St. Simons Island, Georgia - Coolest Small Towns 2022

We love the Berkshires, in Western Massachusetts, for the way they combine gorgeous outdoor vistas with fine art, music, and food — what’s not to love? North Adams is Exhibit A: Sure, it’s a small town, but, with a population around 12,000, it boasts of being the “smallest city” in Massachusetts. Browse along downtown’s artsy streets where cool pubs, cutting-edge cuisine, and cafes beckon. A truly vibrant place to live — or visit — North Adams offers indie music, endless opportunities for outdoor activities (especially popular in fall, when the forests burst into their signature oranges, reds, and golds), great food, small shops, and, of course antiques. Immerse yourself in the town’s Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) for groundbreaking work as well as masterworks of some of the giants of modern art housed in a restored 19th-century mill complex. The museum isn’t just for ogling art — MASS MoCA brings visual and performing artists to town for residencies and presentations of new work. We’re especially fond of The Porches Inn, which allows visitors to bed down in a pleasantly kitschy environment. And your art odyssey doesn’t have to end in North Adams: Nearby Williamstown is home to the Clark Museum, and Bennington, just across the Vermont border, boasts the world’s largest collection of Grandma Moses paintings. More about North Adams North Adams, MA North Adams is a vibrant community located in the Northwest corner of the beautiful Berkshires. Steeped in art, culture, and community..Keep Reading... Meet Budget Travel’s Coolest Small Towns for 2022: Content presented by Have Fun Do Good Have Fun Do Good (HFDG) is on a mission to provide adventure seekers with a unique experience that allows them to travel while giving back to the community through volunteering. Learn more at https://havefundogood.co/

In the heart of Texas Hill Country, Fredericksburg celebrates both its German roots and its pioneer heritage. In fact, the town’s Pioneer Museum is a good place to get your bearings, tracing the area’s settler history, which dates back to the 1840s. While you may associate fine wine more with the West Coast, Hill Country is home to a good number of major wineries, including several in the Fredericksburg area — explore the local tasting rooms and bring home a bottle (or a case). Even less on-the-nose here in Hill Country is the National Museum of the Pacific War, dedicated to the history of World War II in the Pacific, inspired by local Chester Nimitz, born and raised in Fredericksburg, who served as an admiral in the U.S. Navy during the war. But getting outdoors should be at the top of your Fredericksburg to-do list, with Enchanted Rock State Natural Area offering distinctive pink rocks, endless trails for hiking, cycling, and horseback riding, and ample opportunities for climbing. Fredericksburg is also home to more than 300 species of bird, and millions of bats that attract visitors (really!) More about Fredericksburg Fredericksburg, TX For a relatively small town, it’s easy for you and your family to get lost in Fredericksburg. In the serene beauty of the Texas Hill Country. In the rich German history. The countless unique and sophisticated shops. Keep Reading... Meet Budget Travel’s Coolest Small Towns for 2022: Content presented by Have Fun Do Good Have Fun Do Good (HFDG) is on a mission to provide adventure seekers with a unique experience that allows them to travel while giving back to the community through volunteering. Learn more at https://havefundogood.co/

If you’re looking for a laid-back place to make your Gulf dreams come true, Cedar Key, about an hour from Gainesville, on Florida’s northwest coast, is the place to do it. With a population hovering around 700 and a location that puts a firm emphasis on salt water — including a national wildlife refuge, a state park, nature preserves, stretches of sandy beach, and a thriving fishing industry — Cedar Key basically challenges you not to relax. Set aside a few days to get to know this beautiful corner of the Sunshine State. The 13 islands of Cedar Key National Wildlife Refuge offer unique opportunities for birdwatching (including migratory birds and majestic pelicans), dolphins in season, and colorful butterflies. Cedar Key Museum State Park combines the best of the region’s natural beauty with rich history, including the restored 1920s Whitman home and memorabilia from the town’s past. Speaking of history, when you’re not soaking up some sun at the beach, you’ll want to soak up some history via photographs and artifacts at Cedar Key Historical Museum. But who are we kidding? With all that Gulf water lapping the shores, seafood may be your number-one priority here — clam bars, seafood joints ranging from modest to posh, and chowder abound in Cedar Key, with enough options to satisfy every taste. CARD WIDGET HEREMeet Budget Travel’s Coolest Small Towns for 2022: Content presented by Have Fun Do Good Have Fun Do Good (HFDG) is on a mission to provide adventure seekers with a unique experience that allows them to travel while giving back to the community through volunteering. Learn more at https://havefundogood.co/

On the shores of New York’s Hudson River, just 16 miles from the Bronx border, Tarrytown combines history, natural beauty, and a range of small businesses that make for a truly unique small-town experience. Margo Timmins, lead singer of the alt-country band Cowboy Junkies, recently announced from the stage of the Tarrytown Music Hall that the venue, on the town’s scenic Main Street, is one of her favorite places to perform because there is a great coffeehouse on one side and the yarn shop on the other. That would be Coffee Labs, purveyors of exquisite artisanal java (there will be a line, possibly out the door, but it’s worth the wait), and Flying Fingers, a favorite of Martha Stewart’s, boasting a giant sheep sculpture adorned with brightly colored yarn right outside the front door. You could spend your entire day combing Main Street for world cuisine — Lefteris’s Greek fare and Tarry Tavern’s upscale comfort food are just two wildly popular examples — or galleries, thrift shops, and musical instruments. But set aside some time to explore beautiful historic sites such as Sunnyside (once home to Washington Irving, the first man of American letters and the author of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle) and Lyndhurst (a 19th century mansion whose riverside grounds now play host to craft fairs, kennel shows, and jazz concerts). No visit to this region is complete without traversing RiverWalk, a scenic trail through the woods along the eastern shore of the Hudson, and the many winding trails in Rockefeller State Park and Preserve. More about Tarrytown Tarrytown, NY A trip to Tarrytown offers visitors the perfect complement of history, dining, shopping and nature -- not to mention entertainment and first class lodging. Keep Reading... Meet Budget Travel’s Coolest Small Towns for 2022: Content presented by Have Fun Do Good Have Fun Do Good (HFDG) is on a mission to provide adventure seekers with a unique experience that allows them to travel while giving back to the community through volunteering. Learn more at https://havefundogood.co/