By Rebecca Boone

My husband and I love the television show The Vampire Diaries. We are drawn to the epic characters, the drama, and of course, the love stories. It was filmed in Covington, Georgia, also known as “The Hollywood of the South,” and we planned to visit for our anniversary.

For pilots, standing next to the space shuttle Atlantis and watching the footage of its reentry and landing leaves a big impression.

Perched on the east bank of the Mississippi River, Memphis, Tennessee, is a crossroads in many senses of the word: a feast of flavor drawing on diverse culinary traditions, with music in a variety of styles sure to stir your soul.

Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Florida, welcomed members and registered attendees to its four-day celebration of classic aircraft, automobiles, and yachts at its one-of-a-kind oceanside resort.

The Sunshine State delivered in spades for pilots attending The Hangout, an AOPA Fly-In at Tampa Executive Airport in Florida. Warm fall weather and bright blue skies welcomed more than 1,200 AOPA members and aviation enthusiasts on November 4 and 5.

If you’re looking for a weekend getaway with world-class museums, the obvious destinations are Washington, D.C.; New York; Los Angeles; and Chicago. However, if you don’t include Cartersville, Georgia, in your flight plan, you’re missing three of the best museums in the country and a gem of a general aviation airport.

AOPA carefully considered the implications of holding an event designed for fly-in fun within weeks of a major hurricane devastating parts of the same state, and opted to proceed with the plan.

Backcountry pilots out West have all the fun. Mountains, challenging strips, and raging rivers make for great flying adventures. But if you break down the essence of what the backcountry is all about, you can find it almost anywhere.

The setting sun illuminated historic brick buildings along "Music Row" as twin sisters Kelly and Sarah Finck cheerfully wrapped up an acoustic set atop Blake Shelton’s Ole Red rooftop lounge in downtown Nashville. A crowd swarmed Jason Aldean’s Kitchen and Rooftop Bar across (and four stories above) the street, and spilled onto the sidewalk while a mild summertime evening hugged the Southern city in the Appalachian foothills.

Glistening blue waters, powdery white sand, and tropical temperatures are a knockout combination for anyone seeking a summer getaway, and Florida’s Siesta Key Beach delivers them all. With one of the top-rated beaches in the United States (according to TripAdvisor) and an abundance of sun, the tropical destination presents pilots a relaxing place to dip their toes in the water.

Gulf Shores, Alabama, is where state Route 59 ends and the fun begins, or at least that's how a local restaurant describes the family-friendly beachfront oasis.