What is it like in the south? (USA)?

I have lived in Oregon my whole life, and I was wondering what it would be like to live in the south. People in Oregon will occasionally spit out a Southern accent to sound "stupid". Of course not all people in the South are stupid, heck they are probably smarter because they understand an accent doesn't distinguish your intellect. Anyway, back to my question, how is living in the south different from the north, preferably the northwest.