40 Things Every Southerner Ought To Do
Southern Living's editors have learned a few things over the years. They have assembled the ultimate list of must-do activities from across the South. How many have you done?
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'Cue – Enough Said
This is strictly for dedicated carnivores. When we say barbecue, we mean meat. To taste the South's best, try Sweatman's BBQ in Holly Hill, South Carolina, for mustard-basted pulled pork; Rendezvous in Memphis, praised for its dry-rubbed ribs; Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, Alabama, where the sauce comes white; Lexington Barbecue in Lexington, North Carolina, for the vinegar-and-ketchup topping; and Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que, a meat extravaganza in Llano, Texas. All hail, though, to the ribs at McClard's Bar-B-Q Restaurant, the Hot Springs, Arkansas, joint made famous by a former President.
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The South's public gardens are as diverse as they are breathtaking. To see our regional natives at their best, take in the world-class beauty of Missouri Botanical Garden; admire bluebonnets at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas; or stroll among native azaleas at Georgia's Callaway Gardens. Truth is, however, all the South's great gardens actually started in South Carolina--specifically, at Middleton Place, our country's oldest landscaped gardens, which introduced camellias and so many other plants we have adopted as our own.
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Once in your life, you should throw caution to the wind and treat yourself--Trump style. The South features some swanky possibilities. Be a Vanderbilt for the night at the Inn on Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. Or opt for the luxurious Blackberry Farm near Walland, Tennessee. But for the ultimate getaway, check into Cibolo Creek Ranch, near Marfa, Texas. Its stunning desert setting lends a touch of Old West exotic to all the modern--and superlative--amenities you could ever want.
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We count five Southern food groups, not just four, because we think Tex-Mex deserves the recognition. To sample it in Oklahoma City, order the grilled fajitas at Ted’s Café Escondido. The fresh salsa at Jalisco Mexican Restaurant keeps ’em coming back in Atlanta. But let’s be serious: Only the Lone Star State has mastered the art of Tex-Mex. Follow locals in El Paso to eat at H & H Car Wash--not only to get your car cleaned, but also to enjoy the freshly made chiles rellenos and salsa.
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We all love to stroll picturesque college campuses. Nestled into the mountains of Lexington, Virginia, Washington and Lee offers unforgettable setting and style. Gothic architecture, glorious gardens, and an exquisite chapel wow visitors to North Carolina’s Duke University. Still, we’d suggest you visit Sewanee, The University of the South in Tennessee. A lovely campus and a collegial atmosphere, right down to students’ wearing Harry Potter-style robes, give it a feel all its own.
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Certain animals thrive in our neck of the woods. An entire town of prairie dogs lives in Mackenzie Park in Lubbock, Texas, and Key deer can be found pretty easily around their namesake refuge in the Florida Keys. You’ll have to work harder, though, to spy the wild horses at Maryland and Virginia’s Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. The vote for most awe-inspiring, however, goes to the bison at Oklahoma’s Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. They inject a remarkable sense of life into this serene, haunting landscape.
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The region has long been known for great music and food, but here’s a trivia tip: It’s also the birthplace of American architecture. No one had more of a hand in defining our country’s style of design than Virginia’s Thomas Jefferson, and there’s simply no better way to understand Southern architectural style than to tour Monticello, Jefferson’s mountaintop plantation.
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To be a true Southerner, you should own a few specific items. Whether you inherit it or buy it in famed High Point, North Carolina, you must have at least one to-die-for piece of heirloom furniture. In the kitchen, you need a seasoned cast-iron skillet. And in the backyard or on the front porch, we’d recommend a Pawleys Island Rope Hammock. For the most distinctive regional item, though, get fitted for cowboy boots from ML Leddy’s in Fort Worth. What? You expect to be taken seriously wearing a pair of pumps or wing tips?
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To get to the best Southern dives, you may have to crunch through a gravel parking lot or duck through a screen door, but inside waits something sinfully good, such as the chili-cheese fries at Eskimo Joe’s in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Or the tastiest tamales outside Mexico at Fat Mama’s in Natchez, Mississippi. Or any of the frozen custard treats at Ted Drewes in St. Louis. Still, top honors go to the "naked dog" (plain hot dog) and crispy onion rings at The Varsity in Atlanta.
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We Southerners cherish college football and the campus traditions that accompany it. When the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma go head-to-head during the State Fair of Texas in Dallas, you must fill up on Fletcher’s Corny Dogs in order to root either team to victory. Tiger fans eagerly line up to roll Toomer’s Corner and scream "War Eagle" every time Auburn posts a win. The ultimate tradition, though, takes place at Ole Miss in Oxford. Thousands of fans gather to picnic in the Grove and feast on gourmet spreads.
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You may have sipped a Louisiana Hurricane, a Texas-size margarita, or a Kentucky mint julep--all flavored with a sense of place. The newest craze, though, is to drink a Mojito--think mint, moonlight, and Miami. Go ahead and sip. We won’t tell mama.
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We all like to ooh and aah over our region’s many magnificent sights. Our staffers recommend the West Texas views from atop El Capitan in the Guadalupe Mountains or the scenes visible from West Virginia’s Spruce Knob. The Smokies have great vistas, but what you’ll see from Roan Mountain, astride Tennessee and North Carolina, will top them all--especially if you visit in June when the rhododendrons are in bloom.
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Most Southern gardeners brighten their yards with camellias in winter and with brilliant azaleas and flowering dogwoods in the spring. Each summer they tend hydrangeas and crepe myrtles. But for profuse color that can last from midspring until first frost, plant daylilies. No Southern garden is complete without them. Plus, they’re our favorite pass-along plant.
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Crafts in the South have risen to the status of art. Handblown pieces from West Virginia’s Blenko Glass Company deserve an honored spot in any home. Pottery, handcrafted by the artists in Seagrove and surrounding North Carolina communities, earns distinction as well. For the must-have, though, buy a sweetgrass basket. It’s a glorious souvenir and symbol of the Lowcountry--and our South.
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America’s greatest music started in the South. You can hear echoes of Jerry Lee, Johnny C., and The King at Memphis’s Sun Studio. And country music wouldn’t be country music if it weren’t for Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry. But for laid-back good times, get to Luckenbach, Texas, where Waylon, Willie, and the boys changed the face of popular music.
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When it comes to understanding Southern food, you need to appreciate the vegetable plate. While mac and cheese usually anchors the dish, it pairs in the South with special regional offerings, such as crisp fried okra, black-eyed peas, and cornbread. Yes, seconds are always allowed.
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You know you’ve said it: "Hey, y’all, watch this." Face it: We Southerners will try anything once. Attempt any of these, and you’ll earn a story to tell for a lifetime. Hang glide off Tennessee’s Lookout Mountain. Hike toward the sky at Mount Mitchell in North Carolina, or ride Disney’s stomach-turning Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster, where an Aerosmith theme thrills you. If all this sounds too daunting, then live vicariously and fly a kite on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, where Wilbur and Orville took their first flight.
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Glorious stretches of open road await in the South. You can drive well-traveled miles on the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive. Or take a tropical trek down U.S. 1 to Key West. For an undiscovered jaunt through the peaks of Tennessee and North Carolina, hit the Cherohala Skyway. But for sheer nostalgia, remember the song and get some kicks. Follow Route 66, where it rolls across the open miles of Oklahoma.
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Nobody parties better than Southerners. Just look at our roll of festivals. The mother of them all is New Orleans’s Mardi Gras. At Memphis in May International Festival, the barbecue comes with a plentiful side order of live music. Next March 17, though, make a date for Savannah’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. You don’t have to be Irish to fall in love with this celebration.
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Southerners may be known for good times, but we’re also a cultured lot. Everyone knows the Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum complex, in Washington, D.C. Atlanta’s High Museum of Art, praised internationally for its collection, has recently expanded. Still, to see fabulous art and a spectacular facility, head for the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. It may be the biggest surprise in Cowtown.
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Summer temperatures steer Southerners toward rivers. Texans play in the currents of the Guadalupe. Hardcore adventurers tackle the Class V+ rapids of the Gauley in West Virginia. The more sedate are content to tube the gentle flow of Florida’s Ichetucknee. To experience the South’s best water adventure, though, you need to raft South Carolina’s Chattooga River.
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The region boasts some of the most magnificent stretches of sand and sea that the nation has to offer. Some folks are partial to the solitude of remote Ocracoke, North Carolina, while others prefer to drive their car right on the sand at Florida’s Daytona Beach. Extroverts who like action as much as the Atlantic swear by the boardwalk experience of Ocean City, Maryland. Still, it’s hard to top Siesta Key in Florida, home to the whitest sand and prettiest sunsets on the planet.
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We Southerners are wild for spectator sports--and why not? We host the grandest golf tournament of them all: The Masters at Augusta National. You can snag foul balls at some glorious settings, such as Baltimore’s Oriole Park at Camden Yards or Atlanta’s Turner Field. But the hottest new obsession is one wild ride. Gentlemen, start your engines, and attend a NASCAR race at Alabama’s Talladega Superspeedway.
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