Skip to content

Top Navigation

Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure
  • Trip Inspiration
  • Plan Your Trip
  • World's Best
  • Destination of the Year
  • A-List Travel Advisors
  • Cruises
  • Travel Tips
  • News
  • Food + Drink
  • Travel Accessories
  • Check-In

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Your Profile

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Travel + Leisure

Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure
  • Explore

    Explore

    • World's Best

      The greatest islands, cities, hotels, cruise lines, airports, and more — as voted by you. Read More Next
    • The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2020

      Whether you're traveling solo or planning a family vacation, here are the 50 best places to visit in 2020. Read More Next
    • Let's Go Together Podcast

      Start listening to T+L's brand new podcast, Let's Go Together! Hosted by Kellee Edwards. Read More Next
  • Trip Inspiration

    Trip Inspiration

    • Trip Ideas
    • Weekend Getaways
    • Spring Travel
    • Summer Travel
    • Fall Travel
    • Winter Travel
    • Solo Travel
    • Romantic Getaways
    • Luxury Travel
    • Beach Vacations
    • Adventure Travel
    • Road Trips
    • Family Travel
    • National Parks
    • Holiday Travel
    • Travel Photography
    • Photo of the Day
    • Culture and Design
  • Plan Your Trip

    Plan Your Trip

    • Travel Guides
    • Flight Deals
    • Travel Deals
    • Ways to Save
    • Hotels + Resorts
    • Attractions
    • Amusement Parks
    • Disney Vacations
    • Festivals + Events
    • Airlines + Airports
    • Buses + Trains
    • Ground Transportation
  • World's Best

    World's Best

    • Top Hotels
    • Top Cities
    • Top Islands
    • Domestic Airlines
    • International Airlines
    • Tours
    • Safaris
    • All World's Best
  • Destination of the Year
  • A-List Travel Advisors
  • Cruises

    Cruises

    • Find A Cruise
    • Caribbean Cruises
    • River Cruises
    • European Cruises
    • All-Inclusive Cruises
    • Family Cruises
    • Alaskan Cruises
    • Disney Cruises
    • See All Cruise Vacations
  • Travel Tips

    Travel Tips

    • Travel Trends
    • Packing Tips
    • Points + Miles
    • Budgeting + Currency
    • Customs + Immigration
    • Responsible Travel
    • Travel Etiquette
    • Travel Warnings
    • Weather
    • Mobile Apps
    • See All Travel Tips
  • News

    News

    • Wellness
    • Celebrity Travel
    • Animals
    • Jobs
    • Offbeat
    • See All News
  • Food + Drink

    Food + Drink

    • Restaurants
    • Wine
    • Beer
    • Cocktails + Spirits
    • Bars + Clubs
    • Celebrity Chefs
    • Cooking + Entertaining
    • Food Fairs + Festivals
    • World's Best Restaurants
    • See All Food + Drink
  • Travel Accessories

    Travel Accessories

    • Travel Bags
    • Shoes
    • Travel Tech
    • Shopping
    • Style
    • Gift Guides
    • See All Travel Accessories
  • Check-In

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Profile

Your Profile

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Trip Ideas
  3. America's Favorite Towns 2013

America's Favorite Towns 2013

By Sarah L. Stewart
October 29, 2013
Skip gallery slides
Save Pin
Credit: Courtesy of Eureka Springs CAPC
As you watch the sun dip below 14,000-foot peaks from Allred’s restaurant, toast your craft beers to a vacation well spent in Telluride, CO, a historic ski town hip enough to host film and bluegrass festivals.

Related: America’s Best Little Beach Towns

Telluride, rated No. 7, is just one of the small towns with outsize personalities that proved irresistible to the T+L community. For our first America’s Favorite Towns survey, we asked our fans and followers to nominate their favorites on social media with the hashtag #TLTowns—and then to vote for the 744 towns in 55 categories, including farmers’ markets, museums, adventure travel, and family-friendly hotels. Vote for Your Favorite Towns in This Year's Survey

To determine the overall popularity results, we calculated each town’s average score. The results reveal that T+L readers have a soft spot for small towns in the Rockies, with the No. 1 title going to Aspen, CO, which scored highly for its attractive locals, beer scene, and Victorian-era Main Street.

Related: America's Best Mountain Resorts

What most winning towns have in common is a history dating back at least a century. Charlottesville, VA, for instance, still bears the imprint of Thomas Jefferson, who masterminded Monticello and the University of Virginia and also appreciated fine wine. The area makes a scenic wine-country getaway, with the Blue Ridge Mountains for a backdrop.

Read on for more of T+L’s favorite towns—and share your picks in the comments below.  
Start Slideshow

1 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 1 Aspen, CO

Credit: Courtesy of Aspen Chamber Resort Asociation

Beauty abounds in this tony ski town, from the 14,000-foot heights of the surrounding peaks to its residents, who won the No. 2 spot in the survey’s attractive people category—second only to the southern belles of Oxford, MS. (And looks aren’t everything: Aspenites also scored No. 3 for intelligence.) Victorian-era brick façades housing chic boutiques like Fendi and Prada lend an Old West–meets–Fifth Avenue appeal to the former mining town’s walkable streets, which encompass the No. 3–ranked Main Street and No. 1 town square.

Vote in the America's Favorite Places Survey

1 of 20

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 2 Estes Park, CO

Credit: Courtesy of Visit Estes Park

Elk wander the streets at will in this gateway town to Rocky Mountain National Park, where a bustling Main Street encourages visitors to stroll with ice cream cone in hand. Its 2 million annual visitors can choose from rustic to regal accommodations that earned high marks in the cool motels (No. 1), B&Bs (No. 4), and vacation homes (No. 9) categories. Historic inns like the 105-year-old Stanley Hotel, which inspired Stephen King’s The Shining, came in at No. 3. visitestespark.com; shopestesparkcolorado.com.

2 of 20

3 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 3 St. Simons, GA

Credit: Georgia Tourism

The ebb and flow of the Atlantic dictates life in this resort town on an 18-square-mile island off the Georgia coast. T+L readers gave St. Simons high marks for the caliber of its residents, scoring ninth place for most active and sixth for their intelligence. They’re lucky to live in a beautiful natural setting, with miles of sandy beaches and sprawling oaks. Attractions include golf courses and an 1872 lighthouse with sweeping views.

3 of 20

Advertisement

4 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 4 Beaufort, NC

Credit: Courtesy of Crystal Coast Tourism Authority

Southern charm reigns in this coastal Inner Banks town. Its antebellum architecture and a pirate past helped earn it the survey’s No. 3 spot for historical sites. Beyond Blackbeard landmarks, Beaufort also draws raves for local flavors: visitors can shop for just-picked pears, farm-fresh cheeses, and handmade crafts under majestic oak trees at highly rated farmers’ markets. Given its research centers for Duke University and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, it’s no surprise Beaufort also ranked No. 8 for intelligent people.

4 of 20

5 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 5 Amelia Island, FL

Credit: Ian G Dagnall / Alamy

Thirteen scenic miles of Atlantic coastline remain one constant on this barrier island that has absorbed French, Spanish, English, and Mexican influences over the course of a tumultuous 400-plus years. Horse-drawn carriage rides and homes-turned-B&Bs preserve a colonial character in the 50-block historic district of Fernandina Beach, the island’s hub.

5 of 20

6 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 6 Lewisburg, WV

Credit: Courtesy of Greenbrier County CVB

This hamlet in the Greenbrier Valley offers something for everyone, with art galleries and cool cafés filling a historic downtown and a rugged surrounding countryside voted No. 1 for adventure travel. Browse local shops like kid-friendly Honnahlee and Bella the Corner Gourmet to purchase some of Lewisburg’s No. 1–rated cool souvenirs. Or, plan your visit during April’s annual chocolate festival or the state fair in August to see why readers ranked it No. 4 for both fairs and festivals.

6 of 20

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 7 Telluride, CO

Credit: Ryan Bonneau / Property of the Telluride Tourism Board

Deep within a glacier-carved valley, this rustic mining camp–turned–vacation destination is perhaps best known for its pristine Rocky Mountain scenery and steep, challenging ski terrain. T+L readers recognized that it’s also a cultural hub, rating it No. 1 in the music category for annual events like the Telluride Bluegrass and Blues & Brews festivals. Those seeking a holiday winter wonderland should note that the town also snagged the No. 1 spot for Christmas lights.

7 of 20

8 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 8 Franklin, TN

Credit: Courtesy of Downtown Franklin Association

There’s a festival for virtually every month of the year hosted in 18th-century Franklin’s brick-paved downtown—named among the country’s best by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. You might sample beer and Irish whiskey at the Main Street Brew Fest each March or bluegrass fiddling in late July, or join a Dickens-themed Christmas celebration. The town also ranked No. 3 for Christmas lights.

8 of 20

9 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 9 Burlington, VT

Credit: Vespasian / Alamy

A strong local foodie culture earned this college town votes in a variety of dining categories, including cafés (No. 2), ice cream (No. 4), burgers (No. 5), and coffee (No. 9). Sandwiched between the Green Mountains and glittering Lake Champlain, Burlington is a four-season center for boating, biking, hiking, and skiing. Refuel with a maple creemee (Vermontese for soft-serve ice cream) at lakeside cafés or some spuds at Al’s French Frys, a 1940s institution.

9 of 20

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 10 Stowe, VT

Credit: Robert Dennis

Cradled by Mount Mansfield and the Green Mountains, this small valley town shines in autumn and winter. Coming in at No. 4 for fall visits and adventure vacations, it sees its fair share of leaf-peepers, hikers, skiers, and snowboarders. Visitors can take their pick of historic inns (No. 5), cool motels (No. 6), family-friendly hotels (No. 10), and other great places to stay, including the Stowe Mountain Resort and the Austria-inspired Trapp Family Lodge, of Sound of Music fame.

Vote in the America's Favorite Places Survey

10 of 20

11 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 11 Skaneateles, NY

Credit: Philip Scalia / Alamy

Crystal-clear Skaneateles Lake anchors this small community in the Finger Lakes region, attracting the first settlers in the early 1800s and today offering an idyllic setting for swimming, fishing, and boating. T+L readers ranked the town No. 6 for active people and No. 4 for summer getaways, plus raved about the many quaint B&Bs, among them, Sherwood Inn, where rooms come with fireplaces, and the antique-filled Arbor House Inn.

11 of 20

12 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 12 Traverse City, MI

Credit: Courtesy of Traverse City Tourism

If fruit-focused travel becomes a trend, this northern Michigan town will be well suited to take advantage: the Traverse City area produces more tart cherries than anywhere else in America, and celebrates the juicy red drupe each year with a weeklong festival in early July. It’s probably why T+L readers voted this town a great summer destination, though its respected vineyards, numerous beaches, and fast-growing microbrew industry couldn’t have hurt.

12 of 20

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 13 Doylestown, PA

Credit: Reflections by Ruth Photography

This Bucks County township has taken center stage at key historic moments, hosting George Washington and his soldiers during the Revolutionary War and sending the first wave of Union troops to join the Civil War. T+L readers ranked it No. 1 for museums, including the imposing Mercer Museum and Fonthill Castle and the James A. Michener Art Museum. More surprising, Doylestown beat out several coastal cities to earn a No. 3 ranking for seafood shacks, including the 25-year-old local mainstay Lobster Claw.

13 of 20

14 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 14 Charlottesville, VA

Credit: Philip Scalia / Alamy

Thomas Jefferson loved beautiful architecture and fine wine, two qualities of a great town that still live on and definitely resonate with T+L readers. Monticello and the University of Virginia were undoubtedly at the core of Charlottesville’s high score in the historical sites category, and the town’s No. 19 ranking in wine lends further credence to this area’s growing focus on crafting winning vintages.

14 of 20

15 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 15 Park City, UT

Credit: Courtesy of the Park City Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau

You’ll find three of the country’s finest ski resorts in Park City, a 19th-century town east of Salt Lake famous for its winter sports. Off the mountain, its wide range of cultural, shopping, and dining opportunities resulted in high scores in such diverse categories as girlfriend getaways (No. 3), gay-friendly vacations (No. 9), and family vacations (No. 9). T+L readers also like to call Park City home for the holidays, voting it the No. 1 Christmas destination.

15 of 20

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 16 Bardstown, KY

Credit: Kip McGinnis

With its 1892 courthouse and revitalized Main Street, downtown Bardstown makes a picturesque setting for 30 annual festivals, most famously September’s tribute to Kentucky bourbon. Family-run distilleries welcome visitors year round, and restaurants like Circa find creative ways to work bourbon into the menu. T+L readers also appreciated this small town for its No. 9–rated historical sites, among them, My Old Kentucky Home State Park (a tribute to composer Stephen Foster) and the Civil War Museum.

16 of 20

17 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 17 Harbor Springs, MI

Credit: Harbor Springs Chamber

On a sheltered bay, Harbor Springs has all the trappings of a family-friendly beach resort town: old-time ice cream and candy shops; a historic lighthouse; sailing schools; and nearby nature preserves. That kind of all-American appeal earned it the No. 7 score for being patriotic. Locals embrace the Halloween spirit with parades and events and, come winter, strap on ski boots and snowshoes.

17 of 20

18 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 18 New Hope, PA

Credit: Anthony Sinagoga Photography

Just 10 miles northeast of No. 13 Doylestown, New Hope shares its neighbor’s historic character. The town’s 19th-century storefronts filled with old-time treasures scored the No. 4 spot for antiques shopping. An influx of painters in the early 1900s transformed this Delaware River mill town into an artists’ colony, a reputation that continues with numerous galleries, a well-regarded playhouse, and the No. 10 ranking for hipness.

18 of 20

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

19 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 19 Lititz, PA

Credit: LancasterCounty.com

Founded by German settlers and strict Protestants in the mid-1700s, this vibrant village in Pennsylvania Dutch country still bears the imprint of its early inhabitants. Multipointed Moravian stars adorning local structures are illuminated for the holidays, creating a festive air—readers voted it the No. 3 Christmas destination and No. 9 for Christmas lights. Also the site of one of the nation’s longest-running Fourth of July celebrations, Lititz ranked highly among readers for its patriotism (No. 3) and town pride (No. 4).

19 of 20

20 of 20

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

No. 20 Eureka Springs, AR

Credit: Courtesy of Eureka Springs CAPC

Not only does this northwest Arkansas town bubble over with mineral springs, but it also offers lakes and rivers popular for fishing, kayaking, and summer party cruises. Active types fit in well here, as do the artsy; Eureka Springs has a reputation for being quirky, with a hilly historic center full of galleries, live-music bars, Victorian gingerbread homes, and, according to T+L readers, cool motels (No. 2).

Vote in the America's Favorite Places Survey

20 of 20

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Sarah L. Stewart

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 20 No. 1 Aspen, CO
2 of 20 No. 2 Estes Park, CO
3 of 20 No. 3 St. Simons, GA
4 of 20 No. 4 Beaufort, NC
5 of 20 No. 5 Amelia Island, FL
6 of 20 No. 6 Lewisburg, WV
7 of 20 No. 7 Telluride, CO
8 of 20 No. 8 Franklin, TN
9 of 20 No. 9 Burlington, VT
10 of 20 No. 10 Stowe, VT
11 of 20 No. 11 Skaneateles, NY
12 of 20 No. 12 Traverse City, MI
13 of 20 No. 13 Doylestown, PA
14 of 20 No. 14 Charlottesville, VA
15 of 20 No. 15 Park City, UT
16 of 20 No. 16 Bardstown, KY
17 of 20 No. 17 Harbor Springs, MI
18 of 20 No. 18 New Hope, PA
19 of 20 No. 19 Lititz, PA
20 of 20 No. 20 Eureka Springs, AR

Share options

Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message
Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
  • Sitemap
  • Travel Guide Sitemap

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletters
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en Español this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
Travel + Leisure is part of the Travel + Leisure Group. Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. Travel + Leisure is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation Travel + Leisure Group All Rights Reserved, registered in the United States and other countries. Travel + Leisure may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.travelandleisure.com

View image

America's Favorite Towns 2013
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.