Not all adventures have to extend beyond the seven seas. There are so many sites within our own backyard to explore that’s not your typical Miami, New York, Los Angeles or Las Vegas. The total land area of the United States is 3.8 million square miles and that number increases if you include highways and rural roads. Traveling internationally can require extensive research and a large budget, while traveling within your home country can be more flexible and budget-friendly.
Southern Charm: we’ve all heard of the cultural concept that people from the southern United States embody a warm, polite and hospitable personality, especially toward strangers. While this stereotype may not be applicable to every individual from the South, it’s a generalization that holds quite a bit of truth.
New Orleans, Nashville, Savannah and Charleston are all cities within the southeastern United States that are all deeply rooted in history. These cities are home to renowned architectural landmarks that attract millions of visitors a year to gaze at the many different styles of architecture from colonial and antebellum to Victorian and Creole. Not to mention, nothing beats Southern food.
New Orleans, LA
New Orleans is the home of jazz, and a must-do activity when traveling to this city is visit a jazz club and hear from local artists such as Kermit Ruffins and Jeremy Davenport who carry the spirit and tradition of the genre.
Liana Stern, a University of Miami senior majoring in public relations, wanted to experience Mardi Gras this past year with her friends after seeing countless of her friends from Tulane University post about it on social media.
“I stayed in the French Quarter. The hotels were obviously expensive. I got a pretty cheap one, but it was still definitely expensive. I mean, this is the most expensive week in New Orleans. We paid almost $700 total,” Stern said.
When visiting New Orleans, a must-try food is its beignets. Café Du Monde is world-famous for its beignets and coffees and has been serving customers since its establishment in 1862. If time permits, another must-do activity is a guided ghost tour which allows you to get an insider’s perspective on the phantom culture of the hypnotic city.
Nashville, TN
“A lot of people go there for bachelor or bachelorette parties, stuff like that. But I didn’t realize how many of them there were,” said Paul Lohmann, a UM junior majoring in psychology and business technology. At any time of year, you can spot bachelors and bachelorettes roaming the city in their matching outfits and accessories. Lohmann moved to Tennessee from California in middle school and has lived there for the past 11 years.
You don’t have to be attending a bachelor or bachelorette party to check out the bar scene in Nashville and get a taste of its music and culture. Matthew Meltzer, a UM journalism professor and food and travel writer, recommends traveling to Nashville on a Monday.
“If you go to Nashville during the week, it’s cool because the bachelorette and bachelor parties haven’t overtaken the city, and you can still roll down Broadway and go to those little honky tonks and the bars on Broadway,” said Meltzer.
Similar to New Orleans, Nashville is famous for its music and is known as the Music City USA. David Cobb, who was a Nashville-based radio announcer, coined the term in the ’50s following country and western star Red Foley’s performance at the Grand Ole Opry. Today, the Grand Ole Opry is the longest running radio broadcast of all time and has been operating since 1925. Famous country artists such as Carrie Underwood, Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline and Hank Williams have all performed there.
While Nashville is not typically known for its barbeque like Memphis or Kansas City, if you ever find yourself in Nashville, be sure to order the famous Nashville hot chicken. Nashville’s hot chicken is typically served as a sandwich and features a seasoning combination of cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder and some other secret spices.
Savannah, GA
Known for its picturesque coastal views and natural beauty, Savannah begs visitors to enjoy the outdoors during their stay, especially if it’s a riverboat cruise. However, if you’re not an outdoorsy person, there’s many activities to partake in such as museums or theaters. To complete most of the activities on your itinerary when visiting Savannah, three days is an ample amount of time.
Annie Codega, a UM junior majoring in education, traveled to Savannah with a group of her college girlfriends after numerous people recommended the girls take a weekend trip to Savannah. Codega described the city as having a younger crowd with a very large nightlife scene.
“When we went, it was during Saint Patrick’s Day weekend. So they had a huge celebration that weekend, and I guess it’s a big deal there because people were up at like 7 a.m. ready to go. We didn’t get up at 7 a.m.,” said Codega.
Savannah offers visitors a wide variety of southern cuisine, but specific to Savannah, some must try foods are fried green tomatoes, shrimp and grits, pralines and anything involving peaches.
Charleston, SC
Founded in 1670 by English colonists, Charleston was named after King Charles II of England. Today, visitors travel to Charleston to tour its historical sites and landmarks such as Fort Sumter or a federal-style architecture home like the Nathaniel Russell House.
Housed in the heart of downtown Charleston, King Street is one of the most iconic and go-to shopping destinations. Shoppers can choose from a variety of retailers to spend their money ranging from nationally recognized brands to your local mom and pop antique shop. Once you’ve finished your shopping, you can grab a bite at one of the many restaurants located on the street.
Market Street is another famous site to visit when in Charleston. The two streets differ when it comes to the types of stores and overall atmosphere; King Street is bustling city street geared to more high-end retail shopping, while Market Street is more of a traditional scene with local based businesses.
Mion Smith, a UM freshman majoring in global health studies, is originally from New York, but she grew up 30 minutes from the city’s downtown. She explained that what she’s missed most from home besides her family is the people.
“It’s very welcoming, and I think a lot of Charlestonians are family oriented. So, you know, you walk into a grocery store and there’s people asking you how your day is going. That’s not something you really have [in Miami],” said Smith.
Travel agent Stephanie Maher has worked in the industry for 45 years and currently works for a Coral Gables-based travel consultancy firm called travel agency Lorraine Travel. Maher has worked with many different age brackets and demographics of clients as an agent throughout the years. While certain adventurous vacation getaways may be fun to plan at the spur of the moment, she’s noticed that her clients seek her for her services to get more out of their vacation experience.
“If you run into difficulty, you can call your travel agent to be able to resolve your problem. If you buy online, you can’t talk to anybody. The travel agent will try to adjust things so that it’s more to your liking,” said Maher. “You get online, you don’t have anything personal. All you have is, you know, you book your airfare, you pick your hotel, and then what?”
While traveling within the United States is a lot cheaper compared to international travel, it still can be pricey, especially if you plan to travel to a city in its peak season. Matt Meltzer, the UM journalism professor, recommends booking your flights during the weekdays compared to the weekend because the most popular outgoing and returning flights are on Friday or Sunday. Travel agent Stephanie Maher recommends booking a hotel that includes a classic continental breakfast and that is close to the city which will help you save money by avoiding Ubers.
So get on out there and see what these cities in our own backyard have to offer.
words_ariella green. design_charlotte deangelis.
This article was published in Distraction’s Summer 2024 print issue.
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