Kathleen Walls
Published 6-15-2026
Say
"Smoky Mountains" and most people
picture Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge. They’re fun, but there’s a
quieter, more natural side of the Smokies waiting just beyond
the crowds. A road trip through
Cookeville, Maryville, and
Townsend lets you slow down, breathe a little deeper, and
reconnect with the mountains.
Tom Straka
Published
6-1-2026
History
buffs will love an interstate stop that chronicles
Virginia's (and America's) cultural history. It's located
about a mile from the intersection of Interstates 64 and 81
in Staunton, Virginia. The Frontier Culture Museum touts
itself as the biggest open-air living history museum in the
Shenandoah Valley, as well as one of the highest rated
family-friendly attractions and one of the top tourist
destinations in Virginia.
Kathleen Walls
Published
5-14-2026
Feed
your soul as well as your body in Howey-in-the-Hills, a hidden
gem in Lake County, Florida. It's a tiny town that is a slice
of real old Florida. I once lived in Lake County and never
knew Howey-in-the-Hills existed until this visit. The town was
begun in the early 1900s by William Howey, a major figure in
starting central Florida's citrus industry. His citrus empire
thrived until the Great Depression because he introduced
innovations that improved the citrus industry, like Florida's
first citrus juice plant, which he built in 1921. His mansion
offers detailed tours.
Kathleen Walls
Published 2-26-2026
I visited a small country where I didn't
need a passport. The Conch Republic, also known as Key West,
began in March 1982 over a dispute with the United States
government when Border Control set up a roadblock in Florida
City, the last stop before you enter the Keys. Supposedly, it
was to catch drug smugglers and illegal aliens, but it was
crippling the economy of the Keys.
Kathleen Walls
Published 2-23-2026
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Florida's
state parks are the perfect base for a spring road trip.
Florida has 52 Parks with RV camping. They earn high-rankings
from camping experts. Popularity has downsides. It's hard to
book a site. Florida isn't the cheapest, but there're some
discounts. Rates vary from $16 to $42. All Florida State Parks
have a nonrefundable $6.70 reservation fee and a $7 nightly
utility fee for RVs.
Whether you own an RV or want to get started RVing, GoRVing
offers rental and other facts for RVing.
Story and photos
by Kathleen Walls
Published 1-11-2026
St.
Augustine no longer shuts down when the sun goes down. There
are seasonal events and all year long ones you can enjoy in
the Ancient City. St. Augustine at night is a magical sight.
Here are a few of the nightly events I have enjoyed.
Story and photos
by Kathleen Walls
Published 12-28-2025
Missouri is a fascinating state. It's
filled with history, nature, and incredible sights and then
there's the food and wine that's uniquely Missouri. That's why I
joined three friends on a road trip across the state.
Story and photos
by Kathleen Walls
Published 12-13-2025
Gettysburg is possibly the most
important Civil War battle because it was a major turning point
in the war. It ended Confederate General Robert E. Lee's hope of
an invasion of the North, with his troops suffering casualties.
It, along with the Union victory at Vicksburg the same month,
boosted Union morale, and was a significant factor in President
Lincoln winning his second term. Gettysburg is where any history
lover needs to visit.
Story and photos
by Kathleen
Walls
Published 12-10-2025
For my friends who have never visited
Jekyll Island, the
holiday season is the perfect time to visit. The Island's
Historic District, that was once a millionaires' playground,
is decorated as it might have been in the Gilded Era. The
former clubhouse and
"cottages,"built by the millionaires who bought this island in
1886 for a winter hunting club, sparkle with lights and holiday cheer.
See older stories here
Public
Disclosure Please Read FTC has a law
requiring web sites to let their readers know if any of the
stories are 'sponsored' or compensated. We also are to
let readers know if any of our links are ads. Most are not.
They are just a way to direct you to more information
about the article where the link is placed. We have several ads
on our pages. They are clearly marked as ads. I think
readers are smart enough to know an ad when they see one but to
obey the letter of the law, I am putting this statement here to
make sure everyone understands. American Roads and Global
Highways may contain affiliate links or ads. Further, as their
bios show, most of the feature writers are professional travel
writers. As such we are frequently invited on press trips, also
called fam trips. On these trips most of our lodging, dining,
admissions fees and often plane fare are covered by the city or
firm hosting the trip. It is an opportunity to visit places we
might not otherwise be able to visit. However, no one tells us
what to write about those places. All opinions are 100% those
of the author of that feature column.
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Email us
You can order autographed copies of
my books at
KatysWorld.
My newest is
American Music: Born
in the USA.
Available at Amazon.
The
Tenant from Hell
Book 1 in
the Realtor Mystery Series
Casey Clark,
property manager, is
just trying to evict
a bad tenant.
Instead she is over
her head in murder
and mayhem.
Available at Amazon
 |
Double
Duplicity
Book 2 in the Realtor Mystery
Series
Trouble follows
Casey like a raging
fire.
Available at Amazon
|
Missing--
Gone but not Forgotten
Based on the unsolved abduction
of a little girl in a
rural Florida Community.
Available at Amazon
Under
a Bloody Flag
Kansas and Missouri were a "no man's land" in the days before the War between the States.
Available at Amazon
|
Under a Black Flag
Kansas and Missouri heated to the boiling point during the War between the States.
Available at Amazon
|
For
Want of a Ship
John Roy came to New Orleans
looking for peace
instead he found war
Available at Amazon
.
Last Step
Last Step will keep
you on the edge of
your seat and leave
you gasping in
surprise at the
ending.
Available at Amazon
|
Kudzu
Kudzu shows you
a different part of the South, past and present. Mystery with a touch of romance and a smidgen of paranormal.
Available at Amazon
|
Wild about Florida:
South FL
The Everglades swarm
with wildlife from
birds, to mammals,
to reptiles.
Available at Amazon
|
Wild about Florida:
Central FL
Central Florida has
the ocean and gulf
beaches much like
other parts of
Florida but in many
other ways it is
distinct and unique.
Available at Amazon
Wild About Florida:
North FL
Come explore caves,
hills, whitewater
falls and lots of
other fun things you
didn't expect to
find in Florida.
Available at Amazon
|
Georgia's
Ghostly Getaways
Who is not fascinated by
mysterious things
that go bump in the
night? Are
there some places
where departed souls
still linger?
Available at
Amazon
Hosts With
Ghosts
The
South has long been
famous for its
Southern
Hospitality. Hotels
throughout Dixie vie
with one another to
offer their guests
more service and
more amenities.
Many have guests
that never depart.
Available at
Amazon
|
Finding
Florida's Phantoms
Florida! The land of
sunshine and
wide-open beaches.
But even the
Sunshine State has
its dark secrets.
Places where
centuries old
spirits remain tied
to earth. Beneath
the facade of fun
and make believe
lurks the real
Florida.
Available at Amazon
|
Color Saint
Augustine
This is a way to
virtually visit
Saint Augustine.
It's a coloring book
for grown ups (but
kids will love it
too.)
with an actual photo
of the attractions
in Saint Augustine.
The opposite page is
the same photo
converted into a
black and white line
image for you to to
color. It's 64 pages
with 30 photos and
30 pages for you to
color. On each photo
and each color page
there is a little
about the story of
the image . |
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