Costs run about average int he northern half of this area, but in the southern portions, the high season is generally winter, the low season summer, and prices vary accordingly.
Weather
Though Florida is the land of sunshine, there is plenty of warm weather in the other states, just in different months. Being on the seacoast can mean temperate breezes, but local folk try not to have too much outdoor activity in the summertime.
Alabama is best from April through October, though the seacoast can be pleasant in the months of November and March.
Arkansas is at its their best from late March through mid-November.
Florida is nice year round, though it can get very cool in the northern parts during the winter, even to freezing occasionally as far south as Orlando. For Northern Florida, the best time of the year is from April through October. For Central Florida, from March through December. For Southern Florida, all year is "the best time," but summer can be very hot and humid, except in Key West, where the tradewinds keep you about five degrees cooler than on the mainland.
Georgia enjoys its best weather between late March and mid November, except in the mountains, where the season to visit is from late April to mid October.
Kentucky says its best weather is between April and November.
Louisiana is a warm state, and tourists love it nearly all year round, excepting December and January, which can be a tad chilly.
Mississippi stays warm much of the time, though winter is not as pleasant in the north as it is down in Biloxi. Best for most of the state is from March through October.
North Carolina has its best weather between mid-April and late October.
South Carolina is a little warmer, boasting its best times to visit as from early April through early November. Myrtle Beach in February is not a pretty sight!
Tennessee is more moderate than Kentucky, its neighbor to the north, offering its visitors the best weather from late March through November, except in the mountains, when the season is from mid April through October.
Activities in the South and Southeast States
Alabamans like hunting and fishing as much as they do anywhere else in the country, the rivers of that state allegedly well stocked with fish and the hilly areas in the north said to be flush with game. There are rental boats in the state parks, too. Best of all, there is Mobile, down on the Gulf of Mexico, where you can enjoy sailing, swimming and even golf. Indoor types should stick, perhaps, to Birmingham, where there are two good museums, though Montgomery and Mobile each have a good establishment of this type as well.
In Arkansas, lovers of the great indoors can indulge in warm baths in either Hot Springs or Eureka Springs, said to be good for almost anything that ails you. Outdoor types should try fishing, boating or other watersports on the state's many lakes, or go golfing.
Florida has a wealth of activities for both indoor and outdoor people, from the wonders of Walt Disney World and Universal Studios (both indoors and out, incidentally) to the quieter attractions of the Florida Keys or even St. Petersburg Beach. There are plenty of spectator sports venues to check out, and dozens of good museums throughout the state. Don't miss the Kennedy Space Center if you can help it.
In Georgia, fishing and hunting are nearly co-equals, but there are plenty of stock car races and county fairs to keep you busy as well. History- and movie-lovers will enjoy Savannah, of course, and those interested in civic awareness or the arts could take in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta, or attend the symphony concerts at the Woodruff Arts Center.
Kentucky should attract horse lovers, with regular tours of the stud farms and the Derby, but those who like the indoors could head straight to one of the bourbon whiskey tours (Wild Turkey and Maker's Mark are just two of several). In Louisville, combine in and out at the Kentucky Kingdom Amusement Park or visit the Louisville Slugger Museum, home of the world's tallest baseball bat. For more indoor/outdoor fun, try Mammoth Cave, the world's longest system of caves.
In Louisiana, outdoor sports such as hunting and fishing in the northern part of the state are patterned like those in nearby Texas. Down south, though, it's mostly fishing. Indoor/outdoor activities include visits to the French Quarter and its restaurants and bars, while strictly indoors includes visits to Preservation Hall (for jazz) and the Voodoo Museum. Don't forget to take a ride on the Mississippi River's Creole Queen, either.
Mississippi can brag about a new casino town, Tupelo (where Elvis Presley was born) as well as its more famous Gulf Coast resort city of Biloxi, where it's almost balmy (repeat, almost) in winter sometimes. Otherwise, outdoors means hiking, hunting and fishing, or water sports on inland rivers and a few lakes.
In North Carolina, outdoor types should look to the seacoast (especially the Outer Banks) for watersports of all kinds, but be careful if swimming, as the rip tides can be ferocious. In the low plains of the state's, the chief sport is fishing, in the hill country, hunting. Indoor people should look for the Wright Brothers National Memorial near Kitty Hawk and the Biltmore Estate in Asheville. Everyone should visit the Great Smoky Mountain National Park (where, not incidentally at all, fabulous outdoor activities abound).
South Carolina's proudest possession may be its most beautiful city, Charleston, fun to wander through and home to good restaurants and comfortable lodgings. History-lovers should visit Fort Sumter, Middletown Place and Magnolia Plantation. A good side trip is to Beaufort (a lovely old seaport), en route to Hilton Head Island, home to dozens of outdoor activities, most of them centering around golf, it would seem. Beach lovers should get to Kiawah Island, if they can.
Tennessee boasts two famous cities, Memphis and Nashville, both with claims to musical stardom. In Nashville, be sure to see the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum as well as the Grand Ole Opry Museum. In Memphis, the most famous spots are Beale Street (where the blues were born), the Memphis Music Hall of Fame and Graceland, home of Elvis Presley. Try also to see the National Civil Rights Museum, on the spot where Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in 1968. For outdoors activities, get to one of the state's many fine parks,where river and lake activities are cheap and fun, or go hiking along the dozens of nature trails here.
