Nashville, Tennessee

This gateway to the South has hit its stride, and 2017 looks to be a banner year. The iconic Ryman Auditorium celebrates its 125th anniversary with a full calendar of fêtes, while the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum celebrates 50 years and the Bluebird Café turns 35. The city is brimming with new and upcoming eateries: Maneet Chauhan’s The Mockingbird, John Besh’s Marsh House, and Henrietta Red from Per Se–trained chef Julia Sullivan. And there are plenty of places to stay, thanks to a hotel boom—the Westin and Thompson recently debuted, with a Kimpton and 21c slated to open this year. —Kristin Luna