Best of the South Travel Awards

RX_1101 BOS Fall Adventure: New River Gorge *One time use image

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

The Seagate Hotel & Spa,  Delray Beach, Florida

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

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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

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Best Late-Night Burger

Photo: 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.

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Best Food Trucks

Photo: 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

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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.

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Best New Music Festivals

The Hangout Beach Music and Arts Festival

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

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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.

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Best New Author

Photo: 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

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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

Photo: 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.

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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.

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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.

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Best Fall Adventure