Hint: You won’t find it in Louisiana.   “We really cherish all our Mardi Gras traditions here.  We’re very proud of them.” It was that sentence uttered by the woman at the museum’s front desk that got my attention.  I had certainly never thought of anything about Mardi Gras as a cherished tradition.  This gave me an inkling that I was about to get a serious education for my $8.00 admission.  To find the truth about Mardi Gras and its traditions, travelers need to visit the Mobile Carnival Museum in downtown Mobile, Alabama. Street view of the Mobile Carnival Museum. Photographed by Scot Terry. (Public Domain) My guide went on to say, “New Orleans has the larger Mardi Gras.  Theirs is five times the size of ours, but ours is family friendly.  You’d get arrested in Mobile if you tried half the stuff that they get away with on [...]

It is no secret to anyone that tourism is a major industry and draw for Charleston, South Carolina. However, on my most recent visit, I became a fan of their county parks because of one particular experience. I visited MacLeod Plantation Historic Site.  

May is Jewish American Heritage Month and that means it is a great time to learn while exploring. I describe my own background as “Jewish lite” because while both my parents are Jewish and all my ancestors hail from Eastern Europe, growing up my household was more spiritual than religious.