Southern Treasures

[peaceloveunderstanding]

What are some of the great southern towns and places that a typical northern transplant wouldn't have seen or know how to find? What are some examples of places that make the south great?

I don't even know where to look to see what the South has to offer in terms of quaint little towns, historic areas, great southern food and beautiful countryside. Post pics if you got 'em.

[Rural King]

Paducah, Ky is a awesome little city that often gets overlooked.

Here are some pics, some from this past winter with my digital, and some from a couple of summers ago with my non-digital, thus the differences in picture quality and seasonal appearance.

Paducah from way up high atop the 4-Rivers Center.

Historic Kirchoffs Bakery - One of the best bakeries I've ever been to hands down.

US Bank Building

Old Third National Bank

Old Irvin Cobb Hotel

[GvilleSC]

^^^ i could have a second love for a city. Greenville first of course!

[krazeeboi]

Wow, Paducah looks great!

I'd also have to say Beaufort, SC.

[DruidCity]

Let's see ... smaller place with distinct character ?

Lafayette, Louisiana (or any of the other towns in that region of LA) would be an interesting pick.

[TennBear]

Here are some that are very nice and most people have never been to. It doesn't matter if they are northern or southern.

Rugby TN: It was founded by Thomas Hughes, the Englishman who wrote "Tom Brown's School Days". It was to be a colony for second sons of English Gentry. Traditionally the first son inherited everything and second sons could not work because it was beneath them socially and were therefore left without any means to support themselves. This colony would allow them to be away from England so they could work and support themselves. It has a collection victiorian cottages and is surrounded by the "Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area."

LaGrange TN: During the War Between the States, this town had over 2,000 people. It was a major stop along the Memphis Charleston Railroad. 2,000 people doesn't sound like much today, but remember that Chattanooga had maybe 2,300. The town is growing again, but has maybe 160 people. It has a very good collection of Antebellum houses. Two of which are very spectacular. It is also home to Ames Plantation where the National Field Trials Championship for bird dogs.

Jonesborough TN: The oldest town in Tennessee, Capital of the lost state of Franklin, and home to the National Storytelling Festival. The entire town is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

[mcheiss]

Eureka Springs and Little Rock, both in Arkansas,are excellent undiscovered treasures in the state of Arkansas.

There's also Hot Springs, The Buffalo National River, and Crystal Mines in Mount Ida.

[TennBear]

Eureka Springs and Little Rock, both in Arkansas,are excellent undiscovered treasures in the state of Arkansas.

There's also Hot Springs, The Buffalo National River, and Crystal Mines in Mount Ida.

Love Eureka Springs. From what I have seen on this site, Little Rock has changed a lot since I was last there. Don't know anything about the Crytal Mines in Mount Ida. Is it a cave? Please give a little info.

[mcheiss]

Love Eureka Springs. From what I have seen on this site, Little Rock has changed a lot since I was last there. Don't know anything about the Crystal Mines in Mount Ida. Is it a cave? Please give a little info.

I'm pretty sure it's the only place in the world that the public can mine for diamonds and get to keep whatever they find. It's a huge mine field that is 100 acres and is free access to the public. It's not to far from Hot Springs either.

[TennBear]

I'm pretty sure it's the only place in the world that the public can mine for diamonds and get to keep whatever they find. It's a huge mine field that is 100 acres and is free access to the public. It's not to far from Hot Springs either.

Oh that's the state park that is a large field that they turn over the ground and people go out and hunt for diamonds. Got it. Guess that the name didn't stick with me. I was thinking that it was called the Crater of Diamonds State Park or something like that. Thanks.

[mcheiss]

Oh that's the state park that is a large field that they turn over the ground and people go out and hunt for diamonds. Got it. Guess that the name didn't stick with me. I was thinking that it was called the Crater of Diamonds State Park or something like that. Thanks.

Yeah that's the name of it, but we sometimes called it the crystal mines in Mount Ida.

[RiversideGator]

Paducah looks great! I really like the Old Irvin Cobb Hotel. I have never seen a highrise Tudor bldg before. Very interesting. Can anyone post some additional pics of the building, please?

[depechecureguyorl]

I can mostly speak for Central Florida and yes, small, southern towns DO exist here. Mt. Dora in Lake County is quaint and charming with lots of mom and pop restaurants & stores on their main st. In Osceola County, Holopaw and Kenansville are very rustic and sort of remind one of the old Florida cracker towns with low level buildings and decor that is swampy and original. Sadly, most of the small towns in Central Florida are being gobbled up by the Orlando metro sprawl, so see it while it's still remote.

North Florida is home to a great deal of small towns with distinctive Southern charater. Palatka is tranquil and if you want REAL southern, then goto Suwanee in (what else?) Dixie County on the Gulf Coast.

[Louisvilleslugger]

I love Paducah Kentucky also (once you get past all the swamps LOL).

[Rural King]

^Swamps? In McCracken County around Paducah? Do mean the swamp/wetlands over in Ballard Co. to the west of Paducah? Or refering to areas over in Livingston, Marshall, Lyon, etc around Land Between the Lakes.

@ RiversideGator - I checked and I don't have any more scanned or downloaded currently. Maybe in the near future I will be up in downtown Paducah and can take a few more shots and post them, not sure when that might be though. I am thinking about doing a whole picture thread on Paducah in the near future with pics I already have, so you might enjoy that when I get around to doing it.

[ironchapman]

US Bank Building

Paducah is a nice little town.

On a side note, is that you avatar, Rural King?

In Georgia, I would probably say that our greatest treasures aside from the obvious ones like Atlanta, Athens, and Savannah, I think people would enjoy St. Simon's Island, Jekyll Island, Brunswick, St. Mary's, Darien, Valdosta (it's booming, from what I hear), Marietta (although it is pretty well known already), and any of Georgia's many fine small towns that are too numerous to mention.

[Rural King]

^ Yep its my avatar. I really like the US Bank Building and Paducah, I wish they were in Tennessee. LOL

I think I would find Brunswick interesting. I have never seen any pics of it though.

[ironchapman]

^ Yep its my avatar. I really like the US Bank Building and Paducah, I wish they were in Tennessee. LOL

I think I would find Brunswick interesting. I have never seen any pics of it though.

Here's a few from google...really wish I had some of my own, Idid go down there last spring, after all, but I stayed on Jekyll and St. Simon's Island.

The Sidney Lanier Bridge in the Foreground:

^Any help?

Brunswick is the only other port in GA. It also suffers from population loss, but it has remained somewhere around 19,000 over the past few years. Across from it are the famous Golden Isles, St. Simon's, Jekyll, and Sea Islands.

[RiversideGator]

Rural King: I think that bldg would make a great apartment bldg in Jacksonville on the periphery of downtown. I may have to build it one day.

Keep the Paducah pictures coming.

[bobliocatt]

My old stomping grounds of Lakeland, FL

Terrace Hotel

Polk Theater

recently renovated Lake Mirror Tower

Lakeland Electric & Water office building

Marble Arcade Tower

Pine Street

Historic Lake Mirror Promenade

Harry's on the corner of Main and Kentucky Avenue

Kentucky Avenue looking South

[Rural King]

@ironchapman - Thanks for the pics. Yeah they help alot.

@RiversideGator - Will do.

[nandle]

Yeah that's the name of it, but we sometimes called it the crystal mines in Mount Ida.

Nope you are confusing the two. Crater of Diamonds State park is near Arkadelphia and is the only place in the country you can dig for diamonds. The crystal mines near Mt Ida, are in fact also found throughout the entire region of the Ouachita Mountains, but mainly around Hot Springs and Mt.Ida. I have attached a few links here.

Also Eureka Springs is an entire town that National Trust for Historic Preservation has named as one of America's Distinctive Destinations for being one of the best-preserved and most unique communities in the United States. Its quite a funky little town.

http://www.arkansas.com/things-to-do/crystal-hunting/

http://www.craterofdiamondsstatepark.com/

[TennBear]

Nope you are confusing the two. Crater of Diamonds State park is near Arkadelphia and is the only place in the country you can dig for diamonds. The crystal mines near Mt Ida, are in fact also found throughout the entire region of the Ouachita Mountains, but mainly around Hot Springs and Mt.Ida. I have attached a few links here.

Also Eureka Springs is an entire town that National Trust for Historic Preservation has named as one of America's Distinctive Destinations for being one of the best-preserved and most unique communities in the United States. Its quite a funky little town.

http://www.arkansas.com/things-to-do/crystal-hunting/

http://www.craterofdiamondsstatepark.com/

Thanks for the info and the link. I didn't have any idea that that amny large diamonds had been found at the Crater of Diamonds.

[mcheiss]

Nope you are confusing the two. Crater of Diamonds State park is near Arkadelphia and is the only place in the country you can dig for diamonds. The crystal mines near Mt Ida, are in fact also found throughout the entire region of the Ouachita Mountains, but mainly around Hot Springs and Mt.Ida. I have attached a few links here.

Also Eureka Springs is an entire town that National Trust for Historic Preservation has named as one of America's Distinctive Destinations for being one of the best-preserved and most unique communities in the United States. Its quite a funky little town.

http://www.arkansas.com/things-to-do/crystal-hunting/

http://www.craterofdiamondsstatepark.com/

Really, I never knew that we had two different diamond mining areas.

Sorry

[Louisvilleslugger]

^Swamps? In McCracken County around Paducah? Do mean the swamp/wetlands over in Ballard Co. to the west of Paducah? Or refering to areas over in Livingston, Marshall, Lyon, etc around Land Between the Lakes.

@ RiversideGator - I checked and I don't have any more scanned or downloaded currently. Maybe in the near future I will be up in downtown Paducah and can take a few more shots and post them, not sure when that might be though. I am thinking about doing a whole picture thread on Paducah in the near future with pics I already have, so you might enjoy that when I get around to doing it.

Yeah I meant to the west of Paducah, those are where all the swamps and wetlands in Kentucky are, But come to think of it there are maybe one or two swamps in Louisville.