Small Town Gems

A lovely Victorian town, that is it has many Victorian structures and interesting slanted streets. Boutiques and eateries abound in this recommended Best Small Town.

Contrary to popular belief, the best attraction in Arkansas is not the Bill Clinton library, it is this jewel of a town tucked in the Ozarks in the northwest corner of the state. The towns unusual name 'Eureka', originates from the Greek "I found it". This pays tribute to the curative nature of the areas abundant spring waters. Eureka Springs is a completely restored Victorian paradise. The entire downtown area is designated as a Historic District. EARNS OUR HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION.

Visit www.smalltowngems.com for information on hundreds of recommended Small Towns throughout the United States.

After leaving Eureka, GO WEST YOUNG MAN! to Bentonville, the home of Sam Walton. Visit the Wal Mart museum on the square in downtown.

This town is aptly named - Midway is in the middle of Kentucky's beautiful blue-grass, blue-blood horse country. It is also the home of Midway College, the state's sole women's-only college. A very small town but very high quality. Rare is a town this small with so many amenities: an open-air tavern, fine dining, sidewalk cafes, boutiques, and a gourmet coffee shop. Midway is a microcosm of the desirable features of a much larger town. Because it is located halfway between Frankfort and Lexington, the town is a popular relaxation spot for residents from both cities. Midway is home to Three Chimneys Farm, a thoroughbred race horse breeding facility.

Visit www.smalltowngems.com for abundant information including photographs for this and other Best Small Towns throughout America!

Theme: Wild West

If you like alliteration, repeat after me . . . . Tombstone tacky-trinket tourist-trap town. Speaking of tacky, the Tombstone Hotel promises it guests will 'rest in peace'. You get the idea. This town is about as authentic as a Victorian double-wide. But if you are accompanied by children, they may enjoy the OK corral gunfight reenactments - possibly, maybe, perhaps. If you are looking for an authentic Western town, keep on pedaling down the road to Bisbee.

Despite our jabbing humor, we still recommend Tombstone. It is a clean, safe, family-oriented small town and very pedestrian-friendly.

For a complete list of recommended theme towns with photographs depicting town scenes go to www.smalltowngems.com

Bisbee is the finest example of an authentic Western mining town in the U.S. Unlike many Western mining towns, access to Bisbee does not require navigating difficult mountain roads. This Old West mining camp proved to be one of the richest mineral sites in the world, producing nearly three million ounces of gold and more than eight billion pounds of copper, not to mention the silver, lead and zinc that came from these rich Mule Mountains. By the early 1900s, the Bisbee community was the largest city in the southwest between St. Louis and San Francisco. EARNS OUR HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION.

Visit www.smalltowngems.com for abundant information including photographs for this and other Best Small Towns throughout America!

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SmallTownGems.com

How do we describe the ambiance or personality of the towns on this website? The adjectives historic, small, quaint, charming, romantic come to mind. Or we could employ the phrases "a step back in time", "picture postcard" or "small town Americana at its best". Many have historic districts, attractive store fronts on Main Street, antique shops, art stores or other boutiques, Victorian homes, bed and breakfast lodging. Because of their distinctive quality, numerous towns on our website were Hollywood film locations.

As you enter these towns, they should pass the following emotional tests:

1. Does this remind you of a Currier and Ives print?
2. Do you think to yourself "I can't wait to tell my friends about this place"?
3. Do you wonder if there is enough capacity in your camera?
4. Is this place similar to the town where your grandmother was raised?

The following criteria are used to earn our approval:

- Distinctive Architecture
- Part of the downtown has been designated a state or national historic district
- Numerous stone or brick buildings in downtown
- Pedestrian/bicyclist friendly
- County seat with historic courthouse
- Lampposts along the main thoroughfare
- Fountains
- Abundant tree and flower landscaping
- Art galleries, antique stores, or specialty boutiques
- Small college or university in or near the town
- Bed-and-breakfast lodging, usually in Victorian or Bungalow-style housing
- Gourmet coffee shops and/or bakery
- Clock towers
- Brick/cobblestone sidewalks or streets
- A river or canal through the downtown
- Proximate to a lake or ocean
- Bike or walking path
- Clean, easily accessible public restrooms
- Wooden picket or wrought iron fences
- Wrought iron railings on upper-story balconies
- Unusual scenery nearby
- Vintage train station with locomotive and caboose
- Iron or covered bridges
- Tourist trolley buses and horse-drawn carriages
- Abundant and decorative trash receptacles
- Vintage service station with antique vehicles

for more information please visit: www.smalltowngems.com