My beach

In Charleston, everyone has a beach. Think of it as your default beach setting, and each one in the area has its own distinct vibe. There's (the main spots) Sullivans Island, IOP, and Folly within 20 minutes, but further afield you'll find Kiawah's private slip of sand, Edisto, and Beachwalker Park.

My beach is Folly. I can take the back roads and be looking at the water in close to 12 minutes (depending on the stop light at Center Street) and it's the place we go on a Friday night when we want to hang out and be casual.

Wanna know more? Check out my Folly Beach profile in this month's AAA Go Carolinas Magazine. But don't spread the good word too much -- we still would love to be able to get our favorite spot at Taco Boy!

Rocky Top and More

Just in time for football season, check out this month's Worth the Drive -- Knoxville in AAA Go Magazine. I cover what there is to do in Knoxville besides football, and (despite the spattering of orange everywhere) that actually is a lot! I look forward to getting a chance to return to check out the great downtown area, especially Market Square, where I had only an hour to race about and shop. I needed more, but still came away with a great paper star lamp from India, which proves focus is more important than time when it comes to shopping. :)

Artists & Tacos, Oh My!

Charlotte is, and has always been a city of neighborhoods. There are completely different experiences of life depending if you are in Shuffletown, Dilworth, or Myers Park. One of my favorite neighborhoods there is NODA because it figures in my personal history as well.

Up until a few years ago, I refused to call the North Charlotte neighborhood by the moniker NODA. I'd been going there for years, attending gallery crawls in renovated hardware stores, making jewelry in a tiny bead shop, and chowing down on some great sandwiches at Fat City. Before that, years before that, I'd even taken swimming lessons at the Johnson YMCA. And before that, years before that, my father had lived out his childhood playing baseball in this same neighborhood. It was part of Charlotte, it was part of me, and really to call it NODA was just too much ...

Well, repeat it enough and the name sticks, and well, it's now legitimate -- NODA it is. Although I no longer live in Charlotte, I get back often and try to visit 36th and N. Davidson Streets whenever I get a chance. Gone is Fat City, so I grab a taco at Cabo Fish Taco then stroll through the galleries. Honestly, it is a great destination for a day trip for those of you within driving distance.

Check out my article on NODA in the current issue of AAA Go Magazine, then find a day to visit if you like art and good food. And linger a while. You'll be back, just like me.