Constantino Diaz-Duran is a fellow at the Center for Social Cohesion at Arizona State University. He is chronicling his walk from New York to Los Angeles to celebrate his eligibility for American citizenship. Follow Constantino’s progress.

Cheap drinks, live music, and bras hanging on clotheslines over the dance floor. Welcome to the Flora-Bama, the diviest dive bar I’ve ever set foot in. Located right by the Florida-Alabama state line, this joint is at the heart of the “Redneck Riviera.” Some 300 miles west in Lafayette, Louisiana-an almost straight shot on I-10 (or Hwy. 90 if, like me, you avoid interstates)-you’ll find the Blue Moon Saloon. If you’re in the mood for some good Cajun music, this is the place to go. The Flora-Bama and the Blue Moon have become two of my favorite bars on Earth, and I hereby declare them the best bars in the South.

The Flora-Bama is a far cry from places like the Boom Boom Room at the top of the Standard Hotel in New York City. But I’ve been up there, and as fun as those places can be, they don’t hold a candle to the easygoing atmosphere you find down here. And even if you want to see celebrities, you’ll find them at the Flora-Bama. Their Wikipedia entry claims that the Manning brothers and Kid Rock have been spotted at the bar. It also says that it was the inspiration for Jimmy Buffett’s song “Bama Breeze.”

I went to the Flora-Bama a couple of months ago with my adoptive Tuscaloosa parents, Lydia and Gary, and had a blast dancing to everything from Lynyrd Skynyrd to the Zac Brown Band. From the road, all you see is a bunch of trailers and a gravel parking lot. Behind them, under a big canopy, you’ll find the bar, stage, tables, and dance floor. The original building was destroyed by Hurricane Ivan in 2004, and the owners apparently decided not to fully rebuild to minimize loss in case of a new hit.

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The Blue Moon Saloon doubles as a guesthouse. They have bunk beds for under $25 a night and a few private rooms available for a little more. The rate gets you a ticket for a drink at the bar and admission to the live music shows on the back porch. They also have a great selection of local beer. I recommend you try the LA-31 Bière Pâle, a delicious pale ale that goes great with a healthy serving of gumbo, jambalaya, or crawfish étouffée.

Last Saturday I got to see Dick Dale at the Blue Moon. I stood just feet away from him, and admission was only $20. It doesn’t get much better than that. “The King of the Surf Guitar” is 74 years old and a cancer survivor. You wouldn’t know from seeing him on stage. (Watch him perform in Seattle in January.) Dale has been performing since the mid-1950s, but younger fans will be most familiar with his rendition of “Misirlou,” which was included on the Pulp Fiction soundtrack.

I never expected to see a legend perform in such a great space when I came to Lafayette, but these kinds of surprises have made this journey great, and places like the Blue Moon and the Flora-Bama are full of them.

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*Photo by Constantino Diaz-Duran.