Tag: Southbound

Lindsay Beck’s grandmother always had “a whole spread of pies” at family dinners and even grew her own rhubarb to use in them. Growing up watching her, Beck was inspired to use fresh ingredients to create her own desserts. Now the pastry chef at CAMP Modern American Eatery in Greenville, South Carolina, she crafts sophisticated sweets with a touch of nostalgia.

In November 2023, I traveled back to the hometown I’d left when I was 19 years old. Fall in Natchez, Mississippi, is a welcome relief after the annual assault of a long, hot summer. I remembered the heat and the way the first cool breeze took its time arriving.

With all the natural components needed to make steel—iron ore, coal, and limestone—Birmingham experienced meteoric growth during the Industrial Age, earning it the name the Magic City. While steel production wound down in the 1970s, the moniker remains, albeit for a bevy of other reasons. The modern-day magic of this Southern city lies in the breadth of attractions for outdoor enthusiasts, history lovers, and gourmands alike.

In cities across the region, ethnic groups thread into the community fabric, contributing to the vitality of their adopted hometowns while also showcasing their individual cultures. In New Orleans, you’ll taste a banh mi sandwich every bit as authentic as one you’d order at a food stand in Ho Chi Minh City. Miami’s nightlife pulses with the sounds of Haitian kompa meringue. And in Atlanta’s Gwinnett County, you’ll feel like you’ve spent a day in Seoul after experiencing reflexology at a Korean bath house, stocking up on K-beauty products, and belting out a K-pop song in a private karaoke room.

In 1845, John Moore and his sons were mining for lead in the Ozark Mountains when they happened upon a cave filled with stunning ancient mineral formations. Their discovery became known as Moore’s Cave and legend has it that it was used by moonshiners in the late 1800s due to its secluded location and year-round temperature of 64 degrees.

Chef Nick Wallace is familiar to foodies, having gained national attention as the winner of Food Network’s Chopped and as a contestant on Top Chef. Known for his fresh spin on Mississippi fare, he grew up on farmland in Edwards, 30 minutes west of Jackson.

Nearly a century ago, brothers John and Oscar Noel decided to build the tallest building in Nashville on their family’s downtown lot, introducing a 12-story luxury hotel—fittingly dubbed the Noel Hotel—to the rapidly growing area. For more than 40 years it thrived, hosting the likes of Eleanor Roosevelt and Babe Ruth. After being purchased by a bank in 1972, its doors were closed to overnight guests—that is, until 2017, when it reopened with a refreshed name and look. Enter: Noelle.

When the air turns hot and thick, it’s time to seek higher ground. The South’s plentiful mountains are filled with fresh breezes, backcountry trails, and green-carpeted landscapes as far as the eye can see. But the best mountain getaways offer more than just stunning backdrops and tolerable temperatures. Set your GPS for one of these inviting small towns, and you’ll find world-class performing arts, historical architecture, funky bars and boutiques, and standout restaurants.

Its days as a bustling manufacturing center and riverboat port still echo through Covington, which was incorporated in 1815 where the Licking River flows into the Ohio. Connected to Cincinnati by the picturesque Roebling Suspension Bridge—a prototype for its more famous counterpart in Brooklyn—the city’s downtown includes a vibrant mashup of restaurants and shops where decades-old, family-owned hardware and sporting goods stores sit alongside lavish boutique hotels and trendy wine and bourbon bars.

Bordered by the Cape Fear River on one side and breezy beaches on the other, Wilmington is undoubtedly a refreshing destination. It’s known for its acclaimed surfing and scuba-diving, but you’ll quickly find that it teems with other diversions to discover, both in the water and on dry land.