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The International Cherry Blossom Festival in Macon, GA – rated a top event by the Southeast Tourism Society – is a must-do for festival-goers and flower lovers alike. Combine the efforts of citizens to decorate seemingly every surface with something pink, the festival’s variety of activities & entertainment, a vast ocean of flowering Yoshino cherry trees, and you have a recipe for what may truly be the “pinkest party on Earth.”

The discovery of cherry trees in Macon dates to 1949, when local realtor William A. Fickling, Sr., noticed an unusual tree with beautiful spring blooms in his backyard. In 1952, Mr. Fickling visited Washington, D.C., and spotted one of that city’s famed Yoshino cherry trees. Later, Mr. Fickling returned to Washington with a cutting from his own tree and saw that the two trees were a perfect match. Soon thereafter, Mr. Fickling began sharing cuttings from his tree with friends and neighbors.

In the early 1970s, a newcomer to Macon, Carolyn Crayton, was inspired by the trees’ beauty. She had an idea to transform Macon into an idyllic vision in pink with thousands of Yoshino cherry trees blooming throughout the city. With the help of Mr. Fickling, the first mass planting of trees was organized in the Wesleyan Woods neighborhood. In 1982 the International Cherry Blossom festival was launched to celebrate spring, the trees, and city beautification.

Today the festival is a major event spread over two weekends that draws thousands of visitors and pumps much-needed millions of dollars of revenue into the economy. The trees are beautiful, as are the flowering azaleas, dogwoods, and Bradford pear trees that make springtime so enjoyable. Unless you suffer from allergies.

An interesting fact is that the number of cherry trees in Macon – 300,000 – far exceeds Washington, DC’s, 6,000-7,000 trees planted around the Tidal Basin. During the short-lived cherry blossom season, Macon is literally awash in pink blooms. Sadly, though our home is in the middle of cherry tree central, we only have pink azalea blooms to show off to the neighborhood. Thankfully, there are plenty of photo opps in the neighborhood and close by.

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Situated in downtown Greensboro, NC, is a vibrant store chock full of antiques, unique finds, and who knows what else. The selection is mind-boggling, and you’re encouraged to handle the merchandise or let your kids play the afternoon away. Just don’t expect to walk out with anything because nothing here  is for sale.

Passersby are welcome to sit for a spell at the Elsewhere Collaborative

Known as the Elsewhere Collaborative, this living museum is the collection of inventory remaining in a store operated a husband and wife team of entrepreneurs, George and Sylvia Gray. The collection reflects seven decades’ worth of styles, tastes, and excesses. The Grays were in business from 1937 until Sylvia’s death in 1997 (George died in 1955), when the store closed its doors.

At first glance, Elsewhere may seem like nothing more than dusty piles of junk. But after learning the story of how the collaborative operates, you’ll understand that the entire facility is a display of visual art that envelopes you. It is a collection constantly curated by staff, interns, in-residence artists, and visitors who handle the merchandise and create their own arrangements. Collaboration and shared experience is the norm here; you’ll relive childhood memories and share many “hey, look at this!” moments with your travel companions and fellow visitors.

Elsewhere is open Wednesday-Saturday 1p-10p with special events on Fridays and playshops on Saturdays. Entertaining, informative, and truly an experience like no other, Elsewhere is a window-shopper’s paradise.