11 Best Southern United States Towns For A Weekend Trip
The Southern United States is a popular destination for travelers due to its music, hospitality, and striking landscapes. Nashville, Tennessee, and Orlando, Florida, are some of the most popular cities in the South, but these states also have many delightful small towns that are ideal for a weekend getaway.
In these towns, one can dip into natural thermal waters, ascend into a Bavarian-style village, see how decoy duck traps are made, visit a rockstar's family home, and many other great activities. You are also sure to find great accommodations, from chain hotels to cabins and historic lodges frequented by presidents of the past.
Read on to learn about the 11 best Southern United States towns for a weekend trip.
Helen, Georgia
This town will make you feel like you stepped into the Swiss Alps. Helen, Georgia, was redesigned in the 1960s to resemble a Bavarian town. It helps that the town sits in the depths of the Appalachian Mountains, creating a beautiful atmosphere. Many of its local businesses are built in a Bavarian style, like the charming Hansel and Gretel Factory or Bavarian Clockworks, which makes classic German steins and cuckoo clocks.
Visitors can see how this landscape has inspired local artists at the Helen Arts and Heritage Center, which hosts pottery, acrylic painting, jewelry, and classes. For those who want to get out in nature, Helen has several mountain hiking trails nearby, such as the Mount Yonah Trail or the Helen to Hardman Heritage Trail, which runs along the Chattahoochee River to the Hardman Farm State Historic Site. While you are visiting the mountains, consider renting out an alpine cabin like the Alpine Penthaus or Alpenhaus Cabin.
Gatlinburg, Tennessee
This small Appalachian town is one of the best destinations in the Mid-South for a three-day weekend. Gatlinburg, Tennessee, combines fun mountain town attractions with a great art scene and beautiful landscapes. It is the primary gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Visitors can drive into the park right from downtown and explore its many beautiful trails and places, from the valleys of Cades Cove with several charming historic buildings like the 1827 Primitive Baptist Church to the observation tower at Kuwohi (Clingman's Dome), which sits on the highest mountain in the state of Tennessee.
Within downtown Gatlinburg, one can try classic moonshine at the Ole Smoky Distillery or ride a mountain rollercoaster via the Moonshine Mountain Coaster. One can also get out into the wider community and shop at local artisans via the Gatlinburg Arts & Crafts Community. You can stay in the downtown area via the Sidney James Mountain Lodge or the Margaritaville Resort of Jimmy Buffett fame.
Bardstown, Kentucky
While Kentucky is on the border with northern states like Indiana and Ohio, it keeps the southern tradition of hospitality and great food and drink alive. Bardstown, Kentucky, is particularly noteworthy for its drinks because it is at the center of the Bourbon Trail, a network of distilleries that make craft whisky in bourbon barrels. Visitors can try samples of this drink at one of the 10 distilleries in Bardstown, such as Maker's Mark or Heaven Hill, or they can learn the history of bourbon via the Oscar Getz Museum of Bourbon History.
Bardstown has a diverse number of museums, like the My Old Kentucky Home State Park, a Federal-style 1818 mansion renamed after the classic Stephen Foster song, and the Civil War Museum, which has the largest number of artifacts from the Western Theater of the Civil War. Visitors can also stay at the Old Talbott Inn, one of the oldest bourbon bars built in 1779. This active inn saw guests ranging from Abraham Lincoln to the notorious bandit Jesse James.
Fredericksburg, Texas
Fredericksburg, Texas, was founded by German immigrants in 1846 and is even home to its own dialect: Texas German. It also hosts several interesting German-style structures like the Vereins Kirche Museum. Built in the Carolingian style from Germany in 1847, it served many purposes, such as a church for several different denominations, a school, a town hall, and even a fort.
Today, it's part of the Pioneer Museum Complex, which contains hundreds of artifacts from the early German pioneer days. This rich historic town also contains the first US Army post in Texas: Fort Martin Scott, which operated from 1848 to 1853. As for the outdoors, every visitor to Fredericksburg will want to visit the Enchanted Rock, a pink granite mountain that enchants everyone who sees it. There are many other activities in Fredericksburg that you can experience while staying at the lovely Hoffman Haus hotel.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is an underrated Atlantic Ocean resort town with some of the best beaches in the South. The average water temperature in the summer months is 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The beach is easy to reach at Myrtle Beach State Park, the first state park in South Carolina's history.
If you are willing to drive a few minutes outside of town, you can visit the peaceful beachhead at Huntington Beach State Park and check out the Atalaya Castle, a 1931 structure built by Archer M. Huntington in the Moorish Revival and Mediterranean Revival styles from Europe. After a day relaxing by or swimming in the Atlantic Ocean, try out one of the fun activities in town like WonderWorks, an indoor amusement park featuring a virtual roller coaster, indoor ropes course, and more. You can grab a hotel room right by the water at the Gazebo Inn Oceanfront.
Williamsburg, Virginia
The town of Williamsburg, Virginia, used to serve as the capital of the colony from 1699 to 1780, making it one of the earliest settlements in Virginia. It is close to the first colony of Jamestown, making it a perfect place for history buffs to spend a weekend. Visitors can see how the early settlers lived via Colonial Williamsburg, a large living history museum featuring a vast array of reenactors. The museum also hosts the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg, which contain decorative folk arts made not by experts but by regular folks.
Williamsburg also has the unique Virginia Musical Museum, which houses antique music boxes, phonographs, organs, and other similar artifacts. You can stay at the Williamsburg Lodge, which was built by John D. Rockefeller Jr. in 1939, to maintain that historic atmosphere.
Tupelo, Mississippi
This rockstar small town was the home of the King of Rock' N' Roll himself: Elvis Presley. He was born and raised here in Tupelo, Mississippi, in a modest home. On his 11th birthday, his mother bought him his first guitar, and the rest, as they say, is history. In Tupelo itself, there are three main Elvis attractions: the Elvis Presley Birthplace and Museum, Elvis' Homecoming Statue, and the Tupelo Hardware Company, where his mother purchased his first guitar.
There are plenty of other fun attractions in Tupelo, other than Elvis, to explore, including the Tupelo Buffalo Park & Zoo, which was home to one of the largest buffalo herds east of the Mississippi and today has many exotic animals like the Capuchin monkey and a 19-foot-tall giraffe. Also noteworthy is the Natchez Trace Parkway, a massive national park built over an 8,000-year-old Native American trail. There are multiple chain hotels in town to stay at, including America's Best Value Inn and All American Inn.
Mount Dora, Florida
While Orlando is one of the most popular cities in Florida due to Disney World, traveling just outside of its limits in the wider metro area will take you to the lovely town of Mount Dora. It is known as Festival City as it hosts more than 30 festivals a year, such as the Mount Dora Arts Festival in late January to early February, the Bicycle Festival in October, or the Corn Festival in May.
Mount Dora is also famous for its Modernism Museum, which has intriguing exhibits, such as the rockstar David Bowie, along with the cutting-edge Florida restaurant 1921 Mount Dora. If modern art isn't your cup of tea, then make sure to hit up Lake Dora for bass fishing or visit the Mount Dora Lighthouse at Grantham Park. Enjoy your stay here at the 1910 Mount Dora Historic Inn.
Hot Springs, Arkansas
Hot springs have long been renowned as a place of healing by many different people groups in history. Hot Springs, Arkansas, is no exception, as it was named after the many hot springs within its borders. The town became a major destination both for tourists and gangsters looking to make a buck during the Great Depression.
One of the best ways to experience Hot Springs is to try out the water for yourself by taking a dip in the thermal water within the historic 1912 Buckstaff Bathhouse or the Quapaw Bathhouse located within the Hot Springs National Park. This park is located in the downtown area, but it also spreads outward with 26 miles of hiking trails that go up into the Ozark Mountains, such as the Hot Springs Mountain Trail.
In town, you can learn about natural history via the Mid America Science Museum or about how gangsters like Al Capone ran illegal operations at the Gangster Museum. For a few good places to stay, try out the chain DoubleTree by Hilton Hot Springs or Staybridge Suites.
Havre de Grace, Maryland
Originally called Hamlet's Town, until the Revolutionary War hero, the Marquis de Lafayette, visited the area and said it reminded him of Le Havre in France. As a result, the town residents incorporated the town as Havre de Grace in 1785. Today, Havre de Grace has some of the most unique museums in the Southern US for the discerning traveler.
For example, there is the Decoy Museum, which preserves the art of hunting ducks through Duck Decoys, as well as the Steppingstone Farm Museum, which preserves arts and crafts made from 1880 to 1920, and the Concord Point Lighthouse and Keeper's House Museum. This lighthouse was built in 1827, making it the oldest of its kind and still open to the public on Chesapeake Bay. You can get a great view of the Bay while walking on the boardwalk at the Promenade. There are also many magnificent places to spend your weekend here, such as the 1896 Victorian-era Spencer-Silver Mansion.
Tybee Island, Georgia
If you visit Savannah, Georgia, you may want to grab a boat to reach the small, delightful town of Tybee Island, located 18 miles to the east. First settled by the Spanish in 1520, the island was a popular destination for pirates who would go there to hide from the authorities. Visitors can discover their own hideaway at one of the island's several beaches, including North Beach and South Beach. The island is also home to rich historic attractions like the Tybee Island Museum, which is located within the historic Fort Screven, constructed in 1897 as part of America's coastal defenses.
Nearby is the Tybee Island Light Station, one of the oldest lighthouses in the state. It was replaced several times during the 1700s, but some of its structure from 1773 remains as the bottom third. Lastly, watch a show at the 1930 Tybee Post Theater, which regularly shows classic films or productions. For a solid place to stay, go to the Surf Song Bed and Breakfast or the Desoto Beach Bed and Breakfast.
These 11 towns are just a small sample of all the Southern United States has to offer, but they represent a significant slice of its diversity of environments.
From the German hills of Texas to the majestic islands and mountains of Georgia, these towns offer many lofty outdoor attractions to explore. In addition, these towns go above and beyond with their museums, like the Tybee Island Museum or the Gangster Museum of Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Consider booking your weekend stay at one of these 11 Southern United States towns today.
