My Aunt Alice lived in Prineville Or. she brought me for a teenage holiday in 1978. It has quadrupled in size since then. There is a beautiful reservoir that rivals Sedona. Thanks for the mention. It brought back memories…
Mr. Briggs. I'm so glad you featured Bisbee. It's one of my favorite places in Arizona. When I was stationed at Ft. Huachuca in the 80s, My Army buddies and I used to make frequent runs to Bisbee because at that time, Bisbee was the only place in Cochise county where one could get espresso.
Bisbee is fun for short visits, but the place is crumbling and run down as hell these days. It needs some major architectural renovations to preserve the fascinating history
Bisbee Coffee Co.makes a heavenly Mexican Coffee too! I love Bisbee. So creative and funky. I almost bought a home there, but landed in the mountains of California instead. I wanted to be by a lake or some body of water.
@@frankb821 Bisbee was kinda run down in the 80s, too. But despite that, I still found Bisbee to be very cool. Maybe people like you and I should snatch up some of the cheap houses and renovate Bisbee.
OMG I used to live in Julian California as a kiddo! Cutest little town! So much hiking and "shiny rocks" discovering. My Mom used to work at the T-shirt shop. I miss it so much.
My family stayed at an air bnb there for a week. Loved it so much, thought I would move there, but haven’t yet. People are friendly & so rustic and charming too.
@@TheDesertwalker fools gold for sure, tourmaline is not something I remember seeing. Lots of rocks with flecks of gold and tiny crystals in them. I once helped a widow there with her late husband's rock collection and it was amazing!! I was young and don't know much about it, but it was a little touch of magic to me!
If anyone ever seriously convinces you to move to Montana, before you do, ABSOLUTELY be sure to spend a week there in the middle of January. And not that one week in the middle of the winter when it's sunny. Montana winters can eat your soul.
@@joniboulware1436 That's what's ruining Montana. People who have to come here and drive up real estate prices and lock people off of the land. Just come visit and don't try to own the place.
@@MTKARusty You didn't say what city and which winter. Winters can be incredibly different. I'd put winters in the '60s in Bozeman up against most anyplace. Upslope snow storms with accumulations up to three or four feet at a time and -40°, and our schools didn't believe in snow days. But yeah, it's a dry cold...
I'm glad you mentioned Bisbee. It's far away from me all the way up here in flagstaff but I've ben there once it's a super cool place. Flag is a really cool mountain town too. Althovuh it's expensive. I actually grew up in knoxville TN too and you mentioned Maryville. Which is right outside of there. I adore Maryville TN a lot.
I love that Ruidoso is on this list! Living down in the valley in Cruces where we see triple digits on the regular during the summer, we head up to that area (Lincoln National Forest is over by Cloudcroft with lots of camping and hiking trails.) to cool off during the summer.
I was stationed at Holloman AFB and went to Ruidoso from time to time. I loved it, and Cloudcroft as well. I liked Las Cruces too. I love heat and it's plenty hot where I am (TX). I would consider moving to Las Cruces or Ruidoso, but I'm stuck where I am.
@@johnbob4545 Also the temps this morning?! Sooo good! Been sleeping with the windows open at night to conserve energy. Was just a tad chilly this morning when I first woke up.
Well, I almost spit out my lunch when you said Prineville, OR! Partly because you once mentioned it in one of your previous videos in a not so flattering way. I have lived there most of my life and I really do love it. I understand that based on the topic you're covering most places can make lists in good and bad ways. Prineville certainly isn't perfect but I have come to know that I am a small town person and for me there are more good things about it than bad. Thanks for the mention.
The trouble with prineville is summers are hot and winters are cold and if for some reason you have to go to the city your many hours away from Portland, and Bend probably ain't got everything you might need. It's not a bad town though. I like it west of the Cascades cause winters and summers are mild. I like Myrtle Creek or Canyonville between Roseburg and Grants Pass
I prefer far eastern Oregon like Baker City, it's like a smaller prineville and you are about the same distance away from Boise like Prineville and Portland. It's perfect
My wife grew up down the road from Ruidoso in Cloudcroft and I visited there for the first time last summer. Super hot dry desert all around down in Alamogordo and then you go up the mountain where it's cool and pleasant with the fresh scent of evergreen trees. Lovely in summer but my wife told me horror stories of rough winters in the mountains. You might have to exit your house from the second floor occasionally.
Briggs, I remember the, "Miracle on Ice," during the '80 Olympics. The '80 Olympics was also when one of my favorite athletes, Eric Heiden, (the man with the huge thighs) won 5 gold medals in speed skating. It was a good year for American competitors. This was a great list by the way. I want to move to a nice, affordable mountain town sometime. This list offered some possibilities.
Been to Juilian many times in my youth. Great little mountain. One of my favorite little bakeries is on the way to Julian in the even smaller town of Santa Ysabel. The bakery is called "Dudleys Famous Bakery and Cafe". Their Jalapeno bread is incredible. Its a definite must-stop if you are heading to Julian.
I enjoy most of your analyses, I don't always agree but I always enjoy your sense of humor - and I'm always glad when you don't list my town in Washington State's Top 10s or Best Ofs. 😁 Keep up the great content!
You could do a list like this just on New England. I live in New Hampshire and there are some fine towns up around the White Mountains. Lincoln, Conway and Littleton are the first that come to mind. Bethlehem, Franconia, Woodstock are others. Fryeburg, Maine, has a famous festival every year.
That's the thing once you get out of the crazy of lower NY state it's a beautiful area to be in. Funny thing is if you cut out everything South of West Chester the whole state is more like Texas. That's how overwhelming The lower NYC metro area is on state politics.
Just left Maryville for my small mountain town in Wyoming. I get paid almost double what I made in Knoxville (I commuted for work) and my rent went from $1750 to $910. The cost of living went WAY up in Knoxville/Maryville area because everyone is flooding there. I picked a lesser known place in Wyoming and am so much happier. So suffice it to say, Maryville is a well known mountain town. Definitely not overlooked.
"Everyone is flooding there" says everyone in every part of the country. LMAO. Maybe its just inflation. Hope you enjoy those deadly wyoming winters and the wind chill.
I passed through the heart of Maryville coming out of Gatlinburg back to Louisiana. I absolutely LOVED that lil city. What is day to day life like there?
I live in the Roanoke area and your so right! ❤! Love this video! I live in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains area and it’s stunning! I’m a former figure skater and I trained in Lake Placid for years! Beautiful 🤩!
Wow, beautiful mountain towns. My country , Bosnia and Hercegovina is full of mountain towns, check it out, most of the towns are right under the mountain and on the mountain. Thank you for the great video brother.
As a fellow Oregonian thank you for this video. I was thinking of Sisters as a mountain small town. Love your videos. ( I live in Monmouth…6 generations from Salem)
My parents lived in the outer area of Alamogordo NM, and we always went up to Ruidoso when I visited. My mother moved back north after my father passed away. I don't love desert heat but we talk that if I was ever to go back to the Southwest I'd only go to Ruidoso. Marvelous place.
Grew up in Newton, NJ near the Delaware Water Gap, went to college in Lock Haven, PA, first job at Kodak in upstate NY - now live in Oregon. There are so many great (very inexpensive) mountain towns in PA and NY state, and yeah, even some near the Appalachian Trail in NJ. Taxes terrible in NJ though. Many of the most affordable require a remote job though - or bring your money with you.
Wow !!! It’s great to see your town on a good list . My Wife & I just retired & moved from Riverside, Ca. to Covington , Va. last December. We bought our house off the internet & are very happy. I looked from Oregon to Maine for waterfront property & the best deal we saw was in Covington . We got a 2800 sq. ft. house with an acre & a quarter right on the Jackson River For $269,000. It’s out in the Country , so it’s not for people who need to be closer than an hour from a 40,000 populated City but it’s got everything we need ! Also as a trout fisherman this is a great fishery . Another thing I just thought of is the Golfing, I am not a golfer so I don’t think of this , but it has PGA Championship type courses all within a 1/2 an hour of Covington.
5 more little-known mountain towns that are equally great (in no particular order) are: *Blue Ridge, Georgia* (super cute, surprisingly chic small town about 90 minutes north of Atlanta. Extremely lush green mountains all around with waterfalls and big freshwater lakes). *Highlands, North Carolina* (the only knock on Highlands is its price as its expensive, but it is SUCH a beautiful, remote mountain town in a temperate rainforest, and very high end. And unlike Asheville, virtually no crime or homeless issues.) *Sandpoint, Idaho* (wayyyyy up north on the Idaho panhandle, on a gorgeous lake. I'm constantly surprised by how few people back East know about this gem). *Lewisburg, West Virginia* (yep...there's a nice town in West Virginia, believe it or not....and unlike a lot of the state, this part of WV has very little mining activity, and tons of protected rivers and national forests.) *Pagosa Springs, Colorado* (I feel this town gets overlooked too much. A really cute town in he heart of the Rockies with hot springs and actually somewhat reasonable prices for Colorado). Hope that helps!
Yeah, I spent the night in Blue ridge Georgia and yeah Pagosa Springs, Silverton, Ouray, my Mom graduated from Durango, Colorado High School but be ready for some wicked winters with tons of snow. Same with Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry, Idaho. Highlands NC is like a little Swiss village I believe at around 4,300 feet so all the wealthy folks from Florida go there to get out of the heat but it's quite expensive and quite a tourist place same with Cherokee, NC that's why I chose Franklin. Yeah Lewisburg, West Virginia is way out in the middle of nowhere almost so if a person likes a quiet place that is probably a good one.
@@brianbarrett4192 Depends where you're at in terms of "wicked winters". Most of Colorado once in the mountains has wicked winters. Highlands has moderate winters, not too bad. Blue Ridge, Georgia has quite mild winters. Typically just a few inches of snow and highs around 50 in January/February. It's a good town for people wanting a rustic hilly/mountainous surroundings but a real lightweight winter.
I probably wouldn't ever consider Prineville a place to live. I've been through dozens of time and I think I mostly just associate it with Les Schwab Tires. But there's a lot of gorgeous parts of Oregon easily accessible from there. Bisbee is my favorite on this list since it's a 2 hour drive from where I live. It is described as one of those places you better bring your own job and spouse if you move there. I absolutely love the Quarry Cafe as a hangout. Ruidoso was a surprise when I passed through 2 summers ago. I had no idea it was a thing.
I've been to West Yellowstone, MT on vacation this week (10/7/21) two years ago--LOVED IT! We have friends who live in Prineville, OR (who moved from Nevada City, CA, which should definitely be on this list!)
I grew up in the San Bernardino mountains in SoCal, about an hour’s drive from Big Bear. You can see downtown LA and even Catalina Island from the local high school (Rim of the World) on a clear day!
Grateful that y'all didn't mention my (obscure & still affordable) small mountain town in Colorado. One of the things that keeps this place small, affordable, quirky & obscure is that few people can find it. 🎉
I love parts of California, Montana, and Arizona (haven't been to the other parts), and I say Prineville is awesome. I went there when I had a horrendous flu, but it was incredible, the nature, and it's a nice town besides the forests and mountains. Highly recommend as well.
Any of the small towns in Amador County in California. This is one of the most beautiful places in the United States. Very little homeless lot of beauty Lotta grapes. Lot of wine. Lot of fun. Smiles...
Was stationed in San Diego in the 90s. We decided to live in Ramona, which is closer to SD than Julian, since I was going to be out of town a lot. Went to Julian several times, at the time Julian was the artsy, fartsy place while Ramona was much less expensive, and at the time had only one traffic light.
I must say I’m shocked that Highland N Carolina is not on your list. Highest town east of the Mississippi River ( that is not a planned ski resort). Absolutely stunning.
Cooke city is like heaven on earth! What a beautiful place. Not much there but you can’t beat the views! I’ve only visited in the winter. I heard the bugs are pretty bad in the summer months. Regardless it’s beautiful!!!
Maryville, TN, is just 25 minutes away from Townsend, the back door entrance to Great Smokey Mountains National Park. Wonderful outdoor adventures await.
Lake Placid is actualyl very interesting. It has a connection with Lake Saranac, which was one of the first tuberculosis treatment centers in the United States. It was the first sanatorium. I thought the name sounded familiar. Lake Saranac is also beautiful and pretty affordable, but yes, there is a ton of history of medicine in the area.
The politics in Saranac Lake have gone nuts. The board is always fighting with each other and or the mayor. The taxes are insane, and heating costs are ridiculous. Otherwise, it’s awesome, lol. I’d rate it above Lake Placid.
Really nice place to visit in the summer but they told me when I was there, that the snow gets 5 feet deep in the winter in that town, plus the prices there are through the roof.
@@brianbarrett4192 Winter is actually enjoyable. Prices are high for homes, but there’s value because taxes and energy are very low. There’s really not that much snow in town unless you count the piles made by shovels that do a good job. It’s a great place for outdoorsy people who can afford to buy in yet will settle for modest wages. Saranac Lake is less touristy, but has the issues listed above. Can also look at Tupper, Jay, and Wilmington which are cheaper, but you often have to drive for work or leisure to Placid, Saranac Lake, or even farther.
I spent last Thanksgiving in Ruidoso, NM, involuntarily. I was driving a rental 4Runner from Carlsbad back to Albuquerque, and got a flat in the middle of the mountains, and had to have it towed to the nearest tire shop, which was in Ruidoso. And because it was Thanksgiving, no tire shop was open, so I had to spend the night in a hotel there. I'd never heard of Ruidoso before that day, but now I can say I've spent Thanksgiving there. I watched a Yellowstone IMAX movie in an IMAX theater in West Yellowstone, MT, back in 2003. I was passing through the area on a random road trip, and thought about visiting Yellowstone Park, but it was early April and still closed, so seeing it on an IMAX screen was the next best thing. Then I got lunch to go at Arby's and continued on my way. I grew up in southern California, but never heard of Julian.
@@SuperchargedSupercharged Leavenworth, WA is one of the top 5 best kept secrets among small towns as far as in concerned and I'm a Texan with no vested interest. Start talking about the immediate Seattle area though and it's a different story.... Most depressing 3 years of my life.
Your kidding, right. Over run summer and winter as is all of the Tahoe area and not affordable for most. Spent many a time a all over in both S and N Tahoe, Truckee as well. It is gorgeous but it’s not slow paced, quiet or cheap.
You gotta be careful with the old mining towns as, they usually have polluted air, soil and water. The coal mining towns in particular may have superfund sites (toxic waste pits) that can leech into the ground water or blow in the wind if they’re uncovered or if the covering is damaged by weather events. Research very carefully before moving.
The area around Covington is so beautiful that it will make you cry. The video of kindly left out the paper mill smell but if you get outside of town you don't smell that, and there is more beautiful nature there than you can possibly imagine. It's about a half an hour from Lexington Virginia it's about a half an hour from Lexington Virginia, an hour from Staunton and a little more to Harrisonburg and Charlottesville. The little airport in Roanoke is great.
I was stationed at Holloman AFB near Alamogordo, NM and went to Ruidoso from time to time. It's as nice as Jimmy says it is. I would consider moving there but I'm stuck where I am. Do not confuse it with nearby Ruidoso DOWNS which is another nearby town, but it sucks.
Glad not to see Boone NC listed! It used to be sort of quaint and the area around it and the BRP are wonderfully scenic, but it's doubled in population (without adding one square inch of land) in the last 20 years and so has Appalachian State University. The traffic is ungawdly and don't let anyone tell you it's a university town either--it's a tourist town and that pretty much sez it all!
I'm a Privevillian (Prinevillite?). Love it here. Nice and small, close to much larger towns, but far enough away that you don't even know they're there! I've got great neighbors which makes it even better.
"most people from Prineville make it a point to never go to Portland" Good one. Reminds me of a friend of mine who told me one of his life's ambitions was to never go to California.
Grew up in Omaha. Loved seeing storms coming in from miles and miles away. Now I live in the 2nd larges plain in Japan. Seeing snow capped mountains during the winter is interesting, but compared to the Rockies, they're decent.
Virginia! It's beautiful, enjoyable, the food scene is fantastic and we're steeped in history. Plus, we're one of the nicest bunch of folks you'll ever meet.
Hey Briggs. Always love your videos but have never commented before. Just wanted to know how you defined mountain towns as Cumberland is only 600ft elevation but maybe it is because its around mountains? And was wondering if you ever came across Cloudcroft NM or Pinetop AZ in your search for this video?
I like Cooke City, MT, Columbia Falls, MT, Patagonia, AZ, Dunsmuir, CA, Alpine, AZ, Silver City, NM, Winthrop, WA, Franklin, NC, Mountain City, TN, and Fort Davis, Texas for small mountain towns. If you pick the Winthrop, WA, Columbia Falls, MT and especially Cook City, MT be prepared for som very cold winters. I will add Alpine AZ also which is around 8,000 ft.
Very interesting presentation. I grew up in Cumberland and watched it go from prosperous with railroads and industry to depressed and dependent on tourism and prisons. It’s come back a bit from it nadir, but has never recovered it’s prime. Having said that, it is constantly scenic and if you love mountains you will nestle in here comfortably. Be sure to bring a job with you. I now live on the western edge of the Great Valley in Tennessee around Knoxville. Maryville is on the astern edge. It is a very nice town. It has grown a lot and is beginning to suffer from suburban shopping center proliferation. Nevertheless, if you go out of town a bit the countryside is very nice. Knoxville isn’t far away, but Alcoa Highway that gets you there is not only very busy, but a bit dangerous in spots. Look anywhere within a fifty mile radius of Knoxville and you will probably find a nice place. Be ready for living among less sophisticated folks the further out you go. Knoxville itself has lots of nice neighborhoods at reasonable prices, but traffic in I-40 that is the main east - west route is very busy and a nightmare on Friday from 4 to 6.
I have spent some time in Lake Placid and the surrounding area. We used to go skiing there. Great town. Great skiing. You can cross country ski, snow shoe, watch ski jump practice, take a ride in a bob sled, ice skate, take an ice luge on a tobaggan onto the frozen lake, shop, spa, eat, go snow tubing (about an hour away) Also some beautiful towns other than Lake Placid. Very very cold. Thought about buying a small place, but NY taxes are steep. There are Iron Man events, boating, and Hiking in summer. Highly recommend visiting.
We almost moved to Ruidoso, NM in 2017. It is a lovely place. The only reason we didn't buy there is because most of the homes are 2nd homes, vacation, for Texans. The New Mexican "vibe" isn't that strong there. Instead we moved to Las Cruces and live near the Organ Mountains.
Julian, CA is a quaint antiques town that is famous for it's apple pies. people throng the main street on wknds & it is PACKED in autumn & winter and if/when there's a snowfall forget about trying to wait in long traffic to get there. i've been to a friend's property ($$$) w a killer view all the way to the coast from the mountains. beautiful!
My Aunt Alice lived in Prineville Or. she brought me for a teenage holiday in 1978. It has quadrupled in size since then. There is a beautiful reservoir that rivals Sedona. Thanks for the mention. It brought back memories…
Mr. Briggs. I'm so glad you featured Bisbee. It's one of my favorite places in Arizona. When I was stationed at Ft. Huachuca in the 80s, My Army buddies and I used to make frequent runs to Bisbee because at that time, Bisbee was the only place in Cochise county where one could get espresso.
Bisbee is fun for short visits, but the place is crumbling and run down as hell these days. It needs some major architectural renovations to preserve the fascinating history
Bisbee Coffee Co.makes a heavenly Mexican Coffee too! I love Bisbee. So creative and funky. I almost bought a home there, but landed in the mountains of California instead. I wanted to be by a lake or some body of water.
I've had that Mexican coffee...you're not lying :)@@JillBrewerVideos
Bisbee is cool. Flagstaff resident here.
@@frankb821 Bisbee was kinda run down in the 80s, too. But despite that, I still found Bisbee to be very cool. Maybe people like you and I should snatch up some of the cheap houses and renovate Bisbee.
OMG I used to live in Julian California as a kiddo! Cutest little town! So much hiking and "shiny rocks" discovering. My Mom used to work at the T-shirt shop. I miss it so much.
We used to have lunch at the RONG BRANCH, and I love the bird shop.
My family stayed at an air bnb there for a week. Loved it so much, thought I would move there, but haven’t yet. People are friendly & so rustic and charming too.
Do you mean tourmaline & gold? The shiny rocks, I mean.
@@TheDesertwalker fools gold for sure, tourmaline is not something I remember seeing. Lots of rocks with flecks of gold and tiny crystals in them. I once helped a widow there with her late husband's rock collection and it was amazing!! I was young and don't know much about it, but it was a little touch of magic to me!
Julian gets lots of crowds. Wildfires too.
If anyone ever seriously convinces you to move to Montana, before you do, ABSOLUTELY be sure to spend a week there in the middle of January. And not that one week in the middle of the winter when it's sunny. Montana winters can eat your soul.
If you can afford to move to Montana now, you can afford a second home where it is warmer.
@@joniboulware1436 That's what's ruining Montana. People who have to come here and drive up real estate prices and lock people off of the land. Just come visit and don't try to own the place.
I lived in MT for 4 years, winters are tame compared to Minnesota. They can get bad but not THAT bad.
@@MTKARusty You didn't say what city and which winter. Winters can be incredibly different. I'd put winters in the '60s in Bozeman up against most anyplace. Upslope snow storms with accumulations up to three or four feet at a time and -40°, and our schools didn't believe in snow days. But yeah, it's a dry cold...
We’re good on out of staters coming here. Ruin your own states. We don’t want you here
I'm glad you mentioned Bisbee. It's far away from me all the way up here in flagstaff but I've ben there once it's a super cool place. Flag is a really cool mountain town too. Althovuh it's expensive. I actually grew up in knoxville TN too and you mentioned Maryville. Which is right outside of there. I adore Maryville TN a lot.
Your comprehensive yet compact research is amazing, Briggs. Thank you and God bless you.
Great list! Cumberland and Pineville look especially beautiful. Stargazing!
Exploring lesser-known mountain towns sounds like a hidden gem. Thanks for shedding light on these overlooked destinations in the US!
I agree with Ruidoso. I used to spend some time traveling through NM. And Ruidoso really impressed me
Unfortunately, it's mostly burnt up as of summer 2024. Depressing.😢
I agree I used to alter my route for west coast loads so I could stop there.Wanted to weep at fire and flood damage a few weeks ago.
Lots of fires. This year it was fires, then massive floods. Fortunately, the areas most damaged were second homes and not local residences.
I love Prineville 🥰! Retired here from San Diego. I call Prineville home now.
Prineville is home for me, too! Howdy, neighbor!
I love that Ruidoso is on this list! Living down in the valley in Cruces where we see triple digits on the regular during the summer, we head up to that area (Lincoln National Forest is over by Cloudcroft with lots of camping and hiking trails.) to cool off during the summer.
What's up neighbor. Weather is finally nice. I love Cloudcroft.
I was stationed at Holloman AFB and went to Ruidoso from time to time. I loved it, and Cloudcroft as well. I liked Las Cruces too. I love heat and it's plenty hot where I am (TX). I would consider moving to Las Cruces or Ruidoso, but I'm stuck where I am.
@@johnbob4545 howdy!
@@thullraven1 that IS sad. I know I would be sad if I were stuck in Texas.
@@johnbob4545 Also the temps this morning?! Sooo good! Been sleeping with the windows open at night to conserve energy. Was just a tad chilly this morning when I first woke up.
Well, I almost spit out my lunch when you said Prineville, OR! Partly because you once mentioned it in one of your previous videos in a not so flattering way. I have lived there most of my life and I really do love it. I understand that based on the topic you're covering most places can make lists in good and bad ways. Prineville certainly isn't perfect but I have come to know that I am a small town person and for me there are more good things about it than bad. Thanks for the mention.
The trouble with prineville is summers are hot and winters are cold and if for some reason you have to go to the city your many hours away from Portland, and Bend probably ain't got everything you might need. It's not a bad town though. I like it west of the Cascades cause winters and summers are mild. I like Myrtle Creek or Canyonville between Roseburg and Grants Pass
I prefer far eastern Oregon like Baker City, it's like a smaller prineville and you are about the same distance away from Boise like Prineville and Portland. It's perfect
@@brianbarrett4192I love Myrtle Creek but Prineville for a mountain town doesn't get too cold or hot compared to Appalachia. It deserves to be #1
Anything about 30 minutes from portland that you recommend?
My wife grew up down the road from Ruidoso in Cloudcroft and I visited there for the first time last summer. Super hot dry desert all around down in Alamogordo and then you go up the mountain where it's cool and pleasant with the fresh scent of evergreen trees. Lovely in summer but my wife told me horror stories of rough winters in the mountains. You might have to exit your house from the second floor occasionally.
😮😮😮😮
It looks so amazing but the wildfire risk is severe. 😢😢
Briggs, I remember the, "Miracle on Ice," during the '80 Olympics. The '80 Olympics was also when one of my favorite athletes, Eric Heiden, (the man with the huge thighs) won 5 gold medals in speed skating. It was a good year for American competitors.
This was a great list by the way. I want to move to a nice, affordable mountain town sometime. This list offered some possibilities.
Funny thing is, "The Miracle on Ice" wasn't even the gold medal game. The gold medal win was against Finland.
Been to Juilian many times in my youth. Great little mountain. One of my favorite little bakeries is on the way to Julian in the even smaller town of Santa Ysabel. The bakery is called "Dudleys Famous Bakery and Cafe". Their Jalapeno bread is incredible. Its a definite must-stop if you are heading to Julian.
My home town. Raised on Henry Silver Loop Rd
Good morning Briggs! Have a great day! 🎚️🇺🇸🪖👮♂️
You as well
I enjoy most of your analyses, I don't always agree but I always enjoy your sense of humor - and I'm always glad when you don't list my town in Washington State's Top 10s or Best Ofs. 😁 Keep up the great content!
Great video and love the information
Great video Briggs these small towns are my Jam!!
You could do a list like this just on New England. I live in New Hampshire and there are some fine towns up around the White Mountains. Lincoln, Conway and Littleton are the first that come to mind. Bethlehem, Franconia, Woodstock are others. Fryeburg, Maine, has a famous festival every year.
don't give up the secrets.
Add some western MA.
@@flippahsyou’ll be alright, it’s hard to move to those places because it’s not like there is a huge job market to attract people
@@S3aCa1mRa1n for sure.
Saved to my favorites. Thank you ❤
Upstate NY in general has a lot of small towns with decent areas. I liked the Oneonta Binghamton area and so many others!!
That's the thing once you get out of the crazy of lower NY state it's a beautiful area to be in. Funny thing is if you cut out everything South of West Chester the whole state is more like Texas. That's how overwhelming The lower NYC metro area is on state politics.
Just left Maryville for my small mountain town in Wyoming. I get paid almost double what I made in Knoxville (I commuted for work) and my rent went from $1750 to $910. The cost of living went WAY up in Knoxville/Maryville area because everyone is flooding there. I picked a lesser known place in Wyoming and am so much happier. So suffice it to say, Maryville is a well known mountain town. Definitely not overlooked.
May I ask what region of Wyoming?
"Everyone is flooding there" says everyone in every part of the country. LMAO. Maybe its just inflation. Hope you enjoy those deadly wyoming winters and the wind chill.
I’m in Sheridan and love it here
I passed through the heart of Maryville coming out of Gatlinburg back to Louisiana. I absolutely LOVED that lil city. What is day to day life like there?
@@daltonl8751 SW Wyoming
I live in the Roanoke area and your so right! ❤! Love this video! I live in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains area and it’s stunning! I’m a former figure skater and I trained in Lake Placid for years! Beautiful 🤩!
I've heard great things about Roanoke. Very intrigued
Boone NC should have made the cut
Boone is overcommercialized and one the priciest areas in NC.
Wow, beautiful mountain towns.
My country , Bosnia and Hercegovina is full of mountain towns, check it out, most of the towns are right under the mountain and on the mountain.
Thank you for the great video brother.
These towns look really nice!! I've heard of only 2-3 of them. Thanks for this video, Briggs!!
As a fellow Oregonian thank you for this video. I was thinking of Sisters as a mountain small town. Love your videos. ( I live in Monmouth…6 generations from Salem)
Sisters yes, not Prineville!
Sisters' is OVERRATED and a tourist trap.
Should have listed that instead.
For Oregon I like Canyonville in the winter and Joseph in the summer.
@@mmmd3429 very cute but BIG time tourist trap
My parents lived in the outer area of Alamogordo NM, and we always went up to Ruidoso when I visited. My mother moved back north after my father passed away. I don't love desert heat but we talk that if I was ever to go back to the Southwest I'd only go to Ruidoso. Marvelous place.
Ruidoso or Cloudcroft?
Grew up in Newton, NJ near the Delaware Water Gap, went to college in Lock Haven, PA, first job at Kodak in upstate NY - now live in Oregon.
There are so many great (very inexpensive) mountain towns in PA and NY state, and yeah, even some near the Appalachian Trail in NJ. Taxes terrible in NJ though.
Many of the most affordable require a remote job though - or bring your money with you.
I remember driving through Cumberland, that place looked really interesting and beautiful
Wow !!!
It’s great to see your town on a good list .
My Wife & I just retired & moved from Riverside, Ca. to Covington , Va. last December.
We bought our house off the internet & are very happy. I looked from Oregon to Maine for waterfront property & the best deal we saw was in Covington . We got a 2800 sq. ft. house with an acre & a quarter right on the Jackson River For $269,000. It’s out in the Country , so it’s not for people who need to be closer than an hour from a 40,000 populated City but it’s got everything we need ! Also as a trout fisherman this is a great fishery .
Another thing I just thought of is the Golfing, I am not a golfer so I don’t think of this , but it has PGA Championship type courses all within a 1/2 an hour of Covington.
Don't forget about Cloudcroft, NM!
Love your videos. Hugs from Australia
5 more little-known mountain towns that are equally great (in no particular order) are:
*Blue Ridge, Georgia* (super cute, surprisingly chic small town about 90 minutes north of Atlanta. Extremely lush green mountains all around with waterfalls and big freshwater lakes).
*Highlands, North Carolina* (the only knock on Highlands is its price as its expensive, but it is SUCH a beautiful, remote mountain town in a temperate rainforest, and very high end. And unlike Asheville, virtually no crime or homeless issues.)
*Sandpoint, Idaho* (wayyyyy up north on the Idaho panhandle, on a gorgeous lake. I'm constantly surprised by how few people back East know about this gem).
*Lewisburg, West Virginia* (yep...there's a nice town in West Virginia, believe it or not....and unlike a lot of the state, this part of WV has very little mining activity, and tons of protected rivers and national forests.)
*Pagosa Springs, Colorado* (I feel this town gets overlooked too much. A really cute town in he heart of the Rockies with hot springs and actually somewhat reasonable prices for Colorado).
Hope that helps!
Excellent choices. I've been thru all of them.
Yeah, I spent the night in Blue ridge Georgia and yeah Pagosa Springs, Silverton, Ouray, my Mom graduated from Durango, Colorado High School but be ready for some wicked winters with tons of snow. Same with Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry, Idaho. Highlands NC is like a little Swiss village I believe at around 4,300 feet so all the wealthy folks from Florida go there to get out of the heat but it's quite expensive and quite a tourist place same with Cherokee, NC that's why I chose Franklin. Yeah Lewisburg, West Virginia is way out in the middle of nowhere almost so if a person likes a quiet place that is probably a good one.
@@brianbarrett4192 Depends where you're at in terms of "wicked winters". Most of Colorado once in the mountains has wicked winters. Highlands has moderate winters, not too bad. Blue Ridge, Georgia has quite mild winters. Typically just a few inches of snow and highs around 50 in January/February. It's a good town for people wanting a rustic hilly/mountainous surroundings but a real lightweight winter.
I LOVE blue ridge! totally agree. this is at the top of my list.
When you do a Part 2, consider Jim Thorpe, PA. Great video. Well done as usual.
Jim Thorpe over Shenandoah any day.
I probably wouldn't ever consider Prineville a place to live. I've been through dozens of time and I think I mostly just associate it with Les Schwab Tires. But there's a lot of gorgeous parts of Oregon easily accessible from there. Bisbee is my favorite on this list since it's a 2 hour drive from where I live. It is described as one of those places you better bring your own job and spouse if you move there. I absolutely love the Quarry Cafe as a hangout. Ruidoso was a surprise when I passed through 2 summers ago. I had no idea it was a thing.
My dad was born in Bisbee, AZ! I have always wanted to visit. Now the idea to move there? Hmmm... I will think about it! Thanks Briggs!😃
I've been to West Yellowstone, MT on vacation this week (10/7/21) two years ago--LOVED IT! We have friends who live in Prineville, OR (who moved from Nevada City, CA, which should definitely be on this list!)
I never thought I’d hear Covington, VA in a video like this. Nice!
Cumberland MD is a great one. I pass there often when going to Virginia.
Covington VA is also great 😊
I grew up in the San Bernardino mountains in SoCal, about an hour’s drive from Big Bear. You can see downtown LA and even Catalina Island from the local high school (Rim of the World) on a clear day!
Oops! You made a typo in the banner for Prineville. It says Pineville. Otherwise, another great video sir! Love your videos!!!
Thanks for mentioning Cumberland Md. I grew up there. Love watching your videos.
Grateful that y'all didn't mention my (obscure & still affordable) small mountain town in Colorado. One of the things that keeps this place small, affordable, quirky & obscure is that few people can find it. 🎉
@@whatsup5791 No, but Leadville's COOL! This place is far south of Leadville & at the end of a small road.
I love parts of California, Montana, and Arizona (haven't been to the other parts), and I say Prineville is awesome. I went there when I had a horrendous flu, but it was incredible, the nature, and it's a nice town besides the forests and mountains. Highly recommend as well.
nice video, with some great looking small towns!!!
Interesting video, Thanks!
I'm a bit surprised that one of so many Colorado mountain towns to choose from were not on this list.
Any of the small towns in Amador County in California. This is one of the most beautiful places in the United States.
Very little homeless lot of beauty Lotta grapes. Lot of wine. Lot of fun. Smiles...
Was stationed in San Diego in the 90s. We decided to live in Ramona, which is closer to SD than Julian, since I was going to be out of town a lot. Went to Julian several times, at the time Julian was the artsy, fartsy place while Ramona was much less expensive, and at the time had only one traffic light.
Very familiar with Ruidoso NM. Very nice town. If you like to ski this this your your town.
Thanks for the tip!
Glad Ruidoso got some love
This was so good. I knew some of the places, and you were spot on with what you described about the towns.
Jim Thorpe, PA is really cool. A small, mountain town only half an hour from Allentown.
I must say I’m shocked that Highland N Carolina is not on your list. Highest town east of the Mississippi River ( that is not a planned ski resort). Absolutely stunning.
Cumberland has plenty of trains...It's on a mainline from the Atlantic coast to the Midwest and there's even a daily Amtrak.
I graduated from Ruidoso! If you wanna go even more rural go to capitan, super beautiful and even more affordable
Cooke city is like heaven on earth! What a beautiful place. Not much there but you can’t beat the views! I’ve only visited in the winter. I heard the bugs are pretty bad in the summer months. Regardless it’s beautiful!!!
Maryville, TN, is just 25 minutes away from Townsend, the back door entrance to Great Smokey Mountains National Park. Wonderful outdoor adventures await.
Bumper to bumper traffic awaits you
Shhhh…
Lake Placid is actualyl very interesting. It has a connection with Lake Saranac, which was one of the first tuberculosis treatment centers in the United States. It was the first sanatorium. I thought the name sounded familiar. Lake Saranac is also beautiful and pretty affordable, but yes, there is a ton of history of medicine in the area.
also, it is a proud Olympic town and hosted in 1980.
The politics in Saranac Lake have gone nuts. The board is always fighting with each other and or the mayor. The taxes are insane, and heating costs are ridiculous.
Otherwise, it’s awesome, lol. I’d rate it above Lake Placid.
Politics ruins everything 😢
Really nice place to visit in the summer but they told me when I was there, that the snow gets 5 feet deep in the winter in that town, plus the prices there are through the roof.
@@brianbarrett4192 Winter is actually enjoyable. Prices are high for homes, but there’s value because taxes and energy are very low. There’s really not that much snow in town unless you count the piles made by shovels that do a good job. It’s a great place for outdoorsy people who can afford to buy in yet will settle for modest wages.
Saranac Lake is less touristy, but has the issues listed above. Can also look at Tupper, Jay, and Wilmington which are cheaper, but you often have to drive for work or leisure to Placid, Saranac Lake, or even farther.
If you're looking at Covington, consider Cliffton Forge or Bluefield.
I'm saving this for later when I can really enjoy it, but boy oh boy it will break my heart that I can't afford a beautiful mountain life.
I spent last Thanksgiving in Ruidoso, NM, involuntarily. I was driving a rental 4Runner from Carlsbad back to Albuquerque, and got a flat in the middle of the mountains, and had to have it towed to the nearest tire shop, which was in Ruidoso. And because it was Thanksgiving, no tire shop was open, so I had to spend the night in a hotel there. I'd never heard of Ruidoso before that day, but now I can say I've spent Thanksgiving there.
I watched a Yellowstone IMAX movie in an IMAX theater in West Yellowstone, MT, back in 2003. I was passing through the area on a random road trip, and thought about visiting Yellowstone Park, but it was early April and still closed, so seeing it on an IMAX screen was the next best thing. Then I got lunch to go at Arby's and continued on my way.
I grew up in southern California, but never heard of Julian.
Julian is gorgeous.
Lived in Maryville TN years ago. Loved it ..but now very busy. Not so nice. Gotten quite pricey. I moved to Murphy NC.. very happy
Funny I watched this video just to see if ruidoso was gonna be in it and it was the first one lol love my intuition keep it up briggs
GREETINGS FROM THE PPRC GREAT VIDEO. SPENT SOME TIME IN PRINEVILLE AS MY FOLKS LIVED THERE FOR A FEW YEARS.🇺🇸🍺🍺
Thank you for doing this one, loved my time in Leavenworth Wa.
Yes, Leavenworth, Cashmere and Chelan are three of my favorites.
That's one of my favorite cities in eastern Washington
I just commented that Leavenworth was left out of this list. Did I skip over it in the video?
No, it was not on the list.@@JakeValentineStory
@@SuperchargedSupercharged Leavenworth, WA is one of the top 5 best kept secrets among small towns as far as in concerned and I'm a Texan with no vested interest. Start talking about the immediate Seattle area though and it's a different story.... Most depressing 3 years of my life.
Jerome, Az. is also a good little town, there are also other nice little towns in Az.
Love that your first one was Ruidoso, grew up in west texas and that's where we went all the time when I was a kid, miss that place
Lake Placid is an amazing place to visit if you love winter sports!
Was thinking for sure South Lake Tahoe would have been on this list....Interesting stuff though...Thanks for sharing....Stay safe, be well...
Your kidding, right. Over run summer and winter as is all of the Tahoe area and not affordable for most. Spent many a time a all over in both S and N Tahoe, Truckee as well. It is gorgeous but it’s not slow paced, quiet or cheap.
^ Grew up on the Nevada side, 45 mins West of Tahoe. We went up that way frequently. South Lake is extremely expensive and crowded.
Solid comment.
I love Cumberland, Maryland. I’ve been through there several times and have even stayed there a couple of times
Julian is one of my favorite places to go. My mother went to school there a long time ago. In the Fall, the smell of apples everywhere is heavenly.
You gotta be careful with the old mining towns as, they usually have polluted air, soil and water. The coal mining towns in particular may have superfund sites (toxic waste pits) that can leech into the ground water or blow in the wind if they’re uncovered or if the covering is damaged by weather events. Research very carefully before moving.
Hm whenever I say this people call me communist
Indeed. Anaconda, MT is a good example of that. You can see the tailings mountain from space.
@@Randomjackass135 Funny. Don't you know that communists are the best stewards of the environment. LOL
Bisbee as well. Lead!!!!
Great video. Have you looked at Whitefish Montana?
Psssssssssssssss, we're full!!
The area around Covington is so beautiful that it will make you cry. The video of kindly left out the paper mill smell but if you get outside of town you don't smell that, and there is more beautiful nature there than you can possibly imagine. It's about a half an hour from Lexington Virginia it's about a half an hour from Lexington Virginia, an hour from Staunton and a little more to Harrisonburg and Charlottesville. The little airport in Roanoke is great.
We lived in Bisbee when we were really young. Really good memories there.
I was stationed at Holloman AFB near Alamogordo, NM and went to Ruidoso from time to time. It's as nice as Jimmy says it is. I would consider moving there but I'm stuck where I am. Do not confuse it with nearby Ruidoso DOWNS which is another nearby town, but it sucks.
Glad not to see Boone NC listed! It used to be sort of quaint and the area around it and the BRP are wonderfully scenic, but it's doubled in population (without adding one square inch of land) in the last 20 years and so has Appalachian State University. The traffic is ungawdly and don't let anyone tell you it's a university town either--it's a tourist town and that pretty much sez it all!
I'm a Privevillian (Prinevillite?). Love it here. Nice and small, close to much larger towns, but far enough away that you don't even know they're there! I've got great neighbors which makes it even better.
"most people from Prineville make it a point to never go to Portland" Good one. Reminds me of a friend of mine who told me one of his life's ambitions was to never go to California.
LMAO I read this comment right as he was saying it 😂😂
That's dumb.
Haha! Twenty years ago I had a co-worker in PDX from Prineville. He talked about his hometown ALL the time. That and Les Schwab.😂💚
Grew up in Omaha. Loved seeing storms coming in from miles and miles away. Now I live in the 2nd larges plain in Japan. Seeing snow capped mountains during the winter is interesting, but compared to the Rockies, they're decent.
Had my wedding in Julian, how cool!!!
Thanks for all your videos, Briggs. I am retired and considering a change. Nice to see you perspective.
Virginia! It's beautiful, enjoyable, the food scene is fantastic and we're steeped in history. Plus, we're one of the nicest bunch of folks you'll ever meet.
Hey Briggs. Always love your videos but have never commented before. Just wanted to know how you defined mountain towns as Cumberland is only 600ft elevation but maybe it is because its around mountains? And was wondering if you ever came across Cloudcroft NM or Pinetop AZ in your search for this video?
Cumberland is in the Potomac River Valley surrounded by mountains.
For Ruidoso, you forgot to mention the wildfires. Parts of the town has burned twice in the past ten years, as recent as last year.
Leavenworth, WA? Surprised that didn't make it.
I like Cooke City, MT, Columbia Falls, MT, Patagonia, AZ, Dunsmuir, CA, Alpine, AZ, Silver City, NM, Winthrop, WA, Franklin, NC, Mountain City, TN, and Fort Davis, Texas for small mountain towns. If you pick the Winthrop, WA, Columbia Falls, MT and especially Cook City, MT be prepared for som very cold winters. I will add Alpine AZ also which is around 8,000 ft.
Thanks Briggs.
I used to go to a summer camp in lake placid NY. Another one over on the saranac lake too.
Any chance for more info on outdoor activities and community events in these towns? Thanks for shedding light on these overlooked places!
Durango CO here, definitely gotten very expensive here the past 5 years, lucky wife and i can support ourselves enough to stay and enjoy the lifestyle
Prineville. Believe I went through there on one of the Cycle Oregon rides. Nice place.
Very interesting presentation. I grew up in Cumberland and watched it go from prosperous with railroads and industry to depressed and dependent on tourism and prisons. It’s come back a bit from it nadir, but has never recovered it’s prime. Having said that, it is constantly scenic and if you love mountains you will nestle in here comfortably. Be sure to bring a job with you. I now live on the western edge of the Great Valley in Tennessee around Knoxville. Maryville is on the astern edge. It is a very nice town. It has grown a lot and is beginning to suffer from suburban shopping center proliferation. Nevertheless, if you go out of town a bit the countryside is very nice. Knoxville isn’t far away, but Alcoa Highway that gets you there is not only very busy, but a bit dangerous in spots. Look anywhere within a fifty mile radius of Knoxville and you will probably find a nice place. Be ready for living among less sophisticated folks the further out you go. Knoxville itself has lots of nice neighborhoods at reasonable prices, but traffic in I-40 that is the main east - west route is very busy and a nightmare on Friday from 4 to 6.
I'm certainly not a progressive in that sense but welcome anything that improves Cumberland except growth so nothing will change there for sure.
Super info!
I bought my first two Ford vehicles in Ruidoso, NM.
I have spent some time in Lake Placid and the surrounding area. We used to go skiing there. Great town. Great skiing. You can cross country ski, snow shoe, watch ski jump practice, take a ride in a bob sled, ice skate, take an ice luge on a tobaggan onto the frozen lake, shop, spa, eat, go snow tubing (about an hour away) Also some beautiful towns other than Lake Placid. Very very cold. Thought about buying a small place, but NY taxes are steep. There are Iron Man events, boating, and Hiking in summer. Highly recommend visiting.
We almost moved to Ruidoso, NM in 2017. It is a lovely place. The only reason we didn't buy there is because most of the homes are 2nd homes, vacation, for Texans. The New Mexican "vibe" isn't that strong there. Instead we moved to Las Cruces and live near the Organ Mountains.
Julian, CA is a quaint antiques town that is famous for it's apple pies.
people throng the main street on wknds & it is PACKED in autumn & winter and if/when there's a snowfall forget about trying to wait in long traffic to get there. i've been to a friend's property ($$$) w a killer view all the way to the coast from the mountains. beautiful!
Nice list.
It's been out for 2 minutes you haven't seen the list or watched it yet....
If Lake Placid Is overlooked, then the whole of the Adirondacks is overlooked. It is the jewel in the crown of the park.
Shhh. We don't need anymore attention drawn to the area!
@@staylor0902I feel this way about Maine.
Ha... I lived in Ruidoso for a year. Cool little down. Watch out for those Texan tourists! Eat at the Village Buttery for great soups and sandwiches!
Texas tourist is what keeps that place alive. I will agree though, Village Buttery is excellent.
@@jeremysharp7079it’s a small town sport to bite the hand that feeds you 😅