There’s lots of reasons why Australians love the US South – the music, food, culture, history and outdoors – but there’s one main reason why you’ll want to come back: the people. Here’s why Aussies need to revisit the Southern USA in 2025.
My first trip to the US South, visiting Memphis for the 2023 Travel South USA International Showcase, instilled a strong longing to come back and explore more of the 12 states that make up the Travel South USA collective.
The US South offers a distinctly different Stateside travel experience with authentic experiences woven together by common thematic threads, many of which resonate with Australian travellers.
The music
Country and Western. Gospel and soul. Rap and hip hop. Cajun and zydeco. Jazz and ragtime. Rhythm and blues and roots. Rock and roll. The worldwide influence of Southern music culture cannot be understated.
The US South is renowned for its music forms that are uniquely Southern in style and interwoven with American culture at large. I’ve managed to get among hip hop and trap music in Atlanta, Georgia; gospel and south in Alabama; jazz, Cajun and zydeco in New Orleans; and rock’n’roll and country in Tennessee on recent visits in the US South.
If you’ve previously made a pilgrimage to renowned music meccas in Memphis, such as Graceland and Sun Studios, like many Australians, why not turn a single note into a song by incorporating multiple Southern states and music styles in a road trip?
A self-drive itinerary is the best way to follow the rhythm of the road like a musician – and Brand USA has curated four road trips inspired by American music, including three with stops in the South.
With the likes of the eight-state Musical Roots of the South to get you going, all you need to do is hire a car, create a playlist and drive the musical highways of the US South.
The food
It’s impossible to talk about the American South without mentioning the food. Soul food has historical roots right through to the Civil Rights movement.
Every Southern state has its tasty take on low’n’slow barbecue – and sometimes several styles within state boundaries. There’s the Memphis-style dry rubbed ribs, Kansas City’s burnt ends, Lexington’s smoked pork shoulders (see Helloworld’s Joshua Hewett for more on that) and Texas brisket (try this at Buck-ee’s across the US South). And don’t get me started on the St Louis tomato-based sauce versus the Alabama white sauce.
The sides are equally enticing – think mac’n’cheese, soft scone-like biscuits (even vegan ones in Atlanta), silky grits, collard greens, fried pickles and spicy jalapeño poppers.
For dessert, the South has brought some winners to the global table, from banana pudding and pecan pies to beignets and other Mardi Gras staples in New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama such as Moon Pies. In fact, instead of the ball drop in NYC, Mobile has a Moon Pie drop on New Year’s Eve, highlighting how beloved the sweet treat is.
Other must-visit culinary experiences include the Coca-Cola Museum in Atlanta, where you can sample flavours from around the globe, Anhusch-Busch Brewery in St Louis (home of Budweiser – read more about Missouri here) and sweet tea wherever you go.
Be sure to add some small-town stops to your itinerary to tantalise your tastebuds. Here’s some food for thought on the Historic Route 66 – Curios, Pit Stops & Diners self-drive itinerary and the Bourbon, Bluegrass & Horse Country road trip.
The culture and history
Southern culture is shaped by its rich and diverse history and influenced by the people. You can really get to grips with this on the US Civil Rights Trail, which includes many states, cities and sites across the US South.
You can DIY your trip or embark on a curated itinerary. In Alabama, visit pivotal landmarks, including 16th Street Baptist Church, Holt Street Baptist Church and Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church in Birmingham where Reverend Martin Luther King Jr was a pastor and the Rosa Park Museum, honouring the famous activist herself.
I also explored the new Legacy Sites in Montgomery – the Legacy Museum, National Memorial for Peace & Justice and the just-opened Freedom Monument Sculpture Park – all powerful and poignant journeys through American history.
There’s also the National Center for Civil & Human Rights in Atlanta, National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis and New Orleans’ Treme neighbourhood, to name a just few more places for Civil Rights contemplation.
As always, it’s the people who bring the stories to life, whether that’s walking in the footsteps of those who marched across Edmund Pettus Bridge during the Selma to Montgomery protests in 1965 and hearing from an activist who was there or taking a deep dive with their descendants of the Clotilda slave ship and the Africatown community that sprung up in Mobile.
You can feel it at a gospel and grits breakfast, on a city tour in Memphis and the musical legacies in New Orleans. One thing’s for sure: it’s an important part of the Southern experience and will leave an indelible mark, residing in your mind long after you leave.
Embark on The Civil Rights History Trail self-drive itinerary through Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia.
The outdoors
From the Gulf States’ bayous and beaches to the majestic mountains of Tennessee and everything in between, there’s a lot of varied terrain to see in the US South.
A few to have on your radar are the States’ newest national park – New River Gorge in West Virginia, a rugged recreational wonderland; forested Dauphin Island off Alabama’s Gulf Coast, which is home to one of the top four spring bird migrations (and some gators if you can spot them), and Lafayette, Louisiana for the low-lying Bayou Country.
Even in the big cities, you’ll be surprised by the greenery and scenery. On a cycling tour of Atlanta during last year’s Travel South International Showcase, I discovered it’s a city in a forest with 40 per cent trees, 20,000ha of green space and 483 city parks.
Likewise, small-town tours will yield verdant gems, like the stately 300-year-old oaks and homes in Mobile’s Oakleigh neighbourhood.
Love the outdoors? Follow the Mississippi south on the Rhythms of the River road trip and check out the Coasts & Mountains of the South itinerary through Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and South Carolina.
The people
There’s a reason why Southern hospitality is legendary. As one frequent traveller says, nowhere else will you meet people as friendly and welcoming as in the US South.
Recent research shows small towns are trending along with rural areas, national parks and road trips as travellers overwhelmingly desire to travel to new destinations and shop at small businesses.
Travel South USA is part of Brand USA’s new product tool to help travel professionals close the gap and connect travellers to the authentic experiences they seek.
Tourism Exchange USA (TXUSA) increases the availability, diversity and reach of Southern accommodations, attractions and experiences, collating them into an open digital marketplace with live inventory and rates for buyers.
Through this portal, travel buyers can access authentic and off-the-beaten-path products and destinations across the US South.
Want more inspo and info? Head to travelsouthusa.com
