Hotel occupancy in Atlanta fell 20 percent in December. In Gwinnett, our occupancy has declined 15 percent in the past few months. In Orlando, the number of conventions in 2008 declined 25 percent from 2007. Las Vegas' visitation has shown declines for the past eight months. These are all bellwethers of the U.S. travel and tourism industry, one that accounts for 10 percent of U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

For all children, there's a world of difference in their lives between their first and second birthdays. New steps, new words, new foods. For Katherine Mae Mitchell, the change is even more literal.

Ejna Mitchell and her daughter, AnnaBeth, can't wait to have another girl in the household. For Ejna, it's the realization of a dream that began when she was a young girl herself. "This has been in my mind and in my heart for a very long time."

Completing a shopping trip for the finest in Asian foods and products is now as simple as driving to the greater Suwanee area and strolling through the Galleria at Sugarloaf.