Louisiana

Louisiana's culture, food, and music are distinct enough from the rest of the South that it barely feels like the same country in places.

New Orleans runs on jazz, Mardi Gras, and a Creole and Cajun food tradition built on gumbo, jambalaya, and beignets. Baton Rouge, the capital, sits upriver with its own state capitol tower, the tallest in the country. Cajun Country, further west, has its own French dialect and a slower pace built around bayous and crawfish boils.

Humidity and hurricane season are both real factors depending on when you go.