Is there anything worth seeing in the Deep South?
>>2886015>Deep South - East Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida Panhandle, and South CarolinaCharleston, SCSavannah, GACoca-Cola museumDestin, FLNatchez, Mississippi's antebellum mansionsElvis' birthplace in Tupelo, MSVicksburg military park, MSJefferson Davis' house in BiloxiThe French QuarterGalveston, TXTexas Renaissance Festival in Magnolia, TX (Sept-Dec)
The south has some pretty great museum ships. North Carolina in Wilmington, Alabama in Mobile, Yorktown and Laffey in Charleston. Couple submarines in Galveston. I think the USS Texas might be closed though. Probably a few I'm not remembering.
tallulah gorge, the highway crosses it so access is easy, but you do need a permit to get to the bottom of the fallsnorth georgia
>>2886046deep south is only Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama nowadays
oh um not the DEEP south but do not miss the samuel mudd house museum, it's where john wilkes booth fled after shooting lincoln and I had a FASCINATING tour guide who used the word NEGRO during the tour (5 years ago?) and it was a really interesting perspective
>>2886056Black Rock Mountain State Park is also good. Rafting the Chatooga from Clayton is good.Cloudland Canyon in Georgia also.Montgomery is a pleasant city to grab lunch and stroll around downtown in daytime check out the State Capitol. At least on a bluebird fall day.Fishing in Louisiana is good if you have the money.Timing is key. Summer is hot as fuck. The zone is late October/November and April, minus the tornadoes.It's for specific purposes though. Half the stuff is really mountain and therefore not really the Deep South even if it's technically South of Tennessee.You can cut the racial tension with a knife in Alabama/Georgia.
>>2886121>Black Rock Mountain State Park is also good.Is that the one where you drive up and pay 7 bucks and there's not even an indoor toilet they make you use the porta potty but the view is right next to where you park? I think I did that one. I wanna say there's something else similarly named like Black Rock in TN on the cumberland trail with views from the cumberland front but I have to look that up to know. I rafted the nantahala. I liked Clayton, that was an interesting, quiet area, less crowded than the smokies.>Cloudland Canyon in Georgia also.done it>main overlook closedabsolutely fuck youalso parking area WAY undersized and no overflow area>montgomeryI stay in the hills but I appreciate the other suggestions always looking for stuff in north georgia and north alabama
>>2886123There is a good view right by where you park, there are several trails one of which is a pleasant loop with a nice summit with views in the opposite direction from the lot.The Nantahala, anyone who can swim can just rent their own rubber kayak. The Chatooga, the full day trip I did, there were some serious drops, flipping, and beatdowns handed out by the river.Helen and Dahlonega get name-dropped. I liked Hiawassee. Bell Mountain was a killer place to enjoy a sunset with killer views. Some other waterfall hikes but I didn't want to risk my sedan driving streams crossing the road. Enough current, depth, and holes/bumps to dissuade me.
>>2886124>The Nantahala, anyone who can swim can just rent their own rubber kayak.lolnothere was one rapid they were like, ok you can get out of the boat and swim this one, nearly cracked my skull open doing it, nah son I stick to guided boat tours>The Chatooga, the full day trip I did, there were some serious drops, flipping, and beatdowns handed out by the river.that sounds nice, the nantahala was too easy except the last drop, and I had to dive into the boat for it anyways I just like wave-trains tbqh, not drops>Helen and Dahlonega get name-dropped.yeah I've been through that area, probably where I'd stay if visiting >Bell Mountain was a killer place to enjoy a sunset with killer viewsi'm not familiar > Some other waterfall hikes but I didn't want to risk my sedan driving streams crossing the roadhmmm I wonder if that was the same one I did, maybe not but I did a waterfall next to lake clayton I guess that is in georgia, got yelled at by a boomer for bad parking cuz there was no good spots left, tiny parking area, and there was an easy way in where most of the drive was near the lake and paved, but I took the scenic way out to get to tallulah gorge after and THAT does involve a water crossing by car, interestingly popped up as a yellow "slow" area on my nav system, but water was low and I have an SUV so it was fine, I wonder if that's what you mean or something else. minnehaha falls
comfy thread
>>2886123>north georgia and north alabamaHuntsville space and rocket museum is cool, if you're into the music that was recorded there then muscle shoals is a good trip, see the studios
>>2886338I've heard Huntsville is a nice town to check out, but I don't really care about the music or the rockets. I like art (esp. local or 3d art like crafts), local museums, views, waterfalls, canyons, and old mansions. I drove through Sequatchie Valley last fall and got good views just from the road looking up at the canyon walls (the canyon views from above are mostly private or obstructed)
>>2886339No reason to go to Huntsville then. It's a big military base with a city attached to it
>>2886340just like wash dc! anything else in the general northern alabama area other than little river canyon?
>>2886015Alabama here. No, unless you're into civil rights movements sites. Gulf Shores is night but not that special as far as gulf beaches go.
>>2886119>who used the word NEGROthat's not the bad one, NIGGER is the no no one
>>2886055Leaving out the best, which had her director's office shown as full weeaboo a few years back
>>2886339That sounds more like Birmingham's speed. It's more from the Robber Baron era when it was popular to fund that kind of stuff. Stay close to Red Mountain (Mountain Brook area) for all the old mansion-y stuff. But it'll be more 1920s than plantations.
>>2886388Huntsville is a pretty nice place to live, but that doesn't make it a good tourism destination.
>>2886445New Jersey has a very active Youtube channel run by one of the curators and I swear I remember him either joking about or alluding to AL at some point.
>>2886461The city itself is a bunch of nothing. Created fully in the car culture era and it shows. Good place to raise a family, sure. But if you're not doing that, what are you doing there?
>>2886015Deep South is great, very underrated and friendly part of the country in SOME places. There are plenty of shitholes down there too and plenty of snobbish rich idiots who hate anyone who’s not from their tiny town, but I’d say southerners are generally friendly on average and know how to have a good time.
>>2886460>But it'll be more 1920s than plantations.Oh that's fine with me. I love gilded-age/art deco/queen anne stuff. >>2886489maybe there's an interesting restaurant, a local art gallery >>2886500It's not "deep" south but NC in the mountains has some snobby mountain towns full of country clubs and gated estates, Georgia too. It's not the most friendly of places.
>>2886015new orleans is cool
>>2886489Yeah, the main reason to go to Huntsville is if you have a 6-fig white minimum wage job with a defense contractor waiting.
>>2886590maybe there's some other nice stuff to see in northern alabama apart from huntsville...I like the idea of finding "hidden gems" in the hilly south away from the smokies-tourist-zone.
>>2886121>You can cut the racial tension with a knife in Alabama/Georgia.Really? I thought the eastern half of the South was that "new South" thing. It seems like Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas are where racial tensions are the most "powderkeg'd". I actually want to know. Alabama in my mind is a nice state where everybody gets along. Same with Georgia except Atlanta.
>>2886835In my mind blacks are the underclass you are forced to interact with politely in big cities especially - grocery stores, convenience stores, security staff, uber drivers. You just learn to interact with them as little as possible and gtfo out of there.
>>2886685There's a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Florence, Alabama. Wasn't expecting that in Alabama of all places.
>>2886857They do tours, it's worth a look if you are in the area. Also nearby is Muscle Shoals with two recording studios used by the Rolling Stones and other big acts from the 60's and 70's.
>>2886125The Ocoee had better waves than the Nantahala or Chattooga. But the TVA only lets the river flow on weekends so you have to book accordingly. It's where the 1996 Atlanta Olympics whitewater rafting was held. Chattooga is sicker drops and Nantahala is waaay mellowed. Ocoee is very busy so you might not get to play in the waves for long.There is also sporty dam-release on the Chattahoochee in Columbus, Georgia. Never done that river? But it's truly deep South, unlike the "mid South" Smoky zone.The river I was scared to drive across was between Hiawasse and Helen, so way West of Clayton. I think it was on the road to Horsepasture Falls. Not sure. But head South out of Hiawasse and the turn off is right off that main road.Bell Mountain is a steep, sort of isolated peak. If you're in Hiawassee, GA or Hayesville NC for the night I'd for sure visit in nice weather.>>2886685Cheoha Mountain maybe?>>2886835I have never been to Mississippi or Alabama. I got stuck in Memphis with no rental cars available and did a bus tour of the city. It was basically infinity white boomers who used the bus to get to Graceland, and they scoffed at me not getting off. Fuck Elvis I got to see Sun Studios, Beale Street, St. Jude's, the Lorraine where Dr. MLK Jr. was shot, that Bass Pro pyramid, the River....It was one black lady driving the bus and me, alone, and she was cheery on the PA but frosty in person.Downtown Montgomery wasn't so bad. But the Eastchase suburbs and that shopping center...holy shit. The hotel and restaurants. Every place I stopped for food and gas. Opalika, Columbus, Sylvester, Tifton, Americus, Albany....The black people working, I don't know if anyone ever told them they're free. The white people side eye when I used boilerplate respectful customer/staff interaction.The pin drop record scratch when I walked into some place in a black town. No threats, no violence, but just insane "are you lost"/'get the fuck out of here' icy looks.
>>2886916I've never been to Mississippi or Louisiana - messed up typing.Anyway driving from Montgomery back to Jacksonville Beach across South Georgia, the vibe was heavy.Also one time coming back from the Chattooga. Nav said going to Atlanta and wasting my life on I75 for hours was faster than taking back roads Southeast. I said fuck I75, but Google Maps must know I was born in Jersey because it kept trying to reroute me to ATL. Cruising through Tallulah, Toccoa, Elberton, etc was chill, but its like, there are white and black towns and it was real hot out so few people outside, and I never knew which one I was gonna get.No outright hostility, but just frosty, like this is a black town leave us in peace.Also where the forests transition to rural GA farmland around sunset.Holy. Fucking. Deer. Everywhere. Came around corners and there'd be a dozen of the fucking things spooked every which way in all directions.Also in thay farmland with sweeping turns and rolling hills, if you come around the corner and see a tractor that didn't pull out, do the hand lift wave as a thank you and get one in return.Howdy and 'preciate 'cha or something.
>>2886918Yeah that's a good lifehack. Unless you are going to Atlanta, avoid I-75 or being routed through there at all costs.
>>2886097Why do you say? How is SC not deep south?
>>2886015There's buckwheat cakes and Indian batter, makes your fat a little fatter
>>2886916>Cheoha Mountain maybe?done it>>2886916>The Ocoee had better waves than the Nantahala or Chattooga. But the TVA only lets the river flow on weekends so you have to book accordingly. It's where the 1996 Atlanta Olympics whitewater rafting was held. Chattooga is sicker drops and Nantahala is waaay mellowed. Ocoee is very busy so you might not get to play in the waves for long.>There is also sporty dam-release on the Chattahoochee in Columbus, Georgia. Never done that river? But it's truly deep South, unlike the "mid South" Smoky zone.appreciate the info
>>2886835Hell no for Alabama. Alabama is a state where white and black people try to leave each other alone. There are no white people in the black churches and no black people in the white churches. This is mostly true for the neighborhoods as well. It's like two different worlds that only interact as >>2886847 says. To the rich suburbs, black people are cashiers and uber drivers, but seldom neighbors.
>>2886932What is Indian batter?
>>2886932It's "makes you fat or a little fatter"
>>2886988cum
>>2886542Georgia is ass. Worst southern state.>flat>humider than the rest>nothing to do outside Atlanta>Atlanta is a shithole; have to constantly get on a Mad Max spagehtti junction and hope you don't become a grease spot>other transit sucks>zero culture>lol whoops Sherman's march, no cool historical architecture like Birmingham or New Orleans>like 3 good restaurants in the stateSavannah might be alright but it's sure to be a lamer version of everything else due to being Georgia
>>2887317>ignoring north georgia>have to constantly get on a Mad Max spagehtti junction and hope you don't become a grease spothonestly a lot of shitty american cities are like this, atlanta is just an extreme example
>>2887317>>2887318Most of Georgia sucks but the mountains of north Georgia are appealing for nature and history. For Civil War nerds there’s a string of battlefield parks and other sites from Atlanta north to Chattanooga. Southwest of Chattanooga is Paradise Garden, a mindblowing assemblage by outsider artist Howard Finster, probably the greatest folk art environment in the U.S. I grew up in the South and I’m used to rednecks and rural blacks and yeah a lot of small towns have a shitty vibe but it seems less so in north Georgia.
>>2887317>Birmingham>cool historical architecture
>>2887447I was about to say this. If you think Atlanta's boring you'll hate Birmingham
>>2887452Alabama is the most irrelevant southern state, except maybe Arkansas. "Heart of Dixie" and it shows - it was the last to fill in with people, so not much time to get culture going. Too out of the way for any good Civil War sites. Birmingham didn't even exist until the 1870s, too late for nice plantations. At least there are points of interest in Georgia that don't have to do with being mean to black people. What Birmingham does have that Atlanta doesn't is plenty of space, so it's good if you just want to mind your own business.
>>2887538It's not really helpful to tell me "it sucks!"i've seen a couple nice things in alabama and I bet there's more (north alabama)
>>2887543This guy >>2887538 brings up blacks in every post he makes and says a lot of nonsensical stuff like:>What Birmingham does have that Atlanta doesn't is plenty of space, so it's good if you just want to mind your own business.Fucking retarded. Might be best to ignore his "advice." Honestly reads like a bot or foreigner to me.One cool thing in Birmingham is the Sloss Furnace. An old iron plant that is a city park now, most of the innards and equipment is still there and afaik it's free.Huntsville has the Space and Rocket Center, Russell Cave is in the northeast part of the state, Dismals Canyon is in the northwest part. Cheaha State Park is east of Bham and is the state's highest point. Not impressive compared to other states but the view is nice and I've heard a lot of people say they enjoyed hiking there.
>>2887549>One cool thing in Birmingham is the Sloss Furnace. An old iron plant that is a city park now, most of the innards and equipment is still there and afaik it's free.that seems nice, bethlehem pennsylvania has a similar thing>Huntsville has the Space and Rocket Centerdon't care sorry, grew up with lots of field trips to stuff like that, just doesn't interest me much >Russell Cave is in the northeast part of the stateI did Cathedral Caverns, which was very nice, whole thing paved for stroller access despite 200 ft of elevation gain throughout the thing, long ass tour by enthusiastic autistic man, 2 hours had to pee the dickens by the endI like caves in general as long as they aren't giga-fussy about rules>Dismal Canyon is in the northwest partthe cathedral caverns tour guide told me this is the only other canyon in alabama (besides little river canyon which I saw and was great)>cheaha state parkdid that, really nice, smol area on top of a ridge, very limited parking esp for best view trail saw a cop ticketing people in the parking areaparked off the side of the road always nervous doing that that some cop asshole decides I wasn't parked correctly and I get towedanyways preachers rock or whatever it was called beautiful view but very dangerous rocky edge, no railing, very windy day, 2 other views there, not as good>Not impressive compared to other statesyou are looking out onto the piedmont, not into the mountains but the view into the ridgeline along the appalachian mtns is the nicest partI think there's other views on/near the pinhoti trail but they are less nice
Is New Orleans worth flying into for a weekend to just have some good food for 2 days, walk around the french quarter, and leave?
>>2887549>nonsensical stuff like:>>What Birmingham does have that Atlanta doesn't is plenty of space, so it's good if you just want to mind your own business.>Fucking retarded.It's not wrong and you can't possibly argue this. The Atlanta metro has 5 times the metro population and it's way pricier. You can find empty areas in Birmingham only a few miles outside the city.>>2887718Yes.
>>2887733>t. foreigner who "knows" the US
>>2887718Probably the best way to enjoy the city desu
>>2887737Posting from Hoover and have lived here 27 of my 32 years. You're not just wrong, you're retarded.
>>2887739Oh my bad Xiang.
I don't care about the whining, I just want cool stuff to check out. >parts of the south are really ghetto, there's racial tensionwe know already
No one’s mentioned the Cajun country west of Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Primordial nature, small towns and farms, kinda crazy but friendly people and some of the best food and music in the U.S. New Orleans is cool of course but Acadiana is a totally different vibe.
>>2887927I want hills. I want shapes. Marshes make me mad. Except high elevation fens. Those get a free pass.
>>2887987Then it’s Ozarks and southern Appalachia for you. The food’s not as great but there’s good music.
>>2888007be more specifichelp me find the least bad food
>>2888012He's saying in comparison to Cajun cuisine, which he considers the best, it's not as good. Southern/country restaurants are still going to be very good. Depends on the region you're in but you can probably expect to find these on the menu: Chicken fried steak, Chicken and dumplings, BBQ, fried chicken, catfish and lots of side aka fixin's (collard greens, mashed potatos and gravy, hush puppies and many more).
>>2887369>Southwest of Chattanooga is Paradise Garden, a mindblowing assemblage by outsider artist Howard FinsterThat's interesting, never heard of that
>>2886121>>2886056you guys have any recommendations for hiking outside of north Georgia? I live a bit south of Atlanta and looking up directions I'm dreading a 2.5-3 hour drive one way with directions going right on 75/85 through that shit city traffic. Or should I just leave hella early? I've been to Chattahoochee Bend and it was kinda nice, Sweet water Creek is like a 30 min drive but idk how busy it gets given how close it is to Atlanta.
>>2888186no, it's worth driving to north georgia, stay in a dinky motel if you must
>>2888089I am talking about the hills, where food options are mostly pre-made goyslop. Most restaurants don't cook the food they sell on premises.
>>2887718It gets bad after a weekendi would also add that walking around uptown is very nice and if you want good food leave the french quarterjacques-imos (picrel) is the best restaurant in new orleanst. lived there for a few years
>>2888186Yeah, keep driving North into North Carolina. You are under 2 hours from the Nantahala Gorge if you're in Helen. If you have a sedan or coupe there are long stretches of that road with no place for cops to hide. Pull off and look at the river , get back in the car, wait for a big gap in cars so nobody is in front of you, and rip the whip. Just make sure you have line of sight when you cook it. But 8-10 over is serious fun and not egregious.I'll mention Torreya State Park and the preserve by Apalachicola Bluffs in the Florida Panhandle. If you're doing this on a Nov-March day you might not need bug spray and it's right off I-10 in the nothing between Pensacola and Tallahassee. There is some forest and small escarpments with river views.The fishing in the Deep South can be quite good. Supply of bass and sunfish in fresh water and good saltwater fishing. The Mississippi River zone down past New Orleans has insane marsh fishing for redfish (red drum/channel bass/spottail bass) and excellent offshore sport fishing by Venice etc. But it's very expensive.I've only personally fished FL State Parks, St. Andrew's in Panama City Beach on a rainy summer day has excellent park and wade fishing, doable barefoot in trunks. BTW PCB is mostly lame outside that park.The parks around Jacksonville have good fishing as well but it's muddy in many places so nigh impossible to wade.Devil's Millhopper is a big limestone cave/sinkhole kinda thing near Gainesville, and there are a good number of freshwater springs you can swim/snorkel in the North Florida interior.
>>2888326what a terrible interior
bump
>>2886015swamps are pretty neat, I did a boat tour at Okefenokee. Tons of gators.Also the Atlanta aquarium is one of the best aquariums in the world. They've got whale sharks.
