Photo: Rebecca Nelson/The Image Bank/Getty Images
Some of the most beautiful places in America can be found in the smaller towns decorating the country, often overshadowed by the busier, more popular tourist destinations of big cities. However, it is worth exploring the less-visited towns to see the beauty America has to offer.
Travel + Leisure compiled a list of the 20 "most beautiful small towns" in the U.S., breathtaking destinations that have a population under 20,000 and that "offer a glimpse [of the] variety of gorgeous places" around the country, like a California bay, an Alaska town with views of glaciers and a small Hawaiian island nicknamed "Pineapple Island," to name a few.
Among the list is North Carolina's own Edenton, a small town in the heart of the state's Inner Banks. This is what T+L had to say about Edenton:
"Where to begin? Perhaps the postcard-perfect 1886 Roanoke River Lighthouse? The Georgian architecture of the 1767 courthouse? Tree-lined streets and gardens throughout town? Harbor views with moss-draped bald cypress trees? Colonial-era Edenton is as steeped in history as it is stunning. 'For all its head-turning beauty, Edenton is anything but prim and proper,' said Witt Tuttell, executive director of Visit North Carolina. 'The town has spirit... You'll find it reflected in lively shops and restaurants, and the stories of the people who perpetuate Edenton's unending appeal."
See the full list at Travel + Leisure to read up on the most beautiful small towns in the country.