St. Joseph Peninsula Beach - Winner of 2009 Best Restored Beach

One of the winners of ASBPA's 2009 Best Restored Beaches is St. Joseph Peninsula Beach. This 7.5 mile beach has also been designated one of the pet friendliest beaches in the nation, and the St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, located on Cape San Blas ranked first in America's Top Beaches 2002.

"The St. Joseph Peninsula Beach Restoration Project is located along the western portion of Gulf County, Fla. Over 250,000 people visit St. Joseph Peninsula each year and provide substantial economic benefits to the local economy. A key component of the project’s success was the support of the local community, who donated time and resources to make this project a reality. The project included beach restoration along 7.5 miles of coastline, including areas with critically eroded beaches. The project’s success is based on excellent sand quality and design, resulting in an enhanced recreational beach, increased storm protection and an extended habitat for marine life."

Top Designer

Di Anna Borders is one of my favorite designers because of her versatility. Previously a lead designer at a Fortune 500 company, she coordinated pattern and colors for wall coverings in most of the swankest hotels and resorts, from Texas to Dubai. In fact the background for this page is one of her own design. She is now a freelance artist and modern photo-savant and her photography and print work can be viewed at selected art festivals.

And her photography! Well, let's just say that it embraces the serenity of postmodern naturalism viewed from the perspective of a curious outsider looking ever outward: light and shadows - beauty, tempered with nuanced incomprehensibility. Through this vision she abstracts nature into a new contextualization of light and image.

Click here to visit DiAnna Borders Designs

Regional Bike Trails in the Deep South

Natchez Trace Parkway (20 miles west of Starkville, MS) is prime cycling for weekend metrics, and loaded touring. Amazingly, the entire length of the Parkway is designated as a bicycle tour route, and although there are no bike lanes, it doesn't really matter - most of the time you have the entire roadway to yourself. When there is traffic it's non-commercial only and 50 MPH. Natchez Trace Parkway

Longleaf Trace (196 miles southeast of Starkville, MS) is a 41 mile paved trail, and the longest rails-to-trails project in the South Central US. It runs from Prentiss to the University of Southern Mississippi campus in Hattiesburg. Longleaf Trace

Chief Ladiga (203 miles east of Starkville, MS) is a 33 mile (22 miles continuous paved) trail that extends from the north side of Anniston, Alabama to the Georgia State Line. There are plans to join it to the Silver Comet Trail in Georgia. The Talladega Mountains form a backdrop for any riding in this area. Chief Ladiga

Silver Comet (282 miles east of Starkville, MS) is a 60 mile (40 miles continuous paved) trail that runs from Smyrna, GA to just northwest of Atlanta. Highlights include crossing the Pumpkinvine Creek Trestle, a 750 foot long, 126 foot high bridge, and passing through the 800 foot Brushy Mountain tunnel. Silver Comet Trail

Tammany Trace (312 miles south of Starkville, MS) is a 31 mile paved trail just north of New Orleans. The highlight of the ride is Abita Springs Brew Pub: handcrafted beer and good southeast Louisiana seafood. Tammany Trace