron Presley was born to Vernon and Gladys Presley in a two-room house in Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8, 1935. His twin brother, Jessie Garon, was stillborn, leaving Elvis to grow up as an only child. He and his parents moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 1948, and Elvis graduated from Humes High School there in 1953. Elvis' musical influences were the pop and country music of the time, the gospel music he heard in church and at the all-night gospel sings he frequently attended, and the black R&B he absorbed on historic Beale Street as a Memphis teenager. In 1954, he began his singing career with the legendary Sun Records label in Memphis. In late 1955, his recording contract was sold to RCA Victor. By 1956, he was an international sensation. With a sound and style that uniquely combined his diverse musical influences and blurred and challenged the social and racial barriers of the time, he ushered in a whole new era of American music and popular culture. His talent, good looks, sensuality, charisma and good humor endeared him to millions, as did the humility and human kindness he demonstrated throughout his life. Known the world over by his first name, he is regarded as one of the most important figures of twentieth century popular culture. Elvis died at his Memphis home, Graceland, on August 16, 1977. Several of my favorite Elvis quotes:
"Some people tap their feet, some people snap their fingers, and some people sway back and forth. I just sorta do 'em all together, I guess."
-Elvis in 1956, talking about his way of moving on stage.
"I ain't no saint, but I've tried never to do anything that would hurt my family or offend God...I figure all any kid needs is hope and the feeling he or she belongs. If I could do or say anything that would give some kid that feeling, I would believe I had contributed something to the world."
-Elvis commenting to a reporter, 1950's.
"When I was a child, ladies and gentlemen, I was a dreamer. I read comic books, and I was the hero of the comic book. I aw movies, and I was the hero in the movie. So every dream I ever dreamed has come true a hundred times...I learned very early in life that: 'Without a song, the day would never end; without a song, a man ain't got a friend; without a song, the road would never bend - without a song.' So I keep singing a song. Goodnight. Thank you."
-From his acceptance speech for the 1970 Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Nation Award. Given at a ceremony on January 16, 1971. (Elvis quotes from copyrighted material with lines from the song "Without a Song".)
"We do two shows a night for five weeks. A lotta times we'll go upstairs and sing until daylight - gospel songs. We grew up with it...It more or less puts your mind at ease. It does mine."
-Talking about the informal jam sessions he and the band and entourage enjoyed each night during the lengthy Vegas engagements. These sessions happened upstairs in Elvis' suite at the Las Vegas Hilton as they all tried to "wind down" from the excitement and energy of the live shows. Quote is from a 1972 taped interview used in MGM's documentary "Elvis on Tour".
"The first time that I appeared on stage, it scared me to death. I really didn't know what all the yelling was about. I didn't realize that my body was moving. It's a natural thing to me. So to the manager backstage I said 'What'd I do? What'd I do?' And he said "Whatever it is, go back and do it again'."
-From a 1972 taped interview used in MGM's documentary "Elvis on Tour".
" 'Til we meet you again, may God bless you. Adios."
-Said in 1977 at the end of a concert during his last tour.
Content courteously supplied by www.elvis.com
Eudora Welty Dies at 92
From Volume I Issue I
It was July the 24th and I was trying to settle on the
subject for my first "Southern Spotlight". Several ideas
were vying for my attention, among them a tribute to one of
my favorite authors, when the news of Eudora Welty's death
hit the airwaves and settled the issue. Ms. Welty, one of
the south's greatest living treasures, died at the age of
92 after battling various health problems for years.
I came to be a Welty fan later rather than sooner. I'm sure
I was introduced to her in junior high, but until
recently her book titles could stir in me only a vague
memory at best. Then a friend gave me a copy of Ms.
Welty's memoir, "One writer's beginnings", and the sweet,
steadied pace of the author's words charmed me. Her
musings on the craft of writing resonated with my own
passion for words and catapulted me to admiring fan status
immediately.
Ms. Welty inherited a devotion to the written word from
her parents. In one of my favorite Welty quotes from her
memoir Ms. Welty speaks of her own early, intense
relationship with books. "It had been startling
and disappointing to me to find out that storybooks had
been written by people, that books were not natural
wonders, coming up of themselves like grass," she wrote.
"Yet regardless of where they came from, I cannot remember
a time when I was not in love with them - with the books
themselves, cover and binding and the paper they were
printed on, with their smell and their weight and with
their possession in my arms, captured and carried off to
myself. Still illiterate, I was ready for them, committed
to all the reading I could give them."
In Ms. Welty's honor, I've found you a special treat at the
New York Times web site. To the right of Ms. Eudora's obituary, there's a fascinating
audio link. Go ahead, pour yourself a cup of coffee and prepare
to be entertained by a legend as Ms. Welty herself reads several
of her stories just for you.
Audio link
Shellie
P.S. If you can only stay for one reading-try "A Worn Path",
it's my favorite.
Helen Keller
From Volume I Issue X
Close your eyes for just a few moments; I'll wait.
Although it was dark, you could still hear, right? Maybe it was
office noise, maybe it was the steady hum of the dishwasher
or the cries of a child, but you still heard sounds connecting
you to your world. What if that wasn't so? Imagine that it was
as silent as it was dark. This week we spotlight the indomitable
spirit of a Southerner who not only lived this reality but triumphed
over it. Helen Keller was born in Alabama in June of 1880. She was nineteen
months old when a fever left her blind and deaf. At a time when
such disabilities would have normally meant a lifetime of restrictions
and confinement--Helen Keller refused to accept normal. As a
child, she taxed her remaining senses to try and piece together
the puzzle of her surroundings. She touched, she smelled, she
tasted---and she kicked and pulled and fought when she couldn't
find a way to understand or communicate with those around her. That
unrelenting determination would not only serve to help unlock her
world, it would one day make Ms. Keller a world famous author
and speaker who inspired and challenged both abled and disabled.
When Anne Sullivan, a tutor hired by Helen's parents, first met her
student, Helen was a rebellious, angry seven year old. That was okay;
Anne had been a stubborn and rebellious student herself. Over time
they would understand each other and form a lifetime bond.
Remember the scene in the movie "Miracle Worker" where the actress
playing Helen Keller felt the water on her hand and made the
connection with the letters Anne traced in her palm? I'll never
forget it; I watched them celebrate and felt their victory as if it
were my own. Before her death in 1988 Helen Keller accomplished far more
than many seeing and hearing people could ever hope to achieve.
The web offers a vast amount of information on Ms. Keller. Here is
a great site with plenty of links to get you started.
www.Helen Keller
Add the "The Miracle Worker" video on the life of Helen Keller to your
collection by clicking here:
The Miracle Worker Video
To order the book "Helen and Teacher" for your home of office, click here:
Helen and Teacher
~Shellie
Click here for Southern Spotlights--Page Two
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