Humble Trail

A dock extends into Norfork Lake in northern Arkansas.

Affordable Ozark Towns for a Retirement Full of Lakes, Trails and Music

An Ozark retirement can include an impromptu fiddle session, a familiar trail and a lake outing that does not require owning a waterfront house. These Arkansas and Missouri towns offer different versions of that life, with historical home-value estimates below the national baseline.

01/10/2026

Opinion

Jonesborough courthouse and downtown in Tennessee.

Tennessee Small Towns Where the Stories Are Part of the Trip

In one Tennessee town, a general store becomes a bluegrass venue. In

30/09/2026

Historic twin-spired church in Oil City, Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Towns Where You Can Retire for Less Without Feeling Cut Off

A lower house price is more appealing when there is still somewhere

29/09/2026

Sea stacks on the coast at Bandon, Oregon.

Oregon Small Towns With a Reason to Stay Another Night

A puffin made from ocean debris. A covered bridge built for logging

28/09/2026

Colorful Victorian houses along Beach Avenue in Cape May, New Jersey

Atlantic Coast Town Centers You’ll Want to Explore on Foot

Some coastal towns get better the moment you park the car. These

28/09/2026

Roanoke River Lighthouse on pilings in Edenton, North Carolina.

North Carolina Small Towns That Deserve a Whole Weekend

A lighthouse standing over the water. An arts center powered by gas from an old landfill. A mountain town where white squirrels

27/09/2026

Opinion

Lake Washington and Mount Rainier viewed from Seward Park in Seattle.

U.S. Lakes That Made Remarkable Comebacks After Pollution

Some damaged lakes recovered because engineers moved a pipe; others needed contaminated mud removed or years of patient work across farms and

26/09/2026

Travel Guide

Adobe-style storefronts along a street in Taos, New Mexico.

New Mexico Small Towns That Turn a Detour Into the Best Part of the Trip

A town that renamed itself after a radio show. A gallery where a family’s weaving tradition is still changing. A mountain village

25/09/2026

Opinion

Lake Washington with Mount Rainier in the distance.

U.S. Waters Where Testing Found Forever Chemicals

Investigators have found PFAS in major rivers, urban lakes and fish caught far from a factory gate. The records below show where

24/09/2026

Travel Guide

A lakeside cottage and autumn trees beside Rangeley Lake in Oquossoc, Maine.

Maine Small Towns With Stories You Won’t Find in a Lighthouse Postcard

In Bethel, a museum lets visitors hold a piece of the Moon. In Camden, stone books hide beneath garden benches. In Eastport,

23/09/2026

Opinion

Shrimp boats moored along the waterfront in Apalachicola, Florida.

Florida Small Towns That Deserve More Than a Beach-Day Detour

A machine that helped change life in hot climates sits in an Apalachicola museum. A sponge can explain the Greek character of

23/09/2026

Opinion

Telluride and its mountain valley viewed from the gondola route in Colorado.

Colorado Small Towns Worth Taking the Scenic Route For

Colorado's small towns offer more than a place to sleep between mountain views. Some have a railway that solves an impossible slope,

22/09/2026

Opinion

South Falls and forest at Silver Falls State Park in Oregon

The State Parks That Nearly Became National Parks

Some state parks reached federal inspection, proposed legislation or an approved site before the national-park dream stalled. Their histories include a rejection

22/09/2026

Travel Guide