Heritage Tourism in the American South

Cowboys Cowgirls Music and Culinary Traditions

The American South is comprised of 14 States from Oklahoma and Texas to the Gulf Coast and South Atlantic port cities and from the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans.

Historical Tourism and Victorian Architecture

Guthrie lies along one of the primary corridors into Texas and Mexico and is a four-hour drive from the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. The city is in the center of the state, about 32 miles - 51 km - north of Oklahoma City, in the Sandstone Hills region of Oklahoma, known for hills and oak forests

Dallas is relatively young city with a colorful past. In 1839, John Neely Bryan, a lawyer from Tennessee with a taste for adventure, wandered into the area and was impressed with what he believed to be the perfect ingredients for a trading post and eventually a town: plenty of raw land, Indians with whom to do business, and the river. The young city’s can-do spirit helped bring railroads in the 1870s, the Federal Reserve Bank in 1914, Southern Methodist University in 1915, Love Field Airport in 1927, the Texas Centennial Exposition in 1936 and DFW International Airport in 1973.

Fort Worth was settled in 1849 as an army outpost along the Trinity River as one of eight forts assigned to protect settlers on the advancing frontier. The cattle industry was king for a generation of people working the Fort Worth leg of the historic Chisholm Trail, which ran from the 1860s to the 1870s when the Texas & Pacific Railway arrived. In the years that followed, oil and aviation brought new wealth throughout the region. The post-war years found Fort Worth capitalizing on its strengths as a transport, business and military center. Cultural pursuits included the development of the city's internationally acclaimed museum district.

Texas Cities and the Hill Country Austin, on the eastern edge of Texas Hill Country, is the state capital, the live music capital of the world, a center for film, home to the University of Texas and Formula 1's Circuit of the Americas raceway. The city’ parks and lakes are popular for hiking, biking, swimming, boating and other outdoor pursuits as well as a ballet, museums and unique shopping experiences.

San Antonio’s rich heritage includes 18^th century Spanish colonial missions, residential areas dating from the 1860s and local museums that celebrate the city’s past. The San Antonio Mission Trail begins at the Alamo and winds southward along a nine-mile stretch of the San Antonio River.

New Orleans was established by the French in 1718 at a location that continues to be a valuable site for trade due to its strategic position along the Mississippi River. The French Quarter is a National Historic Landmark and is bordered by Canal, Decatur and Rampart Streets and Esplanade Avenue. It boasts cultural contributions from the French, Spanish, Italians, Africans and Irish.

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Mobile Alabama is located at the head of Mobile Bay and the Central Gulf Coast. Founded by the French in 1702, during its first 100 years, Mobile was a colony of France, Britain and Spain; it became a part of the United States of America in 1813. 

Savannah was founded in 1733 on the Savannah River, it became the colonial capital and later the first state capital of Georgia. Its port was of strategic importance during both the American Revolution and the Civil War. 

Charleston was founded in 1670, Charleston is defined by its cobblestone streets, horse-drawn carriages and pastel pre-Civil-War-era houses, particularly in the bustling French Quarter and Battery areas. The Battery promenade and Waterfront Park both overlook Charleston Harbor, while Fort Sumter, a Federal stronghold where the first shots of the Civil War rang out, lies across the water. 

Charlotte is named in honor of King George III of Britain’s consort. It is a city with 199 neighborhoods and many nicknames, including: the famed Hornet’s Nest derived from the American Revolution, The QC, Crown Town, Home of NASCAR, Gem of the South, CLT, Bank Town, Char-Town and City of Trees.

Asheville has a fascinating past; experience a walking itinerary that commemorates the city’s most significant cultural, educational, social and architecture stories; a museum without walls. Urban Farm and Mountain Trails Gourmet Cuisine Public Art Music Heritage and a Bohemian Culture.

Louisville is centrally located along the Ohio River and is one America’s most accessible cities within a day’s drive of more than half the nation’s population. This city has a colorful past, from its frontier founding at the time of the American Revolution, to early 19^thcentury steamboats and as a Union base during the Civil War. Named for King Louis XVI of France in appreciation for his assistance during the Revolutionary War, Louisville was founded by George Rogers Clark in 1778.

Nashville has been the subject of many books, movies and songs. But, while music is the lifeblood of this city, you will also find here culture, history, haute cuisine, sports, natural beauty and especially Southern charm.

Memphis is a city with a rich and eclectic history. Some of the city’s traditions and milestones: the home of Elvis Presley, the Memphis Zoo, the Indie Memphis Film Festival, Sun Studio, National Civil Rights Museum, Stax Museum of American Soul Music and the Beale Street Music Festival.

The Sights Sounds and Culinary Traditions of the Mississippi Regions. A melting pot of cultures, a mighty river, antebellum mansions and restaurants featuring soul food, authentic ethnic dishes and modern culinary delights. The tastes of this region take their influences from Native American heritage.

a true melting pot of regional, ethnic, national and international cuisine