Picturesque Small Towns
 

We just returned from Napa/Sonoma Wine Country and fell in love with Healdsburg with its inviting town square, unique shops, and amazing street sculpture. It has inspired us to plan a road trip just to visit other small, off-the-beaten-path towns that have a "village green" and seem at first glance to be from a bygone era. St. Mary's, GA has been mentioned, but I'd love to hear from its residents or people who've visited its historic district. Any other places come to mind, especially in the South?

The South is full of quaint small towns. Helen GA & Plains GA come to mind as well as Covington & Abita Springs LA.

Our LA towns are interesting with many art related shops & exhibits. There is also a vineyard just N of Covington that you can visit if that's your interest. Near Baton Rouge is St Francisville. A small town with several nearby plantation homes.

In the more NW part of the state is Natchitoches. They filmed parts of Steel Magnolias there. It is the home of "meat pies". Every year around Christmas they are known for the Christmas lights in the whole town.

Berea, KY, is nice. Berea College was begun in the 1800s to provide higher education for mountain children who couldn't afford college fees. Still today, the students are required to work in order to attend. Some of them work in Boone Tavern, an old white-columned historic hotel that serves divine food including spoon bread with real butter.

There are quite a number of handicraft shops, Churchill Weavers for one, and exquisite hand crafted furniture, quilts, etc.

Elk, California on the Northern Coast just above Gualala is one of our favorite small towns, and oh, what a view of the ocean! I don't live all that far from St. Mary's and it is very charming, along with Fernandina Beach and Amelia Island which are nearby. Other favorites include Blue Ridge and Ellijay, Georgia, Cedar Key, Florida, and Key West.

I lived in St. Mary's for a few years...and I really don't have anything positive to say so I will keep quiet. We loved the Fernandina Beach/Amelia Island area though!