Tales from the Corners

When I was in the Raleigh area last spring, I was completely floored with the Umstead Hotel in nearby Cary. Out of all of the places where I stayed, I confess that I wanted more than one night in this classy hotel. With an infinity pool, uber-spa and service that spoils you, I highly recommend this property. While I was impressed with its Heron's, the hotel's restaurant, I knew that it was trying to "find its voice." Recently, Heron's has discovered its niche. Read all about it in the Good Eating section on Men's Traveler.

Jacksonville, Florida has some hot, hot, hot deals this summer. If you get a chance, hop on down to J-Ville for some smooth jazz. All of the details are in The Latest section on Men's Traveler Also, check out the new video of grape stomping at Montaluce Winery on this YouTube cut.

Lake Toxaway remains as one of my favorite trips in recent years. It was here where I went water tubing and had a blast! Yes, I did lose my favorite pair of sunglasses on the pristine lake, but the experience was well worth it. Now, the lake's top-notch property, the Greystone Inn, will be offering golf opportunities. Check it out on Men's Traveler in the Golf section.

I have a new interview posted on Men's Traveler with Doc Lawrence. The travel/wine/food lecturer talks about his favorite places in the world.

Are you looking for the ultimate golf trip experience? Check out what Pinehurst, North Carolina has to offer in The Latest section on Men's Traveler. In other news, I recently participated in a pub crawl in Atlanta's Virginia Highland. I highly recommend Hand in Hand, an English restaurant. I haven't been in this building since it was the St. Charles Deli in the early 1990s. Other VA-Highland staples seem to be thriving including Murphy's, which is one of my old favorites. If you happen to live in the ATL or will be here in a trip or layover, get over to the Highlands.

My Greenville, South Carolina piece is appearing on Go Nomad Their wonderful editor Max posted this weeks ago. Thanks Max! I hope to bring Men's Traveler up to that level. Also, I had a wonderful time at the Cosmo Lava Lounge in Atlanta at a recent networking event. This was another successful Great Impact Communication event hosted by the legendary Nadia Bilchik

Visit Men's Traveler to see what's In the Spotlight. This week, I visited Dahlonega, a small town in North Georgia. Dahlonega was part of my stay-cation week which was relaxing. I'll be adding more trips close to my home in Georgia in the next few weeks. Yes,I felt the economic pinch on these trips with rising fuel costs, but the destinations are affordable and that in itself save me serious cash.

As part of my staycation this past week, I spent some time in Lawrenceville, GA. Lawrenceville, the county seat of Georgia's Gwinnett County held its annual Gwinnett Glows on its historic town square. It's been years since we attended this function which was held at the modern county courthouse at that time. With temperatures soaring, we found relief in nearby shops on the town square as well as a magic show inside the historic courthouse. Carey Huddlestun of Really Good Magic put on such a great show, one dad in the audience was more than amazed as he blurted out how much he loved Huddlestun with laughter and gusto every five minutes. Many of the food stands were busy as well as nearby eateries. We opted to hit Cosmo's Original Little Italy. The food was great and the service was even better. This once-sleepy town has come alive on its historic square. Lawrenceville's fireworks display was first-rate this year. The biggest bummer was trying to get out of there afte