Ellijay, Georgia, once a large Cherokee trading center, is named after an anglicized form of a Cherokee word that means, ‘Many Waters’. The headwaters of the Coosawattee River and the Cartecay and Ellijay Rivers' confluence are nearby. I rented a beautiful cabin through Mountain Oasis, overlooking the Coosawattee River, and invited my family to spend a week with me.

Brought to you by Dharma Blue, Pensacola, and Chuck’s Fish, Mobile It’s easy to forget just how hot and humid it gets in late July, and how thankful we are when an afternoon rain shower cools us off. f you want to squeeze in the last drops of summer fun before the school year begins, there are still many events to enjoy in the Scenic 98 Coastal Area. Just don’t forget your water and sunscreen!

The spirit of Jim Eddins is strong at Perdido Vineyards, and so is that of his wife, Marianne. Without them, this one-of-a-kind winery wouldn’t exist, and neither would the landmark law that gave it the green light 45 years ago.

Throughout June, the Mobile Arts Council’s Gallery @ Room 1927 will feature works by four Mobile-based artists. The exhibitions, titled “Figures of Imagination” and “Ethereal,” have contrasting themes, but are compatible in their focus on figures, extreme detail, and surreal imagery.

On May 18, the First Wooden Boat Show will be held at the BLUEGILL Restaurant on the Causeway in Spanish Fort. The Facebook marketing for the event caught my eye and I decided to learn more. Wooden boats have reached a nostalgic level in today's modern world, and many are still being used.

On June 27, 1972, my girlfriend at the time, now my wife, Cathy, my lifelong friend, Greer Radcliff, and other friends attended The Rolling Stones's “1972 American Tour“ concert at the Mobile Civic Center. After finishing our freshman year in college at our respective schools, we gathered for a night of “It’s Only Rock n’ Roll, but We Like It! We Like It, Yes We Do.“

Six senior sen̂oras in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, are enjoying lunch at a gorgeous rooftop restaurant, eating the freshest guacamole, sipping tequila drinks, and chatting about all the fun we are having. At the table next to us are two young gentlemen from Chicago, who are shopping for a house to buy in the area. Many Americans and Canadians have homes here and after spending some time in this colonial area in Mexico’s central highlands, I get it. ‍

A few weeks ago, Linda and I ventured north to attend the Monroeville Literary Festival. This two-day event is held annually in the upstairs courtroom of the Monroe County Courthouse, the setting of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. By all measures, it exceeded our expectations.