TOWN PROFILES

Homer, AK

Homer, AK

Though reachable by plane and boat, there is only one way to get to Homer, Alaska by car: the 138-mile Sterling Highway...

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Floyd, VA

Floyd, VA

Where else but in Floyd can you learn from an old-timer how to forage ginseng one day and then meet Wavy Gravy – the Woodstock clown with an ice-cream flavor named after him – in...

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Decorah, IA

Decorah, IA

Thirty-six years ago, when song-leader and homesteader Liz Rog —on a serendipitous college visit with a friend— first stepped foot into the Midwestern hamlet of...

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Marquette, MI

Marquette, MI

Perched on the brawny shores of Lake Superior with a population of 21,000, Marquette is a major shipping port and the small town hub of Michigan's Upper...

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Port Townsend, Washington

Port Townsend, Washington

Port Townsend, Washington has been on my bucket list of towns to look at for many years. Its size, abundant beauty, and...

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Truckee, California

Truckee, California

Although Truckee falls outside the determined parameters for RealSmallTowns.com, we found ourselves there after being turned back on Donner Pass in a...

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Torrey, Utah

Torrey, Utah

For those travelers who long for the beauty and adventure offered in Utah’s many National Parks but wish to escape the crowds, Torrey, UT offers up a great escape. Torrey rests in the thin stretch between Fish Lake National Forrest to the north, and Dixie National...

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Ouray, Colorado

Ouray, Colorado

Nestled deeply in a box canyon in the heart of the San Juan Range, and known as the “Switzerland of America” Ouray, CO is the real deal.  Though Ouray is only 10 miles (as the crow flies --50 by road) from Telluride, it has a completely different vibe to it than its...

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Nevada City, California

Nevada City, California

For my tastes, Nevada City is pretty darn close to a perfect town. It harbors an engaged and active citizenship, reverence for the arts and nature, commitment to good, local food, strong community leadership, a pleasing climate, and of course, beautiful Sierra scenery...

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Red Lodge, Montana

Red Lodge, Montana

Though it seems impossible that a place serving as a gateway to Yellowstone National Park could maintain unadulterated local character, the tiny hamlet of Red Lodge,...

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Stanley, Idaho

Stanley, Idaho

If you long for a place of peaceful solitude, if you love alpine hamlets, if you yearn for the zen of fishing, mountain biking,...

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Methow Valley, Washington

Methow Valley, Washington

My husband and I first visited the Methow on a cross-country bike trip back in 1990. At the time, we loved the remote...

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Salida, Colorado

Salida, Colorado

For any traveler who loves the outdoors, but is looking for something more down to earth than the offerings off of I-70, Salida is a...

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Abiquiu, New Mexico

Abiquiu, New Mexico

Assuming that it would be too small to justify a stop during my aggressive trip schedule, I almost...

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Medicine Park, Oklahoma

Medicine Park, Oklahoma

Driving southwest on Highway 44 from Oklahoma City, one sees a small cluster of craggy mountains poking up through the otherwise vast plains...

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Greensburg, Kansas

Greensburg, Kansas

If your interests lean towards green technologies and building, future development and sustainability, community outreach, or simply Midwestern endurance and grace, it is worth a trip to Greensburg,...

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Viroqua, Wisconsin

Viroqua, Wisconsin

Viroqua, the county seat of Vernon county, sits perched on a high plain, overlooking the meandering hills in the “driftless” region of southwestern...

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Grand Marais, Minnesota

Grand Marais, Minnesota

Though Grand Marais is certainly “off the beaten path” it is far from undiscovered, and there is a reason why. Those who love the outdoors, and those who...

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Yellow Springs, Ohio

Yellow Springs, Ohio

Driving into Yellow Springs was akin to having dinner with favorite friends. The atmosphere was not so much shiny...

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Belfast, Maine

Belfast, Maine

Sitting on Penobscot Bay, at the mouth of the Passagassawakeag River, the town of Belfast has a long and varied history, including fur-trading...

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Fairfield, Iowa

Fairfield, Iowa

I love my work. It satisfies my curiosity and wanderlust, but more importantly, I love the positive nature of the work. In a time when it is easy to be...

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