When it comes to travel, big cities may steal the spotlight with their trendy restaurants, entertainment and hotels, but “Travel and Leisure” is celebrating some less-visited destinations people may not know about. Their second annual list of America’s Best Small Towns has just come out, spotlighting the locations worth checking out for their natural beauty, outdoor adventure or specific interests, like experiences, vineyards and culture.
- To come up with the list, “Travel and Leisure” polled their contributors, trusted travel advisors and industry leaders from across the country.
- A panel of experts made up of editors and travel advisors who specialize in domestic travel comb through the nominees to decide the winners.
- Each small town on the list has a full-time population of fewer than 25-thousand residents and stands out in its category.
The 2024 winners are:
- America’s Best Small Beach Town - Paia, Maui
- America’s Best Small Mountain Town - Island Park, Idaho
- America’s Best Small Lake Town - Harbor Springs, Michigan
- America’s Best Small Desert Town - Brisbee, Arizona
- America’s Best Small Arts & Culture Town - New Hope, Pennsylvania
- America’s Best Small Food & Wine Town - Elk, California
- America’s Best Small Spa & Wellness Town - Ouray, Colorado
- America’s Best Small Retirement Town - Stuart, Florida
- America’s Best Small College Town - Clemson, South Carolina
- America’s Best Small Shopping Town - Round Top, Texas
Source: Travel and Leisure
Scott's Thoughts:
- Destinations that have everything you want without the crowds? Sign me up!
- My hometown, Christiansburg, Virginia, has grown so much it is hard to call it a small town now. Although still under 25k at last census.
- Small towns have great charm, but I also like to go to the big cities sometimes for nightlife and sporting events.