Southern Region
From the charms of small-town street fair to the churning excitement of urban nightlife, the South offers nearly every kind of holiday experience imaginable.
Variety is the essence of the Southern travel experience. From the Carolinas to Louisiana, you will discover a region of great contrasts: sun-drenched beaches and rugged mountain trails; meandering rivers and cascading waterfalls; Old South plantations and New South urban centers; spectacular theme parks and amazing natural vistas; extraordinary cultural attractions and exciting sporting venues; down-home cooking and sophisticated dining.
You will find gritty outdoor adventures as well as luxurious resort experiences in each Southern state. And you’ll discover that each state has a distinct flair for “Southern Hospitality” — a storied tradition carried on by congenial people who coax you to slow down and enjoy the journey.
Florida is an ideal starting point for a Southern journey. This two-coast state, with its peninsula bounded by both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, doubles the pleasure for beach lovers and anglers alike. Plunge into the action in Miami, a southern city with an international flavor. Here, visitors find seemingly boundless choices: fun in, on and under the water; arts; spectator sports; dining; dancing. Those looking for escape find easy access to places on the beach or by the pool to toss a towel and absorb the sunshine beside palm trees and turquoise seas. South Beach, at the tip of Miami Beach, is the American Riviera. It’s famous for its beaches, restaurants, shops, celebrity spotting, sizzling nightlife and Art Deco resort architecture.
Miami is the jumping-off point to Everglades National Park, the only ecosystem of its kind in the world. To the south, glass-bottom boats provide a glimpse into the undersea world of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. At Key West, a favorite destination for Ernest Hemingway and, later, Jimmy Buffet, street performers and musicians lead nightly sunset revelry.
Continue traveling north to Florida’s Space Coast. Explore NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to touch an authentic moon rock and tour a replica of the space shuttle. You’ll get a birds-eye view of rocket launch pads and an insider’s view of International Space Station technology. Nearby, the Indian River Lagoon offers awesome fishing and the Canaveral National Seashore provides spectacular, unspoiled beaches. Watch manatees, Florida’s state marine mammal, swim in nature preserves. Or see the Manatees minor league baseball team play at Space Coast Stadium.
In nearby St. Cloud, a former cattle ranch is now an eco-attraction with cowboy traditions, while Tampa’s Busch Gardens combines exotic wildlife with exciting amusement park rides. If you are on a quest to find the perfect beach, consider the sugar-white banks on the Gulf, including Panama City, Destin and Seaside, the state’s newest city. Atlantic-side contenders include Daytona Beach, Amelia Island and St. Augustine— the country’s oldest city, founded by sixteenth-century Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon.
St. Petersburg and Clearwater occupy a peninsula with a peaceful bay to the east and boating, white-sand beaches and barrier islands to the west, along the Gulf of Mexico. The pier in downtown St. Petersburg has been a magnet for locals and visitors since it opened in 1899. More than fifty golf courses surround the area and are open year-round. March is baseball spring training time: a half-dozen professional teams play within ninety miles.
For most of the twentieth century, Central Florida was the vitamin C capital of the world. Its lemons, limes, oranges, tangerines and grapefruits were shipped around the planet. Then the world started coming to Central Florida, but not for the fruit. With more than a thousand lakes and warm, steady temperatures, the area evolved into a year-round playground full of golf courses, and, of course, home to some of the world’s most recognized amusement parks. Today, robust shopping, dining and nightlife enhance Orlando- Kissimmee’s appeal as a vacation destination. The area is just an hour’s drive from the Atlantic Ocean and only ninety minutes from the Gulf of Mexico.
Links to those early Spanish expeditions turn up as you head north and arrive in Georgia. Spain claimed the coastal “Golden Isles” — today’s Brunswick, St. Simons Island, Sea Island, Little St. Simons Island and Jekyll Island. Enjoy golf, tennis, fishing, boating, casino-cruise ships and miles of beaches. Brunswick boasts year-round cultural festivals along with Georgia’s second-largest concentration of historic structures.
For pure Old South history and charm, don’t miss Savannah, Georgia’s first city. Home to the largest National Landmark Historic District in the country, its twenty-two lovely public squares were part of the original city plan dating back to 1733.
Put Atlanta on your itinerary for dynamic New South style. The state capital’s attractions include symphony, opera, ballet and four-star restaurants, as well as multiple spectator sports: professional baseball, football (American) and basketball. Here, too, is the Georgia Aquarium, the World of Coca-Cola museum, Zoo Atlanta and the CNN Center, which offers tours of its broadcast studios. At the High Museum of Art, see “Louvre Atlanta,” featuring works from Musée du Louvre. Just outside of Atlanta, visit Six Flags Over Georgia to ride the
Great American Scream Machine roller coaster.
For a change of pace, head to northwest Georgia’s High Country. Drive or walk along trails to explore the area’s Native American roots and historic attractions, from Civil War sites to national forests. The Chattahoochee National Forest contains pristine wilderness areas and the start of the Appalachian Trail, which extends 2,175 miles to Maine.
Your sea-to-mountain adventures continue through South Carolina. Start with a Low Country experience at Hilton Head for beachcombing and golfing perfection. To the north is Charleston, where history provides the backdrop for elegant plantations, gardens, galleries and dining. Enjoy the South Carolina Aquarium, eco-tours and Gullah culture, the resilient heritage of African Americans who have lived here since the early eighteenth century.
Further north, Myrtle Beach is a mecca for golfing, fishing, sailing and beach-going. The bright lights of Broadway at the Beach satisfy dining, shopping and entertainment needs. Then, turn to Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet to refresh your spirit. This former rice plantation is now an outdoor sculpture museum which showcases some of the most beautiful gardens in the South.
Head upcountry to Long Creek in Sumter National Forest for the thrill of white-water rapids along a thirty-one mile stretch of the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River. Considered the foothills of the Appalachians, elevations here climb to 3,500 feet and offer breathtaking views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
North Carolina has four seasons of enjoyment from the Appalachian Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean. Board a ferry at the Outer Banks for a maritime perspective on these barrier islands’ lighthouses, quaint villages and legends of swashbuckling pirates. In Currituck County, where wild horses roam free, climb to the top of Currituck Beach Lighthouse to view pristine beaches.
Next, head inland to Raleigh, the state capital, for shopping, dining, museums and performances by the North Carolina Symphony. If the season is right, catch a Durham Bulls minor league baseball game. In Charlotte, professional sports arenas are in the heart of the downtown hotel and restaurant district.
Further west is the Yadkin Valley, where many of the region’s twenty-plus vineyards and wineries are open for tours and tastings.
You may fall in love with Asheville, a cosmopolitan city in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Follow the 1.7-mile Asheville Urban Trail to appreciate the city’s unique history and architecture. Local bistros serve a variety of cuisines, and galleries exhibit local artists’ works.
The majestic Blue Ridge Mountains embody the beauty, history, cultural heritage and adventurous spirit of America’s first frontier. This is the birthplace of country music and bluegrass, the Cherokee Indian homeland and a hub for finely handcrafted and homegrown artisan products. Visit the East’s tallest mountain and deepest gorge, drive or hike the nation’s two most visited national parks — the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Great Smoky Mountains — or travel the Crooked Road Heritage Music Trail, where world-class music is a part of everyday life.
Continue your journey into the Appalachian region with stops at Grandfather Mountain, the 6,684-foot Mount Mitchell, Boone, Blowing Rock and numerous nearby parks, caverns, rushing rapids and cascading waterfalls.
You will be enchanted by the scenery along the Blue Ridge Parkway as it winds through Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which straddles North Carolina and Tennessee. Lookout Mountain in Tennessee provides a panoramic view of seven states. The city of Chattanooga features the Tennessee Aquarium. Mid-state, Nashville hosts the Grand Ole Opry and myriad Music City venues. Stop at the Loveless Café for a taste of 1950s life on the road. Then, head to Memphis and Elvis Presley’s Graceland. En route, equestrians can engage in horseplay along the Tennessee Walking Horse Trail.
Adjacent Kentucky claims the title of “Horse Capital of the World.” Visit the picturesque Bluegrass Region that nourished famous thoroughbred champions, including Man O’War. Experience the excitement of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Enjoy the outdoors at Daniel Boone National Forest; its sandstone cliffs are known as “The Grand Canyon of the South.” At Mammoth Cave National Park, tour the world’s longest cave system. Two large man-made lakes make the Western Waterlands in the state’s southwest corner a water sports wonderland.
Arkansas also invites you to enjoy its clearwater lakes and rivers. At Eureka Springs in the Ozark Mountains and Hot Springs in the Ouachita Mountains, dip into healing and relaxing spa baths. Little Rock, located on the Arkansas River, is the state capital. The William J. Clinton Presidential Center here includes a replica of the White House Oval Office. In and around town, enjoy lively entertainment, parks and golf courses. And experience the Old South agricultural way of life that thrives in the Delta region.
Both the Old South and New South are alive and well in Alabama. Visit the newly restored 1852 Battle House in Mobile, an opulent hotel that once hosted debutantes and captains of industry. Or, step into the future at the
U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, where you’ll see a full-size replica of the Saturn V rocket that took men to the moon and back. If surf, sand and recreational fishing appeal to you, head to the alluring white sand beaches on the state’s Gulf Coast.
Near Selma, visit the Lowndes County Interpretive Center that commemorates the 1960-era Civil Rights Movement marches. Montgomery, Alabama’s capital city, and Birmingham, its largest city, both feature many markers and memorials to heroes of the Civil Rights era.
Stretching the length of Alabama, from Florence in the north to Mobile in the south, the renowned Robert Jones Trent Golf Trail provides golfers 378 well-manicured fairways on twenty-one courses.
It was a Southern rock band from Florida (Lynyrd Skynyrd) that made Sweet Home Alabama an American anthem, but Alabama has a musical heritage all its own. Memorabilia from the careers of native sons and daughters including Tammy Wynette, Lionel Richie, Emmylou Harris, Nat King Cole, Hank Williams and more are showcased at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in Tuscumbia, located in the state’s northwest corner.
The Mississippi Gulf Coast is rolling out the welcome mat at rebuilt resorts and casinos devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Visit the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale and follow the newly-dedicated Mississippi Blues Trail to celebrate the history and heritage of this unique American music. Find outdoor adventure at nine exciting waterparks in the Central Region.
In the Pines Region, play golf at luxury resorts or camp at national parks. Visit Oxford to see Rowan Oak, the home of William Faulkner; Columbus, the birthplace of Tennessee Williams; and Jackson, where Eudora Welty was born, lived and died. The Governor’s Mansion in Jackson, a National Historic Landmark, is a “mustsee” attraction. Stop at nearby Flora to see the 36-million-year-old Petrified Forest — the only one in the Eastern U.S. In Natchez, walk along scenic streets and tour historic churches and elegant antebellum homes. Step on board a Mississippi riverboat to explore “Ole Man River” in evocative style.
The Mississippi River supplies the crosscurrents of Louisiana’s history and culture. The French and Spanish imprint is apparent in New Orleans’ famed French Quarter and St. Louis Cathedral on Jackson Square. Along Bourbon Street and Frenchmen Street, step into the party spirit on streets overflowing with music, restaurants, clubs and history. Ride a trolley along St. Charles Avenue to see the city’s most beautiful homes. Though known for its raucous celebrations, the “Big Easy” also boasts plenty of family entertainment. Stroll along Riverwalk to the Aquarium of the Americas, or visit the Audubon Zoo. You can choose from dozens of restaurants featuring an array of palate-pleasing international, Creole and Cajun cuisines.
Spend time in Lafayette, the heart of Cajun Country, and you may develop an ear for zydeco music and a taste for spicy “mudbugs.” Crawfish, that is. Tour the town’s many historic sites, museums and plantation homes. Visit nearby Avery Island, a 250-acre nature preserve, where thousands of snowy egrets nest.
At Baton Rouge, the state capital, be prepared for a melting pot of cultures, including Cajun, Creole and Old South. Here, you’ll find golf, tennis and collegiate sporting events. At the Baton Rouge Zoo, ride a train to observe the 1,800 animals inhabiting the 147-acre complex. Or walk through the Louisiana State University Arboretum to enjoy the sights and sounds of nature and an extensive collection of Louisiana trees and shrubs.
In the nearby Caribbean Sea, Puerto Rico has near perfect temperatures year-round, ideal for fishing, water sports, tennis and golf. Bask on beaches of white dunes, golden or black volcanic sands. Rugged central mountains and tropical dry forests are home to plentiful birds and wildlife.
To the east of Puerto Rico lie the U.S. Virgin Islands. Enjoy world-class yachting, sports fishing and golfing. Indulge in luxury goods on St. Thomas — the beautiful harbor at Charlotte Amalie is a major duty-free port. From this mountainous island there are stunning views over Magens Bay and the Caribbean. On St. Croix, explore sugar mills, plantation houses, a rum factory and historic port towns. Virgin Islands National Park covers much of tranquil St. John, with its hiking trails, hidden coves and gleaming white sands.
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