The first time I visited Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina, I was overwhelmed by the history, beauty and the true culture of Southern hospitality. When I frantically pulled off a wrong road in Savannah, a kind woman strolled over, glanced at my rental car, and calmly said, what's the rush, Miss, you are in the South now.

I looked tentatively at the load of shrimp, blue crabs, gar, sea trout and other nameless denizens of the deep as they were dropped into the boat. I volunteered to hold one even more tentatively -- much more tentatively. But then I was making eye contact with a very cute sting ray and I'm pretty sure we had a moment.