2020
PETER FRANK EDWARDS
AP
RI
L 2
02
0 /
SO
UT
HE
RN
LI
VI
NG
.C
OM
��
L
IKE
MA
NY
oth
ers w
ho
pa
ss thro
ug
h W
illiam
s-
bu
rg, V
irgin
ia, B
rittan
y
Ro
lston
ha
s fon
d m
em
orie
s of th
e
histo
ric to
wn
that c
an b
e su
mm
ed
up
BE
ST
SM
AL
L T
OW
N
Th
e N
ew
Willia
msb
urg
Th
e c
olo
nia
l ch
arm
er is h
avin
g a
mo
de
rn m
om
en
t
BY
MA
RIS
A S
PY
KE
Rin
a sin
gle
fad
ed
sna
psh
ot: “I w
as 4
ye
ars o
ld sittin
g o
n a
ca
nn
on
in fro
nt
of th
e G
ov
ern
or’s P
ala
ce
. I kn
ew
this
tow
n fo
r Co
lon
ial W
illiam
sbu
rg a
nd
Bu
sch G
arde
ns, an
d th
at was ab
ou
t it.”
Th
ree
de
cad
es late
r, she
see
s this
sou
the
aste
rn V
irgin
ia sp
ot m
uc
h
di� e
ren
tly. A
t 35
, the
Willia
msb
urg
loc
al o
wn
s a b
ou
tiqu
e, T
he
Sh
oe
Attic
, in th
e h
ea
rt of to
wn
an
d c
an
wa
lk th
ere
from
he
r ho
me
. Sh
e h
as
a h
ard
time
tellin
g y
ou
wh
ere
he
r
favo
rite p
lac
es to
ea
t an
d d
rink
are
be
ca
use
the
re a
re w
ay to
o m
an
y
to c
ho
ose
from
. Afte
r livin
g o
utsid
e
Wa
shin
gto
n, D
.C., fo
r ye
ars, R
olsto
n
says sh
e’s fo
un
d so
me
thin
g sp
ec
ial
in W
illiam
sbu
rg: c
om
mu
nity
. “On
e
of th
e b
igg
est d
raws is th
e p
eo
ple
,”
she
says. “E
ve
ryo
ne
is so n
ice
an
d
Vin
ey
ard
s a
t Th
e
Willia
ms
bu
rg W
ine
ry
Th
e W
illiam
sb
urg
Inn
Th
e C
he
es
e S
ho
p
is a
loc
al fa
vorite
in d
ow
nto
wn
Willia
ms
bu
rg.
2020
PETER FRANK EDWARDS
welcom
ing, an
d I th
ink
that’s w
hat
ultim
ately makes visitors fall in
love w
ith it an
d w
ant to stay.”
Wh
en yo
u ch
at with
the lo
cals in
town
, you
’ll often h
ear the p
hrase
“fall in love.” M
eand
ering th
rou
gh its
18th
-centu
ry ep
icenter, it’s easy
to see w
hy. Here, h
orse-draw
n carriages
clip-clop
dow
n cobbled
streets lined
w
ith m
ature o
aks; verd
ant fi eld
s are laid
out like red
carpets lead
ing
toward
stately brick bu
ildin
gs; and
w
hite p
icket fences gu
ard fl u
rries of d
a� odils an
d fl ock
s of sheep
. B
ut th
e small-tow
n ch
arm exten
ds
far beyond
its many colon
ial treasures.
Today, th
e appeal lies in
its ability to p
erform a delicate d
ance betw
een
old an
d n
ew, betw
een h
onorin
g its p
ast and
embracin
g a more m
odern
futu
re. “William
sburg h
as grown
so m
uch
in th
e past few
years,” says
Rolston
. “Peop
le aren’t com
ing h
ere ju
st for the h
istory or them
e park
s anym
ore. Th
ey’re comin
g to enjoy
the tow
n.”
Th
at sea chan
ge is eviden
t in th
e bu
stling M
erchan
ts Squ
are, wh
ere n
early 100
-year-old gen
eral stores
share sid
ewalk
s with
contem
porary
boutiques and tren
dy taprooms. Those
wh
o kn
ow W
illiamsbu
rg well fi n
d
comfort in
familiar m
ainstays like
Th
e C
he
ese
Sh
op
, a local institution
fam
ous for its stu
� ed san
dwich
es slathered in
an addictive secret-recipe
hou
se dressin
g. Oth
ers are discover-
ing th
e city’s magic for th
e fi rst time,
with
spots like th
e Pre
ca
riou
s B
ee
r
Pro
jec
t, a 10,0
00
-square-foot brewery
and m
usic venue, lurin
g city dwellers
from R
ichm
ond an
d D.C
. for a weeken
d
(or even a lifetim
e). Th
en th
ere are those, like residen
t C
hris S
mith
, wh
o are rediscoverin
g—an
d investin
g in—
William
sburg
in th
e mid
st of its renaissan
ce. A
long w
ith bu
siness p
artner
Robby W
illey, Sm
ith atten
ded
college here at W
illiam &
Mary
before setting o� to p
ursu
e big-city career opp
ortun
ities. B
ut th
ey both soon
felt the
familiar pu
ll of small-tow
n
living an
d, p
uttin
g their
degrees in
busin
ess and
econ
omics to u
se, decided
to follow their dream
of opening their
own
brewery. W
illiamsburg w
as the obviou
s choice. “It felt like a very
auth
entic story—
we m
et each oth
er
Cra
ft bre
we
ries
are
he
lpin
g a
ttrac
t a
yo
un
ge
r cro
wd
to
this
his
toric
tow
n.
A b
arte
nd
er m
ixes
up
on
e o
f the
ho
us
e s
pe
cia
lties
at A
mb
er O
x.
AP
RI
L 2
02
0 /
SO
UT
HE
RN
LI
VI
NG
.C
OM
���
2020
PETER FRANK EDWARDS
SO
UT
HE
RN
LI
VI
NG
.C
OM
/ A
PR
IL
20
20
���
here, an
d w
e ultim
ately came back
to a com
mu
nity th
at we w
anted
to su
pport,” says S
mith
. A
fter fou
r years of researchin
g an
d p
lann
ing, T
he
Virg
inia
Be
er C
o.
open
ed an
d is n
ow am
ong th
e slew
of bu
rgeonin
g bu
sinesses alon
g the
William
sbu
rg Tasting Trail, w
hich
in
clud
es craft breweries, d
istilleries, w
ineries, an
d even
a m
eadery
(a marriage,
once again
, of past an
d
presen
t). Ho
used
in an
old
auto
bo
dy sh
op—
a cu
e taken from
brew
scenes in
large cities—it’s n
ow a go
-to sp
ot on
sun
ny S
aturd
ay aftern
oons, w
hen
locals gath
er aroun
d com
mu
-n
al picn
ic tables to clink
frothy p
ints w
ith n
ames
like Liq
uid
Escap
e. T
he sam
e goes for
Precariou
s Beer P
roject an
d its S
outh
ern-style
din
ing co
un
terpart,
Am
be
r Ox
Pu
blic
Ho
us
e, w
hich
has its
own
Beer L
ab. A
mb
er O
x is also h
elmed
by a
pair of yo
un
g investors, C
hris C
ook
and
An
drew
Vo
ss. Bu
t un
like many
other lo
cal en
trepren
eurs w
ho
are inev
itably lu
red b
ack to
William
sbu
rg, Vo
ss (a M
ichigan
native) h
ad n
o p
revio
us
conn
ection to
the tow
n b
efore he
decid
ed to invest in
it. Wooed
by an
initial v
isit, he u
pro
oted h
is family
desp
ite havin
g a fresh m
ortgage and
says, “W
e haven
’t second
-guessed
it for a m
inu
te.” “W
hat w
e’ve grown
to
app
reciate abo
ut
this p
lace is that it feels
very mu
ch like a sm
all com
mu
nity, b
ut it h
as th
is really co
ol dow
n-
town
vib
e,” Vo
ss says. “W
hen
peop
le wh
o don
’t k
now
William
sbu
rg com
e to v
isit, they
are often
blown
away
by ju
st how
mu
ch th
ere is to
see and
do
here.”
That’s th
e magic of
William
sburg. Whether
you com
e here for the u
nm
atched
historic
character or craft brew
s, th
e friend
ly neigh
bors or bu
colic beauty, it’s a
place that reels you
in
and
keeps callin
g you
back for m
ore.
TH
E T
OP
20
1. Willia
msb
urg
, VA
2. B
ea
ufo
rt, SC
3. Fa
irho
pe
, AL
4. Fra
nk
lin, T
N
5. Fre
de
rick
sbu
rg, V
A
6. Fre
de
rick
sbu
rg, T
X
7. Be
au
fort, N
C
8. T
ho
ma
sville
, GA
9. B
lu�
ton
, SC
10. A
ike
n, S
C
11. Mo
un
t Do
ra, F
L
12. P
ad
uc
ah
, KY
13. E
ure
ka
Sp
ring
s, AR
14. N
atc
hito
ch
es, L
A
15. Isle
of H
op
e, G
A
16. O
pe
lika
, AL
17. Flo
ren
ce
, AL
18. M
an
teo
, NC
19. S
t. Ma
rys, G
A
20
. De
La
nd
, FL
EN
JO
Y W
IL
LIA
MS
BU
RG
LIK
E A
LO
CA
L
Ë EA
T: S
erv
ing
ele
vate
d ri�
s
on
cla
ssic
ba
r fare
(like
the
ir
de
licio
us
oa
k-s
mo
ke
d frie
d
ch
ick
en
win
gs), A
mb
er O
x
ha
s a
rustic
vib
e a
nd
a ro
ster
of re
gu
lars
(so b
e s
ure
to m
ak
e
a re
serva
tion
). An
oth
er n
ew
bie
to th
e fo
od
sce
ne
, Ca
sa
Pe
arl
Oy
ste
rs &
Ta
co
s—
he
lme
d b
y
a yo
un
g c
he
f an
d ve
tera
n o
f
Ch
arle
ston
, So
uth
Ca
rolin
a’s
Th
e O
rdin
ary
—d
elive
rs th
e
Ch
esa
pe
ake
Ba
y’s �
ne
st bo
un
ty
in a
ca
su
al g
as sta
tion
turn
ed
oy
ster-a
nd
-tac
o b
ar.
Ë DR
INK
: Th
e b
urg
eo
nin
g
Willia
ms
bu
rg T
astin
g T
rail
is tra
nsfo
rmin
g th
e h
istoric
tow
n in
to a
bo
oz
y g
eta
wa
y.
A fe
w sta
nd
ou
ts: B
illsb
urg
Bre
we
ry se
rves u
p fro
sty p
ints
in a
pe
ac
efu
l ma
rina
-fron
t
settin
g. S
ilver H
an
d M
ea
de
ry,
me
an
wh
ile, re
ima
gin
es
the
an
cie
nt sip
pe
r with
rare
an
d
loc
ally
sou
rce
d va
rieta
l ho
ne
y.
Ë DO
: Be
su
re to
tak
e a
dva
n-
tag
e o
f the
ne
two
rk o
f ram
blin
g
sce
nic
trails. A
mb
itiou
s run
ne
rs
an
d b
ike
rs ca
n h
it the
win
din
g,
pa
ved
52
-mile
Virg
inia
Ca
pita
l
Tra
il, wh
ich
trave
ls th
rou
gh
po
stca
rd-w
orth
y p
astu
res
all
the
wa
y fro
m Ja
me
stow
n to
Ric
hm
on
d. F
ree
do
m P
ark
o�
ers
sho
rter tra
ils fo
r hik
ing
an
d b
ikin
g w
ith a
side
of h
istory
:
It wa
s on
ce
ho
me
to o
ne
of th
e
ea
rliest fre
e b
lac
k se
ttlem
en
ts
in A
me
rica
.
Ë SH
OP
: Re
taile
rs in M
erc
ha
nts
Sq
ua
re ra
ng
e fro
m th
e c
ute
to th
e fa
bu
lou
sly
fun
ky. Fo
r a
wh
ims
ica
l mix
of fa
sh
ion
ab
le
mu
st-ha
ves
an
d sta
tem
en
t-
ma
kin
g w
ild c
ard
s, bro
wse
Th
e
Sh
oe
Attic
. Qu
irks
is a fa
vorite
am
on
g lo
cals fo
r lots o
f cre
ative
gift id
ea
s, an
d F
ren
ch
Tw
ist
Bo
utiq
ue
o�
ers
bre
ezy
clo
set
stap
les
(like
the
pe
rfec
t line
n
dre
ss) at re
aso
na
ble
pric
es.
Th
e W
illiam
sb
urg
Win
ery
1. Willia
msb
urg
, VA
EN
JO
Y W
IL
LIA
MS
BU
RG
E
NJ
OY
WIL
LIA
MS
BU
RG
LIK
E A
LO
CA
LL
IK
E A
LO
CA
L
ËE
AT
: Se
rvin
g e
leva
ted
ri�s
on
cla
ssic
ba
r fare
(like
the
ir o
n c
lass
ic b
ar fa
re (lik
e th
eir
de
licio
us
oa
k-s
mo
ke
d frie
d
de
licio
us
oa
k-s
mo
ke
d frie
d
ch
ick
en
win
gs), A
mb
er O
x
ch
ick
en
win
gs), A
mb
er O
x
ha
s a
rustic
vib
e a
nd
a ro
ster
ha
s a
rustic
vib
e a
nd
a ro
ster
of re
gu
lars (so
be
sure
to m
ak
e
of re
gu
lars (so
be
sure
to m
ak
e
a re
serva
tion
). An
oth
er n
ew
bie
a
rese
rvatio
n). A
no
the
r ne
wb
ie
to th
e fo
od
sce
ne
, Ca
sa
Pe
arl
to th
e fo
od
sce
ne
, Ca
sa
Pe
arl
Oy
ste
rs &
Ta
co
s—
he
lme
d b
y
Oy
ste
rs &
Ta
co
s—
he
lme
d b
y
a yo
un
g c
he
f an
d ve
tera
n o
f a
you
ng
ch
ef a
nd
vete
ran
of
Ch
arle
ston
, So
uth
Ca
rolin
a’s
Ch
arle
ston
, So
uth
Ca
rolin
a’s
Th
e O
rdin
ary
—d
elive
rs th
e
Th
e O
rdin
ary
—d
elive
rs th
e
Ch
esa
pe
ake
Ba
y’s �
ne
st bo
un
ty
Ch
esa
pe
ake
Ba
y’s �
ne
st bo
un
ty
in a
ca
su
al g
as sta
tion
turn
ed
in
a c
as
ua
l ga
s statio
n tu
rne
d
oy
ster-a
nd
-tac
o b
ar.
oy
ster-a
nd
-tac
o b
ar.
ËD
RIN
K: T
he
bu
rge
on
ing
Willia
ms
bu
rg T
astin
g T
rail
Willia
ms
bu
rg T
astin
g T
rail
is tra
nsfo
rmin
g th
e h
istoric
is
tran
sform
ing
the
histo
ric
tow
n in
to a
bo
oz
y g
eta
wa
y. to
wn
into
a b
oo
zy
ge
taw
ay.
A fe
w sta
nd
ou
ts: B
illsb
urg
A
few
stan
do
uts
: Bills
bu
rg
Bre
we
ry se
rves u
p fro
sty p
ints
Bre
we
ry se
rves u
p fro
sty p
ints
in a
pe
ac
efu
l ma
rina
-fron
t in
a p
ea
ce
ful m
arin
a-fro
nt
settin
g. S
ilver H
an
d M
ea
de
ry, se
tting
. Silve
r Ha
nd
Me
ad
ery,
me
an
wh
ile, re
ima
gin
es
the
m
ea
nw
hile
, reim
ag
ine
s th
e
an
cie
nt sip
pe
r with
rare
an
d
an
cie
nt sip
pe
r with
rare
an
d
loc
ally
sou
rce
d va
rieta
l ho
ne
y. lo
ca
lly so
urc
ed
varie
tal h
on
ey.
ËD
O: B
e s
ure
to ta
ke
ad
van
-
tag
e o
f the
ne
two
rk o
f ram
blin
g
tag
e o
f the
ne
two
rk o
f ram
blin
g
sce
nic
trails. A
mb
itiou
s run
ne
rs sc
en
ic tra
ils. Am
bitio
us ru
nn
ers
an
d b
ike
rs ca
n h
it the
win
din
g,
an
d b
ike
rs ca
n h
it the
win
din
g,
pa
ved
52
-mile
Virg
inia
Ca
pita
l p
ave
d 5
2-m
ile V
irgin
ia C
ap
ital
Tra
il, wh
ich
trave
ls th
rou
gh
Tra
il, wh
ich
trave
ls th
rou
gh
po
stca
rd-w
orth
y p
astu
res
all
po
stca
rd-w
orth
y p
astu
res
all
the
wa
y fro
m Ja
me
stow
n to
th
e w
ay
from
Jam
esto
wn
to
Ric
hm
on
d. F
ree
do
m P
ark
R
ich
mo
nd
. Fre
ed
om
Pa
rk
o�
ers
sho
rter tra
ils for h
ikin
g
o�
ers
sho
rter tra
ils for h
ikin
g
an
d b
ikin
g w
ith a
side
of h
istory
: a
nd
bik
ing
with
a sid
e o
f histo
ry:
It wa
s on
ce
ho
me
to o
ne
of th
e
It wa
s on
ce
ho
me
to o
ne
of th
e
ea
rliest fre
e b
lac
k se
ttlem
en
ts
ea
rliest fre
e b
lac
k se
ttlem
en
ts
in A
me
rica
. in
Am
eric
a.
ËS
HO
P: R
eta
ilers in
Me
rch
an
ts
Sq
ua
re ra
ng
e fro
m th
e c
ute
S
qu
are
ran
ge
from
the
cu
te
to th
e fa
bu
lou
sly
fun
ky. Fo
r a
to th
e fa
bu
lou
sly
fun
ky. Fo
r a
wh
ims
ica
l mix
of fa
sh
ion
ab
le
wh
ims
ica
l mix
of fa
sh
ion
ab
le
mu
st-ha
ves
an
d sta
tem
en
t-m
ust-h
ave
s a
nd
state
me
nt-
ma
kin
g w
ild c
ard
s, bro
wse
Th
e
ma
kin
g w
ild c
ard
s, bro
wse
Th
e
Sh
oe
Attic
. Qu
irks
is a fa
vorite
S
ho
e A
ttic. Q
uirk
s is a
favo
rite
am
on
g lo
cals fo
r lots o
f cre
ative
a
mo
ng
loca
ls for lo
ts of c
rea
tive
gift id
ea
s, an
d F
ren
ch
Tw
ist
gift id
ea
s, an
d F
ren
ch
Tw
ist
Bo
utiq
ue
o�
ers
bre
ezy
clo
set
Bo
utiq
ue
o�
ers
bre
ezy
clo
set
stap
les
(like
the
pe
rfec
t line
n
stap
les
(like
the
pe
rfec
t line
n
dre
ss) at re
aso
na
ble
pric
es.
dre
ss) at re
aso
na
ble
pric
es.
2020
RO
BB
IE C
AP
ON
ET
TO
A P R I L 2 0 2 0 / S O U T H E R N L I V I N G . C O M
���
Sugarlands
Distilling Co.
Smoky
Mountain
Brewery
Dollywood’s
DreamMore
Resort
Cades Cove in
the Smokies
Loco Burro
THE OCTOBER 1966 cover of Southern Living featured a breathtaking shot of U.S. 441 with a camper-shelled pickup leading a caravan of cars through fall foliage in what is now the most visited national park. Our readers have loved the Smokies forever. And their favorite spot? Gatlinburg.
Given the millions of people who visit this area every year, the actual size of Gatlinburg—less than 5,000 residents—escapes many travelers, but it’s the homey Appalachian charm that helps draw all of them here in the first place.
The village has continued to evolve, with a variety of
new attractions joining the perennially popular pancake houses, candy shops, and craft galleries. Two-tiered Anakeesta has a shopping village downtown where you catch a “chondola” lift to the mountaintop Firefly Village, with canopy walks, zip lines, and other outdoor-recreation options. Now Parrot Heads also have a mountain perch with the opening of Margaritaville
Resort Gatlinburg. Take the SkyLift to the new 680-foot SkyBridge, billed as North America’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge.
Blake Shelton has opened an outpost of his Ole Red restaurant here. There’s also locally owned Gatlinburg
Brewing Co. with its down- town taproom, or you can sample flights of hooch at moonshine tasting rooms.
For lodging, rent a cabin in the Smokies (or a room at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort in neighboring Pigeon Forge), and make the drive to Gatlinburg for entertainment. Or reverse that, booking a room in the thick of things and taking a day trip into the mountains for hiking and horseback riding.
But that’s all icing on the cake. In the end, people will always head to the Smokies for the exact same reason Southern Living did in 1966: This place is gorgeous.
T H E T O P 1 0
1. Gatlinburg, TN
2. Blowing Rock, NC
3. Boone, NC
4. Blue Ridge, GA
5. Highlands, NC
6. Dahlonega, GA
7. Hot Springs, AR
8. Staunton, VA
9. Hendersonville, NC
10. Black Mountain, NC
BEST MOUNTAIN TOWN
Gatlinburg’s Next ChapterThis tiny, wildly popular village in the
Smokies just keeps getting better
1. Gatlinburg, TN
2020
ROBBIE CAPONETTO
AP
RI
L 2
02
0 /
SO
UT
HE
RN
LI
VI
NG
.C
OM
���
I
T’S
A R
AN
DO
M Tu
esday
nigh
t, and
a line is already
formin
g on the cu
rb outside th
e Ge
org
ia T
he
atre
. Two back
pack-laden
studen
ts walk
past, talkin
g about
their m
idterms. A
n older cou
ple duck
s in
to La
st R
eso
rt Grill n
earby, in search
of p
raline ch
icken. A
man
zooms p
ast on
a unicycle. W
elcome to A
thens.
It’s the home of the D
awgs, the
old stompin
g ground of beloved rock
ban
ds, and keeper of a bar-per-capita
stat that could induce the spin
s (over 70
bars in a square m
ile). Athen
s is a place of m
any attitudes, and w
hich version
you get depends on
w
hen—
and w
here—you
m
eet this very cool town
.Th
ere’s nostalgia in
th
e dim
light an
d stick
y fl oors of h
istoric mu
sic h
aun
ts like the 4
0 W
att
Clu
b an
d th
e Georgia
Theatre. E
choes of old
frien
ds still p
ermeate
the th
ick, beer-sh
rouded
air in
these ven
ues th
at on
ce hosted
Mich
ael S
tipe’s d
istinctive son
gs, T
he B
-52s’ sign
ature
fun
k, an
d even
Pylon
’s jangly u
nder-
groun
d rock
. Th
ere’s soul w
afting from
every k
itchen
as you breathe in
the telltale arom
as of the fam
ous fried
chicken
at W
ea
ver D
’s; th
e han
gover-curin
g biscu
its at Ma
ma
’s B
oy
; and
the
Frogmore stew
at 5 &
10, H
ugh
A
cheson
’s fl agship
. T
here’s p
ride in
the p
rodigiou
s sh
adow
of San
ford S
tadiu
m, w
here
the hedges aren’t just smart lan
dscap-in
g and
the m
ascot isn’t ju
st a dog. The
stadium is hom
e, and U
ga is a rock star.
An
d th
ere’s optim
ism in
locals’ eagern
ess to turn
tired sp
aces into
shiny, h
appy n
ew faces. A
n old
tire com
pany is n
ow a favorite brew
ery an
d farmers’ m
arket. A k
udzu-covered
former cotton
warehouse return
s as an
arts district.
Wh
at doesn’t ch
ange? Th
e Wa
� e
Ho
use on
West C
layton Street. T
he
Tree
Th
at O
wn
s Its
elf, a qu
irk resp
ected
even by the local govern
men
t. (Go read
the plaque.) The old-fashion
ed root beer fl oats at A
DD
Dru
g, a
land
mark
since 19
61.
Ath
ens is a blen
d of
everythin
g that m
akes th
e Sou
th d
iverse and
w
eird and
un
predictable;
laid-back
and
loud
; rooted
and
rebellious.
UP
AL
L N
IGH
T
With
well over 10
0 bars,
restaurants, an
d shops huggin
g the small an
d
walk
able city-style block
s, Athen
s’ historic
down
town
is more alive on
an average
Mon
day th
an m
any town
s are on a
Saturday night. D
aylight hours see UG
A
college stud
ents fi lin
g in an
d ou
t of various cafes, such
as the co� ee shop/bar hybrid W
alk
er’s
Co
� ee
& P
ub
, as locals pop in
to shops like Arc
he
r Pa
pe
r
Go
od
s (a stationery lover’s heaven
). O
nce th
e sun
goes down
, inn
ocent
errands turn
into late-n
ight shenan
i-gan
s. Sp
ontan
eous sou
ls could
end
u
p dancin
g at the pop-u
p silent disco
wearin
g big glowin
g headphones n
ext to d
ozens of stran
gers; watch
ing an
in
die fi lm at C
iné
, a non
profi t art house op
ened
in an
old tire-recap
build
ing;
or sipp
ing at th
e bar of Ma
nh
atta
n
Ca
fe n
ext to a dude reading a C
ormac
McC
arthy novel w
hile oth
ers sway
in th
e back corn
er next to an
ancien
t jukebox w
ith h
andw
ritten track
cards.A
straight shot down
Prin
ce Aven
ue from
down
town
Ath
ens, N
ormaltow
n
BE
ST
CO
LL
EG
E T
OW
N
Th
e C
oo
l Kid
Ath
en
s, Ge
org
ia, is a
mo
sh p
it of ic
on
ic b
an
ds,
co
llard
gre
en
s, an
d B
ulld
og
prid
e
BY
KA
ITL
YN
YA
RB
OR
OU
GH
TH
E T
OP
10
1. Ath
en
s, G
A
2. C
ha
rlotte
sville
, VA
3. C
ha
pe
l Hill, N
C
4. O
xfo
rd, M
S
5. S
ava
nn
ah
, GA
6. A
ub
urn
, AL
7. Tusc
alo
osa
, AL
8. C
lem
son
, SC
9. Ta
llah
asse
e, F
L
10. K
no
xv
ille, T
N
Mille
dg
e A
ven
ue
, kn
ow
n
as
UG
A’s
so
rority
row
Ta
ke
a s
elfie
with
on
e o
f
Ath
en
s’ B
ulld
og
sta
tue
s
AP
RI
L 2
02
0 /
SO
UT
HE
RN
LI
VI
NG
.C
OM
Ta
ke
a s
elfie
with
on
e o
f
Ath
en
s’ B
ulld
og
sta
tue
s
1. Ath
en
s, G
A
“Ech
oe
s of o
ld
frien
ds still
pe
rme
ate
the
thick
, b
ee
r-shro
ud
ed
air in
th
ese
ve
nu
es th
at
on
ce
ho
sted
Mich
ae
l S
tipe’s d
istinc
tive
so
ng
s.”
“Ech
oe
s of o
ld
frien
ds still
frien
ds still
pe
rme
ate
the
thick
, p
erm
ea
te th
e th
ick,
be
er-sh
rou
de
d a
ir in
be
er-sh
rou
de
d a
ir in
the
se v
en
ue
s tha
t th
ese
ve
nu
es th
at
on
ce
ho
sted
Mich
ae
l o
nc
e h
oste
d M
icha
el
Stip
e’s distin
ctiv
e
Stip
e’s distin
ctiv
e
son
gs.”
son
gs.”
2020
ROBBIE CAPONETTO
AP
RI
L 2
02
0 /
SO
UT
HE
RN
LI
VI
NG
.C
OM
���
is wh
ere you’ll fin
d the tow
nies. Th
e old-sch
ool strip of storefronts is n
ow
frequented by the impossibly cool. B
ars here—
Th
e O
ld P
al, H
i-Lo
Lo
un
ge
, and
No
rma
l Ba
r—are the grow
n-up, hipper version of those dow
ntown. A
uto
ma
tic
Piz
za serves up slices in a retro former
gas station, an
d Wh
ite T
ige
r Go
urm
et
haw
ks m
elt-in-your-m
outh barbecue
in a 10
0-plu
s-year-old location th
at on
ce housed a grocery store.You m
ight hear wh
ispers of a beer so good th
at they don’t dare let it ou
t of G
eorgia. Über-popu
lar Cre
atu
re
Co
mfo
rts B
rew
ing
Co
. in the old Snow
Tire C
ompany buildin
g is the fount.
The beer in question is Tropicália, a citrusy little num
ber with hoppy n
otes an
d apparently a certain
cachet. Due
to production con
straints, it garn
ered a cu
lt followin
g—borderlin
e man
ia—w
hen it w
as first released in 20
14. A
few years later, the fren
zy reached all the w
ay to Atlan
ta and the production
crew
of box o�ce m
onster A
ve
ng
ers:
En
dg
am
e—then
to Thor him
self.
“It was all k
ind of m
ind-bogglin
g,” says cofounder and brew
master A
dam
Beauch
amp. “O
ne of th
e directors basically started sending his production
assistan
ts to chase dow
n the truck
s w
hen it was really di�
cult to find. They w
ere buying fridge-full am
ounts of it
for everybody on set, in
cluding these
big stars like Ch
ris Hem
sworth
.” Staples like th
e fruity sprin
gtime
Athena Paradiso and the easy-drink
ing C
lassic City Lager stock
all the bars, restau
rants, an
d frat houses through
-out tow
n.
The late-night din
ing scene here is
also legendary, from
street hot dogs at one of tw
o dueling carts—old rivals that
sit on either side of the sam
e block—to
the signature feta fries at T
he
Grill
.
Before you
kn
ow it, 3 a.m
. rolls around. Last call. N
ot at the bars—those
closed an hour ago—
but at Little
Italy,
a pizza dive serving up hot slices bigger than your head. The fun stops at 3. That is w
hen
the guy beh
ind th
e coun
ter starts hollering for everyone to get out.
Ab
ov
e: T
he
Old
Pa
l
in N
orm
alto
wn
Le
ft: Wh
ite T
ige
r’s
BB
Q P
ork
Sa
nd
wic
h
Ord
er a
Trop
icá
lia a
t
Cre
atu
re C
om
forts
Bre
win
g C
o.
Au
tom
atic
Piz
za
2020
ROBBIE CAPONETTO
SO
UT
HE
RN
LI
VI
NG
.C
OM
/ A
PR
IL
20
20
���
AU
TO
MA
TIC
FO
R T
HE
PE
OP
LE
Step
insid
e Wu
xtry
Re
co
rds, an
d
nostalgia h
its you like an old Tom
Petty son
g. Suddenly, it’s 19
76, the year th
is place open
ed, right before the Athen
s m
usic scen
e wen
t wild
. Th
e oldest still-operatin
g record
store in G
eorgia, Wu
xtry has been
in
business for over 40
years, refusing to
give up on vinyl, even
when
CD
s took
over the market. W
hen records cam
e back
in vogue, the sm
all store on E
ast C
layton S
treet dow
ntow
n w
as still p
acked w
ith crates an
d crates of it.
Th
is is wh
ere the fu
ture m
embers
of R.E
.M. h
un
g out. Lead gu
itarist Peter B
uck
even w
orked th
ere for a short
time. “H
e was m
y Neil You
ng coach
,” says B
ertis Dow
ns, lon
gtime advisor
and
friend
of the ban
d (or “th
e guys,” as h
e calls them
). He also k
new
Bill
Berry, R
.E.M
.’s drumm
er, from the tim
e th
ey spen
t together on
UG
A’s con
cert com
mittee. “A
nd
then
all of a sudden,
boom, th
ey’re in th
is really pop
ular
band
.” That’s an
un
derstatemen
t. It w
as Dow
ns w
ho ap
proach
ed
Dexter W
eaver, own
er of local restau-ran
t Weaver D
’s, to ask if R
.E.M
. could
use h
is catchp
hrase as on
e of their
most fam
ous albu
m titles: A
uto
ma
tic
for th
e Peo
ple. Soun
d familiar?
For Weaver, th
e tagline
is about bein
g quick
to please h
is custom
ers. H
is slogan traveled
all th
e way from
the
lime green
cemen
t w
alls of a soul food
joint to th
e top of th
e charts. “A
nd
then
, a year later, when
the guys were
nom
inated
for a Gram
my, w
e got D
exter and h
is sister to come to the
Gram
my A
wards as R
.E.M
.’s special gu
ests!” Dow
ns h
oots. You
won
’t meet a ch
urch
lady or frat boy from
the p
ast three decades
wh
o hasn
’t had
a meal at W
eaver D’s.
“Wh
ite or dark
meat, baby?” ask
s W
eaver from beh
ind
the cou
nter. H
e op
ened
the restau
rant in
198
6, an
d
it’s all about th
e chicken
, followed
by hom
emade m
acaroni an
d cheese, collard
s or green bean
s (someth
ing
healthy, for good
ness’ sake), an
d th
e essen
tial corn m
u�
n. You
can easily
see how
this place w
ould
inspire an
albu
m n
ame. It’s th
at special.
“All of the great thin
gs in m
y life started w
hen I m
oved to Athen
s,” says Patterson
Hood of the ban
d Drive-B
y Truckers, w
hich
got started h
ere in th
e 19
90
s and still con
siders Athen
s home.
Wh
at called H
ood to A
then
s in th
e first place? “R
.E.M
!” he crack
s. “That’s w
hat
it all boils down
to, right? Th
e mu
sic.”
Vis
it the
Alic
e H
. Ric
ha
rds
Ch
ildre
n’s
Ga
rde
n a
t the
Sta
te
Bo
tan
ica
l Ga
rde
n o
f Ge
org
ia.
De
xte
r We
ave
r,
ow
ne
r of W
ea
ver D
’s
2020
RO
BB
IE C
AP
ON
ET
TO
A P R I L 2 0 2 0 / S O U T H E R N L I V I N G . C O M
���
Clockwise from far left:
Fisher’s at Orange Beach
Marina; the Original Oyster
House; The Gulf; bivalves at
the Original Oyster House
JUST ASK THE Gulf Shores/Orange Beach crowd what they like best about this 32-mile stretch of sugary sand, and they’ll immediately start naming restaurants. That’s because they consider the sand and surf a given.
Outdoor riches here are remarkable: Gulf shoreline, bayous, rivers, and lakes,
not to mention the Bon
Secour National Wildlife
Refuge. The new Coastal
Alabama Back Bay Blueway o�ers four di�erent trails for paddling.
Within Gulf State Park are 28 miles of paved trails to explore. A new 25-acre Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo, significantly larger than the old site, will create better space for the animals while providing more educational opportunities for guests.
It’s hard to imagine now, but back in its bell-bottom days, Alabama’s Gulf Coast o�ered little beyond camp- grounds and the occasional mom-and-pop motel. The dining scene was practically nonexistent. Then, after
Hurricane Frederic struck in 1979 and the coast began to rebuild, development accelerated, and it hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down since.
Now there’s every kind of lodging you can fathom as well as a wide array of activities that are perfect for families. Meanwhile, the Hangout Music Festival and other events, along with attractions like The Wharf, are drawing a new genera-tion to this coast.
The Lodge at Gulf State
Park, a Hilton property, opened to wide acclaim in 2018 and is noteworthy for its level of style and comfort and also for its commitment to both conservation and
sustainability. Among the on-site restaurants at the lodge are the Gulf-front Perch and Foodcraft.
Venture out of the park and follow repeat visitors to breakfast at places like Ruby Slipper Cafe, Brick
& Spoon, and Duck’s Diner.
The same crowd will likely recommend lunching at decades-old Sea-N-Suds right on the beach, Doc’s
Seafood Shack & Oyster
Bar, Tacky Jacks, Mikee’s
Seafood, Original Oyster
House, The Gulf (pair any dish with a mojito), or Lucy
Bu�ett’s Lulu’s (order The “Pa-Menna” Cheeseburger).
For dinner? Don’t miss Cobalt, The Restaurant or Fisher’s at Orange Beach
Marina for stunning views of the water. Fill any gaps in your itinerary with “y’all won’t believe this” selfies while you sip on a beachy beverage at the Flora-Bama.
T H E T O P 1 0
1. Gulf Shores/Orange Beach, AL
2. Hilton Head Island, SC
3. Tybee Island, GA
4. Destin, FL
5. Myrtle Beach, SC
6. Key West, FL
7. Panama City Beach, FL
8. Wrightsville Beach, NC
9. Isle of Palms, SC
10. St. Augustine, FL
BEST BEACH TOWN
Gulf ViewWith its white sand, decadent seafood, and pristine wildlife sanctu-aries, the Alabama coast was once the South’s best-kept secret
1. Gulf Shores/