Wolters World

Honest Travel Advice

Menu
  • Destinations
  • Don’ts of Traveling
  • Travel Tips
  • Shop
  • About
  • Work with Us
Menu

Five Things You Will Love & Hate When You Visit The South USA

Posted on December 2, 2019November 29, 2019 by Mark Wolters

Hey there, fellow travelers! Today, we visit the South or the Southeast states of the US! The South is such a unique region with its own history and culture, and I love visiting whenever I can (if you have not noticed from the dozens of videos from cities like Savannah). As you know, here at Wolters World, we like to prepare travelers with the good, and the bad, of visiting a new travel destination. So these are the five things you’ll love, and the five things you’ll hate when you visit the South and Southeast states of the USA.

Hate #1: Liquor Laws in the South

A lot of the Southern states are still considered part of the Bible Belt, so the liquor laws reflect a very conservative attitude towards drinking. In several vacation spots in the south, you can’t buy alcohol on Sunday, or you can’t buy alcohol between certain hours of each day. There are even some dry counties still left in the south (as well as in other parts of the US). This means there is no alcohol sold at all. If you choose one of the southern vacation spots in a dry county, you will have to drive to another county to buy alcohol. So make sure you check before you go, though the restrictive liquor laws are becoming less common.

Love #1: Southern People

If the South is known for one thing, it’s Southern Hospitality. The people in the South are amazing and are what make southern vacations so special. They will treat you like long lost family and offer any help they can to ensure your visit to the South is fantastic. This also translates to awesome, friendly service wherever you go in the South. So make sure you mind your manners and be sure to say please and thank you and hold that door at the store.

We all can love the south

Five Things You’ll Love & Hate About Visiting the USA

Hate #2: Bugs in the South

Warm weather means more bugs, so the south has a lot of bugs. From mosquitos and gnats to flying cockroaches (Palmetto bugs), the bugs in the south are just gross. If you’re visiting in the south, make sure you bring your bug spray so you don’t get eaten alive. And maybe throw in some after-bite as well for when you do have all those itches.

Love #2: Southern Style

The Southern-style that I love has to do with the atmosphere and the architecture. While some areas of the South are in financial difficulties, they still take pride in their homes and hometowns. There are tons of historic homes in the south that have been impeccably maintained, as well as other historic buildings throughout the South. Southern architecture is also very unique and some of the best examples are in Savannah, Charleston or New Orleans.

Hate #3: Tourist Crowds

The South is so great that everyone wants to visit! In the winter, the south is crowded with snowbirds, which are retirees who leave the cold north for several months and relocate for the winter. In the summer, it’s packed with families traveling over the summer break. This means it can be hard to find affordable accommodation during peak travel periods, and a lot of the restaurants are overpriced and overbooked. This can also result in extra traffic as the roads weren’t built to handle so many people. So make sure you are booking ahead for your hotels, apartments, and car rentals. Also, it might not be a bad idea to make a reservation at some of those restaurants you have been dreaming about visiting.

kids will love the south

Love #3: Southern Cuisine

The South has the best food in the United States, hands down. On the coast, you have amazing seafood, New Orleans has Cajun and Creole cuisines, Memphis has BBQ, Nashville has hot chicken and you can get good soul food all over the south. Skip the chain restaurants and go where the locals eat; they’ll be happy to give you recommendations! We have videos that can help you know what to eat, but our best recommendation is to just ask the waiter what is the most popular item on the menu or the most local item and go for that.

11 Things That Will Shock You When Visiting the Southern States

Hate #4: The Slow South

The Southern states tend to take life a bit more relaxed and a bit more slow. So make sure you are ready for a more laid back attitude and atmosphere. It can be a love for many, but we know that some tourists are all about go go go, and in the South sometimes it’s more about slow slow slow. So pack your patience and you will be just fine.

Love #4: Weather in the South

Let’s face it; the reason so many people visit the Southern states is because of the weather! If you want to avoid snow and cold weather, then the south is the place to go. It’s especially popular for fall break and spring break when families escape the northern states for some time on the beach.

you just need to relax in the south

Hate #5: Weather in the South

Ok, it’s a “love” and a “hate” depending on when you visit, and your tolerance for heat and humidity. In the summer, the heat and humidity are oppressive. July and August are the worst times to visit the south unless you really love humidity and heat. The humidity locks in the heat so it doesn’t even seem to cool down that much at night. Make sure you are drinking a lot of water and staying hydrated.

Love #5: Southern Landscapes

There is a lot of natural beauty in the south. You’ve got the Smoky Mountains, the Mississippi River delta, the marshlands of North and South Carolina, the beaches of Georgia and Alabama. It’s such a beautiful area to explore, with diverse landscapes to explore. A road trip is the best way to see the states of the south, as you can stop and explore at your leisure.

If you are planning a trip to the USA, make sure you include some southern vacation spots in your itinerary. The “hates” are really just things to have a heads up on rather than a reason to avoid visiting the South USA. Want more tips for planning a US vacation? Check out these other blog posts:

  • Five Things You’ll Love & Hate About New Orleans
  • Five Things You’ll Love & Hate About Visiting Savannah, Georgia
  • 17 Don’ts of Visiting the USA
Tweets by @woltersworld

Hey There Fellow Travelers

If you want HONEST Travel Advice from travelers who have been there, this is the Travel site for you. We focus on giving you the best & the worst parts of traveling, the cultural differences, the do's and don'ts and so much more. Please join us on our journey to help other travelers. Happy Travels!

Wolters World is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program that is set up to help us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

©2025 Wolters World
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT