Destination Experts

Melody Pittman

Melody is the founder of Wherever I May Roam travel blog, which she co-owns with her daughter, Taylor. They also own Travel the South Bloggers and host the annual Southern Travelers Explore conference (#STE). Melody is a freelancer for several publications (including Travel Awaits, Charleston Home and Living Magazine, Travel Guide to Florida) and is a digital influencer (currently a brand ambassador for several businesses). Melody has traveled to 49 states and 49 counties; she is also a cruise specialist and full-time RVer.

Taylor Hardy

Taylor is half of the mother daughter duo making up Wherever I May Roam Blog. Together, they write about travel, culture, food, and all things lifestyle. Taylor is an Ole Miss alumni (Hotty Toddy!) living in Brandon, Mississippi with her husband and three-year-old daughter. She enjoys cruising, going to concerts, reading books recommended on BookTok, spending the day at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, and planning our Southern Travelers Explore Conference.

Sandra Chambers

Sandra Chambers is a regular freelance travel writer for Allegiant Airlines in-flight magazine as well as a contributor to AA Go Magazine, Dreamscapes, WestJet Airlines and more. In addition to travel writing, Sandra has written hundreds of feature stories, profiles and news stories for 20+ publications. She is also the author of a nonfiction book and is currently working on several children’s books. She resides in coastal North Carolina with her husband where she enjoys walks on the beach, seafood, back porch sitting and a good mystery book. She and her husband have one married daughter and an adorable French Bulldog grand puppy. Check out Sandra’s author website.

Vicky Sosa

Vicky is a Florida-based blogger traveling around the world with her stuffed monkey Buddy. Her website Buddy The Traveling Monkey provides useful travel tips, inspiration, and destination guides. Although she writes about her travels all over the world, she loves to focus on Florida and show how much more there is to the state than the typical tourist attractions.

Karen Dawkins

Karen, a southern transplant from Ohio, is the creator of Family Travels on a Budget, an extension of that on-the-job-training where she shares travel inspiration for budgets big and small. She writes about the places she visits, sharing reviews & tips to help families plan their own vacations. She enjoys adventure, historical attractions, arts & culture, lakes, beaches, theme parks, and cruising.

Cheré Dastugue Coen

Cheré Dastugue Coen is an award-winning food and travel writer, photographer, author and owner of the whimsical blog, Weird, Wacky & Wild South. Her fiction includes the “Viola Valentine” paranormal mystery series under the pen name of Cherie Claire, featuring a female sleuth who’s also a travel writer. A native of New Orleans now living in Georgia, Coen believes that gumbo, crawfish étouffée and chicory coffee make all things right with the world.

Betsi Hill

Betsi Hill is a freelance writer based in Florida. She is often found traveling onboard Saltwater Gypsea through the Florida and the islands of the Bahamas. Betsi maintains an active presence on social media and shares her travel adventures on Betsi’s World.

Paige Watts

Paige is an avid traveler who lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Paige grew up in Alabama before moving to Georgia and is a Southern girl through and through, no matter where her travels take her. You can find her writing about bears, castles, Atlanta, and everything in between on her blog, Paige Minds The Gap.

Connie Pearson

Connie Pearson is a freelance travel and food writer residing in Hartselle, AL. A former public school music teacher & missionary, she now enjoys exploring the wonders, food, people, and quirks of her beloved South. She and her husband Steve love spending time with their children and 15 grandchildren. Connie is the author of 2 books: “Telling It On The Mountain: 52 Days in the Life of an Improbable Missionary” and “100 Things To Do In Huntsville And North Alabama Before You Die. Connie blogs at There Goes Connie.

Bob Bales

Born with a passion for learning the history of different cultures, Bob Bales (aka The Traveling Fool) enjoys discovering people & places he finds off the beaten path that most tourists don’t know about. Often with a cigar in one hand and a good whiskey in the other, Bob writes about what makes those special.

Roxie Yonkey

Roxie Yonkey loves to road trip the US. She grew up and resides in the Midwest, but her family lives in the South. Becoming a travel writer was her lifelong dream. Roxie blogs at Roxie on the Road, and writes for TravelAwaits and FWT Magazine. She authored the best-selling book 100 Things to Do in Kansas Before You Die and co-authored Midwest Road Trip Adventures. She is currently writing the book Secret Kansas: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure.

Kathleen Walls

Kathleen Walls, former reporter for Union Sentinel in Blairsville, GA, is publisher/writer for American Roads and Global Highways. She resides in Middleburg, FL and is the author of several travel books. Her articles appear in World Footprints, Salon, 100 Days in Appalachia, Family Motor Coaching Assoc., & Food Wine Travel Mags.

Kim Jarrett

Kim Jarrett spent more than 20 years in journalism and is now a full-time freelancer and part-time nomad exploring the South with her husband, Steve. Kim has a heart for small towns, as she was raised in one of the prettiest ones in the South–Rome, Ga. She has discovered new favorites on her journeys and writes about them on our website, Southern Places and Faces.

Connie Cottingham

Connie is a travel writer that loves public gardens and pedestrian spaces, as well as a garden writer and speaker. In 2022, this Southern girl is moving from Athens, Georgia, to her roots – Northwest Arkansas. Follow Garden Travel Experiences gardening and garden travels blog and sign up for ‘Love Notes from the Garden’ – short, weekly gardening emails interwoven with history and humor.

Allison Fulcher

Allison Fulcher is a Georgia-based travel writer, photographer, and word stylist. Her work has been featured in Southern Distinction Magazine, The Enthusiast Magazine, and Traditions of Braselton. She shares destination highlights, travel tips, and lifestyle inspiration on her blog, Allison’s Wanderlands. In addition to travel writing, she also works as a copywriter for the travel and hospitality industries. She and her husband, Robbie, have two grown children and a love for adventures, antiquing, and good food.

Rosemary Palmer

Rosemary Palmer has called Chattanooga, Tennessee home for the past 36 years. Travel has become a passion, with cruises and road trips being her favorite. She also loves to share things about her home and favorite recipes along with a little DIY. She blogs at My Home and Travels.

Fun Fact: Rosemary visited Forest Hill Cemetery and Graceland the weekend Elvis Presley died and has never met anyone else who did this.

Welcome to Travel the South!

Travel the South is run by Melody Pittman and Taylor Hardy. With the help of some fantastic travel writers, they help you plan your travels to the Southern states.

Explore some of the amazing things you can see and do in this unique part of the country!

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