While I live in a big city, I love to get out and explore small towns, especially when traveling to different regions of the US. Smaller towns and cities can provide a nostalgia for a bygone era, slower way of life, and a more innocent time. Sometimes I even contemplate living in a small town, but I also appreciate all of the cultural attractions and array of things to do in a larger city. This post provides a brief overview of eight great small towns throughout America. These towns all offer quaint but lively downtown districts, cultural and historic attractions, and beautiful surrounding scenery, making them a perfect place to visit for a weekend. In addition, I plan to write future posts of small towns in the different geographic regions of the United States.
Brunswick, Georgia
Historic Brunswick, settled in 1738, and incorporated in 1856, is a major port on a peninsula formed by the East River in the southeast Georgia Low Country. This picture perfect town is steeped in history, and is the home of the famous Brunswick stew. Each October, the Brunswick Rockin’ Stewbilee holds a stew tasting contest, along with music, a pooch parade and a classic and antique car show. The Old Town Historic District has a series of 14 interspersed squares used to hold various festivals and events, such as the ‘Make it Funky Fest’, and live music is played at some of the squares on Friday and Saturday nights. The historic district is punctuated by the bell tower of the beautiful Old City Hall, built in 1889. Throughout the commercial area, one can spend time visiting the many antique stores, boutiques, restaurants, relaxing in the squares or along the waterfront at Mary Ross Park. The park is the home of the Brunswick Bazaar and Farmer’s Market held three days per week (Tues, Thurs and Sat). In addition, the Liberty Ship Memorial Plaza holds a scale model of a Liberty Ship, similar to those built in Brunswick shipyards during World War II. The park is host to the annual Mayfair festival and blessing of the fleet, which celebrates the boating and shrimping industry, while also offering fresh seafood, arts, crafts, music and other entertainment. Brunswick is a great spot for exploring the surrounding Georgia Low Country, including St. Simons Island and Jekyll Island.
Skaneateles, New York
In the beautiful Finger Lakes region of New York is Skaneateles at the northern tip of Skaneateles Lake. Known as the jewel of the Finger Lakes, with its Norman Rockwell appearance, Skaneateles has an attractive business district surrounded by leafy lakefront parks and a small harbor and fishing pier. Beautiful homes of varying architectural styles, including Victorian, Gothic and Greek Revival, line the surrounding streets. Sightseeing and dinner cruises along the lake can be made at Midlakes Navigation between spring and fall. Downtown Skaneateles is filled with restaurants, boutiques, coffee shops, galleries, and antique stores. Every year during August, the month-long Skaneateles music festival is held, where performers from throughout the world come to play at various venues throughout the area. The music consists of a number of genres include classical, jazz, and bluegrass. Skaneateles can be used as a base to explore the other finger lakes, and the many wineries in the region.
Charlevoix, Michigan
The small town of Charlevoix (pronounced Shar-la-voy) is located in northern Michigan along Lake Michigan, just south of Little Traverse Bay. The town is situated on an isthmus separating Lake Michigan from Lake Charlevoix. The quaint downtown area of Charlevoix, facing the marina on Round Lake, offers multiple restaurants, gift shops, clothing stores, and cafes. Every July, Charlevoix holds the free Venetian Festival in East Park. The festival includes eight days of music, entertainment, games, food, parades and fireworks, as well as a lighted boat parade. A unique characteristic of Charlevoix is its many Mushroom houses. These 26 homes were designed and built by Charlevoix native Earl Young. Each house is constructed of stones and boulders and the unique roofline gives the impression of the house looking like a mushroom. Each home was built to fit within the specific site and landscape. A tour of the homes can be done by Mushroom House Tours. Charlevoix provides a good location to explore nearby attractions such as the many lakes, ski resorts, sand dunes, and forests in northern Michigan.
Saint Michaels, Maryland
The beautiful and historic colonial town of Saint Michaels is located on a peninsula jutting out into Chesapeake Bay, formed by the Miles River and Broad Creek. The town center is filled with historic clapboard homes, churches, a town green and several waterfront seafood restaurants along the cozy harbor. The main commercial district is along Talbot Avenue, lined with shops, galleries, boutiques, and restaurants. The nearby Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum houses a large collection of Chesapeake Bay artifacts, exhibitions and over 100 boats and boat models. The museum contains 35 buildings including the Hooper Strait Lighthouse, a screw-pile style lighthouse built on piles screwed into the sea bottom. The museum also has a working boathouse where visitors can learn about the restoration of commercial skipjacks, a type of boat used for oyster dredging. The luxurious Inn at Perry Cabin is a popular wedding venue in Saint Michaels, and was used in the 2005 film Wedding Crashers. Saint Michaels provides the perfect location for exploring other nearby historic and beautiful towns such as Easton and Oxford, and the larger Chesapeake Bay.
Lewes, Delaware
The quaint and historic town of Lewes, located on Delaware Bay in the southern part of Delaware, was the first European settlement in the state, founded by Dutch settlers in 1631. Later, it was an important stop on the Underground Railroad, where several homes hid fugitive slaves. Lewes has its own beach on Delaware Bay, and the tidy and quaint downtown has a number of good restaurants and shops. It also has a number of restaurants along the Lewes Rehoboth Canal, where you can watch boats go up and down while dining. The town has some very old and beautiful architecture, especially on Second Street, and along Savannah Road. Near downtown is the historic Shipcarpenter Street Campus, which offers nine historic buildings telling Lewes’ relationship to the sea. From Lewes, you can also catch a ferry that goes across the Delaware Bay to the beautiful Victorian style town of Cape May, New Jersey. Lewes is also close to the popular resort town of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
Deadwood, South Dakota
Nestled in a valley in South Dakota’s Black Hills is the historic town of Deadwood. Deadwood was a center of the Black Hills gold rush that grew substantially in the 1870’s. It is also famous for its lawlessness during its heyday. Famous western figures Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane are buried here. The commercial district meanders through a narrow valley while historic Victorian style homes are built on a hill overlooking the downtown. Today, the entire town is on the National Historic Register, and is filled with tourist destinations including curio shops, saloons, restaurants, hotels and a significant number of casinos / gaming resorts. Deadwood is a great place to stay while visiting the Black Hills and nearby Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, and Custer State Park.
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Tucked in the far north of Idaho’s Panhandle is Couer d’Alene, an attractive resort city 30 minutes east of Spokane, Washington. Coeur d’Alene sits at the north end of huge Lake Couer d’Alene, surrounded by beautiful green hills and mountains. The City has a sizable and diverse downtown with plenty of restaurants and shopping, a public beach, beautiful parks, and the massive Coeur d’Alene resort and marina. From here, you can drive around the lake, or to other nearby resort towns and lakes such as Sand Point and Lake Pend Oreille. There are more than 55 lakes within easy driving distance of Coeur d’Alene. The region is a great place to visit during all seasons, with forests, hiking trails, ski resorts, wineries, and whitewater rafting nearby.
St. George, Utah
St. George, Utah sits in a valley surrounded by red and amber colored hills and cliffs and some of the most stunning geography in the US. The city was settled in 1861 as a cotton mission by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Between 1873 and 1876, Brigham Young spent the winter in St. George to alleviate his arthritis. His former home, now a museum located in the historic part of the city, is open to the public. Today, St. George is a popular base for visitors headed to Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks, and state parks such as Snow Canyon State Park, which sits on what was once an ancient desert sand sea. While the area has grown significantly, the center city still retains the feel of a small town. On the north edge of town sits the Red Hills Desert Garden, overlooking the city. The five acre preserve, free to the public, features 5,000 water efficient plants, a stream stocked with native and endangered fish species, and prehistoric dinosaur tracks dating back 200 million years. Adjacent to the garden is the 52 acre Pioneer Park which features plenty of trails and large rock formations to hike. Ten miles north of town is Kayenta Art Village, an enclave with numerous art galleries, studios, day spa, café and a gift shop.
