Southern Living Southern Living Best of the South 2023

ESCAPE TO SUNNY SARASOTA Grab your girlfriends, and see Central Florida’s scenic side WHEN THE BEACH BOYS SANG about summer, it wasn’t the heat or humidity or the mosquitoes or sunburns that the bushy-haired bards were celebrating. They were tapping into fond memories of hitting the sand, feeling dried salt water on your skin, and forgetting real life for a few glorious months. The where wasn’t nearly as important as the who, and good vibrations were the goal. For a nostalgia-stirring vacation with friends, Sarasota—a fanciful town on Florida’s scenic Suncoast—has easy appeal for everyone. The Suncoast encompasses about 150 miles along the Gulf of Mexico, and this stretch of shore offers unmatched terrain, with crystal waters as aqua blue and bright as a chlorinated pool, sand as soft as powdered sugar, and…

While Charleston is celebrated for its elegant row houses, cobblestone streets, and treasure trove of historic sites, the Holy City is far from frozen in the past. A vibrant community for over three centuries, Charleston hums with the energy of a cosmopolitan coastal enclave—one with an undeniable and irrepressible Southern accent. The New Stays Hotels are abundant these days around town. Notable among them are The Ryder and Emeline, both located in the historic district and both boutique renovations of existing properties that had lost their luster. What makes these two distinctive—besides their impressive designs and superb food and drink offerings—is their emphasis on engagement and sociability. At The Ryder Hotel, Cortney Bishop Design has reimagined a 91-room property as a relaxed and decidedly beachy resort in the heart of the peninsula. Warm…

Travel the Blue Ridge Parkway in spring, when the tips of trees and shrubs show off a splendid mix of whites, yellows, and pinks (looking even brighter against a backdrop of dark green conifers) and it’s immediately apparent why this scenic road is the most visited parkway in the entire national park system. Running through North Carolina and Virginia, the ribbon of asphalt cuts a path along the valleys and crests of the Appalachian Mountain range, connecting Great Smoky Mountains National Park to Shenandoah National Park. Elevations along the Blue Ridge Parkway vary by more than 5,000 feet, with the first blush of color touching leaves and flowers on the warmer lower portions in Virginia first. While drivers can pop on and off this road for a quick trip, full-length explorers…

SOUTHERN LIVING READERS LOVE THEIR BARBECUE, and they hold strong opinions about which joint serves the best in each state. Their picks this year are a mix of old-school classics and relatively new arrivals, and the 2022 lineup changed a bit from past years’ surveys. Five of the restaurants selected are at least a half-century old (with two dating back to the 1920s), but there are plenty that were founded in the 21st century too. Whether you’re partial to Texas’ tender smoked brisket, the Carolinas’ spicy whole hog, or even Kentucky’s flavorful mutton, the best joints in each state offer plenty of tempting slow-smoked options. Be sure to grab extra napkins. ALABAMA BIG BOB GIBSON BAR-B-Q Decatur This is the birthplace of Alabama-style white sauce, which Big Bob himself invented to serve with his…

It’s a cool and breezy morning on Blackbeard’s Ranch in Florida’s Myakka River Valley. Clouds conceal the early hints of sun and allow the dew to nestle a bit longer on the grass. It’s quiet, barring the rustle of droopy palm fronds in the wind and the distant lowing of grazing cows. You’d never guess that the powdery beaches and bright blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico are less than an hour’s drive to the west. This land is lush, green, and untamed. Jim Strickland sits under a traditional Native American chikee hut, an open-sided structure with a thatch roof, once favored by the Seminole people of Florida. It overlooks open fields of grassy prairie. He’s wearing an old cowboy hat that looks like it’s seen many early mornings like…

There’s a moment at Hunting Island State Park as you’re biking along the Lagoon Trail—ocean breezes and intoxicating beach vistas playing peekaboo to your left—when the sandy path turns inland and a sign points to Diamondback Rattlesnake Trail. A good idea? Yes. “Yes,” it turns out, sums up the best way to experience Beaufort, South Carolina, and its environs, including Hunting Island. Yes, the path less taken is an excellent idea, as is the Sweet Tea Float at Scout Southern Market. Spending hours strolling through The Old Point and gazing at historic homes and even older live oaks offers endless enchantment. But with my eyes peeled for rattlers, I was (yes) relieved that the only serpentine thing I discovered was more of the winding trail along old dune ridgelines through a…