TOWN PROFILES
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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,...
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...
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...
Abiquiu, New Mexico
Assuming that it would be too small to justify a stop during my aggressive trip schedule, I almost...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
Yellow Springs, Ohio
Driving into Yellow Springs was akin to having dinner with favorite friends. The atmosphere was not so much shiny...
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...
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...