6 underrated US cities to check out in 2020
If you’re anything like us, you’ve already started gathering ideas on where to travel next year. And while there are plenty of big-ticket destinations worth a spot on your 2020 travel bucket list, we want to call out a few places that may have been overlooked. Whether you want to discover something new or spread the love (overtourism is real, folks), check out our list of the most underrated U.S. destinations to visit in 2020.
Skiing enthusiasts may have the small New Mexican town of Taos on their radar, but it’s often overlooked for Santa Fe. Come here, and you’ll still get the quirky art scene, snowy slopes, Hatch chiles and jaw-dropping landscapes found in Santa Fe, but at a lower price point and with fewer crowds. Taos is also loaded with active outdoor adventures, culture and history, including the must-see Taos Pueblo, an impressive UNESCO World Heritage site comprised of multistory adobe buildings. In 2020, Taos Pueblo will host a yearlong celebration for the 50th anniversary of the Return of Blue Lake — in which sacred land was returned to the local indigenous people after over 64 years of federal control.
Indianapolis has a lot going for it — and 2020 is set to be a big year for the Midwestern city. You can bet there will be big celebrations for the city’s bicentennial, though we’re not sure if anything can beat the excitement surrounding the world’s largest singleday sporting event — the annual Indy 500 car race, which will celebrate its 104th run. Some noteworthy 2020 openings include the new Bottleworks District, a huge mecca for entertainment, food, drinks and shops; a has struggled to shake its has-been stigma ever since. Well, folks: The new, emerging Buffalo is full of history and hip features. Buffalo is practically an open-air museum for architecture fanatics, thanks to its collection of 20th century buildings, including the immaculately restored Frank Lloyd Wright Martin House, the Beaux-Artsstyle Albright-Knox Art Gallery, and the Buffalo Central Terminal train station, an Art Deco stunner. While you’re in town, check out the immigrantowned food and shop startups at the West Side Bazaar, get active with zip-lining and wall-climbing at Buffalo RiverWorks, and catch some live music at the historic Colored Musicians Club, where all the jazz greats once played.