Arkansas

“I’ve played enough Minecraft to know where diamonds are,” my 19-year-old cousin says as we schlep across acres of muddy furrows with our rented bucket, sieves, and shovels. Although I’m highly skeptical of the real-world applications of Minecraft, there’s no sense in arguing when he points out a small rivulet of water trickling through the muck.

Travelers to the northwestern corner of Arkansas will encounter all the natural splendor—limestone cliffs, pristine lakes, deep forests—one would expect on a trip through the enchanting Ozarks.

As much as we love the South's quintessential clapboard churches and stately mansions, our appreciation of Southern architecture extends beyond the classics. We‘ve combed the region for noteworthy structures, from historical masterpieces like Thomas Jefferson‘s Palladian Monticello to modern marvels like the breezy, zero-energy McDonald‘s Florida flagship (yes, McDonald’s).

Forget Yelp reviews, travel guides, or tracking down that random colleague’s Instagram post. We have your notes right here—on where to go and what to order when traveling—from some of the South’s most acclaimed chefs, unlocking the secrets of their hometowns.

Award-winning architectural photographer Timothy Hursley has focused his lens on everything from Andy Warhol’s last Factory in New York to Rural Studio buildings throughout Alabama—publishing books on both. Here, he shares the spots he frequents (and sometimes photographs) in his hometown of Little Rock.