BUDGET TRAVEL VACATION IDEAS

Photos: Coolest Small Towns 2012

We logged 368,000 votes in our seventh annual contest to choose the best hometown escapes in America. Take a peek. We think you'll agree that Main Street has never looked cooler.
Have a favorite town of your own? Nominate it for 2013's contest now!

By Whitney Tressel, September 2012 issue | Subscribe to the magazine

Source Article: 10 Coolest Small Towns in America 2012

A live music performance along the Front Street docks of Beaufort, N.C.
(Christopher Shane)
The view from Taylors Creek in Beaufort, N.C.
(Christopher Shane)
Taking pictures along the Front Street docks in Beaufort, N.C.
(Christopher Shane)
Swimming in Keuka Lake, Hammondsport, N.Y.
(Arion Doerr)
Snug Harbor Inn on Lake Keuka in Hammondsport, N.Y.
(Arion Doerr)
The walk toward Hammondsport's town square.
(Arion Doerr)
The town of Jerome, Ariz., built on Cleopatra Hill.
(Whitney Tressel)
Painted skulls at the 15 Quince Grill & Cantina in Jerome, Ariz.
(Whitney Tressel)
The Flatiron Cafe in the heart of the historic district of Jerome, Ariz.
(Whitney Tressel)
The trash-dump-turned-museum in Cooke City, Mont.
(Janie Osborne)
Fly fishing in the mountains outside of town, Cooke City, Mont.
(Janie Osborne)
With 75 residents, Cooke City, Mont., is the smallest Coolest Small Towns finalist Budget Travel has ever had.
(Janie Osborne)
Famous breakfast dish at George's Place in Cape May, N.J.
(Whitney Tressel)
Bicycling by the Cape May General Store in Cape May Point, N.J.
(Whitney Tressel)
Cape May residents and visitors line up daily for wood-fired clay-oven-baked bread.
(Whitney Tressel)
Boats moored at the town dock in Port Townsend, Wash.
(PureStock/AGE Fotostock)
Downtown Port Townsend, a Victorian-era harbor town.
(Travismanley/Dreamstime)
Point Wilson Lighthouse, overlooking the west entrance to Puget Sound in Port Townsend, Wash.
(Jerryway/Dreamstime)
A local musician playing on the main drag in Nashville Ind.
(Whitney Tressel)
Muddy Boots Cafe, a favorite breakfast spot in Nashville, Ind.
(Whitney Tressel)
A family walking by the Brown County Visitors Center in Nashville, Ind.
(Whitney Tressel)
Old Brick House Restaurant in Ste. Genevieve, Mo. It was originally erected in 1780 and is the oldest brick building west of the Mississippi.
(Ashok Sinha)
Station 2 Café in the old Ste. Genevieve Fire Department Building.
(Ashok Sinha)
Main Street in Ste. Genevieve, Mo.
(Ashok Sinha)
Joss House State Historic Park in Weaverville, Calif.
(Courtesy DickStock/Flickr)
Historic Main Street, which dates back to the Gold Rush, in Weaverville, Calif.
(Courtesy Tennysonian/Flickr)
The 132-year-old Weaverville Hotel, which includes a peaceful Victorian-style library.
(Rachel Mosely)
The Lazy Fox Inn in Damascus, Va., which provides a famously hearty breakfast for hikers on the Appalachian Trail.
(Robin Macklin)
Laurel Ave., the main street in Damascus, Va.
(Robin Macklin)
The "Welcome" arch on the Appalachian Trail in Damascus, Va.
(Robin Macklin)