The Best Reason to Love the South.

[chesley]

My vote is Archibald's Barbecue. Two locations, Northport, Alabama & Cottondale, Alabma. Best in the world. contrary opinions are just plain wrong.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

1. The Outer Banks

and Charleston, SC

[Hubert Flottz]

2. The Outer Banks is my favorite beach of them all!

GREAT fishin'!

[sasquatch]

3. I don't live there, thats my reason

;) just kidding. Appalacian Mountains and TVA are good reasons to love the south.

[SiobhanClancy]

4. Key West,FL

Granted,it wouldn't usually be considered "The South",although it is the "Southernmost City". Sunsets,rumrunners,conch fritters and key lime pie....a wonderful place.

[KamaAina]

45. Key West: the southernmost city *on the mainland*

All of Hawai'i (in the tropics) is actually south of Key West (above the Tropic of Cancer), with Hilo on the Big Island being the true southernmost city at 19 degrees, 41 minutes north longitude.

[liberalhistorian]

5. Also-some of the best American literature

has come from the South (Faulkner, etc.).

[JitterbugPerfume]

7. The moon bow at Cumberland falls

My Aunt Nora

The Appalacians in Autumn

and there is no city o more beautiful than Savannah Georgia

[GoddessOfGuinness]

18. The Marshes of Glynn

Sidney Lanier says it best:

Glooms of the live-oaks, beautiful-braided and woven
With intricate shades of the vines that myriad-cloven
Clamber the forks of the multiform boughs,--
Emerald twilights,--
Virginal shy lights,
Wrought of the leaves to allure to the whisper of vows,
When lovers pace timidly down through the green colonnades
Of the dim sweet woods, of the dear dark woods,
Of the heavenly woods and glades,
That run to the radiant marginal sand-beach within
The wide sea-marshes of Glynn;--

Beautiful glooms, soft dusks in the noon-day fire,--
Wildwood privacies, closets of lone desire,
Chamber from chamber parted with wavering arras of leaves,--
Cells for the passionate pleasure of prayer to the soul that grieves,
Pure with a sense of the passing of saints through the wood,
Cool for the dutiful weighing of ill with good;--

O braided dusks of the oak and woven shades of the vine,
While the riotous noon-day sun of the June-day long did shine
Ye held me fast in your heart and I held you fast in mine;
But now when the noon is no more, and riot is rest,
And the sun is a-wait at the ponderous gate of the West,
And the slant yellow beam down the wood-aisle doth seem
Like a lane into heaven that leads from a dream,--
Ay, now, when my soul all day hath drunken the soul of the oak,
And my heart is at ease from men, and the wearisome sound of the
stroke
Of the scythe of time and the trowel of trade is low,
And belief overmasters doubt, and I know that I know,
And my spirit is grown to a lordly great compass within,
That the length and the breadth and the sweep of the marshes of Glynn
Will work me no fear like the fear they have wrought me of yore
When length was fatigue, and when breadth was but bitterness sore,
And when terror and shrinking and dreary unnamable pain
Drew over me out of the merciless miles of the plain,--

Oh, now, unafraid, I am fain to face
The vast sweet visage of space.
To the edge of the wood I am drawn, I am drawn,
Where the gray beach glimmering runs, as a belt of the dawn,
For a mete and a mark
To the forest-dark:--
So:
Affable live-oak, leaning low,--
Thus - with your favor - soft, with a reverent hand,
(Not lightly touching your person, Lord of the land!)
Bending your beauty aside, with a step I stand
On the firm-packed sand,
Free
By a world of marsh that borders a world of sea.

Sinuous southward and sinuous northward the shimmering band
Of the sand-beach fastens the fringe of the marsh to the folds of the land.
Inward and outward to northward and southward the beach-lines linger and curl
As a silver-wrought garment that clings to and follows the firm sweet limbs
of a girl.
Vanishing, swerving, evermore curving again into sight,
Softly the sand-beach wavers away to a dim gray looping of light.
And what if behind me to westward the wall of the woods stands high?
The world lies east: how ample, the marsh and the sea and the sky!
A league and a league of marsh-grass, waist-high, broad in the blade,
Green, and all of a height, and unflecked with a light or a shade,
Stretch leisurely off, in a pleasant plain,
To the terminal blue of the main.

Oh, what is abroad in the marsh and the terminal sea?
Somehow my soul seems suddenly free
From the weighing of fate and the sad discussion of sin,
By the length and the breadth and the sweep of the marshes of Glynn.
Ye marshes, how candid and simple and nothing-withholding and free
Ye publish yourselves to the sky and offer yourselves to the sea!
Tolerant plains, that suffer the sea and the rains and the sun,
Ye spread and span like the catholic man who hath mightily won
God out of knowledge and good out of infinite pain
And sight out of blindness and purity out of a stain.

As the marsh-hen secretly builds on the watery sod,
Behold I will build me a nest on the greatness of God:
I will fly in the greatness of God as the marsh-hen flies
In the freedom that fills all the space 'twixt the marsh and the skies:
By so many roots as the marsh-grass sends in the sod
I will heartily lay me a-hold on the greatness of God:
Oh, like to the greatness of God is the greatness within
The range of the marshes, the liberal marshes of Glynn.

And the sea lends large, as the marsh: lo, out of his plenty the sea
Pours fast: full soon the time of the flood-tide must be:
Look how the grace of the sea doth go
About and about through the intricate channels that flow
Here and there,
Everywhere,
Till his waters have flooded the uttermost creeks and the low-lying
lanes,
And the marsh is meshed with a million veins,
That like as with rosy and silvery essences flow
In the rose-and-silver evening glow.
Farewell, my lord Sun!
The creeks overflow: a thousand rivulets run
'Twixt the roots of the sod; the blades of the marsh-grass stir;
Passeth a hurrying sound of wings that westward whirr;
Passeth, and all is still; and the currents cease to run;
And the sea and the marsh are one.

How still the plains of the waters be!
The tide is in his ecstasy.
The tide is at his highest height:
And it is night.

And now from the Vast of the Lord will the waters of sleep
Roll in on the souls of men,
But who will reveal to our waking ken
The forms that swim and the shapes that creep
Under the waters of sleep?
And I would I could know what swimmeth below when the tide comes in
On the length and the breadth of the marvellous marshes of Glynn.

[Aristus]

6. They lost.

Best reason of all! :evilgrin:

[greenwow]

8. The best reason...

there are a lot of interstates that make it easy to leave the south.

[fishnfla]

22. Hey dumbass, the roads go both directions

I know you just got your drivers license and all, so that simple fact might have missed you. Congratulations on the lamest reply I've seen in a long, long, time.

[Cthulu_2004]

24. If you don't live in the South...

and don't like it, DON'T COME.

Jeez, y'all make us feel like France...

[Wcross]

29. Bless your heart

Thats the polite southern way to curse you greenwow. I happen to enjoy living in rural Tennessee. Damn Yankee!

[Maddy McCall]

42. funny that those same interstates are bringing back many minorities

whose families left the state many years ago in the Great Migration or to live in the North or West. Yep...really funny.


In case YOU didn't know, the south is experiencing quite a population boom right now from Westerners and Northerners moving here. There must be SOME things about it better than other regions.

[arcane1]

9. Colonial architecture, sweet tea, abundant foliage, seasons...

:loveya:

[EOTE]

43. Sorry, but sweet tea is an abomination!

No tea needs that much sugar. For me, it just tastes like sugar water. As for all other southern cuisine, it's all good.

[KTM]

10. The people are NICE.

As my GF often says, "I haven't been flipped off since New Jersey !!"

I have lived everywhere... traveled through 42 states, lived on both coasts nd in the MidWest. Spent a terminally long amount of time in New England, amongst some of the coldest, most clique-y people I've ever been around. People in the North aren't bad people, just not very friendly - at least, not in any way like they are down here.

We have lived in the South for a year now (although I was born here, I haven't been here in 15 years). To a T, EVERYONE has suprised me with their kindness, their amazingly outgoing "nice to meet y'all" mentality, their warmth, and their friendliness.

Having lived in the North for 12 years, I can say this with no doubt: The North has viciously and very wrongly stereotyped The South. I am constantly suprised at the racial tolerance, the open-mindedness, and the intelligence of my new neighbors, coworkers, and friends. In the same vein, The South has a very wrong-headed stereotype of The North as well.

Can't we all just get along ???

[sasquatch]

13. I guess you're white

because you wouldn't be saying that if you weren't. Those people that greet you in the south if you were black wouldn't be hearing "hi how are ya" you'd be hearing "get a noose".

[noiretextatique]

14. as my uncle told me he was never called "n" as much as in the south

the south of california, that is :7 he lived and died in texas.

[TennesseeWalker]

19. Bullshit.

[Wcross]

31. TN Walker?

You you near Bedford county? I live near the town that was home of strollin jim.

[Cthulu_2004]

26. Horseshit.

We like Black tourists just as much as White tourists. Which is, generally, not at all. Color ain't got nuthin ta do with it. The money is the same.

If you come to the South and are polite and respect us and our culture, we'll roll out the Welcome Wagon like few other places. (By culture, I mean a generally laid-back, not-in-a-hurry-to-get-things-done attitude) If you come to the South and are rude and don't know how to drive properly, then don't be surprised when we tell you to fuck off. And no, WE DON'T GIVE A FUCK HOW YOU DO THINGS UP NORTH!!! :)

[Wcross]

Are you?

Curious, are you black and speak from experience or are you white and speak from assumtion?

[KTM]

36. Yes, I am - but you are wrong.

Haven't seen it - not one bit. Living poor during unemploymnet, I was amazed at my new neighbors - a true "redneck" and a young black man. Their friends would come over and party all the time - one big interracial "lets all get drunk and be stupid" festival, with no signs of that mythical Southern racism.

Went to get BBQ (please, lets not argue over that again..) and was in line behind a black man and his son - such a cute little kid. They were grabbing a hot dog after the boy's baseball game... the boy struck up a conversation with the young lady behind the counter, and it turned out the kid had been playing against her little brother's team. The line began to chat happily back and forth, exchanging pleasantries, reminiscing about their childhood baseball days, and when they left a round of polite nods and 'g'nights" were traded. I was simply struck by the complete lack of any noticeable racial divide - just a bunch of strangers talking about sandlot baseball, getting a bite to eat on a warm summer night, and being friendly.

I love my new home.

[NightTrain]

11. How about the South's incredible musical heritage?

This is the part of the country that gave birth to gospel, the blues, jazz, country and western, zydeco, rockabilly, and soul music! If that's not reason enough to love the South, I'd like to know what is, baby!!!

[Lady Freedom]

12. Food and...

Big chested men runing around without shirts! Catching them ( men) skiny dipping! Looking at their cute buts as they are leaning under the hood of a hot, fast car!

oops sorry! I was thinking of this weekend! hehe! There are some good thing about SW MO! :evilgrin:

[tarkus]

17. Men in the south usually have have big guts to go with their chests...

I should know, I was born in North Carolina.

[Cthulu_2004]

32. yeah, yeah, yeah...

like the rest of the country doesn't have it's fair share of fat people in it???

[tarkus]

44. Very good point. In fact, it was so good I don't need text here.

[Lady Freedom]

37. You ain't seen Southern Missouri men!

yeah baby!!!!!!

[skip fox]

15. Cause we're CAPTIONing fools in the South.

Give us one, will ya'all?:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=104386

[farmbo]

16. That's What I Like About the South....Aaaa...Haaaa!!

From Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys (Circa 1948)


THAT'S WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE SOUTH
>
> Lets go down to Alabammy
> Let's go see my dear ol' mammy
> She's fryin' eggs and broilin' hammy
> That's what I like about the South
>
> Why there you can make no mistakey
> Where your nerves are never shaky
> Ought to taste her layer cakey
> That's what I like about the South
>
> She's got baked ribs and candied yams
> Those sugar cured Virginia hams
> Basement full of those berry jams
> And that's what I like about the South
>
> She's got hot corn bread and black eyed peas
> eat as much as you please
> 'Cause it's never out of season
> That's what I like about the South
>
> She's got backbones and turnip greens
> ham hocks and butter beans
> You and me and New Orleans
> And that's what I like about the South
>
> Don't take one, have two
> They're dark brown and chocolate, too
> Suits me, they must suit you
> 'Cause that's what I like about the South
>
> It's away way down where the cane grows tall
> Down where they say "you all"
> Walk on in with that southern drawl
> 'Cause that's what I like about the South
>
> It's Down where they have those pretty queens
> dreamin' those dreamy dreams
> Let's sip that absinthe in New Orleans
> That's what I like about the South
>
> Here come ol' Bob with all the news
> Boxback coat and the button shoes
> All paid up with his union dues
> And that's what I like about the South

[GoddessOfGuinness]

20. On the road to Charleston, SC

when I was a kid, we'd pass by stand after stand of beautiful handmade baskets. They were all made by African-American women who'd had their craft passed down from generation to generation, probably starting in Africa. The baskets were made from long pine needles and palmetto fronds. We bought a new one every time we went south.

[oneighty]

28. You went

right past McClellanville on Rt. Seventeen and
right past the lot where the house was where
we lived.

A pretty green eyed girl with with black hair

was raised there next to the salt marsh and Sandy Creek

She was raised on grits and fish and shrimp and fat back

and collard greens and okra soup and black eyed peas and boiled

green peanuts and Dr. Pepper. We met and married in Charleston

forty six years ago.

And that is what I like about the south.

180

[GoddessOfGuinness]

39. Yes, it was Rt17

and I remember how beautiful the drive was in places...with huge moss draped trees arched across the road. I often wonder how it's changed since the last time I saw it about 30 years ago.

We used to go to a place called Henry's for dinner, but I don't think it's still in business.

Yummmm...

[oneighty]

40. Henrys

On Market Street. Once considered the finest restaurant in The Holy City.

In the late fifties while in the Navy in Charleston, Henrys was the place to go.

Market Street is a sad name. It is where Black Humans were sold into slavery.

180

[GoddessOfGuinness]

47. I remember walking past the slave market

on the way to Henry's.

Even as a child, it was a sobering experience.
I'm glad they've kept it. We should never forget.

[tsipple]

21. New Orleans

Ah, the food...

[Cthulu_2004]

23. because when the neighborhood crackheads....

start fighting in the street in front of your house, and you get a shotgun, carry it at port arms, and go stand on the front porch waiting for the police you called to arrive, the police don't hassle you, and your neighbors don't think you're the "bad" kind of crazy. I've lived places where if you did that, the cops would hassle you, and not care about the crackheads fighting.

I'll be glad when it gets cold...the crackheads will go back inside, and we will no longer have to see their antics.

That's the one good thing about crack. It leaves it's users too poor to be able to keep their guns.

[TheBigGuy]

25. The music.

The South produced what is considered "American Music":

Blues, Jazz, Rock-n-Roll, Bluegrass, Country.

All these started in the South.

[magnolia]

27. One of the best things about the south....

...all the check out ladies at the grocery store call me honey, sweetie or sugar! I lived most of my life in Michigan, and the last 15 years in Virginia and I'm still touched by the endearments of strangers.

[Cthulu_2004]

30. On that note...

when you stop to eat at some dive, and get a big-haired late-middle-age woman as your waitress, and she's nice to you and gives good service, TIP HER. HELL, OVERTIP her! Times are tight, if she had better prospects she'd take them, her feet are undoubtedly killing her, she'd undoubtedly rather be someplace else, and she's doing her best for you.

A couple of weeks ago, I was at a beach restaurant. There were a bunch of obnoxious Yankees (the accent made it obvious) and Yankee Brats at this table next to ours. We shared the same waitress. She busted her ass for them, but nothing was good enough. They made loud rude comments about just about everything, including her figure and hair. They left before us, and they left her a NICKLE TIP on an 80 dollar check. When she was bussing the table and found the tip, she damn near cried. I called her over, and asked about it, how much the check was, and was that REALLY a nickle on the table? She told us about it, and we promised to take care of her. We left her $70 for a $30 check. As we were leaving, she came over and thanked us profusely. We're not rich, but she needed that $40 tip more than I needed $40 in my wallet. We skipped the planned movie to make up for it. Some people are just so goddamned cruel.

[Bake]

33. The Rendezvous in Memphis!

Home of the best dry ribs on this planet or any other!

Bake

[greatauntoftriplets]

34. Friends I have who are Southerners.

That's the best thing.

[Insider]

35. Ava Gardner Museum, Smithfield NC

holy cannoli, batman.

[VOX]

38. At the moment, Chan Marshall...

Cat Power...meeeeeow!

[XNASA]

41. Louisiana Cuisine

Having lived in South myself, I'd have to say the food along the Gulf Coast, specifically Louisiana.

Oh, and the charming women. I think that the women are reason enough.

[donotpassgo]

46. KUDZU

kills everything else, but sure is purty.