American food and café towns off the beaten path.
Less-touristed food and café towns in America, for travelers seeking fewer crowds but all the beauty.
Wallace
Photogenic pocket-sized city in Idaho's Silver Valley mining district, Wallace sits alongside the South Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River and carries a notable…
Crested Butte
A compact Colorado mountain town spread across a snow-covered valley, with a dramatic peak rising directly behind it, a lively café and dining scene well abo…
Corning
This small city on the Chemung River in upstate New York, Corning is best known as the headquarters of Corning Incorporated, the Fortune 500 glass and cerami…
Yachats
Modest Oregon coastal village with a disproportionately strong café and restaurant scene and a photogenic shoreline right on the Pacific, Yachats sits at the…
Ilwaco
A small waterfront city on Baker Bay where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean, Ilwaco sits at the southern tip of Washington's Long Beach Peninsula w…
Port Angeles
A waterfront town on Washington's Olympic Peninsula, Port Angeles sits on the Strait of Juan de Fuca with ferry service to Victoria, British Columbia, and mo…
Pawcatuck
Sitting on the Pawcatuck River across from Westerly, Rhode Island, this pocket-sized Connecticut village has a historic core — the Mechanic Street Historic D…
Punta Gorda
Waterfront town on Florida's southwest coast, Punta Gorda has a walkable centre with a real café and restaurant scene along the harbour.
Port Townsend
Port Townsend's Victorian streetscapes, concentrated along the northeast tip of Washington's Olympic Peninsula, earned the city's historic district designati…
Staunton
Staunton, in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, is the birthplace of Woodrow Wilson, the 28th U.S.
Rocky River
This walkable Lake Erie suburb of Cleveland with a café and restaurant scene in the centre, Rocky River sits where the Rocky River meets the lake on Cuyahoga…
Kingston
This compact Pennsylvania borough sits on the western bank of the Susquehanna River opposite Wilkes-Barre, with a café and restaurant scene that punches abov…
Gatlinburg
Gateway to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, this modest Tennessee resort town sits at the park's edge along U.S.
Red Lodge
This compact Montana town spread across an open valley below dramatic rocky ridgelines, Red Lodge punches above its size with a lively dining scene and serve…
Marietta
Founded in 1788 as the first permanent U.S.
Hammondsport
Sitting at the south end of Keuka Lake in New York's Finger Lakes region, Hammondsport is a pocket-sized village with a wine and brewing scene that punches w…
Frostburg
A pocket-sized Appalachian college town in western Maryland, Frostburg sits along the historic National Road (US 40) and serves as the western terminus of th…
Northville
A compact Michigan town west of Detroit with a walkable, brick-fronted main street — complete with a live theater, local bakeries, and a street clock — that…
Sand Island
This wind-swept sandy beach fronts vivid turquoise Pacific waters at this small Honolulu Harbor island, where palm trees line an open shoreline park just min…
Purcellville
This little town in Virginia's Loudoun County with a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size, Purcellville sits close to the Blue Ridge Mountai…
Salida
A pocket-sized Colorado mountain town on the Arkansas River with a café and restaurant scene that outpaces the town's size, Salida is the county seat of Chaf…
Taos
Taos, in north-central New Mexico, sits between the Rio Grande Gorge and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and has drawn artists and writers since Ernest Blumen…
Arcata
Walkable California coastal town on Humboldt Bay, Arcata has a café-dense centre, a concentration of historic churches, and easy access to mountain terrain i…
Berry Hill
Berry Hill is a compact Tennessee city within Davidson County, where a low-rise painted-brick civic core, flower-lined sidewalks, and a surprisingly dense ca…
Bayfield
Sitting on the shore of Lake Superior in Wisconsin, this tiny city serves as the gateway to the Apostle Islands and draws visitors with waterfront access, sc…
Chatham
This photogenic Cape Cod village at the water's edge, Chatham, Massachusetts, has a café and restaurant scene that outpunches its little size, along with sev…
Marquette
A walkable Lake Superior port town with a photogenic waterfront, a centre full of cafés and restaurants, and a concentration of historic churches, Marquette…
Sonora
Founded during the California Gold Rush by Mexican miners from the state of Sonora — which gave the town its name — this small Tuolumne County seat sits clos…
South Williamsport
South Williamsport, a modest Pennsylvania borough on the West Branch Susquehanna River, is best known as the home of the Little League World Series, drawing…
Hancock
Small city on the Keweenaw Waterway in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Hancock is considered a cultural capital for Finnish Americans, home to the Finnish Americ…
Mystic
Mystic Seaport, the largest maritime museum in the United States, anchors this tiny Connecticut village on the Mystic River, where more than 600 ships were b…
Brookings
Home to South Dakota State University, Brookings is a college town in eastern South Dakota with a walkable centre full of cafés and restaurants.
Clinton
This little North Carolina county seat carries a disproportionate number of historic churches for its size, along with a café and restaurant scene that punch…
Ukiah
A walkable wine-country town in California's Mendocino County, Ukiah sits in a deep valley along the U.S.
Westover
This little city on the Monongahela River in West Virginia's Monongalia County, Westover has a notably dense café and restaurant scene for its size and sits…
West Cape May
A pocket-sized waterfront village on the Cape May peninsula in New Jersey, West Cape May sits at the southern tip of the northeastern United States with scen…
Lavonia
This little Georgia city in Franklin County sits near the water and offers a modest but real café and dining scene alongside several historic churches — more…
South Beloit
This small Illinois city on the Wisconsin border, South Beloit sits along the Rock River and offers a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size,…
Rensselaer
Sitting on the east bank of the Hudson River directly across from Albany, Rensselaer is a little New York city with a café and restaurant scene that punches…
South Glens Falls
Cooper's Cave, named after James Fenimore Cooper and featured on the village seal, sits within the bedrock of the Hudson River here, viewable from a platform…
Bellefonte
A small Pennsylvania town built along the water, Bellefonte rewards visitors with a walkable historic core, an impressive concentration of old churches, a li…
Indiana
This tiny Pennsylvania upland town sitting right on the water, Indiana offers a lively café and restaurant scene for its size, plus nearby heritage architect…
Woodland Hills
A little upland village in Jefferson County sitting right at the water's edge, Woodland Hills punches above its weight with a lively café and dining scene th…
East Ithaca
Pocket-sized New York village on the water in upland country, East Ithaca punches well above its size with a lively café and dining scene, notable churches,…
Parkway Village
A little village in Jefferson County, Kentucky, this walkable community punches above its weight with a lively café and dining scene, several churches, and e…
Seneca Gardens
This pocket-sized waterfront village in Kentucky's Jefferson County holds a surprising number of options for its size with a lively dining scene and several…
Sheatown
A little Pennsylvania village on the water with a surprisingly lively dining scene and an abundance of churches, sitting within easy reach of the upland coun…
Richlawn
This tiny Kentucky hamlet would suit a town twice its size with a surprising café and dining scene, several churches, easy access to nearby waterways, and up…