The Southern Road: Ty Cobb Lives On

by Micheline Maynard on

I have been a fan of the Detroit Tigers since I was old enough to hold one of the big, fat, orange pencils that they used to sell at Tiger Stadium. Through the years, I’ve heard plenty about Ty Cobb, the famous, supposedly mean slugger who set records that still stand. Since his nickname was “the Georgia Peach,” I knew he was from Georgia.

So, when I spotted a sign for Royston, Georgia, on Interstate 85 on the way from Greenville, South Carolina, to Chattanooga, of course I had to stop and find the Ty Cobb Museum. Along the way, I saw other signs for the Ty Cobb Healthcare System, which I thought was amusing, and which I soon learned is one of Cobb’s greatest legacies outside baseball.

Cobb wasn’t lucky in love, and two of his three sons died young. Left somewhat adrift, Cobb donated $100,000 to build a hospital in Royston, and he donated almost $1 million in today’s dollars to set up a scholarship fund for Georgia youngsters.

The Ty Cobb Museum is housed in a clinic that is part of the medical system. The gift shop, which sells the Ty Cobble-head and some snazzy fleece tops, is also the clinic office. Once you pay $5, you can enter the museum where there’s a film, and exhibits that include Cobb’s Detroit Tigers uniform, and his spikes, which he supposedly turned on every opposing baseman.

It’s a tiny memorial to someone who’s still talked about in baseball, a century after he played. But the bigger legacy is obviously in what he did for Royston.

YouTube Sensation: Real Actors Read Yelp

by Laurel Miller on

Possibly, I’ve been living under a rock, but I just discovered the hilarious YouTube series “Real Actors Read Yelp,” the brainchild of Gotta Kid to Feed Productions.

Broadway thespians and television bit players provide heart-wrenching (and sometimes downright terrifying) enactments of real reviews from across the country. There’s everything from the Times Square Olive Garden (“The waitresses-slash-waiters smile, and seem … nice, but it feels like they’re doing it just to increase their tips.”) to Crazy Horse Gentleman’s Club (“I’ve never been impressed with the dancers. They either look like they just had a kid, or they’re obviously on drugs.”).

It’s hard to choose a favorite, but I’m partial to this disembowelment of a PF Chang’s, as performed by Tony Award-winner Greg Hildreth.


The Southern Road: How To Eat A Boiled Peanut

by Micheline Maynard on

Boiled peanuts are one of those delicacies where you either love them, or you don’t. You can find them all over the south. They’re boiled because they are cooked in salted water, and are then kept warm in their juices in an electric casserole or crock pot.

I first encountered them in a gas station between Birmingham and Montgomery, and dipped up a cupful to try in private. I wound up with a mouthful of hull, which I spit out, and peanut, which I liked. But until I got to Georgiana, Alabama, I didn’t know I was doing it wrong.

I spotted the signs first: “boiled green peanuts.” Then I spotted The Peanut Hut. Venturing inside, I was offered a sample of boiled green peanuts – green, because they’ve just come out of the ground, where other boiled peanuts are made from dried peanuts. Green, I was assured, are superior.

I also received instructions. You don’t bite a peanut in the middle, and peel it, as I was doing. You take a peanut, and place it horizontally between your top front and bottom teeth. Give it a gentle bite. The hull ought to break open the long way, in two, revealing the peanuts inside.

Here’s a recipe for boiled peanuts and a little more history. They are an acquired taste. But now you know the right way to eat them.

Liftopia Has Hot Deals On Lift Tickets For The Upcoming Ski Season

by Kraig Becker on

As the last few weeks of summer drag out to their inevitable conclusion it is time to start thinking about the seasons ahead. The crisp air and cooler temperatures of autumn will be a welcome change of pace for many of us who have endured unusually warm temperatures the past few months. But for many travelers and outdoor enthusiasts it is the coming of winter that gets them the most excited. That’s because winter brings fresh powder and the promise of a great ski season ahead.

To help skiers and snowboarders prepare for their winter adventures, Liftopia, the largest online site for purchasing lift tickets, has launched their Red Hot End of Summer Sale. This limited-time event features more than 32,000 deals on discounted passes from over 60 ski resorts across North America. Some of these tickets are being offered at prices that are as much as 86% below their normal price, which makes buying a ski pass in September seem like a really smart idea.

Thinking of heading to Colorado to hit the slopes this year? Liftopia has passes for Aspen/Snowmass at 34% off and Arapahoe Basin for as much as 39% off. Utah’s Snowbird is currently selling at a 45% discount while Idaho’s Tamarack Resort passes are 54% below normal price. Similar discounts are offered for ski destinations in New England, the Pacific Northwest, Canada and beyond.

Liftopia also happens to be the exclusive provider of the Mountain Collective Pass, which is an unbelievable deal for skiers. For just $349, the pass provides two free days at each of the following resorts: Aspen/Snowmass, Alta, Jackson Hole and Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows. It also provides 50% off unlimited lift tickets after that, as well as 25% off accommodations. That is an incredibly affordable way to enjoy some of the best ski resorts in North America, if not the world.

If you’re one of those people who just can’t wait for winter to arrive then you’ll definitely want to check out the deals being offered by Liftopia right now. I know it may seem like winter is still a long way off but it’ll be here before you know it. When it does arrive you’ll be glad you saved some cash in the waning days of summer.

Hampton Inn Touts Clean Bedspreads

by Dave Seminara on

When I checked into a Hampton Inn in Michigan last week and saw post it notes stuck on the headboards of the beds, I assumed that housekeeping had done a shoddy job of cleaning the room. But a closer inspection revealed just the opposite. The notes read: “Duvet covers and sheets are clean for your arrival.”

My wife’s first response was, “Well, they had better be.” But the truth is that very few large hotels wash the duvet covers or bedspreads for each newly arriving guest. Hampton Inn has been doing so for some time now, but based on my experience, it looks like they’re making another push to try to promote it. We also saw signs advertising the clean duvets in the elevators.

I typically take the bedspread off the bed completely, but at this particular hotel, it felt great to leave it on, safe in the knowledge that I wasn’t cuddling up with Lord knows what kind of disgusting stains.