Smithsonian Magazine Names Michigan Town As One Of Best In The US

Smithsonian Magazine has made a list of America's best small towns. Due to the pandemic, the publication says it wants people to appreciate America’s small towns now more than ever. A northern Michigan city has made the list of top 15 small towns in the country.

With its mushroom houses, large castle and a giant cherry pie pan, Charlevoix is tops. Smithsonian Magazine took different things into consideration when making the list. They looked at independent shops, hidden gem parklands, historic sites and architecture, and unique restaurants.

The article mentions South Pier Light Station, Hotel Earl, Castle Farms and the famous Earl Young Mushroom Houses as things to visit while in Charlevoix. Smithsonian wrote of the mushroom houses,

"Young created more than two dozen mushroom houses that look as though they’ve been plucked straight from the Shire of author J.R.R. Tolkien’s fictional middle-earth. Made of local stone and topped with cedar-shake roofs, some are rentable, though curious souls can also embark on a guided or self-guided tour to view them all."

"Turquoise blue waters" were also attributed to the glory of Charlevoix. The magazine said,

"Whether it’s bicycling along the 26-mile-long Little Traverse Wheelway from Charlevoix to Harbor Springs, or hitting up the hiking trails, ski slopes and ice-skating rink at Mt. McSauba, Charlevoix offers plenty of ways to enjoy the great outdoors. The 2,678-acre Fisherman’s Island State Park is home to tree-covered bogs and sand dunes, more than six miles of unspoiled Lake Michigan shoreline and waters ripe for swimming.”

14 other cities made Smithsonian’s list. They include:

• Council Grove, Kansas
• Fayetteville, West Virginia
• Muscle Shoals, Alabama
• Manitou Springs, Colorado
• Hatch, New Mexico
• Goshen, New York
• Nevada City, California
• Bath, Maine
• Brevard, North Carolina
• Dyersville, Iowa
• Ely, Minnesota
• Wallace, Idaho
• Natchez, Mississippi
• Litchfield, Connecticut