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.

An extremely dirty building with a long set of steps and a high dome

Garfield Memorial, Cleveland, OH. Sep 2018

Wooden desk with some papers and an old typewriter

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 sunning itself on a log in green waters

An alligator on a swamp tour outside Lafayette, LA. Oct 2018

Backseat Cities have excellent hotels and restaurants
They have plenty of fascinating 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.