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Happenin§|| t |AN. S-l I M ALABAMA Stuff of Dreams —Birmingham, through Jan. 5. More than 100 works of French art—including furniture, jewelry, sculpture, and glass—introduce audiences to objects of daily life created between die Middle Ages and the present. Birmingham Museum of Art. (205) 254-2565. ARKANSAS Eagle Awareness 2003 —Lakeview, Jan. 10-11. View eagles, hawks, and owls in the wild within easy viewing distance. Bull Shoals State Park. (870) 431-5521. FLORIDA Neil Simon's Brighton Beach Memoirs —Sarasota, through Feb. 22. A touching and funny portrayal of a Jewish household living in their overcrowded Brooklyn home during pre-Worid War II America. FSU Center for the Performing Arts. (941) 351-8000. Fli d ALABAMA —The University of Moncevallo in Montevallo (pop. 4,825) opened Oct. 12,1896, as the Alabama Girls’ Industrial School—the first state-supported tech nical school devoted to training girls how to make a living. ARKANSAS —EIias N. Conway was the only man to serve two four-year terms as governor—from 1852 to IB6o—under Arkansas’ first constitution. FLORlDA —Lakeland was aptly named for the 19 lakes found within its city limits. GEORGIA —BuiIt in 1721 to defend Great Britain’s southern colonies from the French and Spanish, Fort King George—the state’s oldest fort—sparked the devel opment of Georgia as the 13th colony. The fort, in Mclntosh County, is now open for tours. KENTUCKY —The one-mile-long Simon Kenton Memorial Bridge in Maysville (pop. 8,993), built in 1931, was a model for the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge, which opened May 28,1937. LOUISIANA —Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo, established in 1928, is the oldest fishing tournament in the country. The event is held each July in Grand Isle (pop. 1,541), often referred to as a sportsman’s paradise due to its mild climate, clear weather, and—of course—excellent fishing. j*. ' y 'fdk ' ffty.W -S ' „ GEORGIA Vintage Toy Exhibit— Douglas, through Jan. 31. Marvel at antique toys and games of every description, all at least 50 years old. Heritage Station Museum. (912)389-3461. KENTUCKY A Show of Hands —Louisville, through Jan. 15- This interactive exhibit showcases the importance of the human hand. Displays let you slam dunk an over sized basketball or try gripping objects without the use of your thumb. Louisville Science Center (502) 561-6100. LOUISIANA American Watercolor Exhibition— Baton Rouge, through Jan. 5. High lights artists who excel in the watercolor medium, with a variety of styles, tech niques, and subject matter. Louisiana Art and Science Museum. (225) 344-5272. Did Yon Know... 1 -* l - 1 -»■ '' - % m i‘* " " '») pSpprif MISSISSIPPI Gofiseum. (228) 594-3700. NORTH CAROLINA George M —Morganton, Jan. 7. This Americans. City of Moigancon Municipal Auditorium. (800) 939-7469. SOUTH CAROLINA Collecting for the New Millennium— Columbia, through Feb. 23. An overview of art created since the late 19505, with 100 works in clay, glass, fiber, wood, and metal. Columbia Museum of Art. (803) 799-2810. MISSISSIPPI —RosedaIe (pop. 2,414) is home to Great River Road State Park, named after the Great River Road, which follows the Mississippi River on both sides for 3,000 miles—from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. NORTH CAROLINA —U.S. Highway 64, opened in 1932, stretches 613 miles across the width of North Carolina. Travelers and residents say it exemplifies the essence of the state as it stretches from the sandy coast to the wooded mountains. SOUTH CAROLINA —South Carolina’s oldest continuously held festival—in this case honoring watermelons—takes place each summer in Hampton County, which ranks among the state’s top watermelon producers. The county’s first Watermelon Festival was held in July 1939- TENNESSEE —Humphreys County was created in 1809 and named in honor of Parry Wayne Humphreys, a judge of the Superior Court of Tennessee and U.S. representative from Tennessee. VIRGINIA —Bom in Monterey (pop. 158) in 1896, Marjorie Stewart Joyner invented a permanent hair wave machine while working as a cosmetologist. In 1926, she became the first African-American woman to receive a patent for an invention. WEST VIRGINIA —On Feb. 14, 1824, in Harpers Ferry (pop. 307), John S. Gallaher published the Ladies Garland , one of the nation’s first papers targeted to women. The best furniture finds are off the beaten path. TENNESSEE Elvis Birthday Celebration— Memphis, Jan. 4-8. Features a special Mansion. (HOOmSoOO. VIRGINIA Views of the American Frontier— Williamsburg, through Jan. 12. These 60 paintings depict the West as seen by artists who personally explored what they documented. Muscarelle Museum of Art at The College of William & Mary. (757) 221-2700. WEST VIRGINIA Shade Tree Pickin’ and Grinnin’— Salem, Jan. 9. Meet each Thursday evening to hear some down-home pickin’ played by the best musicians from across the state. Salem Depot Park. (304) 782-1318. $