| Luxury resorts and a faster ID check tested at Atlanta airport | | | Autumn-like weather arrived early in Atlanta this week, but for those of you holding on to the last days of summer, we’ve got you covered. We're highlighting relaxing escapes, stress-free travel options for any season and can't-miss Georgia peanut stands — dubbed the midstate’s McDonald’s of boiled peanuts. Also, a trusted traveler membership service is launching an expedited security line at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. | | |  | | | No Mickey, only luxury at these 3 Florida resorts | | Like vacationing in Florida but want to avoid the crowds at Disney and Universal? Not a problem. In fact, you can take your vacation up a notch beyond the theme park hotels and character meet-and-greets with a variety of luxury options in Central Florida — like the Mission Inn + Club in Howey-in-the-Hills. A short drive from Orlando, this property features two championship golf courses, plus tennis, pickleball and beach tennis courts, as well as a swimming pool, fitness center and spa. The property’s expansive landscape, with its ancient live oaks and palm trees, also provides a picturesque backdrop for relaxing walks. Mission Inn + Club offers three on-site restaurants, so you can choose one that suits your mood. For example, start your day with the buffet at La Hacienda, enjoy a burger or salad at Grove House overlooking one of the golf courses, and finish at La Margarita with steak or salmon. When you’re ready to retreat to your own private space, the resort features both traditional guest rooms and suites with plenty of room to move around. If you’re traveling with kids or grandkids and want more room, the resort also offers villas complete with two or three bedrooms, living rooms and full kitchens. These are ideal for multigenerational vacations. | | |  | | | Road trip must: Boiled peanuts steamed in Southern tradition | | | Timmi Moore ducks into a sliver of shade to hide from the midmorning sun. But not too much. Passersby along this roasting strip of Middle Georgia roadway need to know she is open for business. Fifteen feet from the open-air shed where she works, a propane burner hisses beneath a 40-gallon, stainless-steel vat of fresh green peanuts on their way to boiling. For Moore, 52, a former Huddle House server, the daily brew is a seasonal ritual. Hundreds, or more likely thousands, of stands pop up across the Deep South, typically sprouting beside pickup trucks or at glorified lean-tos wherever traffic might flow. What is different about Moore’s stand is that it is overseen by a family of peanut farmers, the Hardys of Pulaski County, who in the past 25 years have established a chain of two dozen roadside stands. Of the 6 million or so pounds they boil and sell every year, most are cooked and packaged in their factory and shipped to supermarkets. But nearly a million pounds are produced and sold at their network of stands. They have scaled it up into a thriving regional enterprise, turning the stands into the midstate’s McDonald’s of boiled peanuts. Or, as they market them, “country caviar.” For many, boiled peanuts are an acquired taste. And the Hardy-grown peanuts — glistening and pearl-like, not-too-mushy with just the right crisp — are revered in these parts. The Hardys have 11,000 followers on Facebook. Some customers, to get their fix, drive an hour or more to the nearest stand to get their hands on the peanuts while they’re hot. How the Hardys turned their peanut huts into a regional powerhouse | | |  | | | Local travel group helps seniors see the world | | If you want to travel, but do not want to plan it yourself or maybe don’t have anyone to travel with, consider booking a spot on a motor coach tour with Seniors on the Go Travel. Located in Lawrenceville, Seniors on the Go Travel features day trips, overnight trips, longer tours and some cruises for groups of 30 or more travelers. Now, that’s not to say your group must have 30 people. Instead, for a booked trip to move forward, it must have at least 30 participants. “We are an active group of senior adults who enjoy group travel opportunities,” said Cathy Stokes, owner and tour planner for Seniors on the Go Travel. “By offering a variety of tours, we can find the right type of tour, from a day trip from Lawrenceville to a more extensive, multiday fly-in tour.” The company’s most popular option is day trips, which frequently sell out. These trips include visits to the Atlanta History Center or to see a show at the Strand Theater. “They offer a great day out for those who may not like to be away overnight,” Stokes said. “It’s a great way to be with their travel friends and gives them a chance to socialize.” Overnight trips could be a short, three-day trip to Charleston, South Carolina, or Savannah. Stokes also offers more extensive journeys, such as a 10-day trip to Wisconsin, or a 14-day tour of Europe. Offered in partnership with Collette Travel Services, fly-in trips include both U.S. and European destinations, and offer inclusive pricing with airfare, hotels, a tour director, several meals, and all admission fees and tours. How to sign up and stay up to date on upcoming tours | | | | A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSOR ALPINE HELEN WHITE COUNTY CVB | | | This northeast Georgia town really packs in outdoor family fun | | |  | | | When you come to Alpine Helen, you’ll step into Georgia’s official outdoor adventure destination. It’s the place for unforgettable hands-on experiences. From gem mining and a wildlife safari park to a mountain coaster and Bavarian mini golf, this is one destination that always has something happening in the open air. Plan your outdoor adventure today! | | | | Clear launches new expedited ID check pilot at Atlanta airport | | |  | | Atlanta’s Clear+ members were the first to get a taste of the future of airport security checkpoints, as envisioned by the biometric identification technology firm. Earlier this month at the Lower North checkpoint at Hartsfield-Jackson, Clear+ members were able to scan their boarding pass and be verified via facial recognition before heading straight to physical bag screening. With these so-called “e-gates,” there will be no more need to stop at a Transportation Security Administration agent before going to the metal detectors, Clear says. The two-step process that includes TSA verification will happen within Clear’s own machines. While the company has been testing the e-gate machinery elsewhere, Atlanta was the first airport to see the new streamlined process go live. It promises to be a “safer and more frictionless experience,” Kyle McLaughlin, Clear’s executive vice president of aviation and travel, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in an interview. | | | |
