Charming Cities
-
Salzburg, Austria
Salzburg may just be the most beautiful city in all the land. It certainly looks like something out of a fairy tale, complete with a castle perched on high. It is easy to explore on foot, and has something for everyone. Beautiful scenery, glorious gardens, amazing architecture, and charming cafes…not to mention the music. It is, in short, magical. Settlement of the area can be traced back to Celts in the 5th Century BC; today’s city however dates to a later Roman occupation, which was awarded township status around 45 AD. Although there were periods of decline, the area has been continuously inhabited since it was founded. That means lots…
-
Little Washington- Washington, VA
Washington, Virginia is impossibly quaint. It is a tiny town, so picturesque it could easily be a movie set. It was also surveyed by George Washington himself in 1749, and is the very first town in the country to be named in his honor. Today, it’s known as much for its world renowned Michelin rated restaurant as for its history. If you are feeling particularly flush, be sure to partake in their tasting menu- it is supposed to be life changing. If not, it is still a beautiful town to stroll around, following in the footsteps of a Founding Father. In the 1700s, the area around present day Washington, Virginia…
-
Geneva-on-the Lake, OH
I absolutely adore nostalgic beach towns. Small towns, with no chain hotels or restaurants. Towns that were thankfully missed by developers, and their hulking high-rises. Relics from another era, virtually preserved in amber. Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio is one such place. A not so sleepy little enclave on the shores of Lake Erie, where it is always magnificently mid-century. Geneva-on-the-Lake as a destination dates back to 1869, when Cullen Spencer and Edward Pratt purchased land on Lake Erie, and opened a public picnic park with beach access. Soon people started camping at the park, which was seen as an escape from the surrounding smog filled industrial cities of the day. It even…
-
Tarpon Springs, FL
Tarpon Springs is one of those tiny towns with a great big past. Or actually, a big Greek past, as well as present; it has the highest percentage of Greek Americans of any city in the United States. Settled by fisherman around 1876, the town was named after the large scaled fish of the same name found in the area. However, it was soon discovered that in addition to the bony, largely inedible game fish, the water off the coast was home to a crazy amount of sponges. In the early days, these sponges were harvested by a hook; however, when John M. Corcoris introduced the Greek diving method, an…
-
Astoria, OR
Located at the mouth of the Columbia River, Astoria is a wonderfully historic, scenic city. It was the first permanent U.S. settlement on the Pacific coast, and had the first Post Office west of the Rockies. For almost a century it was the salmon fishing and canning capital of the world, reminders of which can be found in the repurposed warehouses along the waterfront. It was also the filming location for The Goonies, which is reason alone to visit this somewhat sleepy town.
