Road Trips — By Apryl Chapman Thomas on January 3, 2010 at 11:55 pm
Filed under: featuredarticle, things to do in the South, Things to See in the South

It’s January in the South

You did it!

Not only did you make it through the holidays (and the required visits with various relatives, but also a decade as well.

And to start the new year and new decade off right, you’ve made a resolution to travel more.

Now that’s a resolution worth keeping.

Perhaps you’re going to spend more time exploring the South, beginning in January.

If you are looking for things to do this month, you’ve come to the right place.

It’s January in the South, so why don’t you…

celebrate: No matter where you are in the region, nearly every weekend you can count on some type of anniversary, birthday or just a general reason to throw a party. Where else but in the South you can find such events as the 19th annual Fellsmere (Fla.) Frog Leg Festival, January 21-24. If you’re in Texas, enjoy the 73rd annual Citrus Fiesta in Mission, January 30. Watch the reenactment during the Battle of New Orleans’ anniversary, January 8-9. However, as important as all of those events (and more) are above, they don’t compare to Elvis’ 75th birthday fete, celebrated at his birthplace in Tupelo, Miss., January 8 and at Graceland (map) in Memphis, Tenn., January 7-1.
discover new places: Sometimes the best places are found when you turn off the main road (or get lost, even though your GPS told you to take that turn.) Find many treasures worth revisiting again and again along the Magnolia Highway (Hwy. 19) in Georgia and Florida. Discover why you need to travel down Hwy. 98 and bring a cooler along Alabama’s Gulf Coast.
spoil yourself (and your significant other and/or your family): Dine at Caliza Restaurant (map) in Alys Beach, along the Beaches of South Walton or at Four Moons Restaurant (map) in Orangesburg, S.C. Spend the night at 21c Museum Hotel (map) in Louisville, Ky., City Loft Hotel (map) in Beaufort, S.C., Vendue Inn (map) in Charleston, or onboard the Delta Queen Hotel (map) in Chattanooga, Tenn.
hit the road: When you can’t decide on exactly what you want to do, take a road trip. How about spending a long weekend in such places as Jacksonville, Fla., Raleigh, N.C., or Louisville, Ky.?