Travel + Leisure has released their “Worlds Best Awards 2021” and with that comes the top U.S. cities according to their reader’s votes. This year, several cities made the list but two of the top cities belong to the southeast!
Before we get to the number one voted on city in the United States we should take a look at the other two cities that make up the top three cities on the T+L list. While these cities make up the top three in the U.S. they are not the top destinations in the entire world.
Savannah, Georgia comes in at number three on the Travel + Leisure list and if you have been to Savannah, located about 10 miles off the I-95 corridor on the South Carolina/Georgia border, you will understand why this historic city ranks so high. It is a southern charm at its best.
At number two we move out west where Santa Fe, New Mexico comes in to the 2nd spot. Santa Fe is becoming one of the top centers in U.S. entertainment from music and theater and it doesn’t hurt to be surrounded by sweeping vistas and ancient cultures.
Number one takes us back into the south where we find the number one U.S. city on the list. Of course, it has to be Charleston, South Carolina. Well deserved in my opinion! Charleston has everything you could want. Beautiful beaches, southern charm, and welcoming culture. Check out Patriots Point and visit the Yorktown aircraft carrier that is docked in Charleston Harbor.
Dive into a city that is enriched by it’s incredible history that has mixed with modern era tech and entertainment. While Charleston ranks number one in the U.S., it only comes in at number 18 on the Travel + Leisure list worldwide, but it is one spot above Tokyo!
The rest of the top 10 belong to New Orleans, New York City, San Antonio, Chicago, Bend, Oregon, Williamsburg, Va., and Honolulu, Hawaii.
I would probably disagree with Chicago and Williamsburg being on this list. I have been to both and frankly, I would avoid Chicago and Williamsburg is a little too touristy these days for my taste. While historic, it’s not somewhere I would visit more than once.