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Sunday, March 30, 2008

Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk in 3-D

Grand Canyon Adventure: River At Risk

Seeing as how I'm a huge fan of the Grand Canyon, my wife and I went to the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum to see the new documentary, Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk at the six story IMAX theatre inside the museum. Over the past 20 years I've been 3 times to the Rim, including the North, South, and the Havasupai Indian Reservation. Read notes on our Grand Canyon trip a few years ago. After seeing the documentary, I'm anxious to go on a future trip down to Phantom Ranch and rafting on the river. The 3-D film was inspiring to watch, as the river rapids surged in your face and the sun radiated off the rock cliffs formed by the river. The rafting trip through the Canyon is led by Robert Kennedy Jr., a Havasupai Indian woman river guide, and Wade Davis, an anthropologist, who is writing a book on the Colorado River. Robert Redford provides the voice over, with music by the Dave Matthews Band. The underling thread of the film is that the Colorado River is slowly drying up from overuse (which I fully agree with) and global warming (not so much).

View a film snippet of Grand Canyon Adventure: River At Risk:

The film is less than an hour long, much too short for me, and I would have preferred at least 2 hours (but I'm biased). Considering the effort of making the film and the massive camera used in making the 3-D aspects, is that asking too much? Was glad that scenes were shown of Havasu Falls, which is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen on Earth.

We plan to go back to the Museum when we have more time to explore. Situated on three floors, the museum covers the history of Texas from early beginnings, as a Republic, and then statehood. Several rare items are included in their archives of national importance, including handwritten letters by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.

Posted by Carl Burnham at 10:21 PM
Categories: Attractions, Destinations

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Harry Carey, Jr., Hollywood Legend Tells Tales

If anyone has ever seen an old Western, you probably have seen Harry Carey Jr., with many directed by the legendary John Ford. Born into the movie business, his father was the famous silent screen star Harry Carey. At 87, Harry Carey Jr. is about the only real star that is still around and kicking that was in the John Ford Stock Company. He has appeared in over 150 films and television shows. Some of the more notable Westerns classics through the years he has starred in include Red River, She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, The 3 Godfathers, and Rio Grande.

From getting in touch with him about the old Alamo movie set at Alamo Village in Bracketville, Texas, I have had several email correspondence since then. Just 30 minutes from Del Rio on the way to San Antonio just off I-90, Alamo Village was originally built for The Alamo, John Wayne's film. It was expanded to include a replica of San Antonio as a wild west town, and is open daily for tours.

Harry recently let me know about a new video project called Tales From the Set on his website at www.soledadprod.com. As he noted, "I tell a lot of stories about films and the folks who were in them." He was close friends with John Wayne and also Richard Widmark who recently passed away.

Be sure to watch the video for little known tidbits about the Western classics, and you can also order Harry's autobiography book, Company of Heroes, which is signed by Harry Carey, Jr. himself. When you order, tell him that Carl sent you.
It is a highly entertaining book that tells a lot about his movie experiences with John Wayne and other movie star friends on and off the set.
Posted by Carl Burnham at 6:46 PM
Edited on: Saturday, March 29, 2008 8:28 PM
Categories: Attractions, Videos

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

North Georgia mountains | resort special

One of the areas that we miss visiting is the mountains of North Georgia. The small towns of Helen, Clayton, Dillard, Mountain City, all have a special charm. Helen, a touristy town with a German theme, has many shops and restaurants, with river tubing through town always a fun activity, as well as a stop in at the Old Sautee Store.
Tubing on the river in Helen, Georgia
In Dillard, we always eat at the Dillard House, which serves up a freshly made all-you-can-eat buffet (from foods grown on the property), with rocking chairs on their porch so you can recover afterwards. In the many shops around the towns you are sure to find locally made crafts (be sure to visit the Tallulah Falls area for their handmade quilts), plus homemade ice cream and preserves.
Tallulah Falls Craft Co-op where many local crafters sell handmade quilts and other items.
There are numerous gorgeous waterfalls in the area, including those at Amicalola Falls, Cloudland Canyon, and Toccoa Falls.
Tallulah Gorge State Park, located next door to the Tallulah Walk River Resort in North Georgia
As we live in central Texas now, and haven't been able to visit nearly as often, we are selling our mountain river resort in Tallulah Falls, now at a reduced rate of only $2,000! This is a lifetime membership deed, which gives you access to all the resort sites for your RV or camper (many on the river), mountain cabins, and amenities. When living outside Atlanta, we would visit several weekends a month through the spring and fall. The trout fishing is fantastic, and the resort restocks every year. The resort is also situated near Tallulah Gorge State Park, the oldest natural gorge in the United States and second in depth only to the Grand Canyon. It is the only quartzite-walled gorge in the southern Appalachian mountains. There are lots of fun things to do for the whole family in this area.

Posted by Carl Burnham at 2:40 PM
Edited on: Wednesday, March 26, 2008 10:44 PM
Categories: Destinations, Travel Specials

Monday, March 24, 2008

Old Country Store, Learned, Ms - A Testament to the Past

As a young man exploring and photographing the remote byways of my native state, I especially enjoyed visiting the old country store in Learned, Mississippi. Surrounded by a sleepy town where it is the last business remaining, with stately old churches and homes. Wandering the store was like stepping back in time to a simpler era. Here is a recent interesting article to share.
- Carl

Old Mississippi General Store Faces Uncertain Future
by Billy Watkins, The Clarion Ledger News
Reprinted by permission
Old country store in Learned, Mississippi
Photos by Brian Albert Broom/The Clarion-Ledger

It's one of the few old country stores left in Mississippi. When Chip Gibbes is asked how long he has lived in Learned, he answers: "Since 1836."
"That's when my family first moved here, so that's the date I go by," he says.

LEARNED — Chip Gibbes' memories of Learned run deeper than its heyday - the decades when it was a bustling town with nearly 300 residents, four general stores, three cotton gins, three churches, a hotel, a post office and a school. Gibbes can take you to the exact spot inside the city limits where his great grandfather, H.D. Gibbes, sat beneath a pecan tree and grieved for years over the death of his beautiful young wife Anna in 1928.

"They always said he was never the same - and downright hard to get along with - after his wife passed," 60-year-old Chip Gibbes recalls. "I was scared to death of him because I was just a little thing when I knew him. Maybe 5 or 6. And he was old, in his 90s. But I remember watching him. He'd sit in a lawn chair and look down the hill at his old house and his old store, and you could just see things racing through his mind. Old memories." Now it's Chip Gibbes' turn to look at his family's four-generation store, H.D. Gibbes & Sons, and weigh memories against reality.

Duty vs. reward. His is the last business standing in the proud town of Learned. "I'm in a real quandary," Gibbes says. "Do I let it rot down? Do I try and find somebody to run it? "I feel a lot of responsibility to my family, the people of Learned and future children I will never know because this store has always been such a big part of the town." And, yes, his quandary involves a financial bottom line. Most of the 75 residents of Learned work in Jackson, where they also do most of their shopping.

"You've got so many people going in different directions that it makes it hard on Chip's store," says Bruce Gates, 60, a lifelong resident of Learned who is retired. "I live within sight of the store ... well, if you live in town, you live in sight of everything in Learned. But I probably only go by the store once a week. I buy a little gas over there or stuff I need right now and think Chip may have it."

"Big businesses like Wal-Mart and Kroger make it tough on stores like Chip's," says Learned Mayor Joe Riggin, 66. "Small stores just can't compete with them price-wise." But the mayor and residents say it would be an emotional blow to the town if the store closed. "It was bad enough when they closed the post office and took our zip code away (in the early '80s) - 39083," Riggin says. "That still doesn't sit well with the people here. We have to get our mail through Raymond now. It sorta makes you lose your identity as a town."

"Some of my earliest memories involve that store," Gates says. "Walking over there and paying a nickel for a Coca-Cola and a nickel for a Snicker bar. "The place is an institution. It's one of the few old country stores left in Mississippi. But I also understand Chip's got to do what Chip's got to do." When Chip Gibbes is asked how long he has lived in Learned, he answers: "Since 1836."

"That's when my family first moved here, so that's the date I go by," he says. Two generations of the Gibbes family were farmers. H.D. Gibbes worked for someone who had a store, then decided to open his own around 1900. That store and three others boomed in the early 1900s, primarily because the railroad ran through Learned.

"Anything somebody needed that the store didn't already have - a car, a ring, a casket, whatever - could be ordered by the store and shipped here in a day or two, out of Jackson, Memphis or Chicago," Gibbes says. An invoice from that era shows H.D. Gibbes & Sons had an inventory of about $100,000. "Today, that would be several million," Gibbes says. "And they probably turned over that inventory three times a year."

His great-grandfather lost interest in the store after the loss of his wife. Chip Gibbes' grandfather, John Lake Gibbes, took over the store until he died in 1938. "His death was a real blow to the family and to the store," Gibbes says. "It seems like after that, it was just a domino of things that went against it." World War II took its toll. The railroad slowed its runs through town during the 1950s. Construction of Mississippi 18 bypassed Learned. The area, like a lot of places in America, became less of a farming community. More people began to own automobiles, making it easier to travel to Jackson or Vicksburg to work and shop. Gibbes' dad, Walter, and two uncles ran the store from the mid-1940s through the 1970s.

Since then, Chip Gibbes has kept it open with the help of his wife, Mary Bell, and one clerk, JoAnn Givmore. It's always been a part-time venture for Gibbes, who has made a living logging, cattle farming, buying cotton and selling fertilizer and gravel. "The thing is, I've never had the time to really put into the store so I'm not sure what it's capable of right now," he says.

Chip Gibbes, owner of the Learned Country Store, pointing out old memorabilia.
Even though it's pushing 110 years old, the store looks like it was freshly built by the hands of Hollywood carpenters. Its floor, walls and ceiling consist of sturdy, rare heart pine. Several shelves are filled with items from the store's early days. This has led Gibbes to consider turning the store into a combination eatery and historical museum. "Everybody who comes in here is interested in all that stuff," he says, nodding toward the shelves holding hundreds of antique knick-nacks. The display includes hat boxes, a fireproof receipt organizer, buggy whip racks, a church-shaped radio, a churn, advertising signs for Long Wear shoes, a musical instrument that looks like a combination guitar and harp, a twine dispenser, washboards, egg crates, glass counter candy displays ...

"I think it's something people would enjoy - having something to eat in a place more than a century old and looking at all the old stuff," Gibbes says. "But I just don't know if I'm willing to put the time into something like that." And neither of the Gibbes' grown children are interested in making the store a career. These days, the store has hit-and-miss hours. But it is usually open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. "Our busy times are early in the morning, from 7 to 9, then around lunch time and again between 4 and 5 when people are headed home," he says. Locals rave about Givmore's hamburgers, which she cooks daily on an outside grill. "Somebody said they would give it the Best Unexpected Hamburger Award in the Jackson area," Gibbes says, laughing.

Serving burgers at the Learned, Ms. country store

But he quickly grows serious. "I just don't know what to do," he says, then corrects himself. "I haven't formulated a plan yet. I'll come up with something. I just want it to be the right thing for my family and my town. I know folks from here are watching to see what I'm going to do." Gates doesn't envy him. "It's got to be gut-wrenching," Gates says. "We had to sell my grandmother's house down in D'Lo in 2005. I spent a lot of weekends and holidays and summers in that house. And when I walked out of there for the last time ... it's a situation where you don't just cry. You weep. It's like a part of you is gone. "But that house, Chip's store, they're all facing what everything has to face sooner or later. The cycle of life."

Posted by Carl Burnham at 5:21 PM
Edited on: Monday, March 24, 2008 5:29 PM
Categories: Attractions, Destinations

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Save the Delta Queen - An American Treasure


Ways to help. | Contact talk radio and Presidential candidates

The Delta Queen is equipped with the latest in modern fire monitoring devices and a powerful sprinkler system, and includes 3 onboard crew dedicated to safety monitoring on a 24 hour basis. The steamboat has had an 82 year spotless record of safety on the river, and is popular with tourists who want a one-of-a-kind experience. It has been exempted 9 times over 40 years from the Safety at Sea Act.
So why is a supposed fire safety concern being noted now by two Congressional heads to force it out of operation? Read the full story.

As a sad commentary on the twisted nature of politics today in Washington, after 82 years of continued service on the river as a popular tourism cruise, the Delta Queen is being denied a long-time extension from Coast Guard regulations that had been extended to the Delta Queen for over 40 years given its' historic standing. The Coast Guard Safety at Sea Act regulation put in place in 1967 prohibits wooden boats from carrying more than 50 overnight passengers, which the Delta Queen carries 174. The "reasoning" for denial of the continued exemption? A supposed fire safety concern voiced by one Repr. James Oberstar, who heads the House Transportation Committee.

It has plied the waters of the Mississippi River since 1926, and is the oldest steamboat that still operates on the river (according to my friend Arthur LaSalle with the historic Springfield Plantation). The Delta Queen was equipped with the most elaborate workmanship seen in steamboats when built, with teakwood, red mahogany and ironwood, in addition to stained-glass windows and an elaborate chandelier in the grand staircase, with a modern hull of steel. The bell you can hear onboard came from an 1880's steamboat that Mark Twain traveled on as he was formulating his book "Life on the Mississippi."

The Delta Queen steamboat, owned by the Majestic America Line has a loyal following, with many making return trips on the cruises, which can range from $1,500 to $6,200 per person, depending on the length of cruise and cabin. Her record is stellar, and has been given historic designations by the Department of the Interior, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a National Historic Landmark, and a member of the National Maritime Hall of Fame.

There is much more to this story than the Congressional committee leaders would have you believe. Let's look at facts.
The Delta Queen is equipped with the latest in modern fire monitoring devices and a powerful sprinkler system, and includes 3 onboard crew dedicated to maintaining on a 24 hour basis. In the rare case of a fire that would require passengers to depart, the steamboat could reach the shore in a matter of a few minutes. The steamboat has had an 82 year spotless record of safety on the river.
Yet, a Democratic Representative James Oberstar of Minnesota, has been blocking a bill that would exempt the Delta Queen from the Safety at Sea Act, which has also prevented the full House of Representative from voting on the measure at all. The more likely reasoning is politics, and the support he has received over the years from the Seafarers International Union. As reported by the New York Times, according to Majestic America Line officials, "the real issue is opposition from the Seafarers International Union, which represented most of the steamboat’s employees until last year. At that time, Majestic bought the Delta Queen and two other riverboats for $40 million and forced the union off the boats. Joseph McCarthy, general counsel for Ambassadors International, said the company had offered to let the union back on the Delta Queen in return for the union’s support for the exemption, but the union would not budge unless it was welcomed back onto all seven of Majestic’s boats. Mr. McCarthy also said the union told the company that it could help change Mr. Oberstar’s position, as well as opposition from Senator Daniel K. Inouye, Democrat of Hawaii and chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee."

So the Delta Queen extension has not even been allowed to go before Congress for a vote! However, Congress did recently exempt a foreign owned cruise line (using the Jones Act, passed in 1886 which protects American maritime jobs). Due to that exemption, from 900 - 1,200 foreign workers will be employed by that cruise line in 2008. Compare to the Delta Queen, if nothing is done more than 120 American jobs will be lost in addition to the loss of tourism to the ports it visits.
Read more about the Delta Queen here.
If "safety" is a concern by our oh-so-thoughtful two Congressional leaders, then why stop with a venerable steamboat? Why not close our National Parks down? Do you know how many people have died in our National Parks due to various reasons over the years?? Shouldn't we close them for our own "safety"?
The Delta Queen is a valuable part of our nation's heritage, our historic identity, and should be preserved to be continued to operate. In addition, the steamboat provides 120 jobs to American workers, in addition to the additional tourism brought to Mississippi River ports it stops in.
If nothing is done, November 2008 will be her final voyage.
In 1970, a letter writing campaign with support of Johnny Cash was able to convince Congress to extend the exemption of the Delta Queen from the Safety at Sea Act.
I encourage you to please email your Congressional representatives and state leaders to voice your full support to extend the Congressional exemption for the Delta Queen.
There is still time. Read here of more ways to help via contacting talk radio and Presidential candidates.
Posted by Carl Burnham at 3:42 PM
Edited on: Saturday, March 22, 2008 8:30 PM
Categories: Cruises, Travel News

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Azaleas in bloom for Azalea Trail in Tyler, Texas

Azalea Trails - Tyler, Texas
The 49th Annual Azalea Trail is underway now in Tyler, Texas, and stretches eight miles around town attracting over 100,000 visitors a year. Read details of in our new feature.

Posted by Carl Burnham at 10:49 AM
Edited on: Sunday, March 16, 2008 10:56 AM
Categories: Attractions

The Western wonders of Durango

Received news last week from the Rochester Hotel that both the hotel and their sister hotel the Leland House are now entirely powered by wind energy provided by La Plata Electric Co-Op's Green Power Program. We hope that other hotels will take their lead. We enjoyed our stay at the Rochester Hotel in Durango a few years ago. Each room has posters and memorabilia from Westerns filmed in the area.

The historic Rochester Hotel in Durango, Colorado
One of the Westerns filmed around Durango was the John Wayne classic She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, with actor Harry Carey, a Durango resident. I've had correspondence with, and hopefully he will write another book soon.

Coming up in April is the popular Durango Bluegrass Meltdown, including over 15 leading bluegrass bands. Take a memorable ride on the historic
Durango & Silverton Railroad, as it steams through the area mountainside.
Durango & Silverton Railroad
Also, was told about a downtown fire that destroyed Season's Rotisserie Grill, Le Rendezvous, and 1/2 Price Tees, and injured several firefighters. Three firefighters were blown off of a roof from an explosion during the fire. Thankfully, they had only minor injuries. The three businesses plan to rebuild. A relief fund has been set up to help the businesses and employees affected by the fire through Durango's Alpine Bank. If wanting to donate to the 700 Main Disaster Relief Fund, please call 970-247-3020.

Posted by Carl Burnham at 10:41 AM
Edited on: Sunday, March 16, 2008 11:02 AM
Categories: Accommodations, Attractions, Destinations

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Biltmore Estates - a Blue Ridge Mountains special attraction

As notes our writer on his visit to Biltmore Estates, "It only takes a moment to realize that a tour of the Biltmore is like no other. First of all, the place is huge! The house alone occupies close to four acres. Then there are 8000 acres of surrounding property." Read more in our special feature on Biltmore Estates.

Biltmore Estates in Asheville, NC
Get unlimited access to top attractions and great specials with the Blue Ridge Mountains with a Go Blue Ridge Card. See our free shipping special.

Posted by Carl Burnham at 12:41 AM
Categories: Attractions

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

New Motorcoach with garage underneath

Volkner German RV with hideaway for your vehicle  
From searching online, I found an amazing new motorcoach that allows towing underneath for your vehicle being touted by the German company Volkner.
Ah, those Germans.. There are two sizes that can accommodate different sized vehicles.

As the motorcoach comes available in the U.S. it should create quite a sensation.

Posted by Carl Burnham at 12:02 PM
Edited on: Friday, March 14, 2008 3:49 PM
Categories: RVing

Monday, March 03, 2008

Travel Photos now on Facebook

Check out some of our archived travel photos over the years now on Facebook. Some of these are from our travels to national parks, Alaska, and other remote locales over the years. We will be adding more travel photo albums to also include some of the unique stays and attractions we have been to and feature here at Southpoint.

Singing by the campfire in the Sonoran Desert with friends at Quartzsite  

Posted by Carl Burnham at 11:47 AM
Edited on: Friday, March 14, 2008 3:50 PM
Categories: Travel News

Sunday, March 02, 2008

New RV Innovations

Recently, we attended an RV show to see what's new. Seeing as how we have owned 6 RVs of different shapes and sizes over the past 10 years, we're always on the lookout to upgrade and also see how manufacturers are paying attention to market trends. It's good to see all the neat gadgets.
Our first 5th wheel, a Travel Supreme, that we took out West and to Alaska
Where were these when we were traveling fulltime a few years ago? We utilized the very first wireless cards to access the Internet via dialup years ago, and would often get puzzled looks from others wondering how one of our laptops could be connected without a modem. We appeared on an RV segment of the Discovery Channel, and traveled through 40 states. Our focus now on Southpoint is more on the general travel market overall, with more emphasis on unique and historic destinations.
Today, RVs are enjoying a surge of interest from families, babyboomers retiring, and others.
The range of RV options now include Internet workstations, fireplaces, recessed lighting, flatpanel TVs, full-sized kitchens, and "toyhaulers", depending on what size and type looking for.

As we prepare for our upcoming RV trip in April, we have some temptation to upgrade from our current Mobilescout. If we could just find a good RV sponsor...


Posted by Carl Burnham at 6:00 PM
Edited on: Friday, March 14, 2008 3:49 PM
Categories: RVing
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