# What are the little touristy towns in the US? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 17, 2011, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-little-touristy-towns-in-the-us/574981 "2011-03-17T00:30:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Gil-Martin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Gil-Martin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gil-Martin)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-little-touristy-towns-in-the-us/574981/101 "2011-03-20T19:00:08Z")
It’s not my cup of tea because I don’t really like “quaint” and am not too interested in antiques or “arts and crafts,” but you may like Hardy, Arkansas. Many of my Arkanss-Missouri acquaintances make special trips to this small community in northern Arkansas on a regular basis. Here’s an encyclopedia entry: > **[Encyclopedia of Arkansas](https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/hardy-sharp-county-1271/)** > > Latitude and Longitude: 36°18'57" N 091°28'57"W Elevation: 358 feet Area: 5.06 square miles (2020 Census) Population: 743 (2020 Census) Incorporation ... Here’s a descriptin from [www.mainstreethardy.com](http://www.mainstreethardy.com): \* Our area’s beautiful spring fed rivers, natural surroundings, and shops offer many unique items and crafts from local artisans. Time seems to move slower up in the hills as you glide a canoe through the cool spring river water, cast your fishing rod towards a trophy trout, or just sit back and relax while sitting on one of the many benches along the covered sidewalks on Main Street. The shop owners always are happy to have visitor’s stop in and shop. We appreciate you and welcome you to Hardy, Ar. We hope you and your family will make plans to pause here in our wonderful town and enjoy a stay with us. Whether you’re parking your camper on the banks of the Spring river, cooking at a riverside cabin, or relaxing in a area Inn, you’ll feel your worries slip away as you press your own pause button and enjoy the peaceful tranquility of our home town Hardy Arkansas.\* I will attest that there are many shops, some nice scenery, and that the people generally seemed friendly. And the population is definitely under 10,000. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-little-touristy-towns-in-the-us/574981/102 "2011-03-20T19:29:59Z")
> [@bmoak](#): > > Quite a few of these can be found in Upstate NY, especial the Finger Lakes, Adirondack, and Leatherstocking regions. > > People have already mentioned Cooperstown and Lake George, which are tourist meccas, but I’ll add… > > Watkins Glen: Home to the gorges and waterfalls of Watkins Glen State Park and the Watkins Glen International Speedway. Gateway to the wine country around Lake Seneca. > > Corning: Headquarters of the Corning Corporation and their wonderful Museum of Glass, as well as the underrated Rockwell Museum of Western Art. > > Old Forge: Basically exists to make money of visitors to Enchanted Forest Water Safari. > > Owego: Awarded Coolest Small Town in the United States by Budget Travel Magazine. > > Hammondsport: Perhaps the most important winery town in the Finger Lakes, and also home of the Glenn Curtiss Aviation Museum. > > Cherry Valley: Not far from Cooperstown, but off the beaten path. Longtime retreat for artsy types, through best known for the historical massacre. Does anything remain of the Free Love colony at Oneida, besides the factories? ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-little-touristy-towns-in-the-us/574981/103 "2011-03-20T19:31:57Z")
Copper Harbor, MI [Copper Harbor, Michigan - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper_Harbor,_Michigan) Hodgenville, KY [Hodgenville, Kentucky - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hodgenville,_Kentucky) If you’re in Hodgenville on a Saturday night, you can also see the Lincloln Jamboree, an Opry-type formatted music show. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-little-touristy-towns-in-the-us/574981/104 "2011-03-20T19:54:46Z")
[Red Lodge](http://www.redlodgechamber.org/), Montana. Tons of outdoor activities, a small shopping district downtown, lots of wildlife, quaint B&Bs, population 2,300. There isn’t a traffic light in the whole county, and the town is surrounded by National Forest, wilderness areas, and BLM land. The drive from Red Lodge to the Northeast entrance to Yellowstone Park is the Beartooth Scenic Highway (amazing drive). ---
**Author:** ![bmoak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@bmoak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bmoak)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-little-touristy-towns-in-the-us/574981/105 "2011-03-20T21:55:13Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > Does anything remain of the Free Love colony at Oneida, besides the factories? Not that I know of. People go to the Oneida area nowadays to go to Turning Stone Casino and buy cheap smokes and gas from the Oneida Nation. ---
**Author:** ![Curious3d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Curious3d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Curious3d)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-little-touristy-towns-in-the-us/574981/106 "2011-03-20T21:59:02Z")
[Black Mountain, NC](http://www.blackmountain.org) ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-little-touristy-towns-in-the-us/574981/107 "2011-03-21T20:24:33Z")
I second [Ojai, CA](http://www.ci.ojai.ca.us/index.asp?Type=B_LOC&SEC=%7B648B4DF8-2C7F-440C-827C-A6AE6C083A0D%7D). I grew up there, and it’s a neat little town (and very beautiful) especially if you like artsy-craftsy stuff, quaint little shops, rich hippie stuff, and oak trees. It also has the world’s largest open-air bookstore, a world-famous tennis tournament and jazz festival, it’s the former home of the artist who was the inspiration for Rose in “Titanic,” and tons of celebrities either do or did live there (my mom used to tell me all the time about how she saw Larry Hagman or Michael Caine or somebody at the local market). They also filmed “Easy A” there, mostly at my old high school. 🙂 Oh, and the [Pink Moment](http://www.google.com/images?q=ojai+pink+moment&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1128&bih=842), which really has to be experienced to get the full effect. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-little-touristy-towns-in-the-us/574981/108 "2011-03-21T20:37:51Z")
[quote=“Gary “Wombat” Robson, post:104, topic:574981”] [Red Lodge](http://www.redlodgechamber.org/), Montana. Tons of outdoor activities, a small shopping district downtown, lots of wildlife, quaint B&Bs, population 2,300. There isn’t a traffic light in the whole county, and the town is surrounded by National Forest, wilderness areas, and BLM land. The drive from Red Lodge to the Northeast entrance to Yellowstone Park is the Beartooth Scenic Highway (amazing drive). [/QUOTE] Not to mention the world’s best onion rings at the Red Box Car Drive-In! ---
**Author:** ![sunstone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunstone/32/3372_2.png) [@sunstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunstone)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-little-touristy-towns-in-the-us/574981/109 "2011-03-22T02:27:24Z")
Ferndale, California. Nearly the entire town consists of Victorian style buildings. It consists of a main street about 6 blocks long. That six blocks has some unique stores, and a couple of great resturants. It lies on the south side of the Eel River valley, and is about 5 miles from the Pacific Ocean. It is surrounded by dairy lands and redwood forests. Check it out on the internet. Google away! ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-little-touristy-towns-in-the-us/574981/110 "2011-03-22T04:30:48Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Not to mention the world’s best onion rings at the Red Box Car Drive-In! I’m not a big onion ring fan, but I do love their burgers and shakes. Especially in that outdoor patio area by the creek. Must be careful there, though. A bear wandered across the road while my daughter was eating on the patio. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-little-touristy-towns-in-the-us/574981.md?page=5)