Beverly Hills needs no introduction. The small but swanky city in the greater Los Angeles area boasts one of the country’s most recognizable zip codes, with equally identifiable landmarks in Rodeo Drive and the Hollywood Sign — often visible from the 90210’s sleekest, chicest rooftop bars. 

As a Southern-born white woman, incorporating Black history sites into my travel plans never crossed my mind… until I married a Black man.

During the Gilded Age, wealthy Northerners came to Aiken, South Carolina for the warm weather, spring water, and pine-scented air. The railroad arrived here in 1830, and the Northerners followed. They established what became known as their Winter Colony. Stories of these well-heeled guests add to the charm of this Southern gem.