With all due respect to click bait list making websites, sometimes y'all get it wrong. Or, maybe you just don't do enough research. In this case, I think that's what happened. The travel website Expedia created a list of the 20 Friendliest Cities in the U.S. I saw the story appear on Yahoo. According to the study, the ranking actually comes from various travels themselves. First flaw: Some cities aren't really destination ones. Meaning, not a lot of tourists flock there. Second problem, the left Cedar Falls off the list!

The list includes tourist hotspots like Whitefish, Montana, which is a beautiful place. Sister Bay, Wisconsin which is a destination for boaters, and I'm sure lovely. Manitou Springs, Colorado which... I cannot even pronounce but I guess has lots of neat art galleries. There's also 17 additional (mostly small) cities. Although Manhattan did make it, no other super cities like Boston were picked So if only smaller towns made the cut from travelers, why no love for any Iowa city? I know, I know, we don't have many touristy attractions. Blah blah. But I'd like to make a case for Cedar Falls. It's charming downtown with many kind and locally owned shops staffed with friendly folks. It's easy access to the river - which I get doesn't make it 'nice person' friendly, but definitely makes it walker and biker friendly. Plus UNI and all the arts assisted with the college.

So while Grants Pass, Oregon (#17 on the list) may have vineyards and a charming downtown, Cedar Falls has a charming downtown and several local breweries. Sierra Vista in Arizona (#6) was listed as a 'sunny escape; and 'the Hummingbird Capital of the U.S.' We have sun and hummingbirds, too. Just saying.

If you are looking to getaway, here's some must-see roads you can hop on.

See the Must-Drive Roads in Every State

LOOK: Stunning vintage photos capture the beauty of America's national parks

Today these parks are located throughout the country in 25 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The land encompassing them was either purchased or donated, though much of it had been inhabited by native people for thousands of years before the founding of the United States. These areas are protected and revered as educational resources about the natural world, and as spaces for exploration.

Keep scrolling for 50 vintage photos that show the beauty of America's national parks.

 

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