5 Favorite U.S. Destinations That Inspired Movies and Books
By Zachary Laks
After getting lost in a book or movie, finding your way to the destination that inspired it brings the story to life. See the spot where sparks fly for your favorite romantic duo, feel your spine tingle with paranormal activity or trace the origins of a favorite music artist’s rise. Travel to the real-life locations of some of the most popular novels and films that have captivated audiences for decades with these five destinations that entertainment lovers can experience firsthand.
Cypress Gardens, Moncks Corner, South Carolina
ADOBE STOCK
LOWCOUNTRY, SOUTH CAROLINA
The Notebook
Experience the enduring love of Allie and Noah, the charming leads of “The Notebook,” as you explore the beauty of Lowcountry, South Carolina. Based on Nicholas Spark’s 1996 novel of the same name, “The Notebook” film debuted in 2004, starring Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling. Their onscreen chemistry left viewers swooning. The movie was primarily filmed in and around Charleston, highlighting the coastal area’s historic charms, grand estates and winding waterways. Start your tour at King Street, where Noah and Allie went to the American Theater for their first date and then slowly danced in the middle of the street. Then, head to Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens in Mt. Pleasant, one of the country’s oldest working plantations, to see the exterior of Allie’s family’s summer house, with its canopy of Spanish moss-draped oak trees and Southern charm. From there, discover Cypress Gardens’ mystical cypress trees and white bridges on a self-guided boat tour, recreating the movie’s boat scene. Head to the docks of Cypress Gardens with your special someone and find yourself in the same spot as that most famous rain kiss; all you need is the torrential downpour.
Madison Square, Savannah, Georgia
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA
Forrest Gump
A sprawling epic famously told from a bench in Savannah, Georgia’s Chippewa Square, “Forrest Gump” (1994) dominated the 67th Academy Awards in 1995, winning six Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Tom Hanks. One of the actual benches used in the film is on display at the Savannah History Museum, though you won’t be able to sit on it as it’s behind velvet ropes. Launch your tour of Forrest Gump’s Savannah at the city’s Madison Square and the Independent Presbyterian Church’s steeple, both seen in the movie’s opening sequence when the white feather serendipitously lands on Gump’s shoe. For dinner, Love’s Seafood is the restaurant featured as the exterior of the Memphis, Tennessee, lounge where Jenny (played by Robin Wright) performs. The restaurant, on the banks of the Ogeechee River, is a local favorite with menu highlights that include crispy scored flounder and bone-in catfish.
Holliwell Covered Bridge, Winterset, Iowa
MADISON COUNTY, IOWA
The Bridges of Madison County
Weaving the serenity and beauty of the covered bridges in Madison County, Iowa, into a moving love story, “The Bridges of Madison County” flew off bookshelves when it debuted in 1992. After Clint Eastwood produced, directed and starred in the 1995 film adaption with Meryl Streep, the covered bridges of Madison County became an international destination. Two of the storied bridges featured in the novel and film still stand today. They are among six remaining covered bridges of what were originally 19 in the county. The wooden bridges were built from 1870 to the early 1880s to help farmers transport their goods to market; covering them was cheaper than repairing them as they deteriorated. Fans of the movie will recognize the Holliwell Covered Bridge, about 40 minutes southwest of Des Moines, and the Roseman Covered Bridge, found 25 minutes west of the Holliwell Covered Bridge. It is here Robert Kincaid (Eastwood) lovingly photographs Francesca Johnson (Streep). Both bridges are beautiful year-round, though the region’s stunning fall foliage against the red bridges makes an autumn visit even more picture perfect.
The Stanley Hotel exterior in Estes Park, Colorado
ESTES PARK, COLORADO
The Shining
Welcome to The Stanley Hotel, a character in its own right! First, a best-selling novel in 1977 by Stephen King, then adapted into a 1980 film by Stanley Kubrick, “The Shining” put The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park on the modern tourist map. Still in operation today, the iconic hotel is about 65 miles northwest of Denver. Opt to stay overnight in the 1909 hotel and experience the hotel’s supernatural forces. Of the hotel’s 140 rooms, Room 217 is the room famously haunted by the ghost of Mrs. Massey. This is the room where King stayed and was inspired to write his most celebrated novel. The hotel recently added The Shining Tour, a theatrical indoor/outdoor walking tour that includes a visit to The Shining Suite in the restored 1909 Caretaker’s Cottage, a recreation of the infamous bathroom and an up-close look at one of the axes used in the filming of the movie.
Orpheum Theatre in downtown Memphis
MEMPHIS TOURISM
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE
Walk the Line
Trace the life and storied times of American singer-songwriter Johnny Cash, most notably captured in the 2005 biopic “Walk the Line,” featuring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon in her Academy Award-winning role as country music legend June Carter. In Memphis, fans of Cash and the film can experience the history of his struggles as a door-to-door salesman and his rise to fame and enduring love for June Carter. The city’s South Main area in downtown Memphis features many iconic buildings seen throughout the movie. Most notably, see The Orpheum Theatre, where Carter finally agrees to marry Cash in the film. From there, drive 10 minutes east to 1576 Carr Ave. to see the exterior of a home featured in the movie. This is the spot where Phoenix, as Johnny Cash, hits a low point of rejection, encouraging him to take a risk and chase his dreams of becoming a musician. The rest is history, documented by local landmarks, including the Rock ‘n’ Soul Cash, Sun Studio and Elvis Presley’s Graceland.
Plan a trip to your favorite movie destination by contacting a knowledgeable AAA Travel Agent.
Click to read: Family-Friendly Destinations Filled With U.S. Civil Rights History
