Tales from the Corners

In the morning, I visited the set of Army Wives. It's amazing to see how a large crew takes so many hours to put a single shot together. Paying attention to detail barely describes how these hard working folks put a Lifetime series together. The afternoon was filled with visiting even more Charleston restaurants including Dixie Bakery, home to the world's best grits. We also sampled some great BBQ at Jim 'n Nicks. They're a small chain that started in Alabama, but the Q gives the Carolinas some stiff competition. We checked out the latest gadgets at Charleston Cooks! The visit reminded me of the time I went crazy in the Le Creuset store a few blocks away about two years ago. On the way back, some members of our group tried out the bench in front to Hyman's restaurant and market.

It's been two years since I've been here. Some things have changed and others are familiar like an old friend. Over 15 years ago, I was here on a 2-week shoot and spent quite a bit of time at the downtown Market. I browsed through here in '07 as well. Later on, I hit Grill 225 with a group of very talented writers and visual artists. Broiled Lump Crab Cakes from Indonesia was a huge hit for me. The interesting topic of conversion was the offering of Grill 225's Nitrotinis drinks. Check this awesome restaurant out at: Grill 225.com

The Charleston, South Carolina CVB and friends were in town. They held an excellent function at Atlanta's Insperience studio where they cooked great Lowcountry cuisine. I promise to visit soon and come out with some features for Men's Traveler .

I just released a new contribution to The Chattanoogan . It is an article on Charleston, South Carolina and Amelia Island, Florida. My Men's Traveler site contains this article as well.

As I was heading into downtown Charleston, I was greeted by a pounding rainstorm that was occurring under the watchful gaze of the sun. I was to never see this type of liquid sunshine during my week stay here. What did remain was the humidity, but it didn't matter. The charm of this coastal paradise offset the weather's behavior. It has been quite a while since I visited downtown Charleston. My last visit was in early 1994 when I stayed at the Ansonborough Inn on Hassell Street for a two-week assignment covering events at the Citadel. That was not a bad gig. I stayed in a spacious room with all of the amenities. A Harris Teeter grocery store was next door so that I could cook up a feast in my room. When I didn't want to slave over a stove, I had the chance to dine on some of the best seafood in the country at places like Hyman's. I raved about Charleston's epicurean delights for years to come. Little did I realize that Charleston would build upon ...

Check this Kiawah story out on my site's Family page: Kiawah Island

The ferry churned its way through the calm waters off the South Carolina coast. Bright warmth from the sun beamed down upon me as the breeze and mist kicked up from the vessel's sides. To my right, I noticed an osprey's nest in an unusual place - a high -powered utility grid. This is the experience of the ferry that carries you to Daufuskie Island, a tiny hamlet off Hilton Head. This once -secluded island that felt cut off from the world is now at a crossroads. As the splendid Daufuskie Island Resort expands physically and financially under the palmettos, residents hold on to its unique past even in the midst of all this growth. No one feels this more than Sylvia Wampler, who has been running Southern Shirtique for years in the backwoods of Daufuskie. Her T -shirt and gift shop is accessible only by a golf cart equipped with rugged tires, which the island's resort loaned me. "It is definitely changing around here," she said. "Just looking around here, you can...