13 Under-the-Radar Places to Visit in 2013

Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island

A long time ago in 2012, we hit the road (without a car, of course) to dozens of towns, some with names we couldn’t even pinpoint on a map, to see what going off the beaten path really meant in the Northeast. We skipped Portland and explored Brunswick; dodged Philadelphia and popped around Pittsburgh; blew off Boston and took the T to Brookline; bypassed Greenwich and strolled through Southport.

oM ultimately discovered there are many great destinations close to home that vacationers often overlook, year round, leaving lightly trodden trails, uncrowded museums, intimate chef-diner experiences, tailor-made historical tours, and darling inns at affordable prices all (well, mostly) for you to enjoy.

Here are 13 places you never knew you wanted to visit until now:

Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Charlottesville, Virginia

Norfolk, Virginia

Brookline, Massachusetts

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Saratoga Springs, New York

Washington County, New York

Syracuse, New York

Southport, Connecticut

Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia

Brunswick, Maine

Burlington, Vermont 

Prince Edward Island, Atlantic Canada