The southeast stretches from pine to palm, lapped by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.  With the exception of Florida, all these States have both mountains and seashore.  Wealthy southerners often sought refuge from the region’s legendary heat in the highlands and piny woods of the Carolina and northern Georgia.  Today these areas are highly regarded resort destinations.

Some of the region’s cities – Savannah, Charleston, Edenton and Mobile are charmingly old fashioned.  There are modern cities too: the dynamic, high tech Research Triangle region of Raleigh Durham-Chapel Hill; the booming transportation hub that is Atlanta, Birmingham, the city that grew up on steelmaking and is today a major medical center; and hip Miami, infused with Cuban culture.