Monmouth Historic Inns and Gardens, for Southern charm

© Monmouth Historic Inns and Gardens / Expedia
Picture a historic Southern mansion, and, no doubt, a place like Monmouth comes to mind. Marble fireplaces, check. Four-poster beds, check. Antique furniture throughout, check. Manicured lawns and garden statues, check and check. Set on 26 acres (11ha) of well-tended, pert gardens of blooming magnolias, roses and azaleas, accommodation – totaling 30 rooms and suites – the hotel spreads out over seven outbuildings as well as the main house. Sip a mint julep in the lounge, ahead of dinner at the 1818 restaurant, named for the year the house – a National Historic Landmark – was built. Take a tour to learn about its history, including its part in the slave trade.