Tales from the Corners

We were famished as we headed off to Chattanooga. It was late and we were beyond starved when we hit Kennesaw, Georgia off of I-75. Looking for a decent yet quick meal is a tough task to handle on a Friday night in this area. Your typical Olive Gardens,Chili's and Outbacks are packed -- not that I'm thrilled to go to those places, but desperate times call for desperate measures. After negotiating our way through the crowds, we worked our way to the back of a shopping center on Barrett Parkway. We stumbled upon Kuroshio Sushi Bar and Grille which is open on Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. The challenge came with our child who is not exactly a fan of Japanese fare. The helpful waitress and manager help her find a scrumptious noodle dish. I had the chicken teriyaki. My wife loved the sushi. For the throngs of you out there who go down I-75, get off at Barrett Parkway to find this sushi institution. Kuroshio saved us from the wrath of chain restaurant food for one evening and w...

I recently visited Marietta, Georgia's Square. It's been years since I visited. After all, I moved away from that side of metropolitan Atlanta in the early 1990s. When I returned I was surprised to see the historic district festooned with shops and restaurants. After strolling through a recent art show, I settled on eating at Blu Greek Taverna . This is Greek cuisine at its best. After dining on a scrumptious grilled veggie kebab or "souvlakia" with mouth-watering rice and an olive-topped yogurt, I ventured to a cute wine shop, the Marietta Wine Market . The owners were smart to keep this place open during the art show because wine lovers like me look for places like this. As I was sipping an affordable glass of red, I was greeted by the shop's dog, Bentley. The cheese isn't too shabby either. After strolling through antique shops and the excellent clothing store, Pendleton, I was impressed.

It was a pleasure to feature Maggie Valley in my annual Golf in the Southeast feature . The golfing opportunities in the Southeast are plentiful. I highly recommend Maggie Valley. The entire area is affordable, beautiful and easy to navigate.

My Cleveland feature is available at Cleveland Rocks . The trip was tremendous. Nothing beats getting away from the hot Georgia sun. The weather was perfect as well as the many restaurants that we visited including Solon's Imperial Wok and University Heights' Jack's Deli.

I haven't been to the Beaches of South Walton in months, and what a difference a couple of months makes. The staggering growth that communities such as Seaside in Florida experienced 20 years ago is now happening in places like the Watersound community, Seacrest Beach, Inlet Beach and Rosemary Beach. Even though they have been around for some time, it seems that these beach communities have been dropped onto the Florida Panhandle map overnight. On most of my visits to the beaches, I would stay in Santa Rosa or the still-growing Watercolor development. Most of my time was spent strolling through nearby cute shops and the fine grocery store in Seaside, which was the picturesque setting for the Jim Carrey film "The Truman Show." This time, I devoted the bulk of my visit to Rosemary Beach, which I believe is the brand-spanking-new sibling to Seaside. About 10 miles to the east of its older "sister," Rosemary Beach is, at the moment, peaceful and attractive. Built on...

While you might not match Tiger Woods' prowess with the golf clubs, you can certainly dream. Two Southeast golfing spots may help you reach that elusive goal of becoming a golf pro. The Kiawah Island Golf Resort on the coast of South Carolina and the Maggie Valley Club in the mountains of North Carolina are premier courses that are worth a road trip. An island golf getaway Perhaps the next big star in the golf course world will be the Ocean Course at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort on Kiawah Island in South Carolina. Both the 2007 Senior PGA Championship and the 2012 PGA Championship will be held there. This course, which opened in 1991, was designed by famed golf architect Pete Dye. The course offers excellent golfing accompanied by a panoramic view of the Atlantic. Kiawah Island is located just 45 minutes outside of Charleston. In addition to the Ocean Course, the Kiawah Island Golf Resort is home to four other notable golf courses. The Turtle Point, Osprey Point, Oak Point and Cou...

Visiting the Big Apple is exciting. Sometimes, a bit too exciting. If you get stressed out just planning a New York City trip, pencil in a little time for a visit to nearby Westchester County to get away from the crowds. Located about 30 minutes outside the city, Westchester offers a lesson in history, art and culture, all without feeling too remote. Whether you’re driving in from New York City or flying directly to the area, Westchester County is easily accessible. A tour of the county’s historical sites is the perfect introduction to this bucolic area, dubbed the “gateway to the Hudson River Valley.” Not your run-of-the-mill manors The best place to start is in the Village of Sleepy Hollow. That’s where Kykuit, the Rockefeller Estate, stands. Home to four generations of this legendary family, Kykuit is a six-story stone house that has been maintained for more than 100 years by the National Trust. Tours — which include rooms, art galleries and even the family’s automobile collection —...