You're so welcome, LittleDickensD! Safe travels! Have a wonderful trip!

Alabama has fewer tourist attractions than most Southern states. There aren't even many Civil War battlefields there. The people of Alabama are good folks, however.

If you're looking for *typical* tourist destinations in the South, here's where you might find them. But as has been pointed out, the South is actually quite diverse. New Orleans is very different from Nashville which is very different from Charleston, and Atlanta's a different animal altogether. (And nobody from the South thinks DC is part of the South.)

(Southerners, please please note that a) I am from the South too and b) I know there are tons of things to do in each state; this is just what most first-time visitors look for, in my experience!)

Louisiana - New Orleans: jazz, Cajun/French inspired food, ghost tours, French Quarter

Georgia: Atlanta (CNN, World of Coke, Georgia Aquarium, other things); beaches like Jekyll or Tybee islands; Savannah

South Carolina: Charleston (somewhat similar to Savannah; some prefer one to the other); lots of beaches - Myrtle Beach for touristy/lots of non-beach things to do, Hilton Head or areas around Charleston for calmer areas

North Carolina: Asheville; Smoky/Blue Ridge mountains; beaches at the Outer Banks or near Wilmington

Tennessee: Memphis for barbecue and music history (the Civil Rights Museum is also excellent); Nashville for tons of music history and live performances (mostly NOT country, actually, though the Country Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry are great); Smoky Mountains

Kentucky, Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama have some attractions, like the space center in Huntsville, beaches along the Alabama coast or Mammoth Cave near Bowling Green. (I don't really know much about tourist attractions in Virginia, outside of the DC area.) Those attractions are great but not <i>usually</i> what first-time visitors to the area want to do.

Florida is in the southern part of the US but (mostly) is not really part of "the South." Texas is its own animal too. Those are great destinations, but if you want to see "The South" I'd pick one or more of the above states.

Hopefully that at least gives you an idea of what to start researching.

I think the above recos are good but avoid a major part of the south (even assuming one doesn;;t think DC is south - and I wold agree that it is not) and that is Virginia (which IS south - at least according to my relatives there.

There are beautiful scenery in the mountains, wonderful beaches and a host of historical sights from Mount Vernon to Monitcello to Revolutionary War battlefields, restored planatations and the remains of the Jamestown colony.

Yep - as I said, I don't know much about attractions in Virginia, so thanks for filling in that info, nytraveler!

Haven't spent much time in Virginia but have researched attractions there a bit. nytraveler mentioned several options I'd have thought of, but in addition will suggest Richmond, Colonial Williamsburg, Alexandria/Arlington, Yorktown, and various Civil War battlefields (such as Petersburg, Bull Run, Fredericksburg, and Appomattox) as well.

****<red>The OP hasn't been back to this thread since it was started in June '09<black>****

I'm glad this thread was brought back from the dead as there is some great information. I went to NYC and Alabama this year and enjoyed both places. Obviously very different but I like variety in my travels and can kind find places of interest almost anywhere.