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This being Charleston, summer means heat, history, and plenty of opportunities for drinking.

Half a century in, the music festival still offers a taste of local life like no other event.

These tribes electrify the city streets during the spring, continuing a proud tradition that dates back centuries.

After a four-year hiatus, Ronnie Chatah’s popular walking tours are once again helping locals and visitors dive deeper into the Lebanese capital.

In Praise of New York’s Endless Lines

Overview

Musicians Aimee Mann, Joe Henry, and Loudon Wainwright III gather in Louisville to indulge in raw oysters, dry martinis, and unscripted conversation.

Travelers visiting Charleston typically stick to the downtown area, but if you’re interested in Civil War history, head up to “the Neck,” the area between downtown and North Charleston, to Magnolia Cemetery. The marshside cemetery is where the most notable Charleston families are buried. It’s also where the three crews of the H.L. Hunley, a Civil War submarine, are buried, and it offers great views of the Ravenel Bridge. You can visit the cemetery for free.

A visit to a Charleston historic plantation is typically on every traveler’s itinerary, but choosing which one can prove difficult. Magnolia Plantation & Gardens makes its case with Lowcountry wilderness rather than tamed rows and hedges, introducing guests to the area’s true colors (and teeth). Open to the public since 1870, Magnolia claims to be the oldest tourist attraction in Charleston. It still looks much as it did 150 years ago, especially in the Audubon Swamp Garden, where close-up encounters with alligators are nearly a given. Explore the boardwalks, bridges, and hard-packed walking trails year-round, or visit when the azaleas are in bloom and experience striking purples and pinks. It’s easy to fill a full day here, particularly if you indulge in the train and boat tours. Take time to view the Ashley River from the observation tower, and end your day with a meander through the impressive and challenging topiary maze.

The Magnolia brand of ice cream is the most popular in the Philippines, especially back in the 80’s. As kids back then, our favorite place was the original Magnolia Ice Cream House, which actually sits in the main ice cream plant grounds. As kids, we’d often go and order our favorite & most famous Banana Split, Peach Melba, Ernie and Bert, and all sorts of parfaits & sundaes. If you order just 1 scoop of ice cream, you’re not cool! :-) We’d also get a glass of ice cold water, and I mean you can feel the ICE cold even when you’re tongue is already numbed from the ice cream. The secret? - Loads of tiny pebble-sized ice! What made this place extra special though is that we can actually go to the plant at the back to order our ice cream to take home. Through a small window, we’d order our box of 48 chocolate, orange or jackfruit twin popsies, or a big gallon of vanilla, mango or ube (purple yam) ice cream, or even a whole ice cream cake.. As we wait for our orders to come out through a conveyor belt similar to those in airports, we’d try to peek through the small opening that leads into the giant freezer inside and see some men wearing space-suit like jackets :-) It was definitely an unforgettable experience. Today, the old plant is now a mall and out in the middle sits the Magnolia Ice Cream House, a newer one, but the memories & tastes of our own ice cream is still very much alive :-) Try our local flavors, which are also available in supermarkets.

The outdoor shopping center, packed with stores, restaurants and bars, is a great place to spend an afternoon. Hit up local favorites: the affordable Colorz clothing store that carries brands like Twisted Heart, Da’ Nang and J & Company; Flea Bag’s Barkery and Bow-tique, which bakes doggie treats fresh daily and offers chic dog outfits and accessories; and home accessories from Magnolia Lane.

Scenic Savannah is a perfect place to celebrate a wedding, anniversary or take a couples holiday– especially when the smell of magnolia blossoms permeated the town. This happy couple was using a charming horse-drawn carriage to get them from the church to the reception. Historic Carriage Tours of Savannah are a popular activity and look well worth it!

The most famous cherry trees in Washington, D.C. are those lining the city’s gorgeous Tidal Basin, and for good reason. The Tidal Basin makes for a stunning, leisurely walk, with views of the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial, and for two or so weeks every spring, the magnificent cherry blossoms blooming from 3,750 cherry trees. However, the Tidal Basin draws as many as 1.5 million people for its annual National Cherry Blossom Festival. Crowds swell around the Basin to get a view of of the pink and white bursts. But fear not! There are plenty of other cherry blossoms around town that provide all the awe and wonder of the Tidal Basin ones, with fractions of the crowds. My favorite spot to view the blossoms is at Rawlins Park, located at 18th and E Streets NW. Lined with cherry trees on all four sides, Rawlins Park is an urban oasis, complete with an impressive statue of John Rawlins, former Secretary of War under President Ulysses S. Grant, two long reflecting pools, frequented by ducks, a calming fountain, and numerous park benches. Pack a sandwich, coffee, or a book, and pick a park bench. Or go for an unhurried stroll around the park. Drink in the views, and feel your pulse and blood pressure slacken. Find your own cherry blossom bliss. Honorable mention: Lafayette Park, just north of the White House, also has wonderful cherry blossoms, people-watching opportunities, and plentiful park benches.

Wilhelma was initially built as a royal palace, and now sits on a 30-hectare plot of land split between a zoo and botanical garden, in the northern suburbs of Stuttgart, Germany. It was built from 1842 to 1853, for King Wilhelm I of Wuerttemberg, and contains a large number of Moorish elements, which gave it the nickname “Alhambra am Neckar.” The original historic building was destroyed during World War II but the city has done a wonderful job rebuilding. A beautiful aspect of the zoo is the large magnolia grove. It is spectacular in spring and with the centrally located pond, hosting a large variety of water lilies, this alone makes it worth the visit.

For 40 years, the home of former Virginia Governor Westmoreland Davis and his wife Marguerite, Morven Park sits on 1,100 acres centered around a former 1780 fieldstone farmhouse now stately Greek Revival manor home filled with artifacts from his world travels like a Tiffany lamp and a 15th century Persian tapestry. Various events occur on the grounds throughout the year reflecting on Davis’ passions for civic responsibility, sustainable agriculture, and Virginia rural life. Horse lovers will delight in horse shows and rides at the equestrian center as well as the Winmill Carriage Collection showcasing over 50 restored horse-drawn carriages. For those into sport hunting, the Museum of Hounds and Hunting is sure to please. Garden lovers are enchanted by the boxwood gardens, magnolias, and hollies. For Civil War buffs, reenactments and recreations of Confederate camps are a must-see. Kids revel in the hayrides and nature hikes.