9 Underrated U.S. Cities

Just a few cities one might not think of when booking their next vacation or long weekend, right in our own backyard!

1. Portland, ME

Via visitmaine.com

Maine's largest city boasts a beautiful historic district along the harbor, live music venues and plenty of 'lobstah' or lobster. In the summer months, check out the beaches and small shops in Old Port and the Arts District. Wintertime brings lots and lots of snow. With snow comes skiing and Maine has that too!

2. Provincetown, MA

Via provincetown-ma.gov

Provincetown is known by many for one thing: a vacation destination for gays and lesbians. This is true. But Provincetown (or 'P-Town') also has beautiful beaches, family-friendly restaurants and shops, amazing penny candy shops, whale watching tours and great restaurants. And awesome gay bars.

3. Buffalo, NY

Via en.wikipedia.org

The second largest city in New York is NYC's neighbor to the north, Buffalo. Famous for their wings, the snow, Niagara Falls, the snow and their wings, Buffalo also has a great nightlife, lots of live music venues, and the best Buffalo Wings in the country, guaranteed.

4. Pittsburgh, PA

Via en.wikipedia.org

Pittsburgh once was (and still might be?) the steel capital of the country. Though Pittsburgh has shifted its focus a bit. It now offers plenty of museums, including the most comprehensive single artist museum in the country, the Andy Warhol Museum. For speed and history buffs, check out Kennywood, which is one of the few amusement parks in the country designated as a National Historic Landmark with old school roller coasters. And if those aren't enough reasons to check out Pittsburgh, lastly, come visit and you can take Instagram photos like this one, while riding down the Duquesne Incline from the top of Mt. Washington.

5. Baltimore, MD

Via baltimore.org

When I think of Baltimore I think of crabs, the Orioles, a really cool aquarium, and The Wire. But there is so much more - The Inner Harbor lights up beautifully at night with great seafood restaurants, galleries, art museums and gardens to explore nearby. After a long day of exploring, kick back at one of the hundreds of bars around the city, feast on crabs and laugh at the drunk college kids falling into the harbor.

6. Tampa, FL

Via tampaattractions.com

Tampa is definitely an underrated city. Rich in culture and history, Tampa is also rich in beautiful beaches and Busch Gardens(!). January temperatures average 75 degrees. How could this not be at the top of your weekend destinations? MLK Day is just around the corner...

7. Phoenix, AZ

Via visitphoenix.com

Ok, so this picture might be a little cliche, but cactuses (cacti?) are pretty cool, and many of us have probably not seen one in real life. A trip to Phoenix can change that. I'd suggest going in the winter months, or perhaps spring to get a pre-summer glow. Phoenix is located in one of the lushest and most colorful deserts in the world; there are numerous hiking and biking trails, a great restaurant scene, and of course, spas with pools and golf courses. Something for him and for her.

8. Sacramento, CA

Via tripadvisor.com

Sacramento might not be the first or even third city you think of when you hear someone mention the land of surfers and celebrities. But with food tours, bike tours, a historic district, museums, and Food Network's Guy Fieri's restaurant, Tex Wasabi's, there is a lot going on in California's capitol and definitely worth checking it out.

9. Anchorage, AK

Via anchorage.net

Anchorage might be a little underrated partly because us in the Lower 48 might have forgotten Alaska is a state. Summer in Anchorage is meant for midnight sun, fairs and festivals, and climbing then paragliding down glaciers (yes, you can really do that just outside the city). From mid-October to mid-April Anchorage becomes a winter wonderland, illuminated by the Northern Lights. Just outside the city you can ski, dog mush(!), ice fish, ice skate, and just about anything you can think of where snow is involved. Beautiful anytime of year.