Jessica Dillinger

There is a 1,500-ton dome of pink granite west of Austin that groans at night. Enchanted Rock creaks as the stone cools and contracts after dark, and the Tonkawa heard it long before geologists explained it. That is the kind of thing Texas keeps within three days' reach of almost anywhere in the state.

The Hudson Valley rolls north from New York City for roughly 150 miles, and somewhere along the way it quietly became one of the most beautiful stretches of small-town America: all glinting river views, mountain backdrops, and Main Streets that look like film sets, several of which actually are. Weekenders pour up from the city for exactly this. Here are the prettiest small towns in the Hudson Valley, and what makes each one worth the drive.

Here is the number that should decide where you retire in Alabama: 0.37 percent. That is the state's average effective property tax rate, second-lowest in the country behind Hawaii, and the typical Alabama homeowner pays roughly $890 a year. At 65 you are exempt from the state portion entirely, whatever your income, and lower-income seniors can get the county share waived too. The income side is just as good.