When the Southern USA says ‘welcome all y’all’ it means bring your kids, come hungry because the food is just as good as you’ve heard. It means come ready for adventure and that means anything from theme parks like Magic Springs in Kentucky to the most visited National Park in the US – Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee, in case you were wondering.
It’s a warm southern welcome that extends across 12 states: South Carolina; Kentucky; Arkansas; Tennessee; Alabama; West Virginia; Louisiana; North Carolina; Missouri; Georgia; Mississippi and Virginia. Where do you start? Here are a few first ideas to get you thinking.
Alaska is the only US state with more miles of navigable waters than Kentucky. The state’s also home to the world’s longest cave system, and you’ll find that in Mammoth Cave National Park: one of the six national parks that keep company with 44 state parks here. Not short on woodland either, it’s the place to explore Daniel Boone National Forest. And if you like horses, Kentucky gets you up close to them too, it’s the land of the Kentucky Derby after all. There are family festivals year round celebrating everything from bluegrass to butterflies. You can ride the countryside on electric rail bikes and when you need refuelling, try southern fried chicken on home territory, or take a tour of legendary Kentucky BBQ joints.
Discover more
