SCENE: A Street Car Named Phunny!

7PM Tonight in New Orleans: The Phunny Phorty Phellows herald the arrival of the Mardi Gras season with its annual streetcar parade ride.

The costumed and masked krewe will assemble on Twelfth Night, January 6, 2009 at Canal Street Station (Canal & N. White) at 6:30pm. At 7pm sharp, the Phunny Phorty Phellows will board the streetcar and begin their ride to "Herarld the Arrival of Carnival" down the St. Charles Ave. Streetcar Line.

The Phellows, commonly referred to as the "Dessert of Carnival," are an historic Mardi Gras organization that first took to the streets 1878 through 1898. They were known for their satirical parades and today's krewe members’ costumes often reflect topical themes. The group was revived in 1981.

A full schedule of season parades can be found here. Mardi Gras day itself is February 24, 2009.

SCOOP: FT. RUCKER, AL by Katrina Rodgers

Just in time for Veteran’s Day, Army wife-to-be Katrina Rogers gives us “THE SCOOP” on Ft. Rucker, AL:

When I tell people I live in Alabama, they usually think I’m close to Birmingham. I actually live 3-4 hours south of Birmingham and have never been here; Alabama is bigger than you think! Chances are, if you are not an Alabama native, you’re not exactly up to speed on your Alabama geography, and I’m sure if my fiance and I had not moved here with the Army, we would never have heard of the area known as the “Wiregrass.” This area includes southeast Alabama, very northern Florida, and southwest Georgia. You might be wondering what on earth there is to do in this area of the country—I know I was! Well, you just have to know where to look.

If you’re feeling ambitious, Atlanta is only 3 and half hours away, and there are so many thing to do there I couldn’t even begin to count (the aquarium is fun; the Coca Cola factory lets active duty military in free!) Montgomery, the capitol of Alabama, is not quite two hours away, and that’s where you’ll find the closest reasonably priced airfare. Panama City and Destin, Florida, are only a two and a half hour drive—here you can find the Gulf of Mexico, many beaches, and all accompanying activities (crab restaurants!)

But no one wants to go that far every weekend, and certainly not with the high gas prices we have had lately as a result of hurricane season. So what is there to do in your own backyard down here? The first thing you have to see in Enterprise is the statue in the middle of town. Long ago, the Boll Weevil, an insect, destroyed all of the area’s cotton crops. Farmers were forced to switch to another crop, peanuts, which turned out to be a fantastic economic change for the region. The statue was erected in 1919 to honor the Boll Weevil for bringing, in a roundabout way, prosperity to the area. Originally the statue was just a woman; the Boll Weevil at the top was added in 1949. The statue in the center of town now is just a replica—the original was moved to the Enterprise Depot Museum in 1998 due to vandalism (the Boll Weevil was stolen right off the top). It is the only statue in the country and most likely in the world to honor an agricultural pest.

Peanuts are also honored in the Wiregrass area. The city of Dothan, 30 miles from Enterprise, is known as the Peanut Capital of the Nation, and rightly so. Sixty-five percent of all the peanuts grown in the United States are grown within a 100 mile radius of Dothan! To celebrate this title, Dothan holds the National Peanut Festival every fall. The festival was first held in 1938 and lasted 3 days; it is now a 10 day event that draws over 163,000 visitors. Be prepared to wait in line to park! At the festival, you can find more than your average share of carnival rides, carnival games, displays (this year they had sea lions!), arts and crafts, a parade, fireworks, and a Miss National Peanut Festival Pageant. In addition, Dothan is a good place for many army wives to find jobs. There also an airport here, although it is horribly overpriced and only flies to and from Atlanta.

Speaking of army wives: last but never least, the Wiregrass area is the home of Ft. Rucker, the primary home of Army Aviation and flight training. It is also the home of Warrant Officer Candidate (WOC) School. Ft. Rucker opened on May 1, 1942 as Camp Rucker (the name was changed in 1955). The population on post in the 2000 census was 6,000, but many army folks live off post. The important thing to remember is that because of this, Enterprise and neighboring Daleville are much more transient areas than other towns. Flight training generally takes about one and a half to two years, so the real estate trends don’t necessarily follow the economic trends since people are always buying, selling, and renting. I have never seen so many townhouses in my life as in Enterprise, Alabama!

So, bottom line: there is more happening here than you think. A good place to get more information about local events and activities in the Wiregrass is on the website of the local radio station, WKMX in their “What’s Up Wiregrass” section. There are things going on at Ft. Rucker several times a month, so there are no excuses for not getting out and getting to know the area! (end)

Katrina Rodgers is a Gettysburg College graduate with a degree in Women’s Studies. She is currently living in Enterprise, Alabama with her fiance and looking forward to finally marrying him in December!

SCENE: SHOWDOWN IN T-TOWN (Tuscaloosa/Northport, AL)

Whether it’s football, art, BBQ or ghosts, competition is king on both sides of the Black Warrior River this weekend.

The 37th Annual Kentuck Festival of the Arts kicks off its all-encompassing 2-day celebration of Southern Folk Life tomorrow (10/18) in Northport’s Kentuck Park. Nestled on the banks of the Black Warrior River, under a cool canopy of tall trees, the festival offers a feast for the eyes, ears and palate, and a gentle alternative to the rammer jammer mayhem of UA game day over in adjoining Tuscaloosa.

WHY GO: Kentuck is Alabama’s most notable arts festival. It’s been named a Top Twenty Event by the Southeast Tourism Society, has received the Alabama Governor's Arts Award, and has been designated a “local legacy” by the U.S. Library of Congress. The festival boasts over 250 invited folk and visionary artists from across the country and celebrates both traditional Southern folk art and emerging American craft artists. Browse, buy, and learn across all mediums – from painting, pottery, and assemblage, to quilting, sculpture and basket weaving, to name a few.

Kentuck For Kids keeps the little ones engaged with hands-on craft demos and a petting zoo, among many other activities.

Kentuck gives a nod to Alabama’s esteemed literary history with an appearance by West African storyteller Diane Williams.

Two stages of music feature a variety of complementary genres from Cajun and blues to jazz and folk, welcoming such national and regional artists as Afrissippi, the Figs and Willie Sonny Boy King. In addition, food vendors will offer an assortment of local and ethnic specialties.

TICKETS: Two-day tickets are $15 per person. Dailies are $10. Children under twelve admitted at no charge. Tickets can be purchased online in advance at www.kentuck.org

GETTING AROUND: With annual attendance estimated at 30,000 visitors, as well as the Crimson Tide hosting Ole Miss (along with 92K+ football fanatics) on 10/18, it may be slow–going getting around in this small enclave. Festival organizers provide shuttle bus service to Kentuck Park from several key locations around town.

ROLL TIDE: Although the Cotton Bowl champion University of Alabama Crimson Tide football team is playing at home this weekend, good luck gaining entrance into the house that Bear built. Win or lose, that ticket stays hot, and the tide is on a winning roll right now!! Join the revelers on the green and around the stadium for pre and post game tailgating. In between time, head over to Wings, owned by Bob Baumhower, an All-American from the University of Alabama and 6-time All-Pro for the Miami Dolphins, for traditional sports bar cuisine and “lots of screens.” A smaller, but no less raucous, option is Tuscaloosa’s favorite hole-in-the-wall, Egan’s. In the shadow of Bryant-Denny Stadium you can savor the Tide’s victorious past at the Paul W. Bryant Museum.

13 GHOSTS: Not haunted by the “Bear?” Real ghosts await at the Drish House, an endangered landmark and one of Alabama’s most famous haunted houses. Another bloodcurdling year is planned for the United Cerebral Palsy's Fright Factory which is now located in an old Winn-Dixie. Got skeletons of your own? Head down Hwy 69 to visit with psychic reader Mrs. West.

ROLLING ON THE RIVER: With all this back and forth across the river, it may be high time to get out on the Black Warrior. The Bama Belle, a romantic paddlewheel replica, sails on Saturdays at 1PM from April thru November.

SLEEP: While the area has lost its only 2 B&B’s over the past 3 years it has gained 5 new chain hotels, but good luck scoring a room. Football weekends sell out early even with prices raised double and triple their normal rate! Rumor has it though that the newly renovated Home-Towne Suites had a block of 60 rooms available as of close of business last night (10/16).

EAT: For me, breakfast at the Waffle House is mandatory during any trip below the Mason Dixon line. Grub out on a soft, thin, crispy waffle dripping with butter and syrup, eggs, cheese grits, and hash browns - scattered, smothered, covered, chopped, diced, peppered, capped or topped. If you’ve got a taste for amazing biscuits, the locals flock to The Waysider to get their fix.

BBQ BATTLE: "Ain't nothing like ‘em nowhere" is the motto at the legendary Dreamland Bar-B-Que which has been serving up ribs and sauce since 1958. The location in Tuscaloosa is argued to be “the best,” but the Northport spot has a wider variety of menu options. Wear a bib ‘cause you’re definitely gettin’ some on ya! (Me and my favorite baby blue shirt learned that the hard way).

“Dreamland is a distant, distant second to Archibald's in Northport,” insists a reader of the single southern guy blog. “There is also an Archibald's in Cottondale, down the road a bit. Northport also has Archibald's & Woodrow's. And Woodrow's in beautiful downtown Tuscaloosa. All serve the same great 'cue and the same sauce. ALL will beat Dreamland's, which is still an excellent rib. And all serve butt as well as rib, chopped or sliced, but not pulled.”

For fine dining and a selection of award-winning wines, try the Globe restaurant in downtown Northport for an eclectic and Shakespearian inspired menu (i.e. Twelfth Night Trout, the Much Ado club).

SCENE: Carolina Craft Attack

DIYers in NC are keeping the Tar Heel State’s long tradition of craft and design fresh, modern and innovative from the relative new(ish)comer Spoonflower, which gives folks an easy way to design and print their own fabric on demand, to the team of Etsy-iers who are hocking their wares both online daily and THIS WEEKEND in person at:

Carolina Craft Attack - Saturday, Oct 11 - 9:30AM – 5PM (rain or shine) @

Independence Neighborhood Park - 300 Hawthorne Lane, Charlotte NC

“Traditional craft has been at the center of North Carolina life for centuries, whether made by Native Americans, Scots-Irish immigrants, enthusiasts who 'rediscovered' crafts in the last century, or contemporary artisans who celebrate both form and function in endlessly creative ways. Today, craft is a $538 million creative industry in North Carolina, practiced by more than 6,000 craft artisans working in clay, glass, metals, fibers, wood and other disciplines. It is a living tradition, constantly reinventing itself, and constantly inviting you to participate through visiting, viewing or even making crafts of your own.” (source)

Whether you want browse, buy or actually learn for yourself, ops to score your fix abound in every corner of the state:

Penland School of Crafts in the Blue Ridge Mountains
Mint Museum of Craft & Design in Charlotte
Southern Highland Craft Guild in Asheville
John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown
Qualla Open Air Indian Market in Cherokee

Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University

Or you can blaze a new trail with HomegrownHandmade’s alliance between arts and agriculture.

SCOOP: Ft. Gaines, GA by Mallory Hill

As I drive, I a catch the faint smell of peanuts through the AC. I instinctively roll down the windows and take in the fresh country air. The smell of the harvest rolls over me and I realize, I am home.

This is how I feel when I go home, though the seasons and the smells change, I can always tell by the change in the air I am nearing home. It's a different and fresh world, and I love it. For me Fort Gaines, Georgia is home. It is a small quiet town in rural Southwest Georgia, but it has become one of the favorite getaways for the friends I've made over the years. They always love going home with me because they know it is an escape each time. The world moves a little slower and it's easy to just relax.

I know for most "city folk" would look at this town as a place where there's nothing to do. Well they are right and dead wrong all at the same time. You can drink in history or you can just sit in a swing and drink sweet tea; it makes no difference to us. Just kick back and relax as the world spins a little slower.

Fort Gaines was an active fort during the Indian wars. It held a prime spot on a bluff over-looking the Chattahoochee River. The fort is long gone but there is a historic village that has been created where it once stood. Historic homes that once rested all over the region have been donated and moved to this location to give visitors an idea of what things looked like 200 years ago. A tower stands atop the hill that is a recreation of one of the towers that originally stood as a part of the fort. As you climb inside and look across the river you realize why this was the perfect place to set up defenses. A massive cannon is still perched ready to fire on Alabama. The Frontier Village as it is called is a wonderful place to visit any time of year. Most of the buildings on the site are open and you are free to look around. There is a large hall that remains locked that was once home to the Fort Gaines Women's Club and is still used today for gatherings of all kinds including my wedding reception.

There is one day each year this building is open to the public. It is the day Fort Gaines and the Frontier Village sees the most visitors and that is the day of the annual Christmas at the Fort. Every year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving the Frontier Village is swarmed with guests browsing the seemingly endless lines of vendors carrying everything from home-made jams and jellies, crafts, jewelry, boiled p-nuts and fresh ground cane juice and syrup made as you watch. If you're hungry grab one of Granny's Apple Dumplings after you've picked up your barbecue made in the VW Bug smoker or any of the delicious goodies you can find. Wonder around the used book sale as you enjoy the music from live local performers. Everyone's friendly and you're sure to find something you love.

November has become a busy month in Fort Gaines now that they are having the second annual Georgia's Longest Yard Sale. It stretches from the Georgia line down 60 something miles of Hwy 37 through numerous small towns. You can find all kinds of goodies from antiques to crafts and home-made barbeque on the Saturday before Veterans Day each year. You may want to bring a trailer to carry all of your goodies home with you.

On the northern side of town you will find Lake Walter F George. Here you can find some of the South's best fishing in this 23 mile long lake stretching between Georgia and Alabama. The dam houses some of Georgia Power's best hydroelectric generators and helped form this beautiful lake. The shores are home to the annual July 4th fireworks show that draws visitors from areas all around. A few miles north of town you will find George T Bagby State Park sitting right on the banks of the lake. Here you can stay in their spacious lodge and enjoy your meals in the restaurant porch while you gaze at the lake or share a more intimate visit in one of their lakefront cabins. The park has several hiking trails that wonder through the woods and allow you to experience its southern nature. If you take a walk through the park around sunset you are almost guaranteed to see some of the many deer that inhabit this park or the local family of foxes that call it home. If you are a golfer , Bagby is home to one of Georgia's championship golf courses.

If you just want to experience more of the town's history there is a town tour you can take. Put on your walking shoes or hop in your car and follow the map around town. It points at many historic locations and gives you some of the history of these places. Don't expect to be able to go inside most of these locations since many of them are homes, including my parents house which was built in 1880. One place you can go in and look around is the museum. Located downtown, it is filled with items that have been donated by families in the area and is rich with history.

Crickets and frogs will sing you to sleep each night and you'll see more stars than you can imagine. As you drive on to where ever the road leads you every car you meet will greet you with a smile. It's a simple town but its simplicity will relax your mind and rejuvenate your soul. Roll down your window and drink it in.

Mallory Hill is a proud Army wife who splits her time between Fort Gaines, GA and Fort Hood, TX. She recently started her own photography business, Pope Hill Photography, with which she specializes in helping military families share their lives.