The American South Holidays & Accommodation
USA, North America
Stretching from The Virginias to Florida, the people of the South have long been tarnished by slavery and the Klu Klux Klan. Known for their tendency to attend church, the Bible Belt is a contrasting region. The dividng point between the revolutionary North and conservative South is Washington DC, the strategic capital of USA. From here on is the American South. The Upper South states of Virginia and Carolinas are pre-dominantly white; and along with Georgia hug the Atlantic Coast. The Deep South including Lousiana and Alabama are predominantly black with New Orleans as its tourist heart and the inland farmig settlements lining The Mississippi all the way up to Tennesee as it's soul. And then there's Florida, one of the top tourist destinations in America with the party-crazy high-rise beach megaopolis of Miami and the stunning wetlands of the Everglades and tiny beach settlements along Florida Keys.
The Upper South
In the summers you can explore state fairs and farmers markets, learn to sail, visit a beach, and explore a wildlife refuge. Except for the state fairs, a lot of these activities can be undertaken year round thanks to the warm climate. The Appalachians in The Virginias offer serene mountain trails and quaint bed and breakfast retrets, a great place for a self-driving holiday. Cities like Savannah in Georgia have architectural styles from the 18th and 19th century that have combined into an almost storybook appeal. Charleston and Charlotte in The Carolinas share this appeal.
A uniquely American experience that you can indulge in during the summer is the State Fair. These fairs are a gathering of people meeting to show their livestock and enter them in competitions, there are also pickling, chilli, eating, and baking competitions; and you can sample the unique flavours of the south from grits to deep pit barbeque. In addition there is usually a midway and rides, and a carnival atmosphere prevails. Visitors are certainly welcome, and the experience gives you a window into general merrymaking and household family fun.
The architecture of the South is incredibly rich; Charleston and Savannah are particularly beautiful. You can book a tour of the sites or simply wander around by foot. One thing you won't want to miss is the Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, with the trees dripping with Spanish moss, the scene is eerie and picturesque and worth a dander.
The Deep South
The food in the Deep South is varied and surprising. Whether you want to sip a mint julep on a porch in Kentucky, or visit a crab shack in Georgia, there are plenty of culinary options to explore. Famed for its barbeques, the best to be found are often in a shack off the highway, pareticularly in Kentucky where sauce recipes are carefully guarded. Some people just spend their time travelling in the South cruising the road, waiting to get hungry so they can try out a new barbeque place.
For a once in a lifetime experience, you may want to visit the bayou, and take a swamp tour in Louisiana. This is where the exiled Acadians from Eastern Canada went, and the Cajuns here may all still speak a dialect of French flavoured by the region. The bayou is a great place to visit with its alligators, and beautiful scenery.
For live blues and jazz, and creative French cuisine, New Orleans is still the place to go. If you can, try to be in this city during Mardi Gras for a great festive atmosphere.