As an inspector for AAA, I spend a lot of time behind the wheel traveling to the many hotels and restaurants that we recommend for members; let’s face it, love of travel and driving are job requirements.  But even those who love the road can grow weary of traffic and long stretches of less-than-spectacular scenery including overly familiar fast food restaurants and gas stations.  Recently in Mississippi, I had the choice to take “the scenic route” –the Natchez Trace Parkway - north from Natchez to Jackson and enjoyed one of the most relaxing, scenic and historic drives I have had in a long time.... Read More

 
News and trends from around the web ...
Air Passengers Engage in Battle of the Bags
On the usual domestic flight, six passengers share overhead bins that fit four wheelie bags, leaving some fliers out of luck, at a time when they would rather lug them than check them, to avoid fees, forcing them to back off a plane and return to the jet bridge to check bags.  Chicago Tribune story   ... Read More

As most travelers know, often it is the chance encounters and discoveries that leave the longest-lasting of impressions. Margaret’s Grocery and Market, a.k.a. The Home of the Double-Headed Eagle, near Vicksburg, Mississippi, was one of those.

I had driven down from Clarksdale, where I was following the trail of famed blues guitarist Robert Johnson. That trip took me down to small towns such as Itta Bena, Quito (where Johnson is buried), Morgan City... Read More