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.

Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City is Bricktown's canal and warehouses, the Thunder (who get loud), and the deeply moving Oklahoma City National Memorial. The downtown's grown up fast in the last decade, the food scene leans steaks and Vietnamese (the Asian District is legit), and the surrounding plains give the city an enormous sky. The Cowboy Hall of Fame is more thoughtful than the name suggests.