By: Kathleen Walls
The South has long been famous for its Southern Hospitality. Hotels throughout Dixie vie with one another to offer their guests more service and more amenities. They strive to make each visitor feel like a cherished family member instead of a paying customer. When you visit a hotel, you expect more than a temporary roof over your head while you travel. You want to immerse yourself in the flood of history that has engulfed the spot you visit. Perhaps you seek a Colonial ambience in Virginia or a touch of Civil War drama in Georgia or Alabama. Or you may want to relive the brash frontier past of Texas, Kentucky or Tennessee. Maybe you wish to experience the Creole flavor of Louisiana or Mississippi’s rural heritage. In Florida, much of its history has been influenced by its tropical and subtropical climate. Some of the states included in this book, like North and South Carolina have a culture so diverse you can expect to find a totally different experience depending on which part of these states you visit. You want to experience this flavor when you travel. This book is set up for you as a traveler. I have offered the most interesting sights whether they are historic places, fun attractions or off the wall less known sights that might be missed in some guidebooks. In some cases, I have arranged them in chronological order to give you a better historical picture of the area. Sometimes, I placed them for convenience of driving to them. I included both haunted and non-haunted, as I know you want to see all each area has to offer. Many of the most interesting hotels in the southeast have an edge on making you feel part of their states’ heritage. They are housed in historically significant buildings. All old buildings retain a trace of the historical elements that shaped their destiny. Ah, if only their walls could talk! Of course I can’t tell you all about all the best hotels in Dixie. There are far too many. But I can let you in on the secrets hidden behind the doors of some of the ones with that little something extra, their very own historical spirits. Some are large, corporate owned resorts. Some are so tiny they are now considered bed and breakfasts or inns even though they were once hotels. Some are not what you consider a traditional hotel. They all do have one thing in common. These are the Hosts With Ghosts!
All of Kathleen’s books can be bought at her site www.katywalls.com or on Amazon.
