Top best small cities in US #10: This 2018 photo shows the town of Sedona, Ariz., seen from the Airport Mesa Loop Trail. From left to right are Thunder Mountain, Sugar Loaf and Coffee Pot Rock. The sleepy Arizona town of Sedona has long been a refuge for hikers, romantics and soul searchers. There’s picturesque beauty in its earth-toned buildings and also in the glowing red rocks that surround town. And many visitors come looking for something besides this beauty: the so-called vortex where some say the earth’s energy crackles and creates sensations of healing and spiritual awakening. (AP Photo/Joseph Gedeon) (Joseph Gedeon/AP)
Top best small cities in US #9: This photo shows the Maryland State House towering over downtown Annapolis, Md. It is known for a number of historic events, including the resignation of General George Washingtons commission as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. It also was the nation's capital for nine months in in 1783 and 1784. (AP Photo/Brian Witte) (Brian Witte/AP)
Top best small cities in US #8: Pensacola. Florida certainly has no shortage of beautiful beaches, but few places have the blindingly white sand and Caribbean-blue waters you’ll find in and around this town. Head to the nearby barrier islands for the best (and least crowded) stretches of sand: Pensacola Beach on Santa Rosa Island is often cited as the crown jewel of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, complete with dolphin-rich waters and sand so soft you’d swear you were walking on baby powder, Cande Nast Traveler says. (PHOTO: VisitPensacola.com)
Top best small cities in US #7: The Lightner Museum, housed in a building constructed in 1887, seen in St. Augustine, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) (John Raoux/AP)
Top best small cities in US #6: The Aspen Mountain ski area by Aspen, Colo. (AP Photo/John Locher) (John Locher/AP)
Top best small cities in US #5: People gather at the Forsythe Park fountain in the historic district of Savannah, Ga. Lured by the city's time-capsule collection of antebellum homes and manicured public squares, tourists spent an estimated $2.8 billion here in 2016. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File) (David Goldman/AP)
Top best small cities in US #4: The Reedy River is seen from downtown Greenville, S.C. on Saturday, June 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Janelle Cogan) (Janelle Cogan/AP)
Top best small cities in US #3: "Washingtonians are all in on the secret, but it’s no surprise the rest of the world is catching up: Alexandria, Virginia, the charming, historic city just across the Potomac River from our nation's capital, draws travelers and would-be residents alike. Most folks start to imagine moving there immediately after setting foot in Old Town, once they’ve strolled the red-brick sidewalks, clocking street after street of perfectly preserved rowhouses from the 18th and 19th centuries," Conde Nast Traveler says.
Top best small cities in US #2: Central plaza and shopping district in Santa Fe, New Mexico. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee) (Morgan Lee/AP)
Top best small cities in US #1: One of the most iconic vistas in Charleston, S.C., Rainbow Row, is seen in this March 11, 2013 photograph. It's free to walk through the city's historic district to see these and other historic homes. (AP Photo/Bruce Smith) (Bruce Smith/AP)
