By no means am I a world traveler or even someone who has traveled throughout the United States extensively. But - I have been to my fair share of cities and towns. Some unique and some… let’s just say I’m glad it was only a visit. For now, sticking to the theme of 40, here are my top forty cities (in no particular order) that I love and a reason or two why.
1 Chicago, IL – It’s a place I lived for four years and have come to love.
2 Detroit, MI – It’s probably on most people’s bottom 40 cities. But for me Detroit will always be a haven for what is Michigan’s history, present, and future. It represents automobiles, adversity, and a hope.
3 Ann Arbor, MI – One of the great unique cities in the world - it was where I was born.
4 Saline, MI – I grew up in Saline. It actually has been voted one of the top cities in the country (mainly because of its location to Ann Arbor without living in Ann Arbor), and it acts as a place where almost anyone would want to raise their family.
5 Kalamazoo, MI - I experienced college in Kalamazoo. It’s diverse and has the charm of a big city.
6 Cheboygan, MI – Cheboygan is off the map for most Michigan vacationers. For me though, it became a vacation wonderland.
7 Indian River, MI – Indian River is in between the two largest inland lakes in Michigan – it is a water wonderland.
8 Boston, MA – History and present combined.
9 Sudbury, MA – I got married here. Enough said.
10 Barre, MA - It’s quaint, has charm, and it’s where Jess is from.
11 Stowe, VT – Swoop, swoop, swoop!
12 Grapevine, TX – It’s where my brother lives and I love to visit!
13 Tampa, FL – Who doesn’t like going to Florida? Plus, my aunt and uncle live here.
14 Monroe, MI – As someone who loves genealogy, I can’t leave a town that has so much family history off the list.
15 Toronto, ON – I’ve been to Toronto twice now. And have loved it each time.
16 London, UK – A premier city.
17 Prague, CZ – Just awesome.
18 Evanston, IL – Every time I walk around Evanston it reminds me of Ann Arbor.
19 Springfield, IL – Springfield is one of the most underrated cities in Illinois.
20 Indianapolis, IN – A race car lover’s paradise.
21 Mackinac City, MI – It’s a little touristy, but it still has one of the best views of one of the world’s longest suspension bridges.
22 New York, NY – How can this city not be on a top 40 list? It’s on here for the pizza alone.
23 Petoskey, MI – A great summer town.
24 Spring Green, WI – Home to Taliesin
25 Decorah, IA – Iowa’s got to be mentioned, right? And this little town is jam-packed with charm.
26 Oak Park, IL – Frank Lloyd Wright heaven.
27 Bellingham, MA – The first place I lived in Massachusetts.
28 Oak Brook, IL – The town where I got engaged.
29 South Haven, MI – The first Michigan town I brought Jess to.
30 Dallas, TX – A great city in Texas.
31 Hyannis, MA – The first place I got a job in Massachusetts.
32 Marion, MA – The reason I moved to Massachusetts.
33 Wareham, MA – Our first house in Massachusetts.
34 Niagara, NY/ON – Honeymoon capital of the world. A destination spot on either side of the falls.
35 Schaumburg, IL – Even a suburb can make it on my list. But only because it involved a first date.
36 Wellesley – It’s one of those towns that when you visit you want to move to because it has everything.
37 Brooklyn, NY – I’ve only been there for a hot dog and a shot to see a non-existent baseball stadium, but it was great.
38 Whitney, ON - Because it offers one of the most remote scenic parks I have ever been to.
39 Ypsilanti, MI – It may just have the best hoagie I have ever had.
40 Lansing, MI – Hey! It’s the capital of Michigan!
So, obviously my favorite places are a little slanted to the places I have lived, visited, and experienced – but isn’t that how it is for all of us?
As you can see the graph isn’t as flattering as the other one. Indeed you could almost say the changeover created more unemployment. Of course we all know that’s not true. Obama in a speech acknowledged the continued problem of unemployment. The road to recovery is getting better. That’s clear from the fewer jobs being lost month after month. But there’s still a lot of work to be done. That’s apparent by the second graph. And Obama won’t silence his many critics until he lowers that second graph.
