Let’s take a trip! It’s my favorite thing to do.
Local Hikes and Armchair Travel
These books will get you going—perhaps inspiring some walks in the woods or allowing you to travel the world from your armchair (or beach chair). I shared them this month on Good Day Alabama on WBRC Fox 6. How to Suffer Outside By Diana Helmuth with illustrations by Latasha Dunston I have a group of female…
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An Epic Road Trip in the American West
A few years ago, in early June, my husband, Rick, and I hit the road and headed out West to visit the five big national parks in Utah—Canyonlands, Arches, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon and Zion. We also found some state park gems like Dead Horse Point near Moab and Snow Canyon near St. George. And…
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Just for Fun
These two books and one podcast are what I shared this month on Good Day Alabama on WBRC Fox 6. They kept me entertained during a long week away, relaxing and resetting and reading at a remote farm in Virginia. The Book of Doors By Gareth Brown This debut novel of science fiction and fantasy is…
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Cinco de Mayo 2025 in Birmingham
Cinco de Mayo is traditionally celebrated in the town of Puebla, where Mexico’s victory over the French empire happened in 1862. Here in Birmingham, José Medina Camacho and Jesús Méndez are celebrating Cinco de Mayo at Adiõs and Salud Taqueria. Both men are originally from Mexico, having immigrated to northern Alabama in the early ‘90s, and they’ve…
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Great Food & Warm Hospitality are in Their Wheelhouse
If you build it, turns out, people will come. It happened in Opp when local resident Merrill Culverhouse decided his hometown needed a nice place to eat. So, he teamed up with chef Jon Gibson (a friend since childhood) and together, they built Wheelhouse. Today, the restaurant is thriving and, just as importantly, providing jobs…
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Staying Current
I love a place that makes me feel like I’m somewhere else entirely. Current Charcoal Grill in downtown Birmingham is only minutes from my home, yet it seems a world away. The beautiful restaurant is celebrating its one-year anniversary this month, and Executive Chef-Partner Luke Joseph has brought back some delicious favorite dishes–perhaps most excitingly…
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Immersive Reads
These three books—a couple new ones and another I’m finally getting around to reading—are what I shared this month on Good Day Alabama on WBRC Fox 6. The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson By Ellen Baker This page-turning novel blends historical elements with a coming-of-age story. In 1924, 4-year-old Cecily Larson’s mother drops her off at…
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Fresh Air, Drinks and Dishes
It’s time to get outside! Here are some of my favorite places for al fresco drinks and dining in and around Birmingham.
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Globally, Regionally, Locally Cool
The former Crystal Ice manufacturing building in Mobile is cool in a whole new way these days, as the husband-and-wife team of Max Donaldson and Mackenzie Klyce are honoring the past and creating a fun, delicious future. Their Velvet Pig eatery in the Ice Box bar (21 and over) offers Chef Mackenzie’s delicious, inventive dishes…
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A Delicious Hometown Home Run
Every year, Birmingham Barons baseball unveils a new lineup of fun stadium foods for the upcoming season. Every year, it’s a thoughtful, concerted effort to enhance the fan experience. This year, that effort has some star power. The Barons have teamed up with sports legend Bo Jackson for their 2025 season menu. Bo’s Hometown Burger,…
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Women’s History Month
Books by women. Books about cool things women do. Books about how women shape our world. Here’s what I shared this month on Good Day Alabama on WBRC Fox 6. The Fishwife Cookbook By Becca Millstein and Vilda Gonzalez I love tinned fish because it’s easy, interesting protein. I especially love Fishwife tinned fish because of…
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Yo’ Mama’s Making New History
Yo’ Mama’s restaurant is forging its own history in the Fourth Avenue Historic District of downtown Birmingham. This restaurant is the only Black-owned, sit-down eatery in one of the few surviving Black Business Districts in the Southeast still operating with a majority Black-owned business ecosystem. Yo’ Mama’s started with a dream of business ownership, which…
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Local, local, local reads
There’s a lot of important and exciting books with local connections out right now. Here’s what I shared this month on Good Day Alabama on WBRC Fox 6. Werewolf Hamlet By Kerry Madden-Lunsford Humor, heart and Shakespeare come together in this new book for middle-school readers by local author Kerry Madden-Lunsford. Werewolf Hamlet is the story…
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Deliciously Enterprising
The wide, open Wiregrass region of Southeastern Alabama has known grazing cattle since colonial times. Fine wines, not so much. But Corks & Cattle Market & Café celebrates both in delicious, inventive, locally sourced ways. This restaurant in Enterprise, owned by Dena Smith, with Chef Zaine Young leading the kitchen, offers exciting foods (including great…
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