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GULF COAST / SOUTHEAST GEORGIA • CAROLINAS • ALABAMA • LOUISIANA • FLORIDA • TEXAS & MORE

SOUTHERN COMFORT Sample iconic tastes and magical allure

COASTAL CHARM Explore towns’ hidden culture

PICTURE PERFECT Tour region’s idyllic scenes

BEACHES BECKON Bask in sun, sand, solitude

New Horizons Clearwater Beach, Fla.

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CONTENTS

GULF COAST/SOUTHEAST

STAR ATTRACTIONS Visit Atlantaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top destinations

Georgia Aquarium GETTY IMAGES

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

CONTENTS UP FRONT

8 10

This is a product of

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

FLY AWAY Smaller airports can offer big beneﬁts

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Jeanette Barrett-Stokes

jbstokes@usatoday.com

LADY LUCK Bet on a good time at the region’s casinos

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jerald Council jcouncil@usatoday.com

MANAGING EDITOR Michelle Washington

TRAVEL WELL

mjwashington@usatoday.com

Tips for staying healthy while venturing out

ISSUE DESIGNER Debra Moore GETTY IMAGES

22 24

BACKUP PLAN Insuring travel in an uncertain time

Big Beau at Gator Country in Beaumont, Texas

STOP AND SHOP

BEAUMONT CVB

Find plenty to strike your fancy at these destinations

THE REGION

FEATURES

MISSISSIPPI

46 ALABAMA Point your camera at these

CAROLINA 68 NORTH Sky’s the limit in

Instagram-worthy spots

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Matt Alderton, John Bordsen, Joseph Choi, Shelby Deering, Erin Gifford, Alexis Korman, David Oliver, Kae Lani Palmisano, Mike Pramik, Wendy Pramik, Sarah Sekula, Cele Seldon, Lynn Seldon, Kristen Seymour, Corinne Whiting

BEACH BOUND Soak up lots of sun and fun in the sand

DESIGNERS Hayleigh Corkey David Hyde Gina Toole Saunders Lisa M. Zilka INTERN Liya Savasman

42 Best places to taste local brews 66 Soak up some coastal culture GET CRAFTY

EDITORS Amy Sinatra Ayres Tracy Scott Forson Harry Lister Deirdre van Dyk Debbie Williams

Outer Banks

TASTY TOUR Get your fried chicken ﬁx throughout Dixie

ADVERTISING

50 Shelling 101 on Sanibel Island FLORIDA

72 Savor the state’s

SOUTH CAROLINA

VP, ADVERTISING Patrick Burke | (703) 854-5914 pburke@usatoday.com

signature shrimp and grits

54 GEORGIA Atlanta sites have star appeal miss the Peach State’s 56 Don’t must-see stops

60 KENTUCKY Louisville’s delights go

vsalvo@usatoday.com

FINANCE

80 TENNESSEE Nashville events that wow

beyond horses and bourbon

82 Go big in Beaumont

64 New Orleans do’s and don’ts

86 Seek surf or turf on

LOUISIANA

ACCOUNT DIRECTOR Vanessa Salvo | (703) 854-6499

Experience lesser-known Charleston charms

TEXAS

for ﬁrst-time visitors

Billing Coordinator Julie Marco

SEASIDE ESCAPE

Seabrook Island, S.C.

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USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

PROVIDED BY MICHELLE WASHINGTON

THE OUTBREAK OF AND response to COVID-19 has affected our lives, our livelihoods and the economy at the local, national and global levels. And it has had a profound effect on the travel industry. As we grapple with the unprecedented scope of this pandemic, many events, festivals and celebrations have been suspended or canceled. However, across the country businesses that provide lodging, food and transportation are starting to reopen with varied stipulations and baseline measures in place that aim to reduce the risk of spreading the virus. The USA TODAY Network is committed to providing timely, engaging and accurate information in our coverage, but given the evolving nature of this health crisis, we realize that there will undoubtedly be changes to the accessibility of many of the locations, venues and services mentioned throughout this publication. Please check with businesses and venues for the latest updates. We also know that the travel and tourism industry is resilient. It has rebounded from natural disasters, economic recessions and other crises before, and while this pandemic is uncharted territory, it is our hope that national and international exploration will resume soon. In the meantime, we will continue to look beyond today and provide you with the amazing sights, sounds, tastes and experiences that await.

Sincerely,

Michelle Washington Managing Editor

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

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UP FRONT | AIRPORTS

BATON ROUGE METROPOLITAN AIRPORT

On the Fly Smaller airports can offer travelers big benefits By Michelle Washington

ETTING TO YOUR FAVORITE

place by plane can be an adventure in itself. You might find large, heavily trafficked airports overwhelming, crowded and confusing. Thankfully, there are other options.

Smaller regional airports throughout the Gulf Coast and Southeast often offer a more manageable travel experience without sacrificing some of the amenities air passengers have come to expect. So pack your bag and hop on a flight at one of these airports that can make getting to your final destination a pleasure rather than a pain:

BATON ROUGE METROPOLITAN AIRPORT (LOUISIANA) Located 5 miles north of downtown Baton Rouge, this is the secondlargest commercial airport in Louisiana by passenger volume. American, Delta and United airlines provide flights to hubs in Atlanta, Charlotte, N .C., Dallas/ Fort W orth and Houston. Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport has a state-of-the-art terminal facility with a landscaped, two-story atrium offering a view of the airfield. Available amenities include several eateries, such as W ow Café, P J’s Coffee, Rosie’s G ourmet P opcorn and a full-service sports bar; a gift shop; a children’s play room; nursing rooms and a nondenominational chapel. P assengers can also access a business center and an 1 ,8 0 0 -square-foot conference room.

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UP FRONT | AIRPORTS FLORENCE REGIONAL AIRPORT (SOUTH CAROLINA) BLUE GRASS AIRPORT (KENTUCKY) O perating commercially since 1 9 46 , the airport located 6 miles west of Lex ington has grown from the first official 21 -passenger flight by Delta to serving more than 1 .2 million passengers annually. Allegiant, American, Delta and United offer nonstop flights to 1 7 destinations, including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, N ew Y ork City and W ashington, D.C., and connection service to other cities worldwide. The 1 7 3 ,6 1 9 -square-foot terminal’s lobby features a terrazzo floor depicting the sire lineage of the thoroughbred horse, and a sculpture honors the 49 lives lost in the 20 0 6 Delta Comair Flight 5 1 9 1 crash. P assengers can shop for gifts or other treats at several retail shops including P addock G allery, which sells framed artwork of some of K entucky’s most famous horses. There are also several dining options.

This airport is located about 6 5 miles northwest of Myrtle Beach. American provides daily departures to Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, 1 0 3 miles away in N orth Carolina. Amenities include a conference room with meeting space for up to 20 people, a business center with workstations, a vending facility and Lil Jazzi’s Café, which serves breakfast foods, pastries, fresh salads, deli sandwiches and beverages. Four rental car companies have locations inside the airport as well.

BILL STRAUS

ASHEVILLE REGIONAL AIRPORT

ASHEVILLE REGIONAL AIRPORT (NORTH CAROLINA) MOBILE REGIONAL AIRPORT (ALABAMA) American, United and Delta offer daily nonstop flights to Atlanta, Charlotte, N .C., Dallas/ Fort W orth and Houston at this airport located about 1 8 miles from Mobile. P assengers can enjoy a cellphone charging bar, children’s play area, shoe shine service, Hudson N ews gift shop and newsstand as well as several dining options including Quiznos, Chart Room Bar and Cruise City Bar and G rille. There is also a meeting space and private ex ecutive club.

This airport, which opened in June 1 9 6 1 , saw 1 .6 million passengers in 20 1 9 , a 43 percent increase over 20 1 8 . Six airlines — Allegiant, American, Delta, Elite, Spirit and United — provide daily flights to Charlotte, Atlanta, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., W ashington, D.C., P hiladelphia and O rlando, Fla. Located about 1 7 miles north of Asheville, the airport offers special services such as the “ It’s My Birthday” program, which provides a free gift for passengers flying on their special day, and P aws for P assengers, which connects therapy pets and their handlers with passengers and visitors to help calm nervous jitters. Dining options include The Blue Ridge Trading + Tavern, located inside the security area, and a smaller café in the airport lobby. The restaurant offers a “ Treat O ur Troops” program that allows diners to add a $ 5 voucher to their tab that will go toward the meal of an enlisted member of the military passing through the airport. O ther passenger amenities include gift shops, vending machines, rocking chairs and a gallery showcasing the work of local artists.

EVERGLADES AIRPARK (FLORIDA)

TRI-CITIES REGIONAL AIRPORT AUTHORITY

TRI-CITIES AIRPORT (TENNESSEE) This airport, centrally located between the Tennessee cities of Bristol, K ingsport and Johnson City, serves northeast Tennessee, southwest V irginia, western N orth Carolina and eastern K entucky. Allegiant, American and Delta provide nonstop flights to Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas/ Fort W orth, O rlando and Tampa/ Clearwater-St.P etersburg. The airport’s 1 1 9 ,0 0 0 -square-foot terminal offers travelers the Tailwind restaurant and a gift shop and business center.

Built in 1 9 47 , the airport serves vacationers and outdoor adventurers who come to fish, boat, camp and ex plore the natural beauty of the Everglades. Just outside the 29 -acre airpark, located 3 6 miles south of N aples, are a number of environmentally sensitive, protected lands. The airpark is situated immediately southwest of the Big Cypress N ational P reserve and surrounded on three sides by the waters of Everglades N ational P ark. The Fakahatchee Strand P reserve and State P ark and Collier-Seminole State P ark are to the north. Amenities include bicycles for rent and vending machines. Due to its close prox imity to fishing, airboats, swamp buggies, Everglades tours and dining options, many area businesses will pick passengers up from the airpark. Located on-site, W IN G S Aero Tours operates N ovember through May providing flightseeing tours in an Alaskan bush plane over the Ten Thousand Islands, the Everglades, the Florida K eys or the Dry Tortugas. Charter service is also available to K ey W est, O rlando, Daytona, St. Augustine and other Florida destinations.

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION UP FRONT | CASINOS

You Bet!

These casinos flaunt fresh features, plus Southern charm in spades By Alexis Korman

OU DON’T HAV E T O be

a card shark to win big at these casino destinations in the South. With upgraded amenities, revamped restaurant options or new attractions nearby, there’s something for travelers of all types to discover.

GETTY IM AGES; WIND CREEK CASINO AND HOTEL ATM ORE; HARRAH’S NEW ORLEANS

NEW ORLEANS

ATMORE, ALA.

Harrah’s New Orleans Located just steps from the French Quarter, it’s difficult to beat Harrah’s jazzy atmosphere. Luxur iously appointed hotel rooms offer expansi ve Mississippi River views, while its casino complex cat ers to entertainment lovers. The spacious 130,0square-foot Carnival-themed gaming floor includes 1 3 4 table games, 20 poker tables and more than 1, 50 slot machines. P lus, the Masquerade nightclub has blackjack tables hugging the dance floor. Revamped menus showcase craft cocktails for two at The Steakhouse, Louisiana twists on tiki drinks at Hoodoo Cocktail Lounge and drinks with bubbles and smoke at the Signature Bar. Fans of live shows shouldn’t miss The Fillmore, the casino’s newest site for concerts, comedy and more.

Wind Creek Casino and Hotel Atmore Can casinos double as family-friendly vacation destinations? The W ind Creek Atmore is betting big on the idea. This year, it’s adding to an already lengthy list of entertainment options with a new laser tag fun center and role-playstyle tactical games alongside a Topgolf Swing Suite. Though W ind Creek has several casino properties, its Atmore location showcases more than 1 ,7 0 0 popular games, as well as monthly casino specials touting chances to win cash, cars and trips. N ongaming attractions make it a standout property for guests of all ages: Adults will love the spacious spa, meditation deck and culinary studio with hands-on cooking classes, while kids can find plenty of fun at the movie theater, infinity pool, arcade and bowling alley.

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

UP FRONT | CASINOS

BILOXI, MISS. B eau Rivage Resort & Casino High roller? Head to Biloxi’s Beau Rivage. This elegant beachfront getaway has 1,700 plush guest rooms and a massive gaming area outfitted with 82 table games, 1,800 slot machines and two upscale salons ( not to mention fine wines, premium spirits and hors d’oeuvres served in the High Limit Lounge) . You’ll find expertly crafted cocktails at the new Black Clover Lounge, plus elevated bar food with a Southern spin, like blackened triggerfish sandwiches and regional craft beers at TAP Book, Bar & Bistreaux, the South’s latest hot spot for full-service sports betting. The venue’s 24-by-14-foot video wall with 70 screens is itself a must-see. Weekends attract A-list performers at Beau Rivage, too: think LeAnn Rimes and Gladys Knight.

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. B ig “M” Casino Ready to set sail and hit the jackpot? Although you can’t stay the night aboard the Big “ M” Casino ships, these floating gaming dens are fun to visit when you’re in Myrtle Beach, renowned for its 6 0 miles of pristine beaches, delectable seafood and world-class golf. Once aboard one of the two Big “ M” ships, you’ll find table games such as blackjack, craps, three-card poker and roulette, along with video poker and slot machines ( 158 machines on Ship I and 248 on Ship II) , with constantly updated specials and discounts for seniors and military veterans. Both ships, which sail year-round, offer an all-youcan-eat buffet with special menus and theme nights on select cruises. Piz z a, hot dogs and deli sandwiches are also served after buffet hours.

TAMPA, FLA.

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa, Fla. SEMINOLE HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO (2); BEAU RIVAGE RESORT & CASINO; VISIT MYRTLE BEACH

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino After an extensive $700 million expansion late last year, this casino is ready to rock with about 800 guest rooms and suites. Yes, it has tons of new games ( with a private parlor for V IPs) , but fun features beyond gambling include a 26 ,000-square-foot spa with music-themed treatments ( massage tables enhanced by bass and treble vibrations) . At four new restaurants designed to please gourmands, highlights include private dining on posh piz z as in Cipresso, premium wine tastings via E nomatic machines at The Cellar, and, because it’s Florida, fun, froz en cocktails you can drink while dipping in the pool. With the Lemon Surge — an alcoholic slushie — from the Pool Bar & Grill in hand, who wouldn’t feel like a winner?

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION UP FRONT | ADVICE

Well Traveled Tips for staying healthy while venturing out By Amy Sinatra Ayres

HE DRAMATIC SPREAD OF

the coronavirus has many travelers wondering what to do about trips they’ve already booked, what to consider if they’re planning a new trip and how to stay healthy while getting there. Heading into the summer months, some states are allowing businesses to reopen with precautions. “Presently, travel in the U .S. appears to be safe, but

we need to be smart about our actions,” says D r. Harry O ken, a practicing internist and clinical professor of medicine at the U niversity of Maryland School of Medicine. “I suspect more people will keep social distancing in mind as they make summer travel plans. I also suspect people will bring with them their own travel kits that include cleaning supplies,” O ken adds. “If you’re traveling, everyone should CONTI NUED

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USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

UP FRONT | ADVICE

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wear a face mask and practice decontamination of the mask. An easy way to decontaminate a face mask is to spray it with hydrogen peroxide.” He recommends travelers “minimize your touches in common areas,” such as airports, train stations or taxis and ride-sharing services. If you’re getting on an airplane, bus or train, O ken says to use an antibacterial wipe to disinfect your seat, the table attached to it, the armrests and headrests — then wash your hands. “It is still appropriate not to shake hands; use an elbow bump instead. Go the other way when you see people coughing. Try to wash your hands with soap and water often. If it is not available, use an alcohol-based hand gel,” he says. Making healthy decisions about what you’re eating is also important when you travel, O ken says. He advises selecting “cooked meat instead of uncooked,

unless you feel 100 percent confident in the food preparation.” In addition, “Stay away from street vendors. If you do partake, have cooked food. Ask for drinks without ice.” Groups who are at a higher risk of severe infection may want to reconsider their travel plans, says O ken. “Advanced age can be a factor, particularly if associated with comorbidities (multiple chronic diseases).” Individuals with underlying immune deficiencies could be at risk, as well as anyone with chronic conditions such as diabetes, lung disease, heart disease and those undergoing chemotherapy or radiation, he says. The Centers for D isease Control and Prevention says travelers should follow any state and local restrictions and warns that you may be asked to self-quarantine at home if you come in close contact with someone who has the virus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends following any state and local restrictions if you travel, and quarantining yourself if you come into contact with someone who has the virus. What if you get sick while you’re traveling? “If you feel like you have a routine cold, follow your routine measures for dealing with the cold. Be sure to cover your mouth when you’re coughing and sneezing and minimize your contact with other people,” O ken says. If you’re sick, be sure to quarantine yourself, he says. “Typically, I suggest my patients practice ‘ watchful waiting’ unless their symptoms worsen over seven to 10 days or are associated with a fever. Be sure you’re getting ample sleep. Sleep is extremely important as it refreshes

the immune system. The length of sleep is variable per person, but typically the sweet spot is between six to eight hours.” O ken, who’s also a medical advisory board member of Persona Nutrition, which provides personalized vitamin subscription services, also emphasizes the importance of good nutrition in general, but specifically for people who aren’t getting at least five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables daily. He advises checking with your doctor before starting any supplement regimen to support overall health and wellness.

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

UP FRONT | ADVICE

Insuring Your Investment Planning travel in an uncertain time

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By Amy Sinatra Ayres

HETHER YOU CANCELED OR postponed

a long-planned trip due to the outbreak of CO V ID -19, or you’re dreaming of scheduling a new vacation, you might be investigating the ins and outs of travel insurance. If you have delayed plans you made before the outbreak and you purchased insurance, the first step is to review your policy, says Peter Evans, executive vice president of InsureMyTrip.com. For standard policies, fear of traveling is not a benefit, experts explain. However, some standard policies include coverage if the U .S. State D epartment or Centers for D isease Control and Prevention issued travel warnings for the area you were planning to visit. And if you have purchased an upgraded “cancel for any reason” policy, it lets you do just that. Evans and Kasara Barto, public relations manager for travel insurance comparison site SquareMouth.com, also

recommend going directly to the travel supplier — such as the airline, cruise line, hotel or tour operator — to see what your options are. Many are waiving change or cancellation fees, and if you’d rather reschedule, you may be able to get a voucher or “port” the trip to the next calendar year, Evans says. For example, that may mean you arrange to go on the same trip in July 2021 instead of July 2020. Then you can call the insurance provider and work with them to apply the date changes to your policy. “We’re seeing tremendous flexibility right now because (travel suppliers are) all in this, and they’re trying to make it work for everyone,” Evans says. It’s best to check in with your specific airline, cruise line or hotel for guidance as circumstances and company policies continue to evolve. D eciding whether to purchase insurance and what kind of policy you need depends on your concerns, Barto says. For example, some standard travel insurance policies include cancellation benefits for financial default, such as if

“Cancel for any reason” coverage reimburses

75% of trip costs

— Kasara Barto, SquareMouth public relations manager

your travel supplier goes out of business; employment layoff benefits in case you lose your own job; or “cancel for work reasons,” which kicks in if your time off from work is revoked due to impact from the virus, as may be the case for some health care workers and first responders. A policy with the “cancel for any reason” upgrade offers the most comprehensive coverage, Evans says. Earlier this year, as the outbreak began, sites like InsureMyTrip and SquareMouth reported huge jumps in the number of purchases

of policies with “cancel for any reason” coverage. Those policies are time sensitive — they’re generally only available for purchase within the first two to three weeks after booking the trip — and they are more expensive, explains Barto. “It does cost about 40 percent more than a standard travel insurance policy, and it reimburses 7 5 percent of the trip costs. However, it really does allow a traveler to cancel for any reason,” she says. “It’s a risk tolerance thing for me,” Evans says. These policies are “now mainstream, and it’s excellent coverage.” Evans says he typically upgraded to this coverage for his own vacations, even before the current situation. A rule of thumb if you are still planning a trip is to do your research and ensure you’re educated on how the policies work. “We are hearing from people that are still planning future trips, and the best advice is to just read through your policy and make sure that what you’re concerned about can be covered by the policy that you’re purchasing,” Barto says. “It’s really a personal decision.”

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

UP FRONT | ATTRACTIONS

See. Shop. Scream! Find plenty to strike your fancy at these regional favorites

ROM MODERN MALLS TO

historical museums, the Gulf Coast and Southeast regions of the U.S. are chock-full of relaxing, rewarding and even hair-raising opportunities to create unforgettable memories. Whether your idea of a perfect vacation includes relaxing on the beach, exploring historic sites or experiencing thrilling rollercoaster rides, you’ll find it all and more. Choose from these theme parks, local attractions and shopping options recommended by USA TODAY’s 10Best to create an enjoyable trip for the whole family:

KENTUCKY Theme Park: Kentucky Kingdom. W ith a 5D t heater and dozens of rides, this Louisville theme park offers family entertainment and nonstop thrills.

National Corvette Museum KENTUCKY DEPARTMENT OF TRAVEL

Attraction: National Corvette Museum. At this showplace in Bowling G reen, where the legendary Chevrolet sports car is manufactured, automobile enthusiasts will find a collection of more than 8 0 Corvettes in period settings alongside numerous interactive ex hibits. V isitors can even snap a selfie behind the wheel of a 20 1 5 Stingray. Shopping: Fayette Mall. W ith more than 1 5 0 stores and multiple eateries, you’ll likely find all your favorites at this 1 .4 million-squarefoot shopping destination in Lex ington. KENTUCKY KINGDOM

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UP FRONT | ATTRACTIONS

Fort Lauderdale Beach

Padre Island National Seashore

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FLORIDA

TEXAS

Theme Park: Sun-N-Fun Lagoon Water Park. The whole family can kick back in the Theme Park: Hurricane Harbor Splashtown. Plan on getting wet at this laz y river, wage a water pistol war, dare the five 38-foot slides and swim in the dive Six Flags water park in Houston. With jumbo slides like the Big Kahuna and and lap pool at this aquatic adventure park, located in Naples. Smaller swimmers Paradise Plunge, wading pools and plenty of tubes, there are countless ways will love the Turtle Cove Pool with colorful fountains and showers or the to play. Q uick-casual dining options and cabana rentals are available. Tadpole Pool, which is only 18 inches deep. Attraction: Padre Island National Seashore. This picturesque park Attraction: Fort Lauderdale Beach. One of the most popular in Corpus Christi protects one of the world’s largest undeveloped beaches in Florida, Fort Lauderdale Beach draws millions of stretches of barrier island — 70 miles of coastline, tidal flats and visitors each year. The area is known for its cleanliness, the variety dunes that sea turtles and some 380 bird species call home. V isitors of shops, amaz ing dining options and nearby nightlife destinations, can enjoy a wide range of recreational opportunities, including not to mention the abundance of available parking. kayaking, birding, camping, swimming and windsurfing. Shopping: Miromar Outlets. Located 18 miles south of Fort Myers, this Shopping: The Woodlands Mall. With both indoor and outdoor open-air Mediterranean-style outlet mall features more than 140 designer and shopping venues — plus a waterway with gondolas, a children’s play area and 10Best.com brand-name stores. Amidst picturesque fountains, koi ponds and vibrant a merry-go-round — this mall in suburban Houston promises not only terrific is your source murals, bargain hunters will delight at deals up to 70 percent off retail prices. shopping, but also a bit of entertainment and visual appeal. for what’s tops in travel, food and culture, providing inspiration to explore the world around you.

Andy Griffith Museum Mall of Georgia MALL OF GEORGIA

GEORGIA Theme Park: Six Flags Over Georgia. With more than 100 rides catering to kids of all ages, Six Flags Over Georgia in Atlanta has plenty of adventures to offer the entire family. E xperience looping thrills on the Mind Bender or climb aboard Twisted Cyclone, one of the nation’s most popular wooden coasters. Looney Tunes Adventure Camp has great options for little ones, too. Attraction: Callaway Resort & Gardens. This Pine Mountain oasis situated on 14,000 acres boasts a golf course, tennis center, spa, woodlands, lakes and elaborate gardens. During spring, some 3,000 varieties of native and hybrid az aleas bloom in the 40-acre Callaway Brothers Az alea Bowl — the largest of its type in the world. Shopping: Mall of Georgia. With five anchor stores and more than 200 specialty shops, this Buford mall is a mecca for shoppers. It features an outdoor stage and amphitheater, IMAX theater, a carousel and multiple restaurants.

MOUNT AIRY TOURISM

NORTH CAROLINA Theme Park: Carowinds. At this 100-acre park on the North Carolina-South Carolina border, kids can let loose at Camp Snoopy and thrill-seekers will enjoy world-class rides like the new Copperhead Strike, the Carolinas’ first double launch coaster. V isitors can also splash and chill at Carolina Harbor Waterpark, included with park admission. Attraction: Mount Airy Main Street. The charming town of Mount Airy was Andy Griffith’s childhood home and the inspiration behind the town of Mayberry in his 196 0s TV classic T he A ndy G riffith S how. The town’s historic Main Street looks much like its fictional counterpart. You can visit Floyd’s City Barber Shop, the Old Mayberry Jail, Snappy Lunch, the Andy Griffith Museum and even Griffith’s childhood home. Shopping: Concord Mills. If you think of yourself as a serious shopper, this recently renovated mall in Concord outside Charlotte might pose a challenge. There are more than 200 stores and 14 eateries, a 24-screen theater, the Sea Life Aquarium and more. —

L iya S avasman contrib uted to this article.

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

By Kristen Seymour

UN. SAND. SALT WATER. What more

does a great beach need? While that trio is certainly enough to make many sun worshippers happy, beaches offering plenty more abound throughout the Gulf Coast and southeastern United States — you just need to know where to look. The best beaches don’t have to be the biggest or busiest. Actually, the fact that some of the following finds are a little q uieter are exactly why they’re such wonderful places to visit. Some of our top picks for getting your vitamin “sea” are

surf-friendly cities with water sports galore, while others are perfect for golfing, fishing, bird-watching or shelling. There are dog-friendly destinations and coastlines you’ll want to cruise with your kids, as well as romantic getaways and fantastic spots for foodies. With so many options throughout the region, it can seem overwhelming to choose just one beach for your getaway. But while each is different, one thing holds true across the (surf) board: Each one is a perfect pick for creating your next unforgettable seaside memories. CONTI NUED

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

Siesta Key, Florida KRISTEN SEYMOUR

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

SIESTA KEY, SARASOTA, FLA. While Siesta Beach may be most famous for its cool, white sand made of quartz and its annual Siesta Key Crystal Classic international sand sculpting festival, the main beach also has a host of other appealing features, including new playgrounds, a striking renovation of its Sarasota School VISIT SARASOTA of Architecture pavilion and an accessibility mat that leads to the gentle surf. directions to Midnight Pass, a Locals and longtime visitors tucked-away spot where you can know that the main beach is only leave your vessel before walking one of many spots to access up and over a short beach the sand and surf along the to find the Gulf of Mexico Great for: 8-mile key. A free trolley spread out before you. beach provides transportation Where to eat: Siesta Key lovers from Siesta Key V illage, O yster Bar (the locals call who want where there are numerous it SKO B), one of the oldest variety options for shopping and establishments on the Key, dining, all the way down where you’ll find live music to Turtle Beach, where you’ll and plenty of seafood on the find coarser, darker sand. Turtle menu. For a more upscale evening Beach has a boat launch as well in the V illage, Summer House as a separate kayak and stand-up offers an elegant atmosphere for paddleboard launch. Make sure to steak, seafood and creative treats ask a guide or local for paddling like the Lobscargot.

Front Beach, Mississippi

GOULD’S INLET, GOLDEN ISLES, GA.

wildlife opportunities. While sunbathing, you may With sunrises so spectacuwant to bring a copy of one of lar they could make anyone local author Eugenia Price’s a morning person, Gould’s novels set in the area. James Inlet, part of St. Simons Gould, the original builder Island, is the perfect of the St. Simons starting point for a lighthouse and person Great for: for whom Gould’s Inlet relaxed walk on the surfers beach. It’s a favorite is named, is a recurring and active character. among locals who pretravelers fer to make their way to Where to eat: the beach on bike or on Have a casual lunch foot through the East Beach of mouthwatering Southern neighborhood, where there’s fare, such as Nashville hot everything from original chicken and wild Georgia beach bungalows to modern shrimp, on Porch’s enormous vacation homes. A launch screened-in, well, porch. At for kayaks and paddleboards Georgia Sea Grill, located leads to a marsh inlet winding in Pier V illage, you’ll find a through the area with incredselection of amazing seafood ible bird-watching and other caught by local fishermen.

ALEX NORTH PHOTOGRAPHY

FRONT BEACH, OCEAN SPRINGS, MISS.

companions. Families will enjoy themselves at the Fort Maurepas The stunning views of the Park & Splash Pad, featuring a Mississippi Sound and Biloxi pavilion and comfort station, Bay Bridge that this white sand along with a nautically themed beach offers are enough to playground. Festivals, draw anyone in — and just museums and independent Great for: wait until you see one of shops and galleries add to dogs and the famous “Secret Coast” the sophistication of the the people sunsets from that vantage area — and all the options who love point. O cean Springs has a mean you’ll never be bored. them charming, Main Street vibe, Where to eat: Grab a complete with centuries-old table at V estige and indulge live oaks along the scenic in a meal from local native shore of Coastal Mississippi. chef Alex Perry’s ever-changing Not only is this relaxing town and always fresh seasonal menu, downright dog-friendly, with featuring sustainably sourced shops and restaurants welcoming seafood. O n Saturdays, catch furry friends and putting water Strictly Fishin’ Charters at the bowls out for passersby, but Front O cean Springs Fresh Market to eat Beach itself welcomes canine like a true local.

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PAWLEYS ISLAND, S.C. First settled in the 17 00s, Pawleys Island has serious beach bragging rights as one of the oldest summer resorts on the East Coast — and you can still visit some of Pawleys Island, the original structures. Part of the South Carolina charm here is the lack of commercial properties on the island. Its DISCOVER SOUTH CAROLINA 100 year-round residents and the area’s returning visitors are drawn to the quiet atmosphere. 30-room Atalaya Castle in Murrells Naturally, you’ll want to explore Inlet, visit Brookgreen Gardens or the wide beach, which is renowned grab your golf clubs since you’re for its surf, then climb the just minutes away from Great for: sand dunes and relax in the courses on the Waccamaw families rope hammocks (which may Golf Trail. envisioning have been made by local Where to eat: Tuck into a simple celebrity Marvin Grant, upscale Southern food at experience aka “The Hammock Man,” Rustic Table, where chef who’s been weaving them and owner Adam Kirby for more than 25 years). Kayaking offers scratch-made low country down the small tidal creeks at delights like brisket nachos and high tide will give you a peek into seafood gumbo. Find local seafood the area’s ecosystem with turtles, and dry-aged prime steaks with a birds, crabs and more. Mediterranean focus at Perrone’s Set out to explore the stunning Restaurant & Bar.

Orange Beach, Alabama ALISON HATFIELD

ALABAMA POINT, ORANGE BEACH, ALA.

both families and adventure seekers; Sail Wild Hearts has a variety O range Beach is at the east end of catamaran cruises that will give of a barrier island on the Gulf of those of all ages the opportunity to Mexico, which it shares with see dolphins (and perhaps Great for: catch a spectacular sunrise, neighboring beach town tourists Gulf Shores. The white sand too). If you happen to time wanting along this island includes 10 your visit just right, you updated public beach accesses; the might witness thousands of options main public beach is located blue crabs appearing at the with at the end of Highway 59 water line. old-school and offers paid parking, Where to eat: Be sure to charm volleyball and facilities. stop in at the Anchor Bar & However, consider heading Grill, grab a spot at the large east of that spot toward the beach patio overlooking the bay, and at Alabama Point East, which is have yourself a Blonde Bushpart of Gulf State Park. wacker, which is more or less a In addition to the 6 ,000 feet boozy milkshake. And the kid- and of beach it offers, Alabama Point dog-friendly restaurant The Gulf, also has boardwalks, picnic tables, an easily recognizable building restrooms and showers, as well as made of huge blue shipping free parking. The area is great for containers, is a must.

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, WILMINGTON, N.C.

The town fully embraces the laid-back, slightly quirky Early birds get the waves vibe that surf culture in Wrightsville Beach, where epitomizes. That’s evident in you’ll find tide-watching its surf shops, boutiques and surfers and stand-up other local enterprises, such paddleboarders making as Redix, a 196 0s departtheir way out into the ment store, and The Great for: Workshop, a coffee Atlantic near Johnnie surfers Mercers Fishing Pier shop that was opened and active by local scuba divers, at dawn. Considered travelers North Carolina’s most where you can purchase accessible beach, jewelry made from Wrightsville Beach is 4 miles locally recovered shark teeth. long with pristine white Where to eat: Shark Bar sand, and outdoor activities & Kitchen offers simple are always on the menu. Go food done well with a menu for a jog around The Loop, a focused on locally and 2.5-mile paved trail around sustainably sourced seafood, the inner portion of the island meats and produce. Spice up or ride a bike along the 11-mile your trip with a cozy evening River to the Sea Bikeway at Ceviche’s, a Panamanian that runs from the Johnnie restaurant with tuna poke Mercers Pier to Riverfront wraps, jerk camarones and, of Park in nearby Wilmington. course, ceviche.

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C I H C KE NF IX

FRIE

GET YOUR

Commune with Southern soul on a tasty tour of Dixie By Matt Alderton

RIED CHICKEN IS FO O D for the senses; all five of them, in fact. It tastes good, of course: juicy, salty, savory. It’s abundantly tactile, thanks to its crispy coating and moist, unctuous meat. Its aroma is distinct, and its crunchy, golden profile is a sight to behold. And if you’re listening, fried chicken even speaks, says D arin Sehnert, chef-owner at Chef D arin’s Kitchen Table, a hands-on cooking school in Savannah, Ga., where he teaches the art of making classic Southern dishes.

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“When you understand where a dish comes from — the cultural and historical influences behind it — you have a better appreciation for it,” explains Sehnert, who says fried chicken’s story is distinctly Southern. “Fried chicken is allAmerican, but really, it’s a regional dish. When you think of fried chicken, you think of the South.” Indeed, sampling fried chicken is the perfect way to experience the American South. Whether you’re Southern-born and-bred or a Y ankee who’s embarking on a Southern sojourn, learning about it — and then eating as much of it as possible — will give you a sense of place that’s only possible via your palate.

B easl ey’s C h icken & H on ey

Buttermilk-fried chicken drizzled with honey

A TASTE OF HISTORY Fried chicken is at once wholly American, yet also uniquely global, according to Sehnert, who says food historians trace fried chicken’s roots primarily to West African slaves. “Frying was heavily used in Africa, where Africans would extract oil from palm kernels to use as a frying medium,” Sehnert says. “When they were brought to the U nited States as slaves, they used lard because pigs — which had been brought to the South by the Spanish in the 1500s — were a ready source of fat that was easily rendered out.” Chickens, too, were easy to raise and slaughter. “Chickens were often raised by slaves on plantations to supplement the diet CO NTINU ED

GETTY IMAGES; ANGIE MOSIER

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plantation owners provided them,” continues Sehnert, who says fried chicken increased in popularity and practicality after the Civil War. “Y ou had financial devastation on both sides of the conflict, and chickens were something people could raise in their yard if they lived in town. O n top of that, fat could be reused multiple times, so frying in general was a very economical way of cooking.” In difficult times, fried chicken was a saving grace — especially for African American women who made a post-emancipation living selling fried chicken to white passengers from train platforms. U nfortunately, the other side of subsistence was suffering. “Fried chicken ... gave people license to create ugly, fried chickenrelated stereotypes (about) African Americans,” Adrian Miller, author of Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time, wrote in a 2016 article for online food magazine First We Feast. “African Americans were negatively depicted in various media as pathological chicken stealers, pre-eminent chicken fryers and voracious fried chicken eaters. This was part of a concerted effort during the 19th century to dehumanize the newly freed African Americans.” The first fried chicken recipe in an American cookbook — The Virginia Housewife, published in 1824 by Thomas Jefferson’s cousin, Mary Randolph —

was straightforward. “Cut (chickens) up ... dredge them well with flour, sprinkle them with salt, put them into a good quantity of boiling lard and fry them a light brown,” it reads. If you ask food guru Lee Brian Schrager, less is still more nearly two centuries later. “In my opinion, the best fried chicken is often the simplest to make,” says Schrager, founder of the Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival and co-author of Fried & True: More than 50 Recipes for America’s Best Fried Chicken and Sides. “Typically, it begins with cold chicken that gets dipped in seasoned flour and then dropped in hot oil — that’s it.” The best way to discover your own flavor biases may be to fry your own chicken, which you can learn to do during Sehnert’s Low Country: Fried Chicken Social class. Held regularly, the session costs $ 100 per person and lasts 3.5 hours. Students learn to prepare an authentic Southern meal with fried chicken as the centerpiece.

H atti e B ’s H ot C hi c k en

Fried chicken sandwich

FINGER-LICKING FAVORITES If you’d rather skip straight to the good part — eating — the South is teeming with restaurants where you can connect with its roots by sampling regional cuisine. For a classic and casual take that’s quintessentially Southern, try Wi lli e Mae’s S c otc h H ouse in New O rleans. Established in

JOSEPH WOODLEY

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“Fried

chicken is a mirror that reflects wherever you are in the country.

”

— Ti m Q u i n l an , H ar v est g ener al m anag er

M am a D ip ’s K itch en

No-frills fried chicken MAMA D IP ’S K ITCH EN

1957 , it’s been at its current, humble location since 1958. Although Hurricane Katrina destroyed it in 2005, it reopened in 2007 , and has been seamlessly serving its birds — perfectly seasoned and not at all greasy — to long lines of hungry visitors. Two more old-time institutions are M arth a L ou ’s K itch en in Charleston, S.C., and M am a D ip ’s K itch en in Chapel Hill, N.C. Neither fancy nor fussy, both shine for their authenticity. At the former, where a muraled pink exterior is as distinctive as its fried-toorder chicken, 90-year-old Martha Lou Gadsden still serves no-frills soul food on Styrofoam plates, as she has since 1983. At the latter, owner Spring Council and her siblings serve the same simple recipe that their late mother used when she opened the restaurant in 197 6 . In Raleigh, N.C., B easl ey’s C h icken + H on ey features a more modern take on fried chicken. Brined, dipped in buttermilk, dredged in flour, then cooked in a pressure fryer, the crispy finished product comes with a drizzle of honey and is best enjoyed perched atop a light and airy waffle, alongside a local craft beer. Should your chickenfried travels take you to Tennessee, G u s’s W orl d F am ou s H ot an d Sp icy F ried C h icken in Mason and H attie B ’s H ot C h icken in Nashville’s Midtown are two stops worth making. Gus’s is known for its crispy, slightly spicy skin and uber-moist meat; Hattie CONTINUED

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B’s for its painful-yetpleasurable heat, which it owes to its cayenne-heavy coating. Peak poultry perfection also exists in K entucky, where you can experience fried chicken at both its cheapest and its chicest. The cheap, but no less delicious, version resides in Corbin, where Col. Harland Sanders — who singlehandedly turned a regional dish into an international obsession — operated the original K entucky Fried Chicken from 194 0 until 1956. Today, the H arl an d San ders C af é an d M u seu m is home to its own K FC restaurant, a model of the Colonel’s original kitchen and a Sanders-centric museum. On the opposite end of the culinary spectrum is farm-to-table fried chicken at H arv est in Louisville. Non-GMO, antibiotic-free, pasture-raised and locally sourced chicken soaks for at least 24 hours in hot sauce and buttermilk before it’s battered, fried and served with tangy greens, woodsy bourbon gravy and a garnish of house-made hot sauce. “Fried chicken is a mirror that reflects wherever you are in the country,” says Harvest’s general manager Tim Q uinlan. “The q uality of the dish isn’t just about how good the chicken is — fried chicken is always good — but rather, the entirety of the plate and the picture it paints of the region you’re in.” Thanks to fried chicken, the picture in Dixie is always pretty close to perfect.

H arv est

Farm-to-table fried chicken

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MISSISSIPPI Coastal tow ns tou t linary , nau tical allu r e

GEORGIA

Appealing Atlanta, su per sig h ts in P each State

NORTH CAROLINA

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TEXAS

Bi g attr act ions on in Beau mo nt

80 TENNESSEE After enjoying myriad events in Nashville, visitors can take in breathtaking views at the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area in Oneida, Tenn.

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10BEST | CRAFT BREWERIES

Tried and Brew Experience the best craft beer the Gulf Coast has to offer By Kae Lani Palmisano

HE ST. PETE/CLEARWATER CRAFT Beer Trail in Florida

GALVESTON ISLAND BREWING

GALVESTON ISLAND BREWING Galveston, Texas Just a block away from the beach, Galveston Island Brewing (galvestonislandbrewing.com) offers something fun and different. They rotate among specialty beers brewed seasonally, but their top IPA, Citra Mellow, and their flagship beer, TIKI Wheat, are available year-round.

is known as the Gulp Coast, but the rising tide of craft breweries has brought excellent beers to surrounding states, too. Explore these top breweries along the Gulf Coast and Southeast U.S. to sip some for yourself:

DUNEDIN BREWERY Dunedin, Fla. E stablished in 1995, Dunedin Brewery (dunedin brewery.com) is the oldest microbrewery in Florida and is home to a variety of beers known as Florida weisse, which incorporate the state’s iconic citrus fruits. You can taste this bold fruitiness in Ritual Madness, which won a silver medal in the Fruited Wood and Barrel-Aged Sour category of the 2018 World Beer Cup.

BEARDED IRIS BREWING

VISITSTPETECLEARWATER.COM

BEARDED IRIS BREWING Nashville, Tenn. The variety of beer on tap at Bearded Iris Brewing (beardedirisbrewing.com) may seem narrow to some who are used to going to breweries with lots of different styles available. But that’s intentional. Bearded Iris Brewing knows what they do well, so that’s what they focus on — and they source high-quality ingredients to do it. If you stop by their taproom, try their popular Homestyle, an oated IPA.

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10BEST | CRAFT BREWERIES

LAZY MAGNOLIA BREWERY

LAZY MAGNOLIA BREWERY Kiln, Miss. At just 15 years old, Laz y Magnolia Brewery ( laz ymag nolia.com) is Mississippi’s oldest packaging brewery. Its flagship beer, Southern Pecan, is a nod to the South’s love of pecans and pecan pralines.

MIGUEL DIAZ/SOFA COUCH MEDIA

CRYING EAGLE BREWERY

CRYING EAGLE BREWERY Lake Charles, La. The top-selling beer at Crying E agle Brewery ( cryingeagle.com) is the Louisiana Lager, which is brewed using locally grown rice.

REBEL TOAD BREWING CO. Corpus Christi, Texas Rebel Toad Brewing Co. ( reb eltoadb rewing.com) is a small, independent brewery with big personality. They may only have eight taps, but their high-quality craft beers will leave you satisfied.

TIN ROOF BREWING CO. Baton Rouge, La. As Baton Rouge’s largest craft brewery, Tin Roof Brewing Co. (t inroofbeer .com) offers a wide range of beer styles — from lagers to stouts — that are sure to please every beer lover.

COAST BREWING CO.

COAST BREWING CO. North Charleston, S.C. Located on an old Navy base, the family-owned COAST Brewing Co. (co astbr ewing.com) is dedicated to making beer in a way that considers the environment. They may not have the official designation, but they make a point to source local ingredients that are certified organic.

VISITSTPETECLEARWATER.COM

BIG BEACH BREWING COMPANY

GREEN BENCH BREWING COMPANY St. Petersburg, Fla. Green Bench Brewing Company ( greenbenchbr ewing.com) is the first microbrewery to open in St. Petersburg. They focus on a range of beers from light lagers and pilsners to full-bodied weizenbo cks and hoppy West Coast-style IPAs. They put ample locally sourced Florida citrus fruits to good use by not only making refreshing beers, but also brewing cider and mead.

BIG BEACH BREWING COMPANY Gulf Shores, Ala. Locals who are used to classic lager beers love drinking Rod’s Reel Cream Ale at Big Beach Brewing Company ( b igb eachb rewing .com) . But for something with more hops, general manager Ryan Shamburger recommends the Area 251 Haz y IPA.

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ALABAMA

Heart of Mobile Mural

Stunning Sites Can’t-miss locations in Alabama will amp up your Instagram ‘ likes’

G et a pic with this bright mural at 9 South Joachim St. in downtown Mobile. Don’t forget to tag # heartofmobile and do a little antique shopping nearby. heartofmobile.co

Muscle Shoals Sound Studio

By Sarah Sekula

ROM ART AND HISTORY to nature and tempting

tastes, Alabama has plenty of photo-worthy locations that you’ll want to document. So, hit the road and get ready to take your best selfie at these visually appealing spots:

Dive into the sounds of Southern soul and R& B at this historic recording studio in Sheffield that once attracted high-profile artists including Aretha Franklin, W ilson P ickett, P aul Simon and O tis Redding. muscleshoalssoundstudio.org GETTY IMAGES; VISIT MOBILE/MDMEDIA; CHRIS GRANGER/FLORENCE-LAUDERDALE TOURISM

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ALABAMA The Yard Milkshake Bar

GETTY IMAGES; GULF SHORES & ORANGE BEACH TOURISM (2); SHOBA GEORGE (2); CHRIS GRANGER/FLORENCE-LAUDERDALE TOURISM; TAD DENSON/VISIT MOBILE

If you post a photo of the over-the-top milkshakes at this sweet shop in Gulf Shores, your friends will be filled with Insta-envy. Tackle the pint or quart siz e on your own or split the gallon siz e with your buddies. Can you say sugar rush? theyardmilkshakebar.com

National Memorial for Peace and Justice

Rosenbaum House

Avenue of the Oaks

Koi Mural

In downtown Montgomery, plan a visit to the National Memorial for Peace and Justice and the nearby Legacy Museum to better understand America’s history of racial injustice. museumandmemorial.eji.org

Learn more about the late Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture by taking a 45-minute tour of the Rosenbaum House in Florence. Built in 1939 in the famed architect’s U sonian style, it is the only Wright design open to the public in the southeastern U nited States. wrightinalabama.com

Make a beeline to Spring Hill College in Mobile to see this lovely canopy of hundred-year-old oak trees. It’s a popular spot for a picnic and people-watching; you might see everything from family photos to weddings, and at graduation, students walk the avenue donning their caps and gowns. shc.edu

The Koi Mural, located on the side of 200 West Side Square in Huntsville, is just one of many pieces of public art in the Rocket City’s downtown area. The brightly colored artwork provides a 3D appearance when viewed from a specific spot marked at the location. artshuntsville.org/public-art

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FLORIDA | SANIBEL ISLAND

Shell? Yeah! Tips for gathering beautiful and bountiful beach treasures

Sanibel Island, Fla. THE BEACHES OF FORT MYERS & SANIBEL

By Shelby Deering

REMEMBER THE FIRST time I learned about Sanibel Island, Fla. I was 7 , poring over

a book my parents had given to me titled F l o r i d a ’s F a b u l o u s Se a sh e l l s: An d Ot h e r Se a sh o r e L i f e . There was a section called Why Sanibel Is So Special, and I was immediately drawn to the photos of shell piles. I soon traveled to Sanibel Island for the first time. Even though I live in Wisconsin, I’ve been to the island nearly every

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FLORIDA | SANIBEL ISLAND

“ S anib el is uniq ue in many ways, b ut what really stands out are the seemingly endless amount of shells lining its b eaches.” — DORRIE HIPSCHMAN, executive director of Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum

Junonia sea snail REBECCA MENSCH; THE BEACHES OF FORT MYERS & SANIBEL; GETTY IMAGES

year to partake in one of my favorite activities: shelling. D ecades later, the island still boasts seashells so plentiful that you can hear jingling sounds as the waves bring them ashore. “Sanibel is unique in many ways, but what really stands out are the seemingly endless amount of shells lining its beaches,” says D orrie Hipschman, executive director of Sanibel Island’s Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum. “D uring winter storms, the crescent shape of the island helps trap shells that wash ashore in large numbers.” With its curved profile and ideal positioning on the Gulf of Mexico, Sanibel truly is a sheller’s paradise. If you’d like to seek seashells by the seashore (say that five times fast! ), here are some helpful tips to get started:

PROPER GEAR From an early age, I learned that Sanibel shelling and going barefoot don’t mix. “Shoes are a must due to the

abundance of shells on the beaches,” Hipschman says. “If you have a pair of water shoes, that will work fine.” As for a shell bag, Hipschman says, “mesh shell bags are the best. Y ou can get them wet, and they dry quickly. They’re reusable, and they can hold a good amount of shells.” For tiny shells, also called micromollusks, she adds that a pill container with a lid works well. If you’re not game to bend down several times during your shelling jaunt (locals call it the Sanibel Stoop), a scoop can be useful. Find them at area stores and the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum gift shop.

BEST SHELLING TIMES Expert shellers know the best daily and yearly times to score the finest seashells. “The best times to go shelling on Sanibel are at low tide, during a new or full moon and after a winter storm with strong, consistent northwest winds,” says Hipschman. “Complex, localized currents and waves from these

northwest winds often push in shells from further out in the Gulf of Mexico.” When I arrive at a Sanibel hotel, I always ask for a tide chart (most local hotels have them). Shelling during low tide means more beach is exposed, which makes finding shells easier, Hipschman explains.

TYPES OF SEASHELLS I’ve been shelling so long, I can rattle off the names of Sanibel seashells as if they’re beloved old friends. For new shellers, I’d recommend stopping by the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce to pick up an identification chart (you can also pick up a tide chart there) and the Bailey-Matthews museum has more comprehensive versions. Look for common, yet beautiful, shells on the beach like the multihued Atlantic calico scallop, the striking lightning whelk and the quintessential Florida fighting conch. There are three rare varieties that intrepid shellers keep in their sights:

the lion’s paw, which looks like a large scallop; the orange and white Scotch bonnet; and the granddaddy of them all, the elusive junonia, a polka-dotted, deep-sea shell that seldom appears on the shore.

TAKING THEM HOME While you’re sure to be mesmerized by the wide-ranging selection of shells and will want to add as many as possible to your bounty, beware that some have to stay on the shore. “It is important to note Florida banned the collection of live mollusks from all of Lee County’s beaches, including Sanibel,” Hipschman says. If you plan to travel with the treasures you’re allowed to take, Hipschman says, “Within the U nited States, it is recommended to put shells in checked luggage. For international visitors, they may want to mail their shells back home. Every country has different rules for what can enter and leave the country.”

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GEORGIA | ATLANTA

Urban Adventure Enjoy art, aq uatics and more in Atlanta

HILE YOU MAY PLAN your Atlanta trip around a specific activity, like visiting Six Flags Over Georgia or delving into civil rights history at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, what you’ll find once you arrive is that there is far more awaiting you than you may have expected. And that’s a good thing. Check out these must-see attractions, recommended by USA TODAY’s 10Best, on your next visit:

COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME Feel the excitement and spirit of college football fanfare from the moment you step inside this football-shaped building located downtown. Your ticket includes high-tech microchip-enabled credentials that personaliz e your museum experience. You’ll see stats, photos and more about your favorite college football EXPERT TIP team on walls and kiosks as The Game Day you wind your way through Theater is the the exhibits. It also allows perfect way to get you to show off your football into the spirit of experience with friends. You the museum. can log onto the website to retrieve photos and videos, such as your E SPN call of the game or your fight-song karaoke tune. The big draw for many visitors is the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl Skill Z one where you can kick a field goal, run through a training course or take the quarterback challenge. ▶ cfb hall.com COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME

GEORGIA AQUARIUM

STONE MOUNTAIN PARK

It doesn’t matter how old you are or how much you know about marine life, the Georgia Aquarium is an absolute must-see. Claiming the title as the largest aquarium in the world, the massive downtown attraction is home to countless sea creatures. The EXPERT TIP mesmerizi ng Ocean V oyager SCU BA-certified? gallery has a staggering array Score a once-in-aof underwater giants. Watch lifetime experience in wonder as whale sharks, and dive with manta rays and thousands of whale sharks. fish swim overhead. Observe the otherworldly beluga whales dance in the Cold Water Quest gallery and enjoy an interactive experience petting horseshoe crabs, sea stars and stingrays. Those who’d like an even closer look can partake in the dolphin, sea otter and penguin encounter programs. ▶ georgiaaquar ium.org

With Confederate Gens. Robert E . Lee and Thomas J. “ Stonewall” Jackson carved prominently on the face of the mountain, this 3,200-acre park offers visitors a chance to soak up local history and get in a good workout. The 5-acre mountain ( the world’s EXPERT TIP largest piece of exposed See the park’s granite) boasts numerous spectacular lase hiking routes demanding show in the exploration. Those less keen spring through on huffing and puffing can early fall. avoid the effort with a ride on the Summit Skyride. The “ town” at the park packs a lot of kitsch, but it’s of the kid-friendly variety. Rides and amusements include mini-golf, the SkyHike attraction ( which connects miles of suspended bridges among the treetops) and a ride aboard a 1940s-era train. ▶ stonemountainpark. com

FRANK ZAYAS

ATLANTA BELTLINE

STONE MOUNTAIN PARK

WORLD OF COCA-COLA

Originally conceived in 1999, the Atlanta BeltLine will ultimately connect 45 neighborhoods with 33 miles of multiuse trails along 22 miles of historic rail corridors. Construction is ongoing, but a large portion is receiving regular use. You can enjoy four trail segments, four public parks, art events through Art on the Atlanta BeltLine and foot races through the Atlanta BeltLine Running Series. Plan your visit around an event, or go anytime to see what all of the hype is about. ▶ bel tline.org

EXPERT TIP Pedal your way through Piedmont Park, Inman Park and Old Fourth Ward on the E astside Trail.

E xplore the history of Coca-Cola in this 6 0,000-square-foot exhibit. You’ll find the world’s largest permanent display of Coke memorabilia, a tasting room and a behind-the-scenes look at the bottling process. Young children will find the tasting room and the possibility of sampling so many varieties exciting. See the In Search of the Secret Formula movie at the 3-D Theater, pose for a picture with the Coca-Cola polar bear or take a multimedia journey through Coke’s exciting past. ▶ worldofcoca- cola.com

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EXPERT TIP Sample more than 100 CocaCola flavors, many of which you never knew existed.

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GEORGIA

Just Peachy Check these spectacular sites off your Georgia bucket list

TLANTIC BEACHES, HISTORIC SMALL towns, coastal

marshlands and northern mountains — the largest state east of the Mississippi River is a study in contrasts. There’s the rural Old South with its moss-draped oaks and grand plantations. On the other side sits metropolitan Atlanta, arguably the capital of the New South. And everywhere in between are numerous opportunities to commune with nature, expand your cultural and artistic horizons and immerse yourself in the Peach State’s history. These attractions, recommended by USA TODAY’s 10Best, provide those pursuits and more:

SAVANNAH HISTORIC DISTRICT Recorded history of this city begins in 1 7 3 3 , the year when G en. James O glethorpe and the good ship Anne made landfall along the Savannah River and the colony of G eorgia was established. Considered America’s first planned city, Savannah still has 22 of its 24 original public squares, thanks in part to the Historic Savannah Foundation, which helped forge one of the country’s largest N ational Historic Landmarks, Savannah’s Historic L and mark District. VISIT SAVANNAH

OKEFENOKEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Established in 1 9 3 7 as a sanctuary and breeding ground for migratory birds, this refuge protects a swath of the Okefenokee Swamp at the headwaters of the Suwannee and St. Marys rivers just above the Florida state line. P opular among bird-watchers for the chance to spot wood storks and red-cockaded woodpeckers, the refuge also provides a habitat for fish, amphibians, reptiles and more than 6 0 0 species of plants.

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GEORGIA

THE BIG HOUSE MUSEUM In spring of 196 9, legendary guitarist Duane Allman formed the Allman Brothers Band, known for its rock-fueled blend of blues, jaz z and country music. The Big House in Macon was the center of the band’s activities during their early years, and today, the Tudor-style house serves as a museum filled with guitars and other memorabilia.

OCMULGEE MOUNDS NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK

CUMBERLAND ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE

Some 17,000 years of continuous human occupation are in evidence at this prehistoric Native American site in Macon. Nomadic hunters of the ice age were the first people to pass through this 700-acre park, followed by groups who began cultivating corn and beans. By 900 A.D., the Mississippian people arrived and began building the earthen mounds for which they’re famous.

Cumberland Island is for nature enthusiasts. Picture-perfect oaks dripping Spanish moss serve as trail sentinels here, living estuaries bubble with life and the skies are filled with sights and sounds of egrets, storks and other resident birds. Native American, Spanish and E nglish history abounds, along with nature, and the ruins of the Thomas Carnegie family’s mansions now serve as reminders of the island’s long-lost masters.

CALLAWAY RESORT & GARDENS This 14,000-acre property in Pine Mountain features a golf course, tennis center, spa, woodlands and lakes, and sits at the southernmost foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. During spring, some 3,000 varieties of native and hybrid az aleas begin to bloom in the 40-acre Callaway Brothers Azalea Bowl — one of the largest displays of its type in the world. GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT; NATIONAL PARK SERVICE (2); CALLAWAY GARDENS (2)

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USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

KENTUCKY | LOUISVILLE

Lovely Louisville There’s more to this K entucky town than bourbon and horses

West Main Street, downtown Louisville, Ky. LOUISVILLE CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU

By Corinne Whiting

OUISVILLE, KY., EVOKES AN

easy, small-town vibe. Y et it manages to maintain a global perspective that extends far beyond its K entucky coordi-

nates. Sure, locals are mighty proud of their rich horse-racing and bourbon-making traditions, but residents of this vibrant

city also enjoy art and culinary scenes that embrace cultures from around the globe. While your Louisville itinerary will surely expose you to some down-home K entucky hospitality, it can also provide a wider view of what this dynamic town has to offer. Optimize your experience with these recommendations from USA TODAY’s 10Best: CONTI NUED

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

KENTUCKY | LOUISVILLE

GLOBAL COMMUNITY With an estimated 100 languages spoken in Louisville public schools and 35 percent of the city’s population growth over the past 16 years coming from international residents (from more than 150 countries), Louisville is more culturally diverse than ever. O rganizations like Kentucky Refugee Ministries assist the immigrant community by helping newcomers set up homes, get familiar with the language, laws and local customs, and connect them to services needed for day-to-day living. Every year, the wildly popular W orl dF est (louisvilleky.gov/government/city-events/worldfest) celebrates global food, music, dance and more with the colorful Parade of Cultures, a bustling Global V illage and a giant naturalization ceremony. Located at The Belvedere at 5th and Main streets, the festival is free all four days of Labor D ay weekend. Another gathering, the F estiv al of F aith s (festivaloffaiths.org), happens every spring, but was postponed this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The four-day, multifaith celebration of music, poetry, art, film and dialogue brings together spiritual leaders, practitioners and teachers for conversations and events. O rganizers hope to reschedule it later in the year.

WorldFest LOUISVILLE CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU

If music is your thing, check out the K en tu cky C en ter f or th e Perf orm in g A rts (kentuckyperformingarts.org). This grand venue is home to ballet, Broadway shows, opera, orchestra and children’s theater. For more music magic, visit venues like Stev ie Ray’s B l u es B ar (stevieraysbluesbar.com) and M ercu ry B al l room (mercuryballroom. com), one of Live Nation’s premier venues.

AWESOME ARTS Louisville offers a vibrant arts scene, whether you’re looking for inspiration hanging on the walls or bouncing around music halls and festivals. O ne can’t-miss spot? T h e Sp eed A rt M u seu m (speedmuseum.org), which is Kentucky’s oldest and largest art museum. Through Aug. 21, Speed was scheduled to host Andy Warhol: Revelation, the first exhibition to comprehensively examine the pop artist’s complex Catholic faith in relation to his artistic production. Revelation features more than 100 objects from The Andy Warhol Museum’s permanent collection, including archival materials, drawings, paintings, prints and film. Through the end of January 2021, the F raz ier K en tu cky H istory M u seu m (fraziermuseum.org) will recognize the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote, with the What Is a Vote Worth? Suffrage Then and Now exhibition.

ETHNIC EATS Nosh your way across the map with eateries that range from O skar’s (oskarssliderbar.com), a Nordic-themed slider bar, to T h e I rish Rov er (theirishroverky. com), which draws patrons to the Crescent Hill neighborhood, and D aksh in (facebook. com/Dakshinlouisville), which many locals insist serves the best Indian food in town (at their restaurant and food truck). The menu at H av an a Ru m b a (havana rumbaonline.com) celebrates the fact that Louisville boasts the biggest Cuban population in the U .S. outside of Miami, while Piz z a L u p o (pizzalupo.com) serves up homemade pastas and pizzas. When it comes to Asian fare standouts, try community favorites V ietn am K itch en (vietnamkitchen.net), H im al ayan Restau ran t (himalayanlouisville.com), H eart & Soy (heartandsoy.net) (where you can watch them make tofu) and O rien tal H ou se (oriental houselouisville.com), a staple in the St. Matthews neighborhood for decades.

Oriental House Dim Sum LOUISVILLE CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU

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LOUISIANA | NEW ORLEANS

DO:

Try all the food you can get your hand s on. From po’boys to muffalettas to crawfish, the Big Easy is known for a wide array of rich, spicy and tasty food. Book a food tour to get the best of Creole and Cajun cuisine, and everything in between. And if you don’t eat a beignet at the original Café du Monde, the 24-hour, seven-days-a-week historic coffee stand, did you even visit the city at all?

DON’T:

Take in the sights and sound s on Frenchmen Street. A night on this boulevard means popping (and bopping!) in and out of live music venues. Let the jazz, blues and rock sounds guide your night from bar to bar and take in the musical culture. The architecture all over the city, especially in the French Quarter, is stunning and unlike anything else in the United States. Don’t miss the Ga rd en District with its centuries-old homes and charming shops and galleries.

New Orleans 101

1 . Plan an entire night out on B ourb on Street. Revelry abounds along the bustling, infamous party locale in the French Q uarter — but that hardly means it’s worth partaking in for too long. Check it out early in the evening before it gets too rowdy, especially if you’re not the partying type.

Experiences ﬁrst-time visitors should try — and ones to skip

2 . G et your palm read b y the first person you see ad vertising it. If you want to get your palm read, there will be many opportunities, so do your due diligence and shop around instead of picking a random street vendor.

By David Oliver

W Find a good spot to view the Mississippi River. There’s nothing quite like gazing out at this vast body of water. Across from Jackson Square, you can get a gorgeous view of the river on one side and a look at St. L ouis Cathed ral on the other.

HEN YOU THINK OF New Orleans, you probably think of a few things: Mardi Gras, people partying down Bourbon Street and echoes of locals screaming “Laissez les bons temps rouler!”(“Let the good times roll!”) But there’s a lot more to the Big Easy that first-time visitors should keep in mind. It’s unlikely you’ll be able to do it all, but there are steamboat tours, swamp excursions and countless museums and restaurants to fill your time. If you’re just getting started, here are three things you should do when you visit the city for the first time — and three you can do without:

3 . Eat spicy food if you’re not a fan. Hot sauce and spicy dishes are plentiful in the city. At Pepper Palace in the French Quarter, you need to sign a waiver before trying one of its hot sauces. If this doesn’t sound like something you’d enjoy, don’t take the risk. GETTY IMAGES (6); DAVID OLIVER

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

MISSISSIPPI | THE COAST

Little Room, Walter Anderson Museum of Art PHOTOS BY WENDY PRAMIK

Sites to See Experience the magic of coastal Mississippi By Mike and Wendy Pramik

OASTAL MISSISSIPPI OFFERS A slice of beachside living where tourists can seek out fresh, local cuisine, dive into the region’s history and discover everyday magic in small

towns. Along the charming stretch of coastline between New O rleans and Mobile, Ala., tourists can find more than a dozen towns. From Waveland in western Mississippi through Pascagoula and Moss Point in the east, each of these places has something singular to offer:

ENGAGE IN ARTSY ADVENTURE The Little Room is a big attraction at the Walter Anderson Museum of Art (walterandersonmuseum.org)

in O cean Springs. It’s the space where the local artist and naturalist worked in seclusion up until his death in 196 5. The vivid murals represent Anderson’s vision of Horn Island, a wild slice of land a few miles off the Mississippi coast, where he liked to spend much of his time. A centerpiece of coastal

Mississippi’s arts scene is the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art (georgeohr.org), which lies just off the main coastal highway in Biloxi. It boasts some of the many works of George O hr, the self-proclaimed “Mad Potter” of Biloxi, whose late 19thcentury work was largely misunderstood by the public before being recognized as masterpieces after his death. Noted architect Frank Gehry designed the museum, which features several stainless steel-clad pods sprinkled among live oak trees.

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

MISSISSIPPI | THE COAST

BE IMMERSED IN NAUTICAL ALLURE Step onto a tour boat where you can learn how shrimp are caught. Climb aboard a motorboat for a tour of the Pascagoula River, or hop aboard a charter boat for some fishing at one of the many marinas. M cC oy’s Riv er & M arsh T ou rs (mccoyrivertours.com) in Moss Point offers rides along the Pascagoula River, one of the last free-flowing rivers in the United States. The two-hour ramble leaves from the Pascagoula River Audubon Center and ventures past waving fiddler crabs, wading egrets and sunning alligators.

Le Café Beignet

TASTE COASTAL CUISINE

Benny McCoy, McCoy’s River & Marsh Tours

Y ou can relive the storied coast’s past as a seafood production hub through a visit to Biloxi’s M aritim e an d Seaf ood I n du stry M u seu m (maritimemuseum. org). There’s

20,000 sq uare feet of exhibit space, a theater, art gallery, research library and the Wade Guice Hurricane Museum. The showpiece is the Nydia, a 30-foot sloop built in 1896 that makes a stunning welcome to drivers crossing the Biloxi Bay Bridge.

Because coastal Mississippi rests just off the Gulf of Mexico, seafood naturally dominates the culinary scene. However, your options are hardly limited to baskets of fried fish. In addition to Southern cooking, a variety of influences, including French, Cajun, Creole and Asian, pepper the flavorful cuisine. Chef Alex Perry opened V estige (vestigerestaurant.com) in his hometown of Ocean Springs in 2013, and his offerings of savory, sustainable Southern food have caught on with locals and visitors. The 2019 James Beard semifinalist says he likes to find innovative ways to bring flavor to the plate. “With food, you don’t leave with something tangible, like a TV or a car. But what you have is a good experience, the memory of it. We want our customers to leave with that positive impression.” L e C af é B eign et

Le Café Beignet

Vestige

Le Bakery

(lecafebeignetbiloxi.business. site) is a casual eatery featuring

Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum

New Orleans-inspired dishes in the ornate former Biloxi Public Library, a stone’s throw away from U.S. Highway 90 along the coast. Beignets are the star of the show at the café, which is open daily for breakfast and lunch. Owner Sita La’Cap says she uses her grandmother’s recipe to create the tasty doughnutlike treats.

L e B akery (facebook.com/ LeBakeryBiloxi) is a French-style shop and V ietnamese restaurant in Biloxi that specializes in sweets baked daily as well as banh mi sandwiches on house-baked French loaves. Biloxi has had a strong V ietnamese community since refugees settled in the area in the late 1970s.

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

NORTH CAROLINA | NAGS HEAD

Kitty Hawk Kites’ Hang Gliding Training Center OUTER BANKS VISITORS BUREAU

Hanging High Glide over sand dunes in the birthplace of flight

By Erin Gifford

NE BY ONE, MY three children

soared above the windswept sand dunes, overcome with jubilation as they took to the sky on colorful 30-foot-wide hang gliders. As they experienced flight for themselves, the location’s significance was not lost on us. We were just 4 miles from where the Wright Brothers made their history-changing 12-second flight in D ecember 1903. It’s fitting that visitors can heed the call of the sky in an area so steeped in aviation history — and what more scenic place to

experience flight than North Carolina’s O uter Banks. Gliding lessons take place at Jockey’s Ridge State Park in Nags Head, home to the tallest natural sand dunes on the East Coast, reaching 80 to 100 feet tall and offering spectacular views from the Roanoke Sound to the Atlantic O cean. Consistent winds and soft, sandy hills in every direction make this 427 -acre park an ideal place to learn to glide. “It’s the best-kept secret in aviation, to be able to fly these amazingly simple, but fun aircraft,” says Billy V aughn, veteran gliding CONTINUED

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

NORTH CAROLINA | NAGS HEAD

WHILE YOU’RE THERE

OUTER BANKS VISITORS BUREAU

Book a spot on a charter with OBX Crabbing. Go out with a real-life crabber, reel in the crab pots and shake them out of the trap to bring the right-size crabs back to shore. ▶ obxcrabbing. com

ERIN GIFFORD

Wild horses have roamed the beaches of Corolla for centuries. Today, only 100 remain. Wild Horse Adventure Tours transports guests in off-road vehicles in search of these animals. ▶ wildhorsetour. com

ERIN GIFFORD

Hit the beach after dark with Ghost Crab Quest. Kids scurry across the beach trying to scoop up zig-zagging crustaceans. Collect a few dozen, then set them free. ▶ gcquest.com

OUTER BANKS VISITORS BUREAU

The Wright Brothers National Memorial Visitor Center has exhibits and artifacts, including a piece of cloth from the 1903 Wright Flyer. ▶ nps.gov/ wrbr

OUTER BANKS VISITORS BUREAU

instructor and assistant manager for the Hang Gliding Training Center at K itty Hawk K ites’ Jockey’s Ridge location. “When people come in off the dunes, the number of comments (or) smiles is incredible.” After a three-hour gliding lesson, you climb the towering dunes for five adrenaline-fueled solo flights on a nonmotorized hang glider that allows you to effortlessly soar from 30 to 100 yards or more. For those who feel uneasy in the moments before takeoff, the best advice — a mantra, they say at Kitty Hawk Kites — is “relax, look ahead.” These three words get a lot of firsttimers through that first flight, adds V aughn. After that rush, four more mesmerizing flights await, and it only gets better as the nerves melt away. K ids as young as 4 can learn to hang glide. Safely harnessed in, instructors run the manned glider down the dune and let go, allowing little ones to soar on their own. “Y ou can really light somebody’s fire here,” adds Wolf Gaidis, a longtime instructor and manager at the Hang Gliding Training Center, noting how special it is to give visitors their first experiences on a hang glider. “Y ou throw them up there and watch them light up. They

want nothing more than to remain aloft.” For each dune flight, instructors carry and return the glider to the starting position. Given each one weighs 50 to 75 pounds, it’s a real workout on its own, but “to be able to give first-time gliders a taste of this, it’s indescribable,” adds V aughn. The instructors are as easygoing as they come. They know that most people are gliding for the first time and are a bundle of nerves. They work q uickly to gain your trust, boost your confidence and ensure that the experience leaves you with a broad smile. “Part of the trick was learning to trust your instructor and let go,” says K risty MacK aben of Cumming, Ga. She took her two school-age children to learn to hang glide on a summer visit to the Outer Banks. Though she was nervous for her kids — who were “off-the-wall ecstatic” — she says they loved being airborne and couldn’t wait to fly again. While summer is the most popular time to learn to hang glide in the Outer Banks, lessons are offered year-round. For those eager to take it to the next level, K itty Hawk K ites can also train you to become a hang gliding pilot.

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

SOUTH CAROLINA

THE FLIPSIDE RESTAURANT

Simply Southern Sink your teeth into South Carolina’s signature shrimp and grits

By Cele and Lynn Seldon

HE GENERATIONS-OLD COMBINATION OF shrimp and

hominy is as ubiquitous in South Carolina as cheesesteak sandwiches in Philadelphia, blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay region or barbecue in North Carolina. But, did you ever think about how the unsung Native American grain and the favorite coastal crustacean came together to create the Palmetto State’s culinary darling? O ne of the earliest printed references to what is known today as shrimp and grits was in 1931’s Two Hundred Years of Charleston Cooking, a collection of recipes gathered by Blanche S. Rhett,

wife of R. Goodwyn Rhett, who served as mayor of Charleston from 1903 to 1911. The recipe is credited to the Rhett’s longtime African American butler, William D eas. It seems that D eas, along with many other African Americans who arrived in Charleston during the transatlantic slave trade, ate “breakfast shrimp” regularly when the seafood was in season. Early versions consisted of standard creek water shrimp, hot hominy (as grits were called back in the day), melted butter and salt and pepper. Shrimp and grits was typically made and eaten at home; it wasn’t found in CONTINUED

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

SOUTH CAROLINA

Stella’s Southern Brasserie

Poogan’s Porch

Soby’s New South Cuisine

Slightly North of Broad STELLA’S SOUTHERN BRASSERIE; SOBY’S NEW SOUTH CUISINE; SLIGHTLY NORTH OF BROAD; POOGAN’S PORCH

restaurants until the 1980s, when Bill Neal, who ran a high-end French restaurant in Chapel Hill, N.C., decided to open a more casual joint serving the simple kind of cooking he had grown up with. Using basic ingredients, Neal’s version of shrimp and grits, featuring cheese grits covered with jumbo shrimp, mushrooms, bacon and sliced green onions, debuted at Crook’s Corner. It wasn’t until Craig Claiborne, longtime food writer and editor at The New York Times, wrote a feature about a visit he made to Neal’s home and restaurant in the mid1980s that shrimp and grits became a household name. From there, chefs who had spent time working with or for Neal took the bones of the recipe to their restaurants, put their own spins on it, and the rest, as they say, is history. One of the longest-standing versions of shrimp and grits is found in Charleston at Poogan’s Porch. Poogan’s has had some form of shellfish or fish over grits on its menu since it opened in 1977. Today, Poogan’s take on the classic dish is a bit more elevated than the breakfast shrimp of yore, using tasso ham brown gravy, sweet onions, bell peppers and shrimp over stone-ground Adluh grits. According to Dan Doyle, executive chef and managing partner of Poogan’s Hospitality Group, “We always source our shrimp from the Southeast. Obviously, we use local shrimp when they are in season, but when they are not, we make sure they come from within the region. The freshness of the shrimp makes a big difference.” Obviously, the grits do as well. “Our grits are made in Columbia, South Carolina, and we’ve been using those for at least 25 years. Our slow-cooked grits take it to the next level for a creamy, hearty dish,” he says. When asked what would happen if they took shrimp and grits off the menu, Doyle says, “Mass hysteria. We make between 60 and 80 shrimp and grits dishes a day. The dish has become synonymous with Poogan’s Porch, and we’re honored by that.” Another long-standing tradition

can be found along Bay Street in Charleston at Slightly North of Broad (SNOB). Beloved chef Frank Lee originally added his version of shrimp and grits to the restaurant’s menu as an offshoot of his famed Frogmore stew. Lee’s interpretation features house-made kielbasa sausage and country ham and peppers sautéed with shrimp, garlic, tomatoes and Cajun spice in a shrimp stock and butter sauce served over Edisto Island’s Geechie Boy Mill grits. This version of shrimp and grits is still being served at SNOB, even though Lee retired in 2016. Meanwhile, chefs across the state were taking note of the shrimp and grits revolution in the low country and started putting it on their menus. In the Midlands of South Carolina, Jon and Amy Fortes of The Flipside Restaurant in Rock Hill start with a smoked tomato base with andouille sausage, spinach, caramelized onions and charred peppers over South Carolina grits, all served in a cast iron pot. Further north, Soby’s New South Cuisine of Greenville, S.C., has had a version of shrimp and grits on its menu since it opened in 1997. According to Rodney Freidank, corporate chef of Soby’s parent company, Table 301, “We’ve always had shrimp and grits on the menu, but the specific dish has evolved with each chef that’s run the Soby’s kitchen. No matter which version of the dish happens to be on the menu, it has always been one of the most popular dishes.” Chef Jason Scholz and his wife, Julia, serve shrimp and grits at Stella’s Southern Brasserie in Greenville (and sister Stella’s Southern Bistro in Simpsonville) because of the South Carolina heritage that the dish represents. “People absolutely love it. Most have a memory or story that they share of how their mother or grandmother prepared the dish. Shrimp and grits (has) its own legacy in many families,” says Jason Scholz. That legacy will obviously continue to live on in South Carolina as chefs, diners and home cooks of the Palmetto State keep passing along this tasty tradition to future generations.

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USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

SOUTH CAROLINA | CHARLESTON

Unchartered Charleston Venture oﬀ the tourist track to these must-see spots EXPLORECHARLESTON.COM

By John Bordsen

HARLESTON, S.C., IS ONE

of America’s most-visited cities. First-timers typically check out the City Market, take a bus or carriage tour through downtown neighborhoods dripping with history, head to Fort Sumter or visit a plantation or two. All are major attractions — must-sees for thousands. But there’s much more to see and do. Here are some options top travel pros in the area suggest:

SEE CHARLESTON BY WATER Travel experts in Charleston recommend exploring downtown by water —

both for the cityscape and for the sunsets. Downtown is flanked by the Ashley and Cooper rivers as they enter the sea, and physically going with the flow highlights the skyline and is a potent reminder of the city’s maritime history. The views are spectacular at sunset. “More tourists take it than locals, but the Schooner Pride sunset cruise is pretty amazing,” says John LaVerne, owner of Bulldog Tours. “It goes close to Fort Sumter, and at sunset, it parks off the Battery and the antebellum mansions behind it.” “Kayak tours are a lot of fun,” says LaVerne. You can also rent a kayak and explore on your own. Christina Knoth of Lowcountry Walking

Tours suggests an in-town option: Ride the water taxi that crosses the Cooper between downtown and Mount Pleasant, the city’s oldest suburb. “You can board it at the Maritime Center ... and cross over to Patriots Point and the Harbor Marina near it. Just going back and forth between the stops gives you great views of the skyline, the Cooper Bridge and the harbor.” An all-day pass is $12.

DO A BRIDGE WALK The water taxi provides great views of the stunning Cooper River Bridge, also known as the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. You can walk the bridge from downtown CONTI NUED

Cooper River Bridge GETTY IMAGES

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

SOUTH CAROLINA | CHARLESTON Charleston to Mount Pleasant. The bridge is a visually striking cabled span that holds eight lanes of U .S. 17 over the Cooper River. Any time of year, the views from the pedestrian lanes on the south side of the span are sumptuous.

SEE POPULAR MOVIE SETS Cypress Gardens (cypressgardens. berkeleycountysc.gov), a pastoral attraction in Berkeley County, is out of range for short guided tours of Charleston — about an hour north of downtown, in Moncks Corner — but its 17 0 acres offer miles of trails through low country gardens and swamplands. “It’s one of the most beautiful, off-thebeaten-path places you can find, with natural life second to none,” LaV erne says. Hollywood has already been here: Y ou may recognize locations featured in Mel Gibson’s Revolutionary War movie The Patriot (2000), the Civil War film Cold Mountain (2003) and the 2004 tearjerker The Notebook.

CHOW DOWN

Cypress Gardens

There’s no shortage of restaurants and great seafood in Charleston. Lynn and Cele Seldon, husband-andwife co-authors of 100 Things to Do in Charleston Before You Die, suggest Chez Nous (cheznouschs.com), a tiny, elegant spot that uses local ingredients in its French and northern Italian-inspired fare. Knoth suggests heading to Shem Creek, the maritime/ dining area in Mount Pleasant, where seafood restaurants (and a nice boardwalk) line the water. Her favorite? Tavern and Table (tavernandtable. com). LaV erne suggests heading to rustic Bowens Island Restaurant (bowensisland. com), about 10 miles south of downtown Charleston on one of the marshy isles leading to Folly Beach. It looks like a ramshackle roadhouse on stilts, but is a Charleston institution famous for fried shrimp and oysters.

EMBRACE YOUR INNER CHEF

Tavern and Table

In the Kitchen with Chef Bob Waggoner GETTY IMAGES; JOHN BORDSEN; EXPLORECHARLESTON.COM

While culinary tours take you to several of Charleston’s best dining spots, foodies in search of a more hands-on experience should find In the Kitchen with Chef Bob Waggoner (chefbobwaggoner.com) on Market Street, where diners help make their own meals. V isitors are advised to make required reservations well in advance. Lynn Seldon says, “The two- to threehour classes feature different menus every night and include convivial cooking instruction, active participation and a tasty dinner.”

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

TENNESSEE | NASHVILLE

Hot Tickets Nashville Cocktail Festival

ATMOSPHERE Summer is when the country music capital of the world comes alive. Parades, food and music fests and arts performances abound, and there’s a party vibe on Lower Broadway. One of the most common complaints from out-of-towners is that Middle Tennessee feels inordinately humid. Temperatures typically range from the mid-70s to high 80s, with occasional days going into the triple digits, About 3-4 inches of rain falls each month.

Summer Shakespeare

Nashville heats up during summer with plenty to keep visitors busy

Summer Shakespeare: This 33rd annual bard fest, which will take place Aug. 27 through Sept. 13 at the Yard at oneC1TY, features live nightly performances of William Shakespeare’s What You Will (Twelfth Night), preshow entertainment, food trucks and lectures. All events are free, but a $10 donation is suggested. If you can’t get enough of the playwright’s work, the entertainment will continue Sept. 17-20 with Franklin Shakes at the Williamson County Performing Arts Center at Academy Park in Franklin. ▶ nashvilleshakes.org/shakespeare-inthe-park

EVENTS: Honky Tonk Highway: Music lovers can enjoy live, free performances daily from 10 a.m. to 3 a.m. at numerous venues along Lower Broadway. The performances typically held year-round but silenced during the coronavirus pandemic have resumed. ▶ visitmusiccity.com/honky-tonkhighway Hot Chicken Festival: This free annual Fourth of July event starts with a parade of fire trucks and offers hot chicken samples from numerous local establishments. The festival also includes live music and kids activities. ▶ hot-chicken.com/festival Nashville Cocktail Festival: Considered Tennessee’s premier celebration of the craft of the cocktail, this July 7-11 festival will highlight boutique spirits, small-batch mixers and trendsetting bartenders. Several functions are held throughout the city, leading up to the main events, the Polynesian Pop on July 10 at Centennial Park and Art Deco Night on July 11 at The Parthenon. Tickets range from $35 to $150. ▶ nashvillecocktailfestival.com

LAURIE DICUS

Taste of Music City Festival: Nashville’s longest-running all-inclusive food and drink festival is celebrating 18 years at Public Square Park on Aug. 22. Participants can enjoy culinary tastings from roughly 25 local restaurants, sample more than 50 wine, beer and spirits flavors, chef demonstrations and live music. Tickets are $59. ▶ tasteofmusiccity.com

By Joseph Choi

ORE PEOPLE THAN EVER are visiting

Nashville, Tenn., as the city continues to experience enormous growth and development. Music City has become renowned for more than just music or attracting foodies and sports fans. Nashville International Airport recently announced that more than 17 million passengers went through the airport in 2019, and those numbers are only expected to rise. With all there is to see, it may start to feel overwhelming. Here is a rundown of events and weather conditions to consider when planning your summer trip to Nashville:

Joseph Choi writes for The (Nashville) Tennessean.

Privy Díner Popup: This exclusive upscale dining experience brings attendees — who are required to wear all-white attire and have the option to bring their own dinner or choose from on-site options — from Nashville and surrounding areas to enjoy a night of music, fellowship and opulence. The event, which is being held for the second year, will take place Sept. 19, in Riverfront Park, and will feature performances by national recording artists Ro James, Calvin Richardson, DJ Kid Capri and St. Louis talent Rhoda G, and will be hosted by the Real Housewives of Atlanta’s Marlo Hampton. ▶ privydinerpopup.com

NASHVILLE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL

USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION

TEXAS | BEAUMONT

Go Big in Beaumont Larger-than-life attractions draw visitors to this former Texas oil town By Erin Gifford

S THE SAYING GOES,

“Everything is bigger in Texas.” That’s especially true in Beaumont. This once booming oil town just off Interstate 10 in Southeast Texas is now better known for super-size roadside attractions that are sure to amaze and delight passersby. “When my daughter and I decided on a big Texas road trip, Beaumont was a must,” says Melody Pittman, a Florida-based blogger at Wherever I May Roam. “The oil history alone conveyed so wonderfully. Throw in awesome murals, world-class birding, quirky roadside stops and gator adventures, and you’ve got yourself a fun time.” O il still has a place in Beaumont. It’s been preserved by the Lucas Gusher at Spindletop Gladys City Boomtown. This working replica gusher off Highway 6 9 blows water hundreds of feet in the sky at the same rate oil originally blew on Jan. 10, 1901.

GO BIG OR GO HOME

World’s largest working fire hydrant ERIN GIFFORD

Beaumont is a mecca for anyone into the big and bizarre, like the world’s largest working fire hydrant and a 135-foot-long (wooden) alligator. Both offbeat attractions are worth a detour, or at the very least, a snap and a share on social media. The 24-foot-tall black-and-white spotted hydrant was donated to the city of Beaumont by The Walt D isney Company in 1999 for the re-release of the animated movie 101 Dalmatians. It sits in the center of town, just outside the Fire Museum of Texas. The 4,500-pound hydrant can spray 1,500 gallons of water CONTINUED

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TEXAS | BEAUMONT per minute. Beaumont is also home to Gator Country, an adventure park with more than 250 alligators, including Big Tex, the largest live-captured alligator at nearly 14 feet long and more than 1,000 pounds. Avoid a run-in with this guy, but do plan to wade up to your knees with 3-foot-long baby gators at the wildlife park (not to worry, their mouths are taped shut). Big Beau, meanwhile, sits quietly off I-10 at Exit 838 on the grounds of Gator Country. This 135-foot-long, 30-foot-tall guy is chomping for a photo op, and it’s a lot easier (and safer) to snap a pic with this super-size gator than with Big Tex.

GET HAPPY Big Beau BEAUMONT CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU

Another quirky character to seek out in Beaumont is Happy Half Wit. He’s one of four larger-than-life muffler men in Texas. Inspired by the famous MAD Magazine character, Alfred E. Neuman,

this 25-foot-tall oddball statue stands outside Ken’s Mufflers & Brakes. Naturally, he’s holding a huge car muffler. For music lovers, there’s another “big” of sorts that holds appeal in Beaumont. As in, The Big Bopper (aka Jiles Perry “J.P.” Richardson Jr.). Best known for the chart-topping 1958 classic Chantilly Lace, this popular singer-songwriter grew up here and graduated from Beaumont High School. If, after encounters with these colossal curiosities, you still have an appetite for more, stop at Floyds, where you’ll be treated to Texas-size portions of Cajuninspired seafood, including fried alligator with Floyd’s signature creamy gravy, seafood gumbo, po’boys, catfish etouffee, oysters and all the crawfish you can eat. To paraphrase another popular adage, when it comes to spectacularly large sites in the Lone Star State: Go big and go to Beaumont.

Lucas Gusher BEAUMONT CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU

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SOUTH CAROLINA | SEABROOK ISLAND

SEASIDE ESCAPE Relax and unwind on Seabrook Island, S.C., a private barrier island located about 20 miles from historic Charleston. Go horseback riding along more than 3 miles of sandy beach or try kayaking, sailing, fishing or paddleboarding. If you prefer fun on land, take a swing at two championship golf courses.

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