South Travel Guide
The southern region of the United States, often plainly called ‘the South’, or ‘Dixie’, is a huge area officially comprising 16 different states. Thanks to the region’s exceptional historic and cultural legacy that includes Native Americans, early colonial settlements, importation of innumerable enslaved Africans, dependence on slave labor and inheritance of the Confederacy after the Civil War, the South cultivated its own customs, musical styles, literature and diverse cuisines.
Often referred to as the ‘Big Easy’, New Orleans is the jewel of Louisiana and is one of the country’s most popular destinations due to its laidback and genial atmosphere, appealing architecture, Dixieland jazz music and Creole cuisine, not to mention its magnificent annual Mardi Gras celebration. As they tend to say in New Orleans, ‘Let the good times roll!’
Florida, also named the ‘Sunshine State’, is one of the world’s best-loved destinations, with tourists heading here in search of sun, fun and thrills. The face of Florida most people are familiar with is Orlando, with its huge number of theme and water parks, movie studios and entertainment facilities.
Texas presents great cultural variety with a strong Mexican influence as well as Austin’s pulsating music scene. Nashville in Tennessee is the world’s country music hub, while blues lovers should make a beeline for Memphis.
Those seeking peace and quiet might head for sleepy Alabama or visit Hope, Bill Clinton’s birthplace in Arkansas. In Kentucky, you can pay homage to Colonel Sanders, the fried chicken king, or sample some bourbon whisky since the state is the source of this amber liquid, producing 95 percent of the world’s requirements. Best known for its river, the beautiful ‘Magnolia State’ of Mississippi features quaint little towns, bustling cities, white sand beaches and a real feeling of the Deep South.
The southern lifestyle, particularly in the Deep South, is recurrently joked about. There is a cliché about southerners being resistant to change and more relaxed, even in stressful situations. Of course, that is not always the case but cannot be dismissed in more rural areas. Southerners are furthermore described as well-mannered and polite and especially welcoming to visitors; this attribute has been labeled ‘southern hospitality’.
Destinations
- Alabama
- Auburn, Bessemer, Birmingham, Decatur, Dothan, Hoover, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery, Selma, Tuscaloosa, West Point
- Arkansas
- Bentonville, El Dorado, Eureka Springs, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Harrison, Helena, Hot Springs, Jonesboro, Little Rock, Mountain View, Pine Bluff, Searcy, Texarkana
- Georgia
- Atlanta, Blue Ridge, Chatsworth, Dahlonega, Macon, Roswell, Savannah
- Kentucky
- Berea, Bowling Green, Lexington, Louisville
- Louisiana
- Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Natchitoches, New Orleans
- Mississippi
- Biloxi, Clarksdale, Delta towns, Holly Springs, Jackson, Natchez, Oxford, Tupelo, Vicksburg
- North Carolina
- Asheville, Beaufort, Boone, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Durham, Edenton, Greensboro, Raleigh, Wilmington
- South Carolina
- Charleston, Greenville, Myrtle Beach
- Tennessee
- Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis, Nashville
- Virginia
- Alexandria, Appommattox, Charlottesville, Chincoteague, Fredericksburg, Lexington, Norfolk, Richmond, Virginia Beach, Williamsburg
- West Virginia
- Charleston, Elkins, Harpers Ferry, Lewisburg