These states tend to be of a humid subtropical climate, with slightly cooler temperatures in the mountainous areas, like northern Alabama and western Tennessee. This makes them a good place to visit year round, only care should be taken during spring tornado season.
The area of these four states is variable, from the lowlands of Tennessee, to the cooler Atlantic Coast of the Virginias and Carolinas , to the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky. One thing is for sure, you will be sure to find many things to pique your interest in these states, whether it's trail riding in the bluegrass state, or listening to country music in honky tonk in Nashville, you'll find a lot of things to keep you busy in this region.

Enlarge Map of Upper South

Tennesse-Memphis-Gracelands

Upper South Holidays Planner

There are numerous natural sites to explore in these states. In Kentucky, you can explore the fantastic underground caves at Mammoth Cave National Park near Brownsville. In Tennessee you can visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the border with North Carolina where you can view wildlife like bears, elk, and deer as well as go hiking, camping, and fishing.

Each of these states are notable for different reasons. Kentucky bluegrass is famous for its racing thoroughbreds as well as being where 95% of the world's bourbon is distilled. Nashville is noted for being both the home of country music in Nashville and the roots of rock and roll in Memphis. Alabama is noted for Rosa Parks' famous act of civil disobedience that spawned the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and Georgia is noted for its peaches, pecan, and cotton.

This southern region is full of urban points of interest that you may want to spend some time familiarizing yourself with. You can visit the Louisville area and get a bat personalized at the Louisville Slugger Museum, or you can visit the Belle of Louisville, a century old riverboat that once cruised the Mississippi as a USO nightclub for troops stationed along the river before she was settled at her current berth on the Ohio River. In Memphis Tennessee, you can visit Sun Studio where Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, B. B. King, and Jerry Lee Lewis all got their start, or you can visit Graceland, Presley's mansion home. Also in Memphis is the National Civil Rights Museum where you can view a recreation of the Memphis motel balcony where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.

Tennesse – Memphis – Beale Street

Great Smoky Mountains

In Little Rock, Arkansas, this capital city, home of President Bill Clinton, you can visit the Clinton Presidential Center and Library. For a more historical take on the area you can visit Central High School, the centre of a desegregation battle during the 1950's; across the street you can find a museum chronicling the desegregation of Arkansas. The River Market District makes a great place for a stroll with a great expanse of shops and restaurants to visit.

Arkansas has many historical sites that visitors may want to visit. Poison Spring State Park is southeast of Bluff City and marks the Battle of Poison Spring in the Civil War which was part of the Camden Expedition in 1864, a Union effort to regain control over Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. If you are not a war buff, you may prefer instead to visit the mountainous Ozarks Parkin or the Archaeological State Park, where an Indian Mound is located dating back to 1000 A.D. to 1550 A.D..

Upper South Accommodation Guide

No matter where your interest lies, there is sure to be something to motivate you in these four states. This is a dynamic area rich in history and texture, and if you are following the bourbon trail in Kentucky, or visiting the Sea Islands off Georgia's coast, you will be sure to enjoy your stay.