4th of July Fireworks are underway!

4th of July Fireworks for 2014 are underway!

4th of July fireworks are underway across the South!

Tonight (Saturday, 6/28/2014) is the first big night of the week-long celebration, with shows scheduled for Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. More shows continue tomorrow with the big weekend set to get underway on Wednesday, July 3rd.

As always, you can check out locations, times and dates for the best fireworks in each state in the South by visiting www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fireworks.

Best Christmas Lights of 2013 now online!

Courtesy of Callaway Gardens

ExploreSouthernHistory.com's annual list of the South's Best Christmas Lights is now online and updated for 2013!

Most of the lighting displays are up and going and the rest pretty much kick off tomorrow (December 1st) or during the coming week.  Here are some notes about this year's highlights

• It will be the final year for Christmas in Alabama, the Bradley family's gigantic display in Grand Bay, Alabama (near Mobile).
• Holiday Spectacular in Wicksburg, Alabama (near Dothan) is continuing after the sad passing of one of its founders and will be even bigger this year!
• The Arkansas Trail of Lights website is online for 2013!  I have the link on the list page.
• Three Rivers State Park in Sneads, Florida is expanding the nights its lights will be open this year.
• Fantasy in Lights at Callaway Gardens in Georgia is up and running for 2013!
• Lights under Louisville is open for the season.  This is an awesome underground drive-through display!
• Check out info for these and all of the others for 2013 at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/christmas.

Some new Ghost Stories for Halloween 2013!

The Ghost of Bellamy Bridge
Marianna, Florida

One of the most popular pages at ExploreSouthernHistory.com is our collection of stories about the Ghosts & Monsters of the South.

For Halloween 2013, we have added some new stories that you might enjoy.  From a headless horse in Southwest Georgia to a ghost ship crewed by pirates in the Everglades, I think you will enjoy these journeys into the folklore of the South!

New stories for 2013:

• Ghost Ship of the Everglades - A fascinating story of a pirate crew condemned to sail the winding passages of the Everglades for all eternity!  www.exploresouthernhistory.com/evergladesship
• Ghost of the Headless Horse - The ghost of a large headless horse is said to haunt the banks of the Flint River in Albany, Georgia.  www.exploresouthernhistory.com/albanyhorse.
• Ghost of Deer Island & the Firewater Ghosts - Two new ghost stories from Biloxi, Mississippi, that have been told for over 100 years!  www.exploresouthernhistory.com/biloxighost.

Other favorites:

• The Hole that will not Stay Filled - One of Alabama's best known ghost stories, the legend of Bill Sketoe's ghost lives on in the Wiregrass Region.  www.exploresouthernhistory.com/sketoe.
• White River Monster - Many residents of the White River valley of Arkansas believe that a large water monster inhabits the depths of the river. www.exploresouthernhistory.com/whiteriver1.
• The Ozark Howler - A cat monster is said to roam the Ozark mountains of Arkansas and southern Missouri.  www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ozarkhowler.
• Ghost of Bellamy Bridge - Florida's best known ghost story about what one reporter has called the "world's most haunted bridge." www.exploresouthernhistory.com/bellamybridge.
• Ghost of the St. Simons Island Lighthouse - The historic Georgia lighthouse is said to be haunted by the restless spirit of a former keeper. www.exploresouthernhistory.com/gastsimons2.
• Edgefield Ghost - One of the best recorded hauntings in American history took place in the Edgefield District of South Carolina in the early 1800s. www.exploresouthernhistory.com/edgefieldghost.
• The Bell Witch - Perhaps the best known haunting of all time, the Bell Witch of Tennessee has been the focus of books, movies and more! www.exploresouthernhistory.com/bellwitch1.

Don't forget you can access all of these stories and many others anytime at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ghosts.

Great Southern Waterfalls #2 - Little River Falls in Alabama

Little River Falls in Alabama

#2 in the series of Great Southern Waterfalls is Little River Falls in Alabama!  (To see #1 in the series, please visit Cedar Falls at Petit Jean State Park in Arkansas).

Easily accessible to the public, Little River Falls is part of Little River Canyon National Preserve, a relatively new national park area near Fort Payne, Alabama. The falls are located where State Highway 35 crosses Little River Canyon.

The magnificent falls flow year round and are 45-feet high.  While they are not among the tallest waterfalls in the South, they make up for it in sheer power and scenic beauty.

Formed where the Little River drops over an escarpment as it flows through Little River Canyon atop Lookout Mountain, Little River Falls are free to visit and are open daily during daylight hours. The parking area includes space for cars, RVs and buses and provides access to a short paved trail that leads down to an overlook just above the falls. From there the more adventurous can venture out onto the rocks and the top of the falls.

A nice but more distant view of Little River Falls is also available from the overlook on Canyon Rim Drive, also part of Little River Canyon National Preserve.

Camping is not allowed at the falls, but campsites are available at nearby Desoto State Park.

To learn more about Little River Falls, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/littleriver2.html

Great Southern Waterfalls #1 - Cedar Falls at Petit Jean State Park in Arkansas

Cedar Falls in Arkansas

This is Part #1 of a special fall series on great waterfalls you can see across the South! I will update this page with links as I add others.

#1 on our list of Great Southern Waterfalls is Cedar Falls at Petit Jean State Park near Morrilton, Arkansas.

Ninety feet in height, Cedar Falls is formed by the sudden drop of Cedar Creek from the top of Petit Jean Mountain into Cedar Canyon. One of the best waterfalls to see in Arkansas because it flows year-round, Cedar Falls is one of the reasons that Petit Jean was made the first Arkansas state park when the land was acquired by the state in 1921.

The falls can be viewed from overlooks on both sides of the canyon, or the more energetic can follow a hiking trail down into Cedar Canyon and to the bottom of the magnificent waterfall.The hike provides a stunning view accompanied by the thundering sound of the waterfall hitting the rocks at the bottom of the canyon.

Another view of Cedar Falls

The waterfall is the centerpiece of the state park, which is one of the most beautiful in the South. Covering 2,568 acres, Petit Jean State Park offers a remarkable collection of natural and historic points of interest.

In addition to Cedar Falls, there are rock formations, caves with prehistoric Indian art, magnificent views, a pre-Civil War pioneer cabin and even Petit Jean's Grave, the place where legend holds a young French girl was buried when she died of sickness after stowing away aboard a ship during Colonial times to come to America in search of her true love.  Her ghost is said to haunt the mountain.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/petitjean1.

Ten Favorite Spring Destinations in the South

Muskogee Azalea Festival

Today is the first day of Spring, so I thought I would share with you ten of my favorite Southern spring destinations. Some of these are well known and some are off the beaten path, but all are well worth a visit.

Maclay Gardens

1. 2011 Muskogee Azalea Festival in Muskogee, Oklahoma. One of the finest events of its kind in the South, the annual festival draws in tens of thousands of visitors from around the world. Held Show alleach April at Honor Heights Park in Muskogee, the festival gives visitors the chance to roam through an amazing setting that features more than 30,000 blooming trees and plants representing more than 625 varieties. To learn more and see a schedule of this year's event, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/okmuskogeeazalea.
2. Maclay Gardens State Park in Tallahassee, Florida. Now in bloom, Maclay Gardens is one of the most beautiful Spring settings in the Sunshine State. Located in Florida's historic capital city, the park features a magnificent garden of azaleas, dogwoods, redbuds and other blooming trees and plants that was developed over decades beginning in 1923. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the gardens are open daily. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/maclaygardens1.
3. Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia. One of the South's premier attractions, Callaway Gardens covers 16,000 acres on the slopes and valleys adjoining Georgia's historic Pine Mountain. Established to revitalize overworked fields where its founders discovered a rare native azalea plant growing, the gardens are simply magnificent. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/callawaygardens1.
4. Eufaula, Alabama. A beautiful, historic city on the Chattahoochee River in southeastern Alabama, Eufaula is known for its stunning spring blossoms and magnificent historic homes. Its Annual Spring Pilgrimage is one of the finest such events in the South and will take place on April 1st through 3rd this year. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/eufaula.
5. Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs, Arkansas. A world class botanical garden covering 210 acres on a peninsula that extends into Lake Hamilton, Garvan Gardens are magnificent year round, but take on amazing beauty during the spring. The gardens feature winding paths that lead through stunning arrays of flowering trees and plants and past waterfalls and many other unique features. Much like Callaway Gardens in Georgia, Garvan Gardens were begun to restore a setting to its natural beauty. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/garvingardens.
6. Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee. A winding national park area that extends from Natchez on the Mississippi River to the outskirts of Nashville, Tennessee, the Natchez Trace is another "must see" Southern destination. It takes drivers through 444 miles of beautiful scenery, rich in the natural spring color of dogwoods, redbuds, wild plum and other native varieties. The parkway also passes scores of historic sites and points of interest. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/natcheztrace1.
7. Rosedown Plantation State Historic Site in St. Francisville, Louisiana. The National Park Service describes Rosedown as one of the best preserved antebellum plantation complexes in the United States. In addition to the magnificent main house and other historic structures, the historic site preserves one of the largest private gardens of the 19th century. Covering 28 acres, the gardens feature winding paths, summer houses, fountains and an amazing array of blooming plants. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/rosedown.
8. Dogwood Canyon Nature Park near Branson, Missouri. Covering 10,000 acres of Ozark mountain country on the border of Missouri and Arkansas, Dogwood Canyon is offers spring beauty of the wilder variety. The trams and bike paths take visitors through a beautiful valley rich in redbuds, dogwoods and other blooming trees. The park also features trout streams, historic sites, magnificent waterfalls and even herds of American bison (buffalo) and elk. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/dogwood1.
9. Rainbow Springs State Park in Dunnellon, Florida. Once a privately-owned amusement park enjoyed by untold millions of visitors over the years, Rainbow Springs is now the focal point of a state park not far off Interstate 75 in the charming town of Dunnellon, Florida. In addition to the magnificent main spring, the park preserves some of the original gardens with their azaleas, waterfalls and other points of interest. It is also one of the state's most affordable destinations, with an entrance fee of only $2 per person or $5 per vehicle of up to 8 people. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/rainbowsprings.
10. Waterfalls of Alabama. Although it has been a bit dry so far this spring, many of Alabama's beautiful waterfalls are running well. The state features some of the prettiest falls in the South, a number of which are easily accessible. The premier ones include Noccalula Falls in Gadsden, DeSoto Falls at Mentone and Little River Falls near Fort Payne. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/alabamawaterfalls.

You can also learn about hundreds of other unique Southern historic sites, natural wonders and points of interest at www.exploresouthernhistory.com.

New EcoTourism Page now online at ExploreSouthernHistory.com

Life in the South is and always has been tightly connected with nature. From the prehistoric days of the Indian hunters to today, the people of the region have had a special relationship with nature and the environment.

There are few Southern families, regardless of race, culture or origin, that do not have stories tied in some way to the land. From the mountains of the Blue Ridge and Ozarks to the bayous of Louisiana and deep swamps of Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and Florida, Southerners are a people closely associated with the land around them.

And today, with the economy experiencing such severe difficulties and unemployment and taxes at such highs, many Southern families are looking back to the land as a place of relaxation, comfort and escape. The great outdoors offer affordable escapes for families from all walks of life and, while economical to visit and explore, offer untold rewards in terms of memories and marvels.

Learning about nature and the environment and enjoying what the outdoors have to offer is what ecotourism is all about. It is one of the fastest growing tourism industries in the South and is taking larger numbers of visitors to Southern outdoor locations each year. Many of these points are rich in both cultural and natural history and offer educational opportunities as well as beautiful getaways.

To help you explore some of the more unique outdoor locations in the South, I've launched a new section at ExploreSouthernHistory.com that focuses on ecotourism and the natural wonders of our very special region of the country. You will find information on springs, rivers, scenic spots, caves, geological wonders, mountains, waterfalls and more. This section will expand rapidly as I continue to add new spots, so be sure to bookmark it and check back regularly.

 To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/naturalwonders.

Cold Winter leads to late Azalea Blooms in much of the South

The long, cold winter has had an effect on this year's azalea blooms across much of the South, pushing them back later into spring than normal.

Usually the blooms at places like Honor Heights Park, home of the Muskogee Azalea Festival in Oklahoma, and Callaway Gardens in Georgia would have been in full bloom a week ago, but they are just now beginning to come out. Garden experts indicate that this should mean two things for this year's display. First, the blooms should be quite spectacular over the next week or so. Second, the blooms may not remain at their height as long as normal this year.

As of this weekend, the azalea blooms at Muskogee, where the Azalea Festival will continue until the end of the month, were still emerging but they should be quite beautiful as this week goes along. The case is the same at Callaway Gardens at Pine Mountain, Georgia. The blooms there were still coming out on Saturday, but should be really pretty by the end of the week.

Elsewhere across the South, you can expect about the same conditions at gardens from about the midpoints of Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi and north. Along the coastal plain, everything looks really nice. Here in Northwest Florida, the azaleas are just spectacular.

Here are links to some of our garden pages at ExploreSouthernHistory.com:

• Muskogee Azalea Festival - Muskogee, Oklahoma
• Callaway Gardens - Pine Mountain, Georgia
• Dothan Area Botanical Gardens - Dothan, Alabama
• Eden Gardens State Park - Point Washington, Florida
• Rainbow Springs State Park - Dunnellon, Florida
• Garvan Woodland Gardens - Hot Springs, Arkansas
• Maclay Gardens State Park - Tallahassee, Florida

Ghosts of the South! - Coming in October

Throughout the month of October, we will explore some of the South's most intriguing ghost stories!

Whether you believe in ghosts or not, stories about them are an important part of the culture of the American South.

They remind us of the days before radio and television when our ancestors spent fall and winter evenings telling stories by firelight. In addition, many such tales originate from true historical events and were a way that the generations before us preserved the memory of important times and people.

Our series will start on October 11th, so be sure to check in daily throughout the month for new stores and places.