Tag: Southbound

A flurry of feathers and talons, and a Harris’s hawk alights on my outstretched hand, plundering the bit of raw meat sandwiched between my gloved fingers. The surprisingly light bird tosses the morsel into the air and gobbles it down. Then with a turn of my arm, it’s gone, soaring back to the treetops.

In New Smyrna Beach, Florida, not a day goes by that you won’t see surfers heading out to the beach, longboards in tow. A jetty and three sandbars off the coast provide dependable breakers, especially when the breeze kicks up the waves and the swell direction is just right.

A portmanteau of the words “motor” and “hotel,” motels cropped up across the country in the 1930s and ’40s in response to the growth of the U.S. highway system, peaking in the ’60s. Road trippers needed convenient places to stay, and no-frills spots that offered quick access from parking lot to pillow filled that void.

Keitaro Harada, the music and artistic director of the Savannah Philharmonic, spends a lot of time on the road. But all that travel only makes him appreciate his adopted home that much more. Here he shares his perfect day in Savannah.

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” could reasonably be considered Mother Nature’s approach to American alligators, prehistoric holdovers that have remained largely unchanged for at least 8 million years. With a range extending from coastal North Carolina across to East Texas, these lords of the bayou are symbols of a wild, untamed South—and its preservation.

Plus: three properties that draw inspiration from the past and the reopening of the Forbes Five Star Ritz-Carlton, Naples.

Roanoke’s not quite on the national radar yet, which means it’s easier to snag dinner reservations and find a place to stay—at least for now. Here’s our guide to making the most of a weekend before the word gets out.

Everyone kept telling me about the Salt Life. The ubiquitous decals were everywhere, promising a secret world of unbridled summer loafing and easygoingness. When I moved back to North Carolina for a job at a university in the middle of the state, I listened to my colleagues’ enthusiasm as they planned their annual two-week, intergenerational trips to Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, or Fort Fisher.

I had a great childhood in Tampa, but I think I really developed an appreciation for the city after I moved away. I just love the low-key, super-chill vibe of it all. It’s totally different from what you get in Miami Beach or Fort Lauderdale, let alone what I experience living in Los Angeles.

After years of working in kitchens in Florida, New York, Asheville, and Napa Valley, Chef Paul Smith returned home to the hills of West Virginia in 2020. “I absolutely love it,” he says. “The people are fantastic. The hospitality is Appalachian. We’ve never met a stranger.”