Our Road Trips 2024 Issue is Here!

June 18 2024, by Erin Byers Murray

The Local Palate's 2024 Road Trips issue hits stands today!

In my family, road trips are an excuse to pack a lot in. We make it a journey—multiple stops, multiple destinations, and plenty of people to see along the way. One of our regular routes takes us from our home in Nashville down to Hilton Head, South Carolina, where my parents live, up to Charleston for something delicious (OK, and a little work), and then over to Fort Mill, South Carolina, where my sister lives. It’s a path of interstate so well-worn, our kids know exactly what exits provide the best breakfast and lunch options. 

But as I was reading through writer Jennifer Kornegay’s story, I was thankful for her father’s reminder that the adventure might be more fun if we were to reroute toward county roads and byways. Once you get off the interstates, he says, “you see where life really happens in this country.” It’s true. And this issue, dedicated to Southern road trips, is a tribute to that sentiment. We’ve filled it to the brim with scenic routes, country roads, quiet corners, and, naturally, any number of places to find something delicious to eat.

There might be no more gastronomical way to get to New Orleans than by the route from Little Rock, as writer Kevin Shalin maps out—take his advice, as well as a few stops to walk it all off. There’s also Layla Khoury-Hanold’s meandering weekend-long exploration of Bath County, where mineral springs await in Virginia. I personally love our Worth the Drive columns in each region—from a jazz bar in Florence, South Carolina, to a Lebanese mainstay in Fairhope, Alabama, these are the spots worth seeking out during an afternoon drive.

And if you’re looking for a playlist for the road, get to know The Red Clay Strays, an Alabama band who kindly offered up their favorite haunts when they’re touring the Southeast. Because what’s the point of a road trip if it’s not accompanied by good music? 

Happy travels.

Erin Byers Murray