Tennessee
Easy Riders
With a smooth gait that keeps riders from bouncing in their saddles, Tennessee Walking Horses are the Cadillacs of horses. And there’s no better place to see them than in Shelbyville, the Walking Horse capital of the world. Nearly a quarter of a million people converge on this little town for the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration (August 26–September 5). During the gala, more than two thousand horses strut in front of the judges for the title of World Grand Champion, following in the gentle footsteps of the event’s first champion, Strolling Jim, in 1939. twhnc.com

Texas
Get Sauced
Come August, it’s not just the sun that makes folks in Austin sweat—it’s the hot sauce. Roughly a hundred gallons of the stuff will be on hand at the Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival (August 30), where restaurants, commercial bottlers, and homemade-hot-sauce gurus will compete for fame in the red, green, and special sauce categories. Choose from more than 350 variations, with names like Austin Slow Burn and Tears of Joy (sold in a skeleton bottle). In case of fire, eat chips. austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Market/HotSauce

Virginia
Seeds with Stories
If you’re as tired of those bland supermarket tomatoes as we are, head to the Heritage Harvest Festival in Charlottesville (September 12). These folks prefer to stick with the originals—heirloom varieties handed down from generation to generation. On Thomas Jefferson’s Montalto, a mountain overlooking Monticello, gardeners kick off the day with a seed swap, then ripen their knowledge of heirloom gardening at seminars and workshops. Sample vegetables from farmers such as Daymon Morgan, whose Kentucky Butcher Corn has been in his family since at least the 1800s. But save room for the tomato tasting, which features more than a hundred varieties, including a big misshapen pink version that a guy called Radiator Charlie sold for a dollar a plant during the Depression. southernexposure.com/HHF

Washington, D.C.
House Party
Whatever your political leanings, it’s hard to argue that there isn’t some renewed buzz in our nation’s capital these days. And if you’re planning a trip to D.C., check out the newly opened W Washington D.C., located right next door to the First Family in the former Hotel Washington building. Guests can get a massage at the hotel’s Bliss Spa, or dine at J&G Steakhouse, featuring a menu by world-famous chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. But perhaps the coolest addition is the revamped rooftop terrace and lounge, which includes a full bar and floor-to-ceiling windows. Grab a cocktail and drink in the city’s best view of the White House. starwoodhotels.com/whotels

West Virginia
Wing Tip
As the sole butterfly breeder in the state of West Virginia, Heather Ness has her hands full, whether she’s elbow deep in caterpillars at her butterfly ranch or lobbying the legislature on behalf of West Virginia’s state butterfly, the monarch. She even met her husband while planning the state’s first Monarch Butterfly Festival and married him three years later at the event. Meet West Virginia’s butterfly queen at this year’s festival atop Snowshoe Mountain (August 28–30), where she will release about two hundred monarchs, many of which tend to linger and land on guests before fluttering off. It will be one of the last times to see monarchs before they migrate to Mexico at the end of September. snowshoemtn.com