S/O: What is the most unexpectedly lovely U.S. town you’ve ever visited?

[Anonymous]

We loved Rapid City, SD. It's super cute, they have great brewpubs and the Black Hills are amazing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Whitefish, Montana
Sedona, Arizona
Hanalei, Kauai

??? You didn't expect everything on Kauai to be charming and lovely?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Charlevoix, Michigan. It was unexpectedly charming with big, historic homes, lush gardens, beautiful beach, and just lovely all the way around. It came as a complete surprise to us when we were there for a day.

that whole area in Michigan is just delightful.

It is delightful for about four months a year. We actually considered moving there, but in addition to the winter weather, the schools are mediocre and there’s very little sports competition because population is so sparse compared to major metro suburbs. You have to drive 3-5 hours south each and every time you want to play real competition. Nonstarter for most competitive families.

Yeah...you wouldn't fit in there. We are having a family reunion near Traverse City this month and I can't wait!!! The temperatures are the same as the Real Feel! It will be a great change from this swampy BS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:West Point, NY.

Really?? The campus is awesome but the town is pretty sad, what I saw of it anyway.

I feel like there should be some version of “Don’t yuck my yum” to say to posters who need to comment negatively on something someone else likes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree with Corning, nice riverfront town, glass factory was pretty cool.

Greenville, SC

Surprised to see Birmingham- loved Sloss Furnace but it looked pretty rough otherwise.

This definitely makes me want to visit Corning! After living in Western Europe for 4 years, the thing I lament most about American towns is that none of them ever develop their riverfronts in a nice way. They are almost always real estate that is wasted on unsightly storage facilities/train yards/parking lots. Such a waste. Prime example for me is Harpers Ferry, which could be so amazing but the town has not utilized any of the gorgeous views properly.

I will add Jim Thorpe, PA, which we drove through last summer. Stopped for a few hours, rode the scenic railway and walked around. Definitely worth a stop.

[Anonymous]

Davis, WV. There are some cute restaurants/shops, it's close to Thomas, WV which has a more artsy feel, lots of good outdoor activities year-round (hiking, mountain biking, skiing, snow shoeing) and the temperatures in the summer are comfortable.

[Anonymous]

Brevard, NC
Fredericksburg, TX

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:‘Sconset, Mass.

Agree, although I expected it to be lovely, along with the rest of the island.

[Anonymous]

Very interesting to see my hometown, Rochester, NH on here twice. I try to get to Lone Oak for ice cream and memories, and Windjammers for seafood and friendly conversation but I usually just get sad thinking about it. Although I still visit family yearly (excluding 2020), all I see now are decrepit buildings, heroin addicts, and a homeless population generally told to just "get off their lazy butts" by the local population without addressing the fact that many have jobs but cannot afford the rent that has outpaced the job market or they are in a cycle of addiction without significant supports in place.

Like some of the other NH posters, I highly recommend Portsmouth. It's delightful and walkable with little shops, great food, and nice water views. Plus I have a fondness for Strawbery Banke and highly recommend folks who visit to check it out. It's sort of NH's version of Colonial Williamsburg.

[Anonymous]

Lake Forest, IL

[Anonymous]

Deadwood and Lead, SD

Durango, CO

[Anonymous]

Cold Spring, NY

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Portsmouth, NH
Spent 4 days there for work and was utterly charmed.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Charlevoix, Michigan. It was unexpectedly charming with big, historic homes, lush gardens, beautiful beach, and just lovely all the way around. It came as a complete surprise to us when we were there for a day.

that whole area in Michigan is just delightful.

It is delightful for about four months a year. We actually considered moving there, but in addition to the winter weather, the schools are mediocre and there’s very little sports competition because population is so sparse compared to major metro suburbs. You have to drive 3-5 hours south each and every time you want to play real competition. Nonstarter for most competitive families.

Yeah...you wouldn't fit in there. We are having a family reunion near Traverse City this month and I can't wait!!! The temperatures are the same as the Real Feel! It will be a great change from this swampy BS.

Shhhhh! Don't tell anyone about how great...er, I mean terrible...it is up north!

[Anonymous]

Fairhope, AL on the gulf coast.