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Five Offbeat Towns in the United States
By MountainMama | March 20, 2008
OffbeatTravel.com recently released its list of the top five “underknown” places to visit in 2008. I was pleased to see I’ve been to four of the five “most interesting and quirky towns in the country.” Here they are in alphabetical order:
Dahlonega, Georgia: I traveled to Dahlonega (that’s “Duh-LAWN-eh-gah,” not “DA-low-NAY-gah”), an hour’s north of Atlanta, last spring on a research trip. What a darling town! It was where America’s gold rush began and has a great museum dedicated to that period in time (1828). The historic square has some nice little boutiques, art galleries and restaurants (I really enjoyed the Crimson Moon Cafe). Kids like gold panning and the Kangaroo Conservation Center just outside of town. I was partial to the excellent wineries and the number of hiking trails in the area.
Fort Collins, Colorado: In 2007, Money magazine named this town north of Denver the “Best Place to Live” in America, so I’m not sure how little known it is. I will give Fort Collins props for its five local breweries, pretty Old Town and access to a crazy amount of outdoor activities, such as hiking, biking and kayaking.
Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii: I disagree this little “hippie town” on the North Shore of Kauai is off the beaten path. I think it’s heavily trafficked by tourists to the Emerald Isle — you need to be patient to allow cars to cross the one-lane bridges that lead in and out of town. That said, it is a beautiful part of the island, with scenic Hanalei Bay, many art galleries and the ubiquitous shave ice stands.
Moline, Illinois: This is one part of the country I’ve never traveled to, but according to the OffbeatTravel.com folks, it’s “John Deere Central,” with opportunities for kids of all ages to climb up humongous pieces of farm equipment around town.
Taos, New Mexico: I was last in Taos about 12 years ago. Browsing the galleries, admiring the scenery, visiting the ancient Taos Pueblo and eating lots of yummy Southwestern food are all great memories of my visit to this high-altitude town. I hope to go back sometime soon!
Topics: Adventure Travel, Budget Travel, The Cookie Jar |
March 22nd, 2008 at
Five Offbeat Towns in the United States
OffbeatTravel.com recently released its list of the top five “underknown” places to visit in 2008. I was pleased to see I’ve been to four of the five “most interesting and quirky towns in the country.” Here they are in alphabetical order.
March 23rd, 2008 at
Moline, IL…are you kidding me! I have lived here for 3 years and I am counting the days until I leave. There is absolutely nothing to do here. No mountains, beaches, lakes…nothing! Ill give you this, I love when the corn comes up in the spring, but thats it my friends.
March 24th, 2008 at
So, I take it your family isn’t into tractor climbing? I don’t blame you, Nathalie.
I found it interesting that Taos was considered an “underknown” place to visit. Decades ago, it used to be a bohemian haven for aspiring artists. Now it is an established artist colony with off grid living.