Only in Your State

Arizona's fall story usually points people toward Sedona and the high country, but Jerome, perched a few thousand feet above the Verde Valley, deserves its own stop on the way. Built onto a slope so steep that the Chamber of Commerce describes a walk through town as a workout, this former copper boomtown once held more than 10,000 people and now counts fewer than 500.

Most people plan an Alaska trip around summer's endless daylight, which is exactly why Talkeetna in the fall feels like a discovery. This two-block town of about a thousand people sits at the confluence of three rivers, with Denali rising in the distance whenever the clouds cooperate. Founded in 1916 as a railroad headquarters, it has kept its frontier character even as it became one of Alaska's best-known base camps.

When Americans debate the best pizza, New York and Chicago usually suck all the oxygen out of the room. But there's a whole world of incredible, regional pizza beyond the five boroughs and the Windy City. Places like Chicago and New York are famous for their distinctive types of pizza, with perfectly prepared crusts and a signature combination of ingredients and toppings. But a great slice can be found beyond these foodie destinations.

A small operation on Fairbanks' Airport Way has become the name Interior Alaskans reach for when they want real smoked meat, and the brisket is the reason why. Fairbanks isn't the first place most people think of when they picture great barbecue. It's closer to the Arctic Circle than it is to Texas, and the growing season and grocery logistics up here look nothing like the Lower 48. That makes Rack Shack BBQ's reputation even more remarkable.

Some of the best shorelines in this country don't come with a parking lot. You can't pull over, take the photo, and drive on to lunch. You have to want it a little. That's the idea behind this list. Every cove below asks for something first, whether that's a mile of muddy forest, a paddle across open water, or the patience to wait out a tide. If you've already explored our hidden-gem beaches nationwide, treat this as the version that requires better shoes.

Arizona has no shortage of famous footpaths. It also has 80 miles of desert singletrack that riders travel across the country for, and almost nobody outside the mountain bike world has heard of it. The Black Canyon Trail runs roughly parallel to Interstate 17 between the Carefree Highway area and the Prescott National Forest boundary. It's an IMBA Epic and a National Recreation Trail, and it's open to hikers and horses too, but the riding is what gives it its reputation.

There's a stretch of Alaska where you can pedal a flat, paved path with mountains on one side, a tidal fjord on the other, and beluga whales occasionally surfacing in between. It's called Bird to Gird, and it doesn't ask much of you. Officially, it's the Indian to Girdwood Bike Path. It runs 13.3 miles one way along Turnagain Arm, south of Anchorage, and it's rated easy by Alaska State Parks with only about 300 feet of elevation gain.

Most Alabama trail lists send you straight into the woods with boots on. The Chief Ladiga Trail asks for a bike instead, and it rewards you with 39.5 miles of smooth asphalt that never once makes you scramble. It starts in downtown Anniston and runs northeast through Weaver, Jacksonville, and Piedmont before hitting the Georgia state line. There it meets the Silver Comet Trail, and the pavement just keeps going. End-to-end, you're looking at roughly 105 continuous paved miles across two states.

Food Kreuz Market in Lockhart Has Sliced Brisket From the Same Butcher Counter Since 1900 Charles Kreuz bought a Lockhart butcher shop in 1900 and evolved it into one of Texas's most celebrated barbecue restaurants. Forks are not provided, because the founders believed properly smoked brisket requires only a knife and hands.

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