Best of the South Travel Awards

By Jennifer V Cole
Photo: Pat and Chuck Blackley/Alamy
There's no richer, more soulful place than the South. And we can prove it. From boutique hotels to the best hamburger you've ever eaten, here are our favorite new sights, sounds, and flavors across the region.
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Best New Hotels

Photo: Courtesy Scott Wiseman/The Seagate Hotel & Spa

See our favorite newcomers, from beach retreats to city stays.

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Best New Restaurants

Photo: Scott Wiseman

Our picks for the best new restaurants around the South and their can't-miss dishes.

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Best Speakeasies

Photo: Art Meripol

The Modern Speakeasy: These low-light and cozy quarters create a Prohibition-era vibe of incognito, while the meticulous bartenders remain entirely conspicuous in their reverence for a well-made drink.

  • The Gibson, Washington, D.C.
  • The Patterson House, Nashville, TN
  • B Bar, Miami Beach, FL

Read more about the Best Speakeasies

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Best Legal Moonshine

Photo: Jennifer Davick, Styling: Allison R. Banks

Moonshine, the fiery Southern Spirit, has gone legit. Here are five of our favorites to come out of the woodwork.

  • Prichard's Lincoln County Lightning
  • Buffalo Trace White Dog Mash #1
  • Platte Valley Corn Whiskey
  • Virginia Lightning
  • Junior Johnson's Midnight Moon

Read more about the Best Legal Moonshine

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Best Late-Night Burger

Iain Bagwell, Food Styling: Angie Mosier

Holeman and Finch Public HouseFrom the robust patties to the bread-and-butter pickles, Atlanta's Holeman and Finch Public House shares what makes their burgers the best.

Read more about the Best Late-Night Burger

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Best Food Trucks

Scott Wiseman

Serving everything from empanadas to fish tacos and frozen pops, these 10 trucks are slinging some of the best chow in the South.

  • Big Truck Tacos, Oklahoma City, OK
  • El Ultimo Tacos, Houston, TX
  • GastroPod Mobile Gourmet, Miami, FL
  • Harvest Moon Grille, Charlotte, NC
  • King of Pops, Atlanta, GA
  • Los Dos Hermanos, Birmingham, AL
  • Mas Tacos Por Favor, Nashville, TN
  • Mmmpanadas, Austin, TX
  • Only Burger, Durham, NC
  • Pi on the Spot, St. Louis, MO

Read more about the Best Food Trucks

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New Kings of Southern Rock

Photo: Art Meripol

The Avett Brothers
They're the best thing to happen to Southern rock since "Free Bird." This string-happy trio (brothers Scott and Seth Avett, and Bob Crawford), former indie rockers who found their niche in punk-inflected American folk rock (that's right), know their way around a song.

Read more about the Avett Brothers and watch them play

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Best New Music Festivals

Photo: Gary Clark

Here are a few of the hottest new spots on the circuit.

  • The Hangout Beach Music & Arts Festival
  • Bayou Country Superfest
  • The Blackwater Music Festival
  • Next Big Nashville

Read more about the Best New Music Festivals

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Best New Southern Musicians

Photo: Ralph Anderson

Be sure to download these Southern standouts to your iPod.

  • Deerhunter
  • Randy Montana
  • Sarah Jarosz
  • The Secret Sisters
  • Truth & Salvage Co.

Download their music to your iPod

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Best New Arts Venue

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn / Styling Caroline Murphy

Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art
This Mississippi art museum became a symbol of renewal during the rebuilding of Biloxi after Hurricane Katrina.

Read more about the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art

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Best New Author

Richard Allen

Belle Boggs

Author of Mattaponi Queen, which won the Bakeless Prize in Fiction, Belle shares her thoughts on the unique sense of discovery inherent in Southern travel.

Read Belle's thoughts on Southern travel

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Best Bookstores

Photo: Ralph Anderson

5 of our favorite booksellers from around the region:

  • Alabama Booksmith, Birmingham, AL
  • Malaprop's, Asheville, NC
  • Lemuria Books, Jackson, MS
  • Faulkner House Books, New Orleans, LA
  • Sundog Books, Seaside, FL

Read more about the Best Bookstores and their must-reads

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Best New Designer

Photo: Chris M. Rogers; Styling: Elizabeth Demos; Hair and Makeup: Ashley Brook Perryman

Lucinda Robinson
Discover Southern designer Lucinda Robinson and her lovely line of dresses, Lucinda Eden.

Read more about Lucinda Robinson

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Best Blue Jeans

Photo: Ralph Anderson / Styling: Caroline Murphy

Southern-designed and Southern-made jeans are the new denim must-have. Here are our picks for the leaders of the pack.

  • Imogene + Willie
  • Baldwin Denim
  • Raleigh Denim
  • Levi's Workwear by Billy Reid
  • Sucker

Read more about the Best Blue Jeans

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Phoebe Howard

Courtesy of Jessie Preza

Max & CompanyShop-owner Phoebe Howard creates a new take on Southern classics in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Read more about Max & Company

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Best New Shopping Street

Photo: Robbie Caponetto

Warehouse Row
From home accents to jewelry, Warehouse Row houses some of the most unique boutique stores that Chattanooga has to offer.

Read more about Warehouse Row

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Best Winter Adventure

Photo: Skip Brown

Cross-Country Ski in Canaan Valley, West Virginia
Cross-country skiing may seem so…Nordic…but the South has its own hub of skinny-ski activity.

Read more about cross-country skiing in Canaan Valley

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Best Spring Adventure

Photo: Kennan Harvey

Hike the Revamped Roan Mountain, North Carolina/Tennessee
Roan Mountain is a collection of rare mile-high bald knobs hugging the North Carolina/Tennessee border with 360-degree views worthy of a Julie Andrews solo.

Read more about hiking Roan Mountain

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Best Summer Adventure

Photo: Robert Cable / Getty

Go Cascading in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Get up-close and personal with some of the most beautiful and secluded waterfalls in Virginia.

Read more about cascading in Shenandoah National Park

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Best Fall Adventure

Photo: Pat and Chuck Blackley/Alamy

Explore the New River Gorge, West Virginia
Ziplines, hiking trails, white water, and breathtaking fall color; the New River Gorge in West Virginia is the ideal Southern autumn adventure.

Read more about exploring the New River Gorge

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