Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
There are lots of great places in the United States and Canada that many people don't know about. What is one place that you know about that many people don't seem to know about? It can be a small city or small town here in the United States or Canada.
My pick would be Victoria, British Columbia. It should be well known but for some reason it's not.
Mine is more obscure but one of my favorite places to visit. It's Saugatuck, Michigan which is in SW Michigan on the shore of Lake Michigan and is a great place to get away from it all, especially in summer (fall is amazing though too). The town is unique in that it has held onto it's identity and has managed to keep the typical American chain stores and restaurants out. It has the feel of Cape Cod/New England without the prohibitive prices. Saugatuck has a large base of resident artists who bring in world perspectives to a small town in the Midwest that wouldn't ordinarily see such diversity. Saugatuck's beach (Oval Beach) was ranked the best freshwater beach and one of the best in the world. The Kalamazoo River flows through town and into Lake Michigan providing even more water for recreation. It's a very laidback place to the point where one can feel comfortable at any restaurant in town wearing t-shirts, shorts and sandals. Saugatuck is very walkable and you can actually park your car on arrival and not use it again until you leave. The town even has a taxi-like shuttle service (call and they'll pick you up) which cost $1 per trip, which is great for trips to nearby wineries or the neighboring town of Douglas. You can stay in a wide assortment of B&Bs, motels (on the outskirts) or rent a vacation home in-town for the week which is my preferred choice. Saugatuck really is a hidden gem and if you want to get away from life (particularly a big city) and simplify, it's a great place to do it.
Normally I wouldn't give out one of my favorite places that the rest of the US doesn't know about (I hate crowds.) But it seems Good Morning America is going to let the cat out of the bag anyway. Sleeping Bear Dunes. Northwest Lower Peninsula of Michigan.
Metro Detroit. Most people hear Detroit and run screaming. The ring of suburban towns surounding the city actually are as nice as anyplace in the US. Most people who haven't been think the whole place is as bad as the city itself.
The "driftless region" of northeast IA, southwestern WI and southeastern MN.
A nice trip is: From Decorah, IA go east to the Mississippi (stopping at Effigy Mounds) then down the west side of the River, hopping over at Dubuque to Galena, IL then up to Mineral Point, WI then up along the SW side of WI, then hopping over the Mississippi again to go west to Lanesboro MN.
Do this trip in mid October, stopping at the harvest stands for pumpkins and honey, and your heart will sing!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
