Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is that type of unique, special place that lingers sweetly in your mind and memories for years to come. The city’s rich architectural legacy with its mix of Art Deco, Beaux Arts and Neoclassical styles is the perfect retro-urban backdrop to the edgy energy that emanates from the locally owned-shops and art galleries, distinctive restaurants and exciting entertainment venues.
A bastion of cutting-edge art and technology in the Blue Ridge, the city also prides itself on its fascinating Appalachian past and celebrates this culture with annual events such as Shindig on the Green. While many cities underwent major overhauls in past decades, Asheville’s historic and architecturally diverse downtown remains beautifully preserved.
There’s something special about Asheville, and the world is just beginning to discover it. Read more here.
San Diego, California
San Diego is renowned for its idyllic climate, 70 miles of pristine beaches and a dazzling array of world-class family attractions. Popular attractions include the world-famous San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park, SeaWorld San Diego and LEGOLAND California. San Diego offers an expansive variety of things to see and do, appealing to guests of all ages from around the world.
In San Diego’s East County, the terrain varies from gentle foothills to mile-high mountains and the historic mining town, Julian, down to the 600,000-acre Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, offering nature-conscious visitors endless opportunities to hike, camp, fish, observe wildlife and much more. Read more here.
Boston, Massachusetts
Boston is best known for its famous baked beans, Fenway Park, The Boston Marathon, and of course for the bar from Cheers, but dig a little deeper below the surface and you’ll find a surprising wealth of things that make Boston one of the best cities in America—and the world.
In the 19th century, acclaimed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted laid out his plan for a sprawling Emerald Necklace surrounding the city. From original green space like the Esplanade on the Charles River, the Back Bay Fens, and Boston Common to newer iterations like the 15-acre Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway, all Boston neighborhoods offer outdoor opportunities for fresh air and exercise without having to leave the city limits. Read more here.
Denver, Colorado
Denver boasts 300 days of sunshine each year. Even during cold winter months, it’s not uncommon to experience the warm sunshine. Denver has the 10th largest downtown area in the nation. It is also one of the most walkable cities. Within a mile radius of downtown, you can explore three various universities and colleges. There’s also a professional sports stadium, home to the Denver Broncos, and art & history museums. The city has 200 parks and nearly 20,000 acres of parks in the nearby Rocky Mountains. Denver has the sixteenth most educated city in America. Read more here.
Providence, Rhode Island
“Best city for foodies,” “No. 4 quirkiest city in America,” “No. 3 favorite U.S. city…” the awards for our capital city are countless. Providence combines the friendliness of a small town with the culture and sophistication of a big city. The city has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past 50 years and has a thriving arts community, vibrant and diverse neighborhoods, fantastic hotels, a renowned restaurant scene and tons of things to do. Small city, huge impact! Read more here.
Portland, Maine
With over 66,000 full-time residents, Portland swells to two million with the addition of its seasonal visitors and part-time residents in the summertime. The city is located on a peninsula in Casco Bay with access to many islands such as Peak’s, Great Diamond, and Long Island.
Portland stands as one of the few working waterfronts left in the United States, acting as New England’s largest tonnage seaport and second largest fishing port. Portland is also the largest foreign inbound transit tonnage port in the United States! Each year our port alone handles over 206,000 international passengers, including 41,000 cruise ship passengers. Read more here.
Anchorage, Alaska
Urban and wild aren’t opposites; they are Anchorage’s two defining elements. There’s no need to choose one or the other since they are both part of life here. Anchorage lives under midnight sun and auroras. Shares the backyard with moose. Fishes in urban salmon streams at lunch. Cheers runners and reindeer on the main street. The city’s adventures may be beyond belief, but they aren’t beyond the boundaries.
Anchorage might appear at first glance to be a typical American city, but closer exploration shows some surprising facets of urban life in Alaska. The city’s 300,000 human residents share their space with an estimated 1,500 moose, not to mention bald eagles, bears, beavers, Dall sheep, and the occasional lynx. King and silver salmon fill Ship Creek all summer long, drawing anglers to one of the world’s only urban salmon fisheries. Read more here.
San Antonio, Texas
Named the first World Heritage Site in Texas by the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO), the designation includes the city’s four southernmost Spanish colonial missions – Concepción, San José, San Juan, Espada, and the famous Alamo, located in Downtown San Antonio, and is one of the most popular historical sites in San Antonio.
The city’s rich culture offers an authentic glimpse of early Spanish colonial life in the Southwest. As the first civilian settlement in Texas, San Antonio de Béxar was founded in 1718. Today, many of the city’s early architectural and cultural elements remain, allowing visitors to visit the historical sites in San Antonio and see into the city’s storied past first-hand. Our brave old world is your next, new adventure. View these historical sites and landmarks with modern-day events, celebrations, and fun. Read more here.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Evidence of Native American occupancy has been found throughout Minneapolis with the oldest being found near the Washington Avenue Bridge and Boom Island Park that date back to roughly 10,000 B.C.E. In more recent times The Dakota have considered the area around St. Anthony Falls to be very sacred. Nicollet Island was a peaceful meeting place between the Dakota and Ojibwe, and downstream eight miles, where the Mississippi meets the Minnesota River, lies Bdote. The Dakota believe Bdote is the center of the world and where the Dakota people began.
St. Anthony Falls, also known as Owámni, or “falling water,” in Dakota, is the heart and soul of the city. The waterfall provided energy for dozens of mills along the riverfront and is currently one of the most scenic spots along the river to enjoy a beautiful day. 9,000 years ago, when St. Anthony Falls was eroding its way upstream, the waterfall split when it reached Minnehaha Creek. Most of it continued up the Mississippi to its current location, but a part of it eroded up the creek and became the popular attraction known today as Minnehaha Falls. Minnehaha Regional Park offers amazing hiking trails and breathtaking views of Minnehaha Falls. Read more here.
Salt Lake City, Utah
Nestled on the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, and overlooking the largest inland lake in the western US, Salt Lake is home to a pioneering past, and an exciting future. Prior to the Mormons settling the Salt Lake Valley in 1847, it was home to the Ute Indians who called the valley and encompassing mountain range the ‘low place in high mountains.’ Salt Lake’s history is as rich as its vistas, surrounding mountains, and beautiful lake-enhanced sunsets.
In the meantime, Salt Lake has grown in population, cultural diversity, and accolades. In addition to being home to the Winter Olympics in 2002, our city’s nearby mountains are widely known to be the home of “The Greatest Snow on Earth.” Large storms pick up more moisture as they roll in over the the Great Salt Lake, and that moisture slams against the Wasatch Mountains, creating incomparably light and skiiable powder snow. Read more here.
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