This North Carolina Town Was Named Among US News Best Coastal Small Towns

There are few things I love more than historic coastal towns. Whether the New England charm of Newport Rhode Island, the southern hospitality of Charleston or Savannah, or a classic California beach town like Santa Cruz. Fishing boats, quaint shops, beachside rollercoasters, live oaks, I love them all. So naturally, this list drew me in. It's USA Today's "Best Coastal Small Towns".  And one North Carolina coastal small town was actually featured on the list.

This list is part of USA Today's recently released "10 best" campaign. Readers were able to vote for their favorites in a wide variety of categories. One of those categories was "Best Coastal Small Towns". I've never ventured to the Outer Banks, the home of North Carolinas mention. But this town often gets a lot of love. In fact, it was also included in last year's iteration of this list. I guess I'll have to add it to my North Carolina bucket list.  But not just the Carolina towns drew me in. I'd honestly love to visit each town on this list. The picturesque views, calmness of the water, but also diversity of locales and experiences of every town are intriguing.  You've got locations from the northeast, west coast, gulf, and the east coast.

View the full article here or keep reading to see which North Carolina town made the US News Best Coastal Small Towns list. I've also included some of my favorite small towns in North Carolina and beyond.

Representing NC is Nags Head located on the northern Outer Banks. It's right on the edge of Jockey’s Ridge State Park but that's not all this coastal town has to offer. This town has everything a vacationer needs including places to stay: beach houses, seaside motels, and hotels with a view. Things to do: boutiques, surf shops, an outlet mall, and grocery stores. A wide array of restaurants including fine dining feasts, barbecue, casual bites, and of course exceptional seafood.

This coastal NC town sits right on the border of North and South Carolina. It's best known for its Calabash seafood and is just a short drive from Myrtle Beach.

Newport Rhode Island is everything you want a New England coastal town to be. From the quaint shopping and restaurants to the cliff walk and Newport Mansions.

Just a short drive from the Charlotte area, Cherry Grove gives you the quaint beach town vibe but is also close enough to the activities and amenities of Myrtle Beach. But you can escape that super touristy feel if that's not your scene.

My favorite part of Santa Cruz is that picturesque California beach boardwalk complete with an amusement park. This Monterey Bay beach town also features plenty of shops and restaurants and Natural Bridges State Park.

Another North Carolina beach town or island that has that carefree summer feel. You can walk or bike to just about everything you need on the island from shops, restaurants, and live music.