Photos: Charleston and Savannah

No self-respecting history buff would miss Fort Sumter, where the Civil War's first shots were fired.

It's no secret that Charleston is a hotspot for African-inspired, seafood-rich Lowcountry cuisine. Now the city is also a hub of New Southern dining, thanks in part to chef Sean Brock's restaurant Husk. The James Beard Award winner promises that every ingredient hails from the South.

A three-year, $5.5-million renovation has left Charleston City Market feeling more like a boutique than the tourist trap it once was. It's still a go-to spot for classics like benne (sesame) wafers and sweetgrass baskets.

Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Reform—a Jewish Synagogue in Charleston, South Carolina. The city has over 400 places of worship.

Four of Savannah's 22 public squares date to the city's founding in 1753. This cast iron fountain in Forsyth Park isn't quite that old—it dates from 1858.

Savannah has been a regional art hub since 1886, when the Telfair Museums opened as the South's first art museum.

Even queues around the block won't keep fans from dinner at Paula Deen's The Lady & Sons. For dessert, follow another Deen cue and head to Back in the Day Bakery, where Paula says the old-fashioned cupcakes taste just like her grandmother's.

For unique souvenirs, head to shopSCAD, which sells Savannah College of Art and Design student-fashioned pieces like ceramic skull tumblers and pyrite earrings.

Buried under a parking garage for 50 years, Ellis Square was restored in 2010 as a sleek plaza with an interactive, kid-friendly fountain.