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Florida Coastal Town Named the Best by USA Today

A beautiful Florida ocean view. One Florida coastal town has been named one of the best and most enchanting in the country by USA Today.

Getty Images / Ryan Tishken

Florida is packed with delightful small towns, which makes for quite a fun road trip when you're driving around the state. Now, one Florida coastal town has been named one of the best and most enchanting in the country by USA Today. What's extra special about this particular list is that it was voted on by actual travelers. So, the towns that made the top 10 are favorites from traveler experts and actual visitors, making this a real-life tally of the best small towns in America. Let's get into this special Florida coastal town and why it's one of the best.

USA Today Highlights Florida Coastal Town

A new list is out from USA Today listing the best coastal towns in America. They did a similar study on small towns and actually divided the list into specific areas of the country. So, they have different lists for the Midwest, Northeast, South and out West. I think it's a fantastic way to highlight different small and coastal towns in America, by focusing on their specific regions. Another benefit is that if you want to take a road trip to a beautiful small town, you can just find the list that pertains to your area more than the others and would requite a shorter road trip.

The lists of the best small and coastal towns in America are part of USA Today's "10 Best." As for methodology, they state, "Our travel experts select the top 20 nominees in contests covering food, lodging, destinations, travel gear, things to do...the list goes on. Then it's up to you to make the final decision by casting your vote." So, the list begins with some choices cultivated by travel experts, and then, the readers pick their favorites. For the small town features, travel experts picked towns with a population of fewer than 25,000. Then, they had readers vote for those towns.

So, which Florida small town was ranked the best in all of America? It's Stuart, Florida, which came in at No. 1 on the tally. Of the area, USA Today notes, "Part of Florida's Treasure Coast, with the impressive Roosevelt Bridge to its north, is the under-the-radar town of Stuart. Walk along the St. Lucie River at Flagler Park or Shepard Park, both great spots for picnicking, fishing, or otherwise relaxing. The Stuart Heritage Museum, Road to Victory Military Museum, and restaurant-lined downtown Stuart are all among the local attractions." Another Florida town, Key West, was No. 3 on the list. I think it's fantastic to see this beloved Florida coastal town get national acclaim from USA Today.

Anne Erickson started her radio career shortly after graduating from Michigan State University and has worked on-air in Detroit, Flint, Toledo, Lansing and beyond. As someone who absolutely loves rock, metal and alt music, she instantly fell in love with radio and hasn’t looked back. When she’s not working, Anne makes her own music with her band, Upon Wings, and she also loves cheering on her favorite Detroit and Michigan sports teams, especially Lions and MSU football. Anne is also an award-winning journalist, and her byline has run in a variety of national publications. You can also hear her weekends on WRIF.