Life is rich make that indulgent in the Southern states. Food, music, culture, history: all of it is robust, spiced to the hilt and alive.
The 28 road trips in this book will introduce you to that way-out crab shack, the sweltering juke joint and the lonely trail. Well show you upscale kitchens and that romantic jazz club of your dreams, and well tell you the best (not necessarily the quickest) way to get there.
From the mighty Mississippi River to the Florida Keys, from a Blues Highway to the Nashville honky-tonks, from the Smoky Mountains and the Appalachian Trail to the vibrant, thrumming cities of Atlanta and Miami, youll find your rhythm. And if youve only got time for one trip, make it one of our nine Classic Trips, which take you to the very best of Florida & the South. Turn the page for more.
FLORIDA & THE SOUTH HIGHLIGHTS
Florida & the Souths best sights and experiences, and the road trips that will take you there.
Great Smoky Mountains
For one-of-a-kind thrills with cinematic backdrops, grab the wheel tight for Trip 7: The Great Smokies. Here, the Appalachian Trail climbs to mysterious, fog-wrapped peaks. Class III rapids crash through a narrow gorge. Black bears prowl like they own the place. And the tail of a dragon lures a few brave souls on a drive theyll never forget.
Trips
Great Smoky Mountains Fall landscape
DSZC / GETTY IMAGES
French Quarter
Wrought-iron balconies, ivy creeping over brick, Creole cottages and Caribbean architecture: the French Quarter of New Orleans reveals itself on Trip 17: Southern Gothic Literary Tour. Wander through lanes named for French royalty, seeking antique shops, art galleries, historic buildings, literary landmarks and quite possibly the oldest bar in the country.
Trips
New Orleans French Quarter architecture
KYLIE MCLAUGHLIN / GETTY IMAGES
Walt Disney World Resort
Maybe youll immediately don some mouse ears and give yourself over entirely. Or, it could take a minute. Either way, its hard not to fall under Disneys spell, especially if youre traveling with children on Trip 4: Doing Disney & More. The Magic Kingdom is the heart of this sprawling resort that includes four theme parks and a host of activities imagineered for optimal glee.
Trip
Antebellum Architecture
Most of the Souths elaborate mansions were torched during the war, which is why the Georgian- and Federalist-style homes of Charleston on Trip 10: Lowcountry & Southern Coast, the Gothic Revival buildings of Savannah on Trip 11: Savannah to the Golden Isles and the spared mansions of Natchez and the River Road on Trip 28: Big Muddy are so compelling.
Trips
Mississippi River
The USAs most important river historically and economically bends through the South, uniting and defining it, blending cultures, sharing stories and mixing music. On Trip 28: Big Muddy youll get an up-close view of this tempestuous beast. From Memphis to Natchez to New Orleans, youll witness its natural beauty, grasp its immense power and consider its fragility.
Trips
Mississippi River American Queen steam boat
JOSEPH SOHM /SHUTTERSTOCK
BEST ROADS FOR DRIVING
Highway 1 Roll down Floridas east coast. Trip
Tail of the Dragon Swerve breathtaking hairpin turns. Trip
Overseas Highway Island-hop in your car. Trip
Natchez Trace Parkway Where history and natural beauty collide. Trip
Arkansas State Highway 23 A simply stunning mountain drive. Trip
Beaches
Nicknamed the Sunshine State, Florida could just as easily be called the Shoreline State. Thanks to its unique geography, youre never more than 60 miles from the beach. And those sandy stretches of coastline on Trip 1: Highway 1 are as varied as they are plentiful, offering white-sand beaches bordered by emerald water, party towns where its always spring break, peaceful barrier islands and cosmopolitan city beaches.
Trips
Sanibel Island Search for seashells on the white-sand beach
JUSTIN FOULKES / LONELY PLANET
BEST OUTDOORS
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Bald summits, lonely trails and waterfalls.