America’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations 2007

Preserving what’s best about America’s small cities and towns is vital to ensuring a nice balance between past and present in the places we live. The National Trust for Historic Preservation is doing their part to praise “unique and lovingly preserved communities” that are setting good examples in the areas of preservation and heritage tourism. Since 2000, the Trust has selected a dozen US cities each year that do an especially good job of preserving their town’s special spirit of place. The Trust’s list of alternative vacation destinations now boasts 96 places around the country that showcase special dedication to historic preservation.

The 2007 list includes places like Chestertown, MD, Morgantown, WV, Providence, RI, Little Rock, AR and Mineral Point, WI. And this year the Trust also recognized New Orleans in a special way for its commitment to preservation-based revitalization in the midst of the city’s rebuilding challenges.

May is Preservation Month — what is your community doing to preserve it’s culture and history for future generations? In the same way that narrow cobble-stoned Mediterranean villages have endured the test of time, it would be nice to see some authentic “small town America” spots still surviving decades from now.