Small Town Stops That Break Up a Long Drive

A long highway drive has a way of blurring into an endless stretch of exit signs and gas stations, and the problem is that the small towns you fly past are often the most memorable part of the trip if you actually stop. The trick is knowing how to find the good ones, because for every charming main street there are ten towns that are just a place to buy gas and leave.The towns worth stopping in announce themselves with a few reliable signs, a walkable main street with local shops still open, a diner with a full parking lot at lunch, a courthouse square, or a farmers market in season. These are the places where an hour turns into an afternoon, and they are worth the detour precisely because they are not on the itinerary, because the best stops are the ones you did not plan.Finding them on the fly is easier than it used to be, with a quick search for the best local