Augusta

Augusta

Augusta is the home of the Masters golf tournament and James Brown's adopted hometown (statue downtown), with the Savannah River running past and old Southern charm in the historic district. The Augusta National is private and mostly hidden, but Masters week shapes the whole city's rhythm. Outside that, it's a slower-paced river town with surprising depth.

Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge is LSU football, the Mississippi River bending past downtown, and the kind of food (gumbo, jambalaya, boudin, po'boys) that makes you want to lie down after lunch. The Louisiana state capitol is the tallest in the country, a 34-story Art Deco tower that looks more like a Manhattan office building. Cajun warmth runs through everything, with a slightly more buttoned-up daily pace than New Orleans.