Plus: A NASCAR champ’s Charlotte picks and D.C.’s new martini bar

PHOTOS: OMNI PARK GROVE INN & SPA AND ALYS BEACH

Checking in in Asheville, North Carolina; riding in Alys Beach, Florida.

Dreaming of an overseas adventure but staying stateside this summer? You’re in luck. With Parisian charm in Charleston, Bermuda vibes on the Florida Panhandle, and vineyard views in the Virginia hills, these seven Southern destinations feel like far-flung escapes.

Elvis Presley’s birthplace.

AN ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO TUPELO: Some years demand recognition and a celebration fit for a king. In Tupelo, Mississippi, 2025 is one of those years. You’re invited to toast the Tupelo spirit during a yearlong journey of unforgettable programs and events. From honoring Elvis’s ninetieth birthday to highlighting the milestone anniversaries of some of Tupelo’s most iconic people and places, each month offers unique experiences that capture the heart and soul of the city where anything is possible. Read the Tupelo Bucket List to commemorate the city’s history, connect with others, and celebrate all that makes this place truly one-of-a-kind. See the Tupelo Bucket List.

Fairfax, Virginia. Located outside Washington, D.C., Fairfax is a surprise for visitors who might expect a cookie-cutter suburb. As a native who left long ago, I’m surprised every time I return, always finding something new, fun, and delicious.

Korean feast. On a recent visit I took a walking food tour through Annandale, a Fairfax County city with a booming Koreatown. The trips are led by Soomin Kim, who vows to become your “Korean BFF.” Her system for picking restaurants is simple: “These are my personal favorites.” We visited five to sample kimbap (Korean sushi rolls), spicy tofu soup, soju rice liquor, Korean fried chicken, and more. As we ate, Kim clued us into the country’s modern culture, from K-dramas to drinking games.
Above it all. Then I headed over to Tysons Corner to check into an oasis of a high-rise hotel near the upscale shopping district. The Watermark sports a two-and-a-half-acre rooftop park on the eleventh story with a beer garden, food trucks, a dog park, a performance stage, and a delightful miniature golf course called Perch Putt. It’s part of Capital One Center, a complex with a concert hall and an NCAA baseball park, located just steps from a Metro rail stop.
Natural escape. Before leaving I stopped by Great Falls Park. The Potomac River rapids tumble through a narrows that drops seventy-seven feet over the length of a mile. You can watch fearless kayakers ride the surge, and hike miles of wooded trails. Taking in the scene, you’d swear you were in the Rockies, not in the middle of one of the nation’s biggest metro areas.

There are only a few days left to enter Garden & Gun’s Made in the South Awards! We’re on the hunt for the best of Southern craftsmanship: hand-embroidered linens, custom fly rods, innovative skin care products, bespoke sneakers, zesty spice mixes, creative canned cocktails—you name it. If you make a standout product in the South, enter now for a chance to win $10,000 and be featured in the December 2025/January 2026 issue (or forward this to a friend who deserves the spotlight). All entries are due by June 2.