American Travel
Hubs and Itineraries
The
Southern United States includes the states from Texas and Oklahoma to the Atlantic coast and
Kentucky and West Virginia to the Gulf Coast. Plan a journey from the Atlantic to
the Gulf Coast via Appalachia and the Mississippi River.
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, world-class museums and a unique shopping experience.
Experience
San Antonio’s rich heritage
by visiting its 18th century Spanish colonial missions,
residential areas dating from the 1860s and the local museums that celebrate
the city’s past. The National Historic
Park the Mission Trail is a walking, biking or driving experience of the
five local missions and the centuries of local history and culture: Mission San Antonio de Valero, commonly
known as the Alamo, Mission Concepción,
Mission San José, Mission San Juan Capistrano and Mission San Francisco de la Espada. The
San Antonio Mission Trail begins at the Alamo and winds southward along a
nine-mile stretch of the San Antonio River.
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 the railroads to the area 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.
Cowboys Cowgirls Wineries Public Art Trails and Vintage
Railroads
Grapevine is a small town located between Dallas and Fort Worth and is home of DFW
International Airport, the world’s fourth largest, with nonstop service
from more than 200 cities, including over 50 international destinations. Main
Street in the historic downtown has a public library, recreation center, antique
stores, restaurants, bars, theaters, a park, and many specialty shops. Here,
you can also bottle
your own wine, explore Historic Nash Farm, the Botanical Gardens and Lake
Grapevine.
A Downtown Walking Tour the Main Street Historic District includes over 50 buildings and their
architectural descriptions as well as stories, events and people who
contributed to the town’s development. Founded in 1844, Grapevine is the oldest
community in Tarrant County. In 1888, when the Cotton Belt Railroad came to
Grapevine, businesses flourished and the wooden buildings on Main Street were
replaced with new structures constructed of locally-made brick.
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.
Food Brews and Spirits in Fort Worth you can experience cowboy cuisine, trendy farm-to-table,
authentic Mexican and bayou fare. Highlights include beef briskets, pork ribs
and locally grown, organic artisan cheeses, alongside nicely paired wines.
Artisanal distilleries offer straight bourbon, premium blended whiskey and
vodka made from black-eyed peas. Also handcrafted beers, some brewed with milk,
honey and sugar, accompanied by live music and local food trucks.
Tennessee
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 include:
Graceland, 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 Beale Street Music Festival.
Mississippi
The Sights
Sounds and Culinary Traditions of the Mississippi
Regions. Delta is a melting pot
of cultures – from African to Italian to Asian. Capital-River from a
mighty river and antebellum mansions to downtowns with restaurants featuring
soul food, authentic ethnic dishes and modern culinary delights. Pines
barbecue and bakeries, cheese and cheesecakes, the tastes of this region
take their influences from their Native
American heritage. Hills home to William Faulkner, Tennessee Williams and Southern fiction
characters, platters of fried chicken, skillets of cornbread, and delicacies
such as pecan pie.
Coast golf, gambling, art,
architecture and great food.
Mississippi is a true melting pot of regional, ethnic, national
and international cuisine
New Orleans
The original
settlement of New Orleans and the oldest neighborhood
in the city is Vieux Carre, better known as the French Quarter. Established by
the French in 1718, the location continues to be a valuable site for trade due
to its strategic position along the Mississippi River. The district is a
National Historic Landmark and is bordered by popular streets, such as Canal,
Decatur and Rampart Streets and Esplanade Avenue. The French Quarter boasts
cultural contributions from the French, Spanish, Italians, Africans, Irish and
others – as demonstrated by the development of New Orleans as a global port.
North Carolina
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.