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Cumberland Island expands tourism plan
Getting around has never been easy on Cumberland Island, a federally protected wilderness off the Georgia coast that's larger than Manhattan. Reachable only by boat, and off-limits to most wheeled vehicles, the island's inaccessibility made it the ideal spot for John F. Kennedy Jr. to ditch the prying paparazzi when he married Carolyn Bessette here in 1996. For more than 25 years, government rules have required most of the 43,500 visitors who come each year to explore the island on foot. But under a mandate from Congress, the Park Service plans to change that early next year by offering daily motorized tours in spite of the tough terrain and cries of protest from environmentalists.

The Cuscowilla resort
The Cuscowilla is a 700-acre resort on the edge of Lake Oconee between Atlanta and Augusta. Many of the guest rooms sit on the edge of Lake Oconee, a 19,050-acre impoundment managed by Georgia Power.

Pasaquan is the legacy of a Georgia folk artist
The last masterpiece of a dead Marion County visionary just got national recognition. Pasaquan, the colorful concrete compound built by Eddie Owens Martin, the eccentric artist who called himself St. EOM, has been named to the National Register of Historic Places — a prestigious designation that’s expected to help in fundraising efforts to preserve the site, which requires constant maintenance because of its material and exposure to weather.

A restored Montpelier reveals James Madison's legacy in Virginia
It isn't exactly common to make a house two-thirds smaller, or to remove the indoor plumbing. But that's what's been done at Montpelier, the plantation mansion of President James Madison. The brick Georgian home at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains has undergone a $24 million architectural restoration with a goal of returning the structure to the way it was between 1809, when Madison was elected the nation's fourth president, and 1836, the year he died. Historians view Madison as the architect of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Cartersville has history, Western art and more
An elegant museum in Cartersville’s modest downtown has become a surprising sanctuary for Western art collectors. The Booth Western Art Museum is celebrating its fifth anniversary with a display of 37 pieces of Western art called “Western American Art South of the Sweet Tea Line II.” Executive director Seth Hopkins said the idea is to show seldom-seen Western art from around the South. The exhibit includes works from from 74 private collectors, museums and galleries around the region. Several other Western art collections are based at the museum, which was founded by an anonymous family to showcase the unique art.

Blowing Rock, N.C. entices Autumn enthusiasts
Awakened as temperatures cool and leaves change colors, many Georgians head to the mountains, and to this town just a pretty five-hour drive away. Though Blowing Rock is particularly popular in the fall, it’s also a year-round destination. Come fall, the scene along the Blue Ridge Parkway, just outside of Blowing Rock, changes into a feast of reds, yellows and oranges. The parkway will celebrate 75 years in 2010. At 4,000 feet in North Carolina’s “High Country,” it sits astride the Eastern Continental Divide, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, and from the top of Blowing Rock (yes, there really is one), you’ll view gorgeous scenery.

Chattanooga provides fun on its waterfront
Chattanooga — Barn roof billboards, a view of seven states, an underground waterfall and stunning fall colors have drawn tourists here for decades. But if all you’ve seen of Chattanooga is Rock City and Ruby Falls, well, you’re missing a lot. The riverfront downtown area, anchored by the Tennessee Aquarium, has enough diversions to keep the kids busy all day. A couple interested in art, natural history, shopping and good food will need more time than that.

The Cloister on Georgia's Sea Island
The new main building at the Cloister at Sea Island, opened in 2006, echoes many of the architectural cues included in the 1928 design by Addison Mizner and is meant to suggest a luxurious old residence. The renovation also introduced a new destination restaurant, the Georgian Room, to appeal to food-savvy travelers and local diners. Photos show the main building, the Georgia Room and the sumptuous beach club.

Macon celebrates its musical heritage
Behind its genteel Old South skirts, Macon, a city of 100,000, cherishes its old-time blues and rock ‘n’ roll heritage. The recorded voice of “Little Richard” Penniman “answers” the visitors bureau’s phone. “Hi, this is Little Richard, architect of rock ‘n’ roll, coming to you from my hometown of Macon, Georgia, the song and soul of the South,” says the flamboyant native son, who shouted “Tutti-Frutti,” “Lucille,” “The Girl Can’t Help It” and other blockbusters to the top of the R&R heap in the 1950s and ’60s.

Helen, home of Oktoberfest, beckons with folk art, Blue Ridge scenery
Helen — There’s more to “Alpine” Helen than bratwurst, beer and cuckoo clocks. Base yourselves in the kitschy Bavaria-in-the-Blue Ridge, and your one-tank trip can take you through nearly 200 years of Georgia mountain folk pottery. You can shop for Swedish farmers’ cheese and just-ground grits and cornmeal, hike to waterfalls, picnic by Georgia’s smallest covered bridge, explore one of our premier state parks, and end the day doing the “Chicken Dance” at Oktoberfest.

Southeast Tennessee food tour a real mouthful
The Tennessee Food Tour includes stops at several wineries, farms, apple orchards and much more.

Myrtle Beach: The golf capital of the South
Myrtle Beach is the golf capital of the south where more than 4 million rounds are played annual on more than 100 courses. The city also has more than 50 miniature courses.

Civil War memorials see upswing in interest
Civil War memorials in Kentucky and elsewhere are seeing more popularity around Abraham Lincoln's and Jefferson Davis' birthdays.

Golf: Tee time is family time
Golf resorts offer family packages to provide incentives to tee up with kids.

In South Carolina, injured birds of prey fly again
Pictures of some of the raptors -- also known as birds of prey -- that are being treated at the Center for Birds of Prey, a "clinic" near Charleston. The center is newly open to the public.

Wilmington, N.C., charms with beaches and history
Sights and attractions in Wilmington, N.C.

Gainesville is worth its own visit
GAINESVILLE — You’ve probably passed the Gainesville exit on I-985, headed to Lake Lanier or the mountains and wondered: What’s over there? Turns out, there’s plenty. With about 35,000 residents, the seat of Hall County has a thriving downtown square, with fun places to eat and shop. You can walk miles of nature trails, turn the kids loose in a hands-on museum, enjoy a fine arts museum, a history museum and live theater or take a ghost walk on a college campus. You’ll find a slew of Tex-Mex eateries in “The Poultry Capital of the World,” thanks to thousands of Latino workers. Close enough to have Metro Atlanta’s 770 area code, it’s far enough for a short-term adventure.

Splendor of DuPont Forest waterfalls
Off limits to the public until only a few years ago, the waterfalls at DuPont State Forest reveal their hidden splendor for those willing to hike or bike on steep trails and slippery rocks. Six waterfalls, from a skyscraper-high cascade to an enormous rock slab with sheets of water, punctuate this 10,400-acre forest halfway between the mountain resort towns of Brevard and Hendersonville.

Jimmy Carter slept here in Plains, Ga.
Jimmy Carter slept here in Plains, his hometown

Rare daytime egg-laying sea turtle draws crowds in Florida
Turtles: Rare daytime egg-laying draws Florida crowd

Ride the Blue Ridge railway to rafting, tubing adventure
The summer sizzle is here, making metro Atlantans think of heading somewhere cool. There's always a bit of heat relief found by heading to the North Georgia mountains, where the green countryside is shady and free of smog. This year, don't just head for the hills. Plan a day trip with a train ride through the mountains and a float down a river that promise a refreshing respite close to home.

Zebra or no zebra, Oxford, Ga., is the perfect college town
Oxford, Georgia, encompasses 2 1/2 square miles and some 2,000 residents — not counting the zebra who recently overnighted at Oxford College's Seney Hall, courtesy of a zany prank. There are no sidewalk cafes or bowling alleys anywhere in the Newton County community. No Six Flags Over Oxford. No way, in other words, I should have been able to spend six very diverting hours there on a recent sultry day.

Aviation museum in Pensacola charts military progress
Photos of the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, Fla.

Tourism on the rise in New Orleans
Photos of tourist attractions in New Orleans.

Take a one-tank trip: Athens
Thousands of people will drive here on a fall Saturday and never wander much beyond Sanford Stadium where 92,746 congregate to watch the University of Georgia football team. And that's a pity. Athens — about 75 miles northeast of Atlanta — is a college town with more than a college. You can learn a lot about history and music, botany and architecture without stepping into a classroom. And it's a place you can go with your kids years before dropping them off in front of a dorm.

Lighthouse cottages in North Carolina
Captain Charlie's Cottages, rental cottage, reproduction of lighthouse keepers cottage, living room. The interior of one of the three renovated lighthouse keeper cottages now available for rental on Balkd Head Island, NC. The three wood-frame dwellings overlooking the wide beach were built in the early-1900s.

Creole love story in Louisiana
Freedom, and a Creole love story in Louisiana's Natchitoches

Unwind in peaceful Dublin, Ga.
Pictures of Dublin, Ga., and places of interest around the town.

Chattooga River a thrill for North Georgia rafters
Pictures of rafting in the Chattooga River.

James Brown is a friendly spirit in Augusta
Getaway to Augusta, which still remembers the Godfather of Soul fondly.

Rosemary Beach is a laid-back Florida town
Photos of Rosemary Beach, Florida.

Dive right in: the best pools in the Southeast
A guide to 10 of the coolest pools in the South.

Highlands is a mountain getaway for Atlantans
Photos of Highlands, N.C., where Atlantans like to vacation.

Greetings from Vienna, Ga.
Globe-trotting in Georgia, this time in Vienna.

Atlanta family visits 30 parks in 30 days
An Atlanta family takes Gov. Sonny Perdue' s challenge to go outdoors by visiting 30 state parks and historic sites in 30 days during the month of June.