Leadville

The highest incorporated city in North America at 10,152 feet above sea level, Leadville is a small and charming burg nestled in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Yes, it's cold. Leadville boasts a grid of streets packed with colorful Victorian-era houses and incredible views of Mount Massive. The main drag's brick sidewalks are lined with mining-era "Main Street" establishments filled with history. Sure, it's not as wealthy as Aspen, or as phony as Vail, or as prettied up as Breckenridge, but Leadville is cuter and has 10x the character of all. It's hardcore. It's got 100-mile foot and bike races in the summer and 142 inches of snow in the winter. It's the home of Melanzana, the most bang-for-your-buck, warm fleece you've ever purchased. It's the home of High Mountain Pies, the best damn pizzeria in the Colorado Rockies. It's the home of folks who aren't afraid to live in a different type of paradise. It's both an environmental catastrophe and an environmental miracle. Want to see people standing on street corners with signs saying that black lives matter in small-town America? Come to Leadville. It's rough around the edges, yet simultaneously a diamond. The whole town is just a vibe. Don't gentrify it too hard, now.