Due South: Climb Aboard Merle Haggard’s Train Car

Plus: Southern dude ranches, Masters week, and an Ozarks adventure

PHOTO: VIRGINIA TOURISM CORPORATION

Virginia Scenic Railway passengers explore the Shenandoah Valley.

Merle Haggard hopped his first train at age five and never looked back. The son of a Santa Fe Railroad carpenter, he spent a lifetime chasing the rails, even naming an album My Love Affair with Trains. Now, starting this month, travelers can step into that legacy aboard the Silver Palace, Haggard’s restored 1948 dome car, newly added to the Virginia Scenic Railway. The three-hour ride-and-dine tour rolls through the Shenandoah Valley with vintage interiors, wraparound views, and pours from nearby vineyards and breweries. It’s a rolling tribute to one of music’s most storied rebels—and a one-of-a-kind way to see Virginia.

FROM SAND TO STAGE: Have you ever capped off a day at the beach with an evening at the ballet? Known for its white-sand beaches and rich naval history, Pensacola, Florida, is steadily making a name for itself in the arts world. Think thrilling aerial acrobatics from the Blue Angels by day, graceful arabesques and soaring jetés by night. And while Ballet Pensacola captivates audiences inside the storied Saenger Theatre, the Clark Family Cultural Center (now in the final stages of a striking $7 million transformation) hosts top-caliber theater productions rivaling those of any major city. Poised to defy expectations, this Gulf Coast gem is a one-of-a-kind beach retreat where culture takes center stage. Plan your culture-packed trip to Pensacola.

New Zealand. We spent a blissful night at Flockhill, a farm on the South Island of New Zealand, just ninety minutes from Christchurch. I wasn’t expecting it, but in multiple moments, the American South came to mind.

Expert accommodations. Flockhill opened in 2023 as an eight-person homestead on a 36,000-acre, working sheep farm. Originally you had to group-book the entire place, but the property added seven smaller villas this January. We loved snuggling by the stone fireplace and taking our morning coffee next to views of New Zealand’s dramatic Southern Alps.
Hometown flavors. Sugarloaf is the farm’s new fine-dining concept, and the visuals are wild—Mother Nature on steroids through big windows, and an onyx-marble chef’s kitchen with sparking open-fire ovens. The Chef Tasting Experience (which you can book without staying overnight) took me home with the first bite of Pacific Rock oysters from New Zealand’s Marlborough Sounds. The butter and saline notes were reminiscent of summers in Alabama and icy towers of Murder Point oysters.
Road trip. Leaving a pastoral paradise of soaking tubs, fine wine, and adorable farm dogs was tough, but the drive to Christchurch through Arthur’s Pass brought roads worthy of a Maserati commercial. I told my husband it looked like North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Parkway, and at one vivacious vista, we pulled off to snap a photo. New Zealand’s invasive-but-lovely broom flower exploded yellow across the valley beneath an impossibly blue sky. Enchanted, I left my purse on a rock, not realizing till we were fifteen minutes down the mountain. Praying to the Patron Saint of Abandoned Passports, we channeled our inner Richard Petty, breaking several speed limits back to the spot. Phew. Right where I left it!

CALLING ALL MAKERS: Entries are now open for our 2025 Made in the South Awards, which honor the best products crafted in the region. Winners and runners-up in each of our six categories are selected by a panel of G&G editors and guest judges and will be featured in the pages of the December 2025/January 2026 issue, and one overall winner will take home $10,000. Enter by April 15 for a discounted entry fee.