Atlanta downtown area. Photo / Ronan O'Connell
Travellers flock to New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, but beyond those crowded destinations are many US cities with far fewer visitors, but equally incredible culture, history and attractions, writes Ronan O’Connell.
The US is so tremendously vast that visitors who venture off its well-worn tourist trail are almost guaranteed to be rewarded.
So, on a recent visit, I did just that; exploring the less famous yet fascinating cities of Asheville, Monterey, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Atlanta.
Outdoor activities define Monterey, which is perfect, because California’s warm, dry climate is tailor-made for adventures in nature. This small city on the Californian coast, about 130km south of San Francisco, offers elite hiking, kayaking, snorkelling, cycling, whale watching, hang gliding and boating.
Despite its petite size, Monterey is also a renowned destination for golf and surfing tourism. Golfers from across the planet daydream about playing at one of the world’s top 100-ranked courses located here: Pebble Beach Golf Links, Cypress Point Club, and Spyglass Hill Golf Course. Monterey is also a mecca for surfers, who revere its legendary big wave spot, Ghost Tree, and the even deadlier, nearby break of Maverick’s.
Tourists can get a peek at those courses, and Ghost Tree, while following its spectacular 11km drive, which hugs Monterey’s sterling coastline. It also passes near the huge Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary, the tranquil Del Monte Forest, the iconic “Lone Cypress” tree, and the marine wonderland of Spanish Bay. This latter, pristine patch of ocean brims with seals, otters and sea lions.
Monterey has urban delights, too. Waterfront district Cannery Row dates to the 1850s, with many of its heritage buildings now converted into shops, cafes, restaurants, art galleries, or museums. Cannery Row also hosts the huge Monterey Bay Aquarium, widely considered to be America’s best.
Despite being located on the road between two of the US’ most visited cities, Washington DC and New York, Baltimore is bypassed by most tourists. Hit TV show The Wire made the city look like a warzone, with its grim depiction of murderous drug wars. But since that first aired 24 years ago, Baltimore has bloomed a neat, modern metropolis with a photogenic harbour and unique museums.
Most of which can be admired from Federal Hill Park. There is no better place to start your visit to Baltimore than at this pretty green space, which has a lofty perch overlooking the harbourfront. Down there, on the water’s edge, is an array of attractions.
Maryland Science Center offers interactive exhibits focused on dinosaurs, physics, human biology, and space exploration. Just a few minutes’ walk away are the giant National Aquarium, Historic Ships in Baltimore Museum, and the American Visionary Art Museum, which showcases the unique works of self-taught artists.
Further afield are more distinctive museums, such as the Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum, dedicated to the world’s greatest-ever baseballer, who grew up in Baltimore. Or the Star Spangled Banner Flag House, where in 1812, Mary Pickersgill created the flag that inspired the US national anthem.
More conventional attractions include the Baltimore Museum of Art, Maryland Zoo, and the Reginald F Lewis Museum, which celebrates this city’s African American culture and history. It is worth pausing here during the drive from DC to NYC.
Quirky and undeniably cool, Asheville is an artsy city renowned for its galleries, festivals and craft beer, while being surrounded by magnificent, forested peaks. Its state of North Carolina is popular with domestic visitors, who are drawn by its spectacular, mountainous Blue Ridge Parkway driving route, yet it receives few foreign tourists.
In fact, the Blue Ridge Parkway was the second-most visited National Park Service site in the US in 2024. Many motorists begin this drive from Asheville, before heading deep into nearby Great Smoky Mountains National Park, revered for its pristine wilderness, epic hiking trails, memorable waterfalls and charming, heritage towns.
Asheville itself is tiny, especially compared to Atlanta, Philadelphia or Baltimore. Home to about 100,000 people, it’s similar in size to Dunedin, however, few US cities are this funky, largely because of its vibrant River Arts District. Dozens of art studios, galleries, shops, restaurants, cafes, and craft breweries are clustered here, along the edge of the scenic French Broad River.
From there, it’s a brief stroll to downtown Asheville. There are no gleaming skyscrapers here. Just a low-rise, old-fashioned city centre embellished by an array of elegant, 1920s Art Deco, Art Nouveau and Beaux-Art buildings. Tourists can follow Asheville’s popular architectural walking trail, which passes landmarks like the Basilica of St Lawrence, First Baptist Church, Asheville City Building and The Grove Arcade, which is a gorgeous old shopping mall.
Atlanta is massive. With a population of about 6 million, it’s more than triple the size of Auckland. Of those people, close to two million are African American (the second largest community of any US city, just behind New York), earning it the nickname “Black Mecca”. Unsurprisingly, it’s the national hub of African American culture and education and owning deep links to the civil rights movement and boasts many attractions that educate tourists on the black American experience.
At the top of the list is the Martin Luther King Jr National Historical Park, a 35-acre complex of monuments, landmarks, and a visitor centre. All of which are dedicated to that civil rights legend, who was born and raised in Atlanta. Meanwhile, amid downtown Atlanta’s nest of skyscrapers sits the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, a moving museum that unravels how black Americans fought for greater respect and rights.
It adjoins Centennial Olympic Park, a sprawling green space which feels like the dead centre of Atlanta. Surrounding this park are more mainstream attractions, such as the College Football Hall of Fame, the Children’s Museum of Atlanta, the World of Coca-Cola and the Georgia Aquarium.
The latter complex is the biggest aquarium in the US, with up to 120,000 marine animals frolicking in its tanks. Many tourists buy a joint entry ticket for that and the Coca-Cola museum, which explains how this drink was invented here in the 1880s, and lets visitors try more than a dozen unique flavours of Coke.
Possibly no US metropolis has a richer history than Philadelphia, which is among its oldest cities, was the first national capital, and has myriad heritage attractions linked to pivotal moments in America’s tale. For this reason, Philly feels like it should be inundated with tourists, yet remains blissfully peaceful, even in spots like Old City, an area dubbed the “birthplace of America”. This pretty, timeworn neighbourhood is like a portal to the 1700s, with cobblestone streets decorated by attractive townhouses, ancient churches, and grand colonial landmarks. Its compact size, of roughly one square mile, makes it very walkable.
Visitors can also explore Independence Hall, where in 1787 the US Constitution and Declaration of Independence were first signed.
Philly is also home to the United States Mint, the Liberty Bell Center (home to the iconic bell rung in 1776 to declare US independence from Britain) and the Museum of the American Revolution, which outlines that same fight for freedom. The Old City’s distinctive appearance and palpable past offer a fine contrast with downtown Philadelphia. That area, directly to its west, is modern and generic, and as a result, feels interchangeable with many other US cities.