AL: My sister Sheri is an angel. Not just a sweet person but genuinely a being sent from the heavens above. How do I know this?
I know because when she heard about a neighbor with five children and another on the way, dealing with a life threatening illness, her first and only thought was how she could help.
And because she lives in Crestline, a charming hamlet outside of Birmingham, others in her community also rushed to help the Robinson family, with donations of goods and services pouring in from throughout the community and the city at large.
The result is that this Saturday, October 21 at the Mountain Brook Baptist Church from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m., Sheri and her band of merry elves will be conducting a charitable tag sale, with items ranging from a used car to new shoes to antique knick knacks.
But what they will mostly be offering is a dose of human kindness and compassion at its best, often most easily found in a small town. And this is something that most of us can never get enough of.
Info: sewsheri@bellsouth.net or 205.529.3027
UPDATE: On October 28, 2006, David Robinson, 36, passed away. Dave was the former proprietor of Dave's Deli and Backstage Catering in Crestline Village, Alabama.
His community is continuing to offer emotional and financial support to Janet Robinson and Dave and Jan's five children (the sixth is due in February 2007). If you are interested in providing assistance, you may still reach out to Sheri Corey, who is continuing to spearhead this effort.
AL: On a narrow side street across from the community football .jpg)
field in Crestline Village, an unassuming shop occupies a quaint yellow bungalow that fits quietly into its surroundings. But the of-the-moment, reasonably priced treasures to be found at Bags & Baubles are fantastic enough to qualify this store for shout-out-loud, rock star status.
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I have rhapsodized on Back Roads, Charming Towns about the increasing desire of Americans to buy vacation or retirement homes in college towns, small towns, on farms and prairie land.
Now, many of us are looking for another type of place to relax: environs where creatures creep, crawl, soar and coexist with humans. Bird watching, salamander hunts and flora and fauna hikes are all popular pursuits for yet .jpg)
another sector of the relaxation set.
To me, a road trip exploring points unknown is heaven. To my children -- as is true with many kids -- such an outing is often torturous. Even as young adults, they still want to know (even if they don't verbalize it as frequently) "are we there yet?"
I am working hard to rejigger their perspective. As they have gotten older, I believe we have made some progress.
Continue Reading...NJ: We recently had reason to celebrate. Alex was accepted 
to his first-choice university for the fall of 2007 (Roll Tide!), so naturally we wanted to head to one of his favorite spots. In this case, the Minute Man Restaurant on Highway 202 in Bernardsville, NJ filled the bill.
From its caramel-colored, wood-slathered walls to the mile-high pies in the front case, a trip to the Minute Man is like a big, friendly hug.
An article in Monday's Wall Street Journal by Kelly Green states what we at Back Roads, Charming Towns already know is a growing trend.
No, not that brown is the new black, but that small towns 
are the new retirement destinations. While golf courses, mountain terrains and shorelines continue to lure many in their retirement years, small town America is a preferred location for an increasing number of us.
What is it about these communities that makes them so appealing?
Continue Reading...
NJ: An electrical outage along the rails this morning meant that I was detoured on my way into the B.C. It wasn't an unpleasant experience, providing an excuse to take the walk I am usually too rushed to enjoy from the station to the office. The weather today was beautiful and the atmosphere was brisk.
But I am getting ahead of myself. First, before I could get to excuses for taking walks, I had the pleasure of enjoying a train station, reimagined on this particular morning as a charming town center.
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