Caroline Eubanks - This Is My South: The Essential Travel Guide to the Southern States

CAROLINE EUBANKS is a freelance writer from Atlanta, Georgia. She grew up road tripping to the beaches of Alabama and Florida, visiting the mountains of North Carolina, and attending school in South Carolina. After four years living in Charleston and another year abroad, she returned to her hometown for good to focus her work on the Southern region. She seeks to show alternative perspectives of an area frequently reduced to stereotypes and news clips and share her love for Delta tamales, soul music, and country roads.

Shes written about her love of the South for Afar, BBC Travel, Roads and Kingdoms, Thrillist, and National Geographic Traveler. Her blogs, This is My South and Caroline in the City, focus on travel and stories from the Southern United States. She was named one of Southern Livings Blogs to Follow in 2015.

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Copyright 2018 by Caroline Eubanks

Most photos by Caroline Eubanks with the exception of the following: Front cover (clockwise): Mila Parh/Shutterstock.com (Azaleas at Magnolia Plantation and Garden, SC); Anthony Heflin/Shutterstock.com (Blue Ridge Parkway, NC); Ron Manville Photography (Nashville, TN); Eric Urquhart/Shutterstock.com (Mt. Magazine State Park, AR); Cvandyke/Shutterstock.com (Bodie Island Lighthouse, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, NC); Alexey Stiop/Shutterstock.com (Kentucky horses); Sean Pavone/Shutterstock.com (Forsyth Park, Savannah, GA); Fotoluminate LLC/Shutterstock.com (New Orleans architecture); Jason Patrick Ross/Shutterstock.com (Alabama forest); f11photo/Shutterstock.com (paddlewheel boat on the Mississippi River); Nagel Photography/Shutterstock.com (southern live oak). Back cover:Sean Pavone/Shutterstock.com (historic architecture, Charleston, SC). Interior: p. iii Ekaterina Iatcenko/Shutterstock.com; p. viii Serge Skiba/Shutterstock.com; p. 23 f11photo/Shutterstock.com; p. 26 Jason Patrick Ross/Shutterstock.com; pp. 43, 45 Art Meripol/Alabama Tourism Department; p. 58 Eric Urquhart/Shutterstock.com; p. 73 amadeustx/Shutterstock.com; pp. 73 (bottom), 76 (top), 83, 84, 86, 87, 88 Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism; p. 78 Nagel Photography/Shutterstock.com; p. 90 Sean Pavone/Shutterstock.com; p. 96 Elizabeth Levy; p. 122 Alexey Stiop/Shutterstock.com; pp. 126, 127, 129, 131, 135 (middle right and top left), 136 (left), 137, 138, 145, 146, 149 www.kentuckytourism.com; p. 150 Bram Reusen/Shutterstock.com (Mammoth Cave National Park); p. 152 Fotoluminate LLC/Shutterstock.com; p. 182 f11photo/Shutterstock.com; p. 187, 190 (top), 198 Visit Mississippi; p. 211 Visit Mississippi Gulf Coast; p. 212 Anthony Heflin/Shutterstock.com (Blue Ridge Parkway, NC); pp. 218 (top), 239, 241 Bill RussVisitNC.com; p. 218 (bottom left), 231, 232 (top), 233 (bottom), 238, 242 VisitNC.com; p. 248 Mila Parh/Shutterstock.com; p. 282 Ron Manville Photography; p. 314 Mandritoiu/Shutterstock.com; pp. 318, 319 Bill Crabtree, Jr.; p. 320 Nate Dennison; p. 322, 323 Virginia Tourism Corporation; p. 324 John Henley; p. 325 Jason Barnette; p. 343 (bottom right) Judy Watkins; p.343 (top) Courtesy of Colonial Williamsburg; p. 343 (bottom left and middle left) Sarah Hauser.

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ISBN 978-1-4930-3430-7 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-4930-3431-4 (e-book)

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Printed in the United States of America

You may think you know the South for its food, its people, its past, and its stories, but if theres one thing thats certain, its that the region is far more than one story. Its an ever-evolving place, open to interpretation, defined differently based on who you ask. The size is as large as European nations and just as diverse. The states that make it up are more than just their stereotypes, theyre rich in history and culture. Native American tribes such as the Creeks and Cherokees lived here long before the arrival of Europeans, especially the French, English, and Spanish. Slavery brought with it African and Caribbean cultures but at a horrific human cost.

The stories of the South are varied. Its the Korean immigrants in Atlanta and Syrian refugees in Nashville. Its the Gullah language and Ocracoke Brogue, along with the familiar Southern twangs. Its country, bluegrass, hip hop, and even metal. Its greasy spoons and white tablecloth James Beard award winners. Blue laws preventing Sunday sales of alcohol and moonshiners still hiding their riverside stills. Its every side of the political aisle. Its learning what Southern hospitality really means.

So come see for yourself and find your own stories in the South. This isnt just my South, but also yours to discover.

Alabama

The landscape is diverse in sweet home Alabama, where visitors can go fishing on the many lakes or soak up the sun on the strip of coastline. Dont miss the Barbecue Trail, a map of eateries that focuses on the humble pig, and learn as much as you can about the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham, Montgomery, and Selma.

Arkansas

Outdoors enthusiasts should head straight to the Ozarks for some of the countrys best mountain biking. Northwest Arkansas is a surprising hub for the arts thanks to the Crystal Bridges Museum of Art. History buffs should take a Billgrimage to Little Rock and beyond, following the sites related to President Bill Clinton. Hot Springs also has one of the countrys most underrated national parks, where visitors can soak in the thermal springs at historic bathhouses.

Georgia

Most travelers pass through the metropolis of Atlanta, which is known as being the home to the 1996 Summer Olympics. Its also where the worlds busiest airport is located and where Coca-Cola was invented. Savannah charms visitors with its Spanish moss-covered oak trees, while the Golden Isles are the perfect place to escape.

Kentucky

Imbibe in the Bluegrass State, which is known best for bourbon and horse racing. Lexington is where most of the distilleries are located, but you cant miss the newer urban distilleries in Louisville. Visit the original Kentucky Fried Chicken and the home to the Louisville Slugger before venturing out to the states lakes for relaxation.