Southbound

Thirty years ago, people from all over the world flocked to Atlanta for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. Locals who’d lived in the city for decades discovered their hometown anew as they, along with millions of visitors, checked out brand-new attractions and old favorites that had dressed up for the spotlight. With this year’s FIFA World Cup, the excitement is back. Fans from near and far will once again descend upon Atlanta and quickly find that the last three decades have been very good to the city.

Cradled in the Shenandoah Valley, Staunton has built much of its modern appeal on a careful stewardship of its past. Longstanding commitments to adaptive reuse programs have preserved the charm of downtown’s streetscapes. Today, travelers will encounter more than 35 architectural styles over a few walkable blocks in this city that traces its history to 1747.

Forget long flights and security lines. If you’re itching to get away from it all—a different culture, dramatic landscapes, charming architecture—you needn’t travel as far as you may think. We’ve found six destinations here in the South that evoke the vibes of popular travel locales hundreds or thousands of miles away.

It’s hard to beat a sunrise over the ocean, and at Three Waters Resort and Marina, they are truly a spectacle. The sprawling oceanfront property sits in Islamorada, a quiet Florida Keys community whose moniker translates to “purple island” in Spanish (likely due to those glorious morning displays).

I was born and raised around the foothills and mountains of North Carolina. My dad is a Methodist minister, and we moved a lot because he was constantly sent to a new church. But every summer we would go to Maggie Valley. Now my parents have a little house nearby, so I still have strong ties to the town. It’s a beautiful hidden gem in the Smoky Mountains right off the Blue Ridge Parkway, and it’s populated with quaint mom-and-pop stores.

Explore the brand's origins, its most popular treats, and the Tennessee destinations where fans can experience its rich Southern heritage.

For more than 30 years, the arrival of spring in Orlando has been heralded with an explosion of flowers, color, and trademark Disney magic. A topiary of Figment, the brightly hued dragon that serves as a park mascot, welcomes visitors to the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, taking place March 4 through June 1.

A gathering of hot-ticket tables, a Gulf Coast chef to know, and a Nashville voice bringing his Thai heritage home.

The first time I pass by the desk, I miss it. The four of us are already in the next room when I spot the sign featuring her name: Virginia Woolf. I retrace my steps, followed by my husband, our daughter, and her fiance. Sure enough, there it is: Virginia Woolf’s writing desk, on display in Duke University’s Rubenstein Library.

James Beard–recognized chefs have put Raleigh’s dining scene on the national map, and Michelin’s inaugural American South guide arrived last November, cementing Raleigh as a culinary hotbed. Add world-class museums, transformative outdoor developments, and that unbeatable North Carolina hospitality, and you’ve got a city worthy of a weekend escape.