The Deep South

Highlights of the Deep South

What is the Deep South famous for?

• Alabama
• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• Tennessee
• Kentucky

Swipe left or right to learn more about each destination.

Sweet Home Alabama

In the heart of America’s Deep South, Alabama’s residents are friendly and offer a warm welcome. There is so much to love about Alabama, including its civil right history, space exploration, award winning food, and musical attractions. Muscle Shoals is as important as Memphis and Nashville when it comes to the world music stage with its two recording studios - Fame Recording Studios and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio producing hit records for artist such as Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Etta James and many more.

The state played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement, and you can follow its fascinating history in Montgomery, Selma, and Birmingham. Home to some of America’s best restaurants, miles of white sandy beaches on the Gulf Shores and its most visited attraction the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama will no doubt surprise you!

Louisiana

Bordering the Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana offers a diverse range of cultures including French, African and Spanish, tasty and distinctive cuisine, beautiful plantation homes, bayous and swamps brimming with wildlife, quaint towns, and plenty of outdoor activities to keep you entertained including hiking and golf.

New Orleans, ‘The Big Easy’ is Louisiana’s most well-known city and is overflowing with beautiful architecture, old world charm, energy, colour and music. Stroll around the interesting French Quarter and listen to jazz music and see marching brass bands or enjoy a lunch or dinner cruise on a paddle wheeler along the Mississippi River.

Mississippi

With borders on each of the other three Deep South states, the legendary music and civil rights attractions continue in the ‘birthplace of the blue’s’. Mississippi gives you a real taste of what life was like in the Deep South in its charming, elegant, and authentic river towns including Natchez, the oldest settlement on the Mississippi River and one of the wealthiest and Vicksburg, a key site where the American Civil War was fought. 

Indianola is home to the blues legend B.B. King, and you can learn about his life in the museum named after him. Get a sprinkle of Hollywood glamour at the Grammy Museum in Cleveland and visit Tupelo where Elvis Presley was born and see his simple childhood home and the hardware store, where he bought his first guitar.

Tennessee

Rich in musical history, Tennessee’s biggest claim to fame is for being the ‘birthplace of rock n’ roll ‘and for being the home of country music. Both Memphis and Nashville lead the way in the states’ long list of world class musical attractions including the Country Music Hall of Fame, RCA Studio B and the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and Sun Studios and Elvis’ beloved Graceland in Memphis.

Apart from the music, Tennessee has some beautiful hidden gems including the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the historic railroad town of Chattanooga, Lynchburg, home of Jack Daniels Bourbon and the fun and thill rides at Dollywood – Dolly Parton’s unique theme park.

Kentucky

Experience the uniquely Southern qualities of Kentucky, from its storied history of racehorses and bourbon to the thrill of cave exploration and down-home cuisine. Discover Southern hospitality in the Cincy Region, which offers a strong brewing heritage and fascinating history. Visit Louisville, most famous for the ‘fastest two minutes in sports’ - the Kentucky Derby - but also home to Muhammad Ali and the Slugger Museum and Factory, maker of the famous baseball bats.

Marvel at Mammoth Cave, the world’s largest cave system, and delve into the USA’s love affair with its quintessential sports car at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green. Over 95% of the word’s bourbon is made in Kentucky, make sure to visit its many distilleries, travel the Kentucky Bourbon Trail or enjoy a few glasses in a local bar whilst listening to live bluegrass music.