South Carolina

Charleston and its genteel charms remain the star attractions of South Carolina, but the “Palmetto State” has much else to recommend it: the rugged peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains; the placid lakes of the central Piedmont plateau; the broad, sandy shores and resort islands of the Lowcountry. The first state to secede from the Union in 1860 wears its history on its sleeve, from the live oak promenades of Georgetown to the stately mansions of Charleston's Battery. Today, the state rightly declares itself a golfer's paradise, with Myrtle Beach boasting more courses per capita than any other city in the country. The notoriously erratic winds of The Ocean Course on Kiawah Island have sobered thousands of golfers since its opening in 1991.

One could easily spend a week lazily enjoying the antebellum homes and world-class restaurants of Charleston, but several singular properties scattered throughout the rest of the state warrant investigation. The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island, of course, remains one of the country's finest golf resorts. The Willcox, a Gilded Age haunt of the Astors and Vanderbilts, is a magnificent white-pillared edifice in the heart of thoroughbred country that couldn't be more “Old South” if it tried. And the infinitely tranquil Inn at Palmetto Bluff, just outside of Savannah, is a worthy addition to the Auberge Resorts collection.