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There’s nowhere quite like the loud and proud Southern USA. From the swinging hotspots in New Orleans to the cult-like appreciation for Friday Night Lights in Texas and beyond, southerners just do it better.
There are some bizarre attractions and strange traditions down south that northerners will never quite understand – but that’s where the beauty is. If you’ve never taken sweet tea on the porch or gone to a rootin’ tootin’ chili cookoff then be prepared to go on a journey.
Location: Athens, Georgia
Est. Cost: $40*
If you go to the South, one thing you can’t possibly miss is the food. The South isn’t just home to unique food choices, it is also home to some insane food challenges. From super-spicy hot wings to massive steaks, you can always tuck into a food challenge in the South.
For example, if you go to Brett’s Casual American in Athens, Georgia, you can take part in the Beast Burger Challenge. This isn’t some skimpy single from McDonald’s. This six-pound burger features a four-pound beef patty and all the toppings you want. If you finish it in an hour, you get the $40 meal for free, along with a t-shirt and a spot on Brett’s Wall of Fame.
Location: Mount Airy, North Carolina
Est. Cost: $5-$20 for tickets*
If you’ve been down to North Carolina during September, you might’ve heard of something called Mayberry Days. This celebration takes place in Mount Airy, North Carolina, the hometown of famous actor and show host Andy Griffith.
Fans of Griffith’s PARA show, The Andy Griffith Show, can visit iconic locations like the Old Mayberry Jail, Floyd’s City Barber Shop, Snappy Lunch, and Griffith’s childhood home. Mayberry Days, as a holiday, has been around since 1990, bringing in thousands of tourists to Mount Airy every year.
Location: Texas
Est. Cost: $10-$20 to prepare*
This tradition is particularly common in Texas, and it is a tradition with which we can all get on board, as who doesn’t love tamales? On Christmas, as well as on All Saints’ Day and Easter, tamales are a commonly-served dish.
These aren’t picked up willy-nilly from Taco Bell, either. They’re home-cooked with all of the fixings, and they are usually served with chips, chicharrones, and candied or pickled jalapenos. In Meso-American culture, corn, a major ingredient in tamales, is viewed as the substance from which God made humans, so it makes sense that tamales are served on the holiest of holidays.
Location: Florida-Alabama State Line
Est. Cost: $10-$15 per ticket*
The Flora-Bama Mullet Toss is a celebration of Florida, Alabama, and the all-American right to throw a fish while drunk. During the Mullet Toss, which takes place on a beach, people throw a mullet from a ten-foot circle in Florida across the state line to Alabama.
To see the Mullet Toss, you’ll pay $10 to $15 for your ticket, and, if you want to compete, you’ll have to pay $20. You get a free t-shirt out of the competition, and proceeds go to charity. On average, the Mullet Toss raises over $40,000 for local charities in Florida and Alabama, as thousands of people attend the event every year. Judging from the Facebook photos, this event is a can’t-miss spectacle.
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Est. Cost: $0 to visit*
New Orleans, Louisiana has become the U.S. capital for voodoo, and it has been that way for centuries. Voodoo came to New Orleans through traditions from West African and Haitian enslaved peoples, and the practice was influenced by French, Spanish, and Creole people in the city.
There are many different kinds of voodoo, along with many different voodoo stores in the French Quarter. The city has embraced voodoo, and it has, in addition to shops, tourist attractions, temples, and museums dedicated to the religious practice. There are also quite a few documentaries on voodoo, which you can find on Netflix and YouTube.
Location: Everywhere
Est. Cost: Your patience
Throughout the entire U.S., the USDA estimates that there are around 2.012 million farms. Texas is one of the leaders in this category, as, by the end of 2022, it counted 246,000 farms throughout the state.
With farms come tractors, and these tractors love to fill up with fuel from Home Depot and get on the road with the cars. Don’t be surprised if, while driving through the South, you find yourself stuck behind a tractor. Just breathe deeply and accept it (and pass, if you can).
Location: Coastal Carolinas, Georgia
Est. Cost: $5-$15*
There are a lot of famous food dishes (and challenges) to come from the South, but one of the most well-known is shrimp and grits. After all, the South is known for its delicious seafood, and this dish is traditional to Georgia and the Coastal Carolinas in particular.
It is made by placing shrimp in grits (as you probably guessed from the name), though chefs like Bobby Flay on WBD spice theirs up with lime juice, cheddar, and bacon. Shrimp and grits is sometimes served for breakfast, though many Southerners view it as a great lunch or supper dish, too.
Location: Texas
Est. Cost: $50-$100 for your raft/inner tube*
This relaxing practice is quite popular in Texas. If you want to float the river, all you have to grab is an inflatable raft or inner tube, get on it, and then let the currents of the river take you gently downstream.
The Frio River, San Marcos River, Comal River, and Guadalupe River are some of the most popular floating destinations in Texas, but, really, all you need is water with a current. Just kick back and relax—next thing you know, you’ve spent a whole day just floating along. FYI, though not mandatory, you can’t go wrong with bringing a case of Coors along for the ride.
Location: Cleveland, Georgia
Est. Cost: $2.5 million to build*
Babyland Hospital is located in Cleveland, Georgia, and it is the “birthplace” of Cabbage Patch Kids. Xavier Roberts created Babyland by turning a former medical clinic into a retail manufacturing facility to sell the Cabbage Patch Kids, which he originally called “Little People.”
Babyland Hospital is presented as a fictional birthplace, adoption center, and nursery for these popular Hasbro toys. Though Cabbage Patch Kids have died down since their 1980s/1990s heyday, Babyland still attracts curious fans weekly.
Location: Bowman, South Carolina
Est. Cost: $0 to visit*
Should aliens come to visit us, their first stop should be this UFO Welcome Center in Bowman, South Carolina. Built by believer Jody Pendarvis, the UFO Welcome Center consists of a giant, forty-six-foot flying saucer made from plastic, fiberglass, and wood.
The UFO Welcome Center is a way for Pendarvis to show weary celestial travelers some Hilton-like hospitality. It took Pendarvis years to build his creation, which is now a popular oddity attraction for tourists passing through the Carolinas.
Location: Texas
Est. Cost: $200-$300*
This Texas tradition is called “Homecoming Mums,” and it first made an appearance in the Lone Star State in the 1930s. With this tradition, a high school girl’s homecoming date gives her mums to take to the school’s homecoming football game and dance.
Chrysanthemums are in season in Texas during the fall, which makes them the perfect flowers for homecoming. Though, technically, Homecoming Mums started in Missouri in 1911, the tradition is popularly linked with Texas.
Location: Everywhere
Est. Cost: $1-$5*
Sweet tea is truly a Southern delicacy, and this drink is strongly associated with the region. Northerners often joke that the South is obsessed with its sweet tea, and there might be something to that.
There are a lot of theories on why sweet tea is so important to the South, including that sugar was once used as a preservative in the region, so Southern palates crave the sweet taste. Whatever the reason, sweet tea is the king of beverages in the South, even ousting Coca-Cola from this top spot.
Location: Austin, Texas
Est. Cost: $0 to visit*
West 6th Street is an Austin, Texas staple. This historic entertainment district is located right in the heart of downtown Austin, and it was formerly called Pecan Street back when Austin named its east-west streets after trees.
Bars, clubs, hotels, motels, restaurants, music venues—you can find it all on 6th Street. The historic entertainment hotspot is where you’ll find most Austonians on a Friday or Saturday night, and that has been the case since 6th Street was constructed in 1839.
Location: Everywhere
Est. Cost: $5-$15*
Though this dish is around everywhere, it is especially popular in the South. Biscuits and gravy is a Southern delight, no matter whether this staple is made with love at home or ordered for breakfast from a down-home restaurant.
The dish requires soft dough biscuits that are covered in a sawmill (white) gravy. This gravy is made from cooked pork sausage drippings, milk, flour, and bits of ground beef, bacon, sausage, or other meats.
