A new book by Sarah Tuff and Greg Melville has identified a variety of unspoiled places to visit, live and play: 101 Best Outdoor Towns is a list of places not yet overrun by development or "fourth-homebuyers". As the authors describe it, this is a guide for urban dwellers and suburbanites seeking a quick getaway to a small, breathtaking locale where a slower pace of life still exists.

Organized by US region, the suggestions include places like Bethel (ME), Ohiopyle (PA), Ellijay (GA), Rolla (MO), Red Lodge (MT) and Bishop (CA). They include info on lodgings, dining and activities for each town, focusing on the best that each place has to offer in terms of outdoor fun and adventure.

The travel-writing duo used census and commerce data to weed out locales that were too big, too pricey or too far from a major airport. That left them with a unique collection of locales they have dubbed 'mostly undiscovered adventure capitals.' Cool concept, but let's just hope the publishing of this book doesn't speed up the "unspoiled" nature of these towns too much!

Filed under: Books, One for the Road