There are some places we travel to that we already know are going to be awesome before we even get there. We’ve seen the pictures, watched the videos, and heard people talk about how great they are.
Then there are the places we know almost nothing about. Maybe we stopped there on the way to somewhere else, or we just decided to give it a chance. Sometimes those random stops end up being some of the best parts of a trip.
Here are five places we’ve visited that we didn’t expect much from, but ended up seriously surprising us.
West Virginia
When you hear people talk about West Virginia, it usually isn’t very positive. You hear that it’s boring, run down, or just not a place you’d want to visit. It’s one of those states that doesn’t seem to make it onto many people’s travel lists.
Last year, during our cross country road trip, we decided to stop in West Virginia to visit New River Gorge National Park. We ended up spending a few days there, and honestly, we were surprised by how much we enjoyed it. We loved learning more about the history of the area.
West Virginia is beautiful. There was something about being there that felt calm and peaceful. We weren’t rushing around or trying to see a million things. We were able to slow down, enjoy the scenery, and spend some time exploring the area. It ended up being a great start to our long road trip.
Of course, like anywhere else, I’m sure there are parts of West Virginia that aren’t so great. We can only speak from our experience as visitors, and what we saw was a state with beautiful scenery, interesting history, and plenty to enjoy.
West Virginia might not be at the top of everyone’s travel list, but I wouldn’t overlook it. If you get the chance to visit, give it a shot. You might be surprised by how much you enjoy it. We definitely were.
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is another one of those places that probably isn’t at the top of most people’s list when they think about places they want to visit. For us, though, it’s a city we really like.
We first went to Richmond a few years ago on a whim. It was right around the time things were starting to open back up after the dreaded pandemic, and we really needed a change of scenery. We didn’t have any big expectations, but we ended up really enjoying the city.
Richmond is a great size. It’s not as chaotic as some of the bigger cities, but there’s still plenty to do. Whenever we visit a new city, we always ask ourselves, “Could we actually live here?” With Richmond, the answer was yes.
There’s good food, plenty of things to see and do, and the weather is pretty decent. We also like that Richmond actually gets seasons. We’re not big fans of places that are hot all year long, which is one of the reasons we moved away from Florida.
Another big plus for us is the location. You’re close enough to places like Washington, DC and Baltimore, both of which have major airports with plenty of international flights. That’s important to us because we love traveling outside the U.S. and want easy access to the rest of the world.
Let’s be honest, a lot of state capitals aren’t exactly exciting. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, we’re looking at you. Why are you the capital and not Philadelphia? Richmond, on the other hand, is actually pretty cool. We’ve been back a few times since our first visit and it’s a place we wouldn’t hesitate to visit again.
Atlanta’s Botanical Garden
Atlanta is one of our favorite cities in the South. There’s a ton to do, the food is great, and there are plenty of options whether you’re traveling with kids or looking for something more geared toward adults.
A few months ago, we headed to Atlanta to meet up with some friends and had a great time. One day, our original plans ended up falling through, so we decided to visit the Atlanta Botanical Garden instead.
We’ve been to a lot of botanical gardens over the years, and we live near Longwood Gardens, which is one of the biggest and most popular gardens around. So when we decided to check out the one in Atlanta, we figured it would be nice, but we weren’t expecting it to blow us away, but it did!
The garden was beautiful. We were honestly surprised by how big it was and how well everything was maintained. There was so much to see, and we ended up spending a lot more time there than we expected. We really loved it.
The funny thing is, we hadn’t planned on going there at all. Our plans changed, we figured, why not, and it ended up being one of the highlights of the entire trip.
We love when that happens.
It’s also one of the reasons we try to stay flexible when we travel. Sometimes the places you carefully plan and look forward to aren’t the ones you remember most. It’s the random stop, the change of plans, or the place you almost didn’t visit that ends up being the highlight of the trip.
National Postal Museum, Washington D.C.
If you’ve been to Washington, D.C., you already know there are tons of amazing museums to choose from. We’ve visited quite a few over the years, but one that really sticks out to us is the National Postal Museum.
Someone recommended it to us, and when we first heard about it, we honestly weren’t sure what to think. A museum about the post office? How interesting could that really be?
As it turns out, pretty interesting.
We were surprised by how much we enjoyed it. The museum goes through the history of the United States Postal Service and shows how everything started, how it changed over the years, and how the postal system works today. There was a lot more to see and learn about than we expected.
It’s definitely one of those places we probably wouldn’t have visited if someone hadn’t suggested it, which is exactly why we’re glad they did.
If you’re in D.C. and looking for something a little different, we’d definitely recommend stopping by. And, like many of the museums in D.C., admission is free, so you really have nothing to lose.
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh was another one of those cities that surprised us with how much we liked it. It’s not as big or crazy as some of the other cities in the U.S., but it’s still a good sized city with plenty to do. Every time we go back, it seems like there’s something new to check out.
I guess that’s part of why so many people have moved there over the past few years. Raleigh was one of the cities that saw a lot of growth during the pandemic, when people started leaving bigger cities and looking for somewhere else to live. We even have some friends who made the move there a few years ago. Honestly, we can see why.
There are some really nice areas, the food is good (hello Carolina BBQ) and the people are friendly. You also seem to get a little more space for your money compared to some other cities, which is probably a pretty big reason people are drawn to the area.
We’ve been to Raleigh a few times now and have always enjoyed ourselves. There are great restaurants and bars, along with plenty of fun things to see and do.
Raleigh isn’t necessarily a city you hear people talking about as a big tourist destination, and maybe that’s part of what makes it so enjoyable. It’s not packed with tourists, but there’s still plenty to keep you busy.
If you’ve never been, we’d definitely recommend giving Raleigh a chance. It’s another one of those places that we didn’t expect much from but ended up really enjoying.
