The 5 Best Southern States, Ranked by an Impartial Midwesterner

At the end of last year , I had reason to expend a whole lot of fourth dimension in the South ; a proud American region that , confessedly , I have not inspect enough – especially deliberate I ’m a travel writer . When it was all said and done , I realized I ’d moderately much now murder ( or at least in brief set up animal foot in ) all 16 southerly states – as defined by theUS government , not bythese guys– at some point in my sprightliness .

So , with apologies to the 11 that did n’t make the cut ( sorry Georgia , my editor program pushed hard for you ) , here are my favorite five states south of the Mason - Dixon line .

5. Tennessee

Nashville ! Memphis ! Tennessee rocks ! Or … twang , whatever . You ’ve heard all the Nashville hoopla by now so no need to rehash , but where many up - and - derive cities are still only up - and - coming in certain pockets , Nashville seems to besprawlingwith hipness . intellectual nourishment , music , art ; there ’s really nothing I call for to tell you here , except for that it ’s everywhere . And Memphis is achingly sorcerous with some great spots of its own , if not as wide - ranging or astray - reaching as Nashville . Although both have their respective Ne - lit versions of Las Vegas Strip invidia – Broadway St in Nashville , Beale St in Memphis – that are just like , " Why ? , " avoid them and you wo n’t feel like a tourist . I did n’t even mention Knoxville or Chattanooga , and now I ’m start to enquire if a " five " ranking is too low .

4. North Carolina

If I had to pick a favorite Carolina , this is no contest . Kidding , South Carolina ! I know you ’ve got that wonderful mustard BBQ . And Charleston ! But prank aside , Charlotte is pleasant , even if its best urban still feels suburban , and Asheville is without argument considered among the bestbeerandmusicandhipsterandunderrated food citiesin the country , so there ’s that . But let ’s talk about Durham – amazingly cool , progressive , Google - technical school - hub Durham with great restaurants and great brewery and great distilleries andgreat coffee roastersand a enceinte humanities scene and a great entrepreneurial vibration . There ’s even a21c Museum Hotel ! That means something ! ( Like how a Whole Foods opening in post - recession Detroit meant something or a Shake Shack opening move in Baltimore ’s Inner Harbor mean something . Signals , people . A signal of the transforming , and probably also gentrifying , times . )

3. Arkansas

More like ArkanSASSY ! Not gon na consist , Arkansas is kind of a spook haven . Mostly because of Eureka Springs . But also Hot Springs ! Because when you learn the word " bathhouse , " I assure you , you are not project these historic bodily structure protected by one of the20 right ( and most visited ) national common in America . And the warm water of the raw springs . It ’s all form of astonishing .

Also , you ’ve gotsick burger joints , the Buffalo River , a presidential library , Johnny Cash ’s boyhood home in Dyess , and Little Rock which – consider it or not – is fun ! Consider that a good , best , BEST - keep secret and for the love of down in the mouth rent , do n’t ruin it by moving there . You know what , forget I even said anything . Arkansas is horrendous , NEVER GO .

2. Kentucky

It ’s Bourbon dynasty country . all over withbourbon trails . ( Recommended : a DD . ) There is drear grass , and that grass is really blue . Louisville is rad and stuff full of nifty eatery and cocktail bars and beer , and also bourbon . We don’thave a Thrillist edition there for nothing . Plus , Lexington ’s food for thought scenery ! There ’s a bunch of nerveless nature stuff like Mammoth Cave andNatural Bridgeand Daniel Boone National Forest . Oh , and they ’ve gotthat whole Derby affair plump on , only one of themust - murder sporting events in the country(who does n’t sleep together an periodic exculpation to don a fancy lid ? )

Even Northern Kentucky is 1,000x better than neighboring Cincinnati ( sorry , Cincinnati , yourgreat skylineis not enough ) . If driving south through Kentucky from Ohio , Kentucky is also notably the first state where the digital highway augury urge " Y’all " to drive safe . And that ’s kind of charming . Yeah , Kentucky is reasonably cool .

1. Louisiana

Louisiana tops this inclination because of New Orleans and … OK , mostly just New Orleans . But ! If you pilot into Baton Rouge – and it is SO much cheaper to fly in and rent a car from Baton Rouge Metropolitan , a tiny airdrome where there are no line for anything ever – you could make a quick detour en route to the Big Easy to visit the plantations of River Road flop along the Mississippi ; it include the incessantly Instagrammable Oak Alley Plantation , a democratic take locating for Southern mediaeval horror masterpieces likeInterview with the Vampireand the first season ofTrue Detective . you’re able to also drive over the somewhat terrifying 24 - mile Lake Pontchartrain Causeway , the longest continuous bridgework over water in the earth . There ’s really just something about being out in the swamps that creeps into your bloodstream … Louisiana has afeelabout it in a way few other res publica do .

Now , while you ’re in New Orleans , do n’t be afraid to give some of your drinking - in - the - Quarter time to investigate more of the skirt areas with a swampland tour or a plantation tour or a necropolis spell ( of the illustrious above - ground " Cities of the Dead " ) . Or remain in the goddam Quarter and go on a ghost tour or a vampire tour or a voodoo tour or a literary tour or a cocktail circuit … or just amble down Frenchmen St and cuckold into whatever bar has the most astonishing hot medicine ( confidential information : it could be any of them ) . Or just eat crawfish and alligator and boudin balls and Gulf oysters everywhere in as many place as you could until you have to vanish home .

Mon cheri , New Orleans is the most incredible city in this whole area . Ai n’t nowhere else like it , and ai n’t nowhere ever will be . And that ’s why Louisiana is squarely at the top of the lean ( OK , so maybe I ’m not as unprejudiced as I thought was ) . Either elbow room , laissez les bons temps rouler !

tennessee water and riverboat