A Month in Siena 10/16/2023
About Backseat Cities
What they are
The World's Largest Gavel, Columbus, OH, July 2018
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What are Backseat Cities?
They're places you should visit but probably haven’t.
I live in a Backseat City—Columbus, Ohio—and that's how this project (not yet published) all started.
There are almost never crowds.
Backseat Cities aren't the big, well-known destinations such as Miami or Chicago. Nor are they the smaller towns and villages like Stowe, VT or Holland, MI that travel writers lazily call charming, cozy, quaint, or hidden gems.
Backseat Cities are medium-sized places that don't generate significant tourist traffic. They could be anywhere in the world—there are plenty in central and eastern Europe, for example—but right now I'm concentrating on America.
Garfield Memorial (it has since been cleaned), Cleveland, OH. Sep 2018 |
Susan B. Anthony's office, Rochester, NY. Aug 2018 |
Cities like:
- Indianapolis
- Providence
- Wichita
- Des Moines
- Pittsburgh
- Spokane
- Milwaukee
- Richmond
In 2017, the Washington Post did a service series called You're Going Where?, and most of their destinations were Backseat Cities. In some cases, they chose places I've targeted for my books.
I still can't figure out why more people don't go to Rochester for vacation. Seriously.
The title of the Post series communicates an idea fundamental to a Backseat City: Huh? Tell people you're going to Boise for vacation and see how they react. (If they knew anything about Boise, of course, they'd be jealous.)
I ignored the strange looks and the questions and I went. Backseat Cities is the story of my travels.
The benefits
Why go to Cleveland instead of New York City or Boston? It's a fair question. Since I live in a Backseat City, and have visited several more, I've become an evangelist.
An alligator on a swamp tour outside Lafayette, LA. Oct 2018 |
- Backseat Cities have excellent hotels and restaurants
- They have plenty of interesting attractions
- They're less expensive
- There are almost never crowds
In other words, Backseat Cities have most of the upside of traditional tourist destinations, but almost none of the downside. I still can't figure out why more people don't go to Rochester for vacation. Seriously.
Leg lamps for sale at the Christmas Story House gift shop. Sep 2018 |
Read more
- About Backseat Cities
- The Selection Process
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