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Best Small Town Beer Scene (2025) - USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards

Best Small Town Beer Scene (2025) - USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards

USA Today10-03-2025

Photo courtesy of Nantahala Outdoor Center No. 10: Bryson City, North Carolina
Bryson City, located just outside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina, is the perfect destination for any outdoor-loving beer fan. There's plenty of hiking, whitewater rafting, tubing, and exploring to fill your days and several popular breweries within walking distance of each other. In addition to Mountain Layers Brewing Company, beer lovers should be sure to visit Bryson City Outdoors, where they'll likely find a food truck to pair with the BCO taproom's well-curated selection of local and regional craft beers.
Photo courtesy of Chris Zebo / Travel Texas No. 9: Fredericksburg, Texas
Located in the heart of Texas Hill Country and one of the South's top wine regions, Fredericksburg also has a stellar beer scene. The two heavy hitters in town are Altstadt Brewery, a Bavarian-inspired brewery that uses only hops, barley, yeast, and spring water in their beers, and Fredericksburg Brewing Company, the oldest operating brewpub in the state of Texas.
Photo courtesy of Cody Yellowstone No. 8: Cody, Wyoming
You'll encounter pints of Outlaw Justice Pale Ale and Sage Creek IPA if you head out to Cody, Wyoming, to discover its burgeoning wild west craft scene. The taprooms at WYOld West, Pat O'Hara, and Cody Craft Brewing are in full swing, plus there's great craft beer to go with pizza pies at Millstone Pizza. Cody is no longer just the gateway to Yellowstone, but a place to stop and sip before and after you hit the trail.
Photo courtesy of DenisTangneyJr / iStock Via Getty Images Plus No. 7: Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Rehoboth Beach has long been the home of Dogfish Head, whose Brewing & Eats brewpub was the smallest commercial brewery in the country when it opened in 1995. There's also Revelation Brewing, which has a spot right off the bike path where you can sit outdoors, and Thompson Island Brewing, named after an island in the bay, that boasts a beer garden with ping pong, cornhole, and 14 different taps of draft crafts. Rehoboth hosts the 86 Hook & Ladder Brew Fest each year, which donates proceeds to the town's volunteer fire department.
Photo courtesy of City of Fredericksburg, VA Tourism No. 6: Fredericksburg, Virginia
Pop into a brewery or download the Fredericksburg Area Beer Trail Passport to start exploring this brewing haven. Make sure to check out Red Dragon Brewery, known for its excellent collection of stouts, lagers, and even shandy drinks, the newly opened Port Oysteria & Brewery, and Strangeways Brewing Fredericksburg, where you can enjoy their unique offerings. The Fredericksburg Fairgrounds hosts an annual Frosty Brew Thru in January, Tacos and Beer Festival in May, and a Cigar Bourbon and Beer Festival in August, featuring numerous breweries and food vendors showcasing their latest creations. Don't miss the annual Fredtoberfest, held during the first week of October.
Photo courtesy of Eli Wilson / iStock Via Getty Images Plus No. 5: Littleton, New Hampshire
Littleton, New Hampshire, is the perfect spot to soak up the beautiful White Mountains and indulge in excellent craft beer. Downtown you'll find Schilling Beer Co., a European-inspired brewery known for its lagers and gorgeous setting overlooking the Ammonoosuc River, as well as Wildbloom, a taproom utilizing almost exclusively local ingredients. If, by chance, you like sampling craft beer while taking in the gorgeous oranges and reds of the changing fall leaves, Schilling Beer Co. hosts a happening Oktoberfest each year.
Photo courtesy of Traverse City Tourism No. 4: Traverse City, Michigan
Traverse City has become a hotbed of craft beer action in the already beer-centric state of Michigan. The town features a sizable collection of breweries, taprooms, and brewpubs, including Jolly Pumpkin, North Peak Brewing Company, Brewery Terra Firma, Earthen Ales, and Right Brain Brewery.
Photo courtesy of Explore Boone No. 3: Boone, North Carolina
In the Blue Ridge Mountains, Boone is home to some of North Carolina's best hiking, skiing, canoeing, fishing, and other outdoor pursuits. It's also home to one of the best craft beer scenes in the state, perfect for après-ski or post-trail running. Check out Boonshine Brewery's hop-forward selections, have a Hipster Juice New England IPA at Lost Province, or settle in on the porch with a Boone Creek Ale at Appalachian Mountain Brewery. Additionally, every summer, Boone hosts the High Country Beer Fest, where over 40 breweries across the state serve beer samples to go with food, live music, and classes on fermentation.
Photo courtesy of Matt Wastradowski No. 2: Astoria, Oregon
Astoria, Oregon might only have 10,000 inhabitants, but it has enough craft beer to feed multiple armies 10 times over. This is the home of Rogue, whose public house in a former tuna fish cannery overlooking the Columbia River has been operating since 2007. Other top choices include Fort George, which looks out at the river and downtown and might be Oregon's most scenic pub, and Astoria Brewing Company, the oldest craft brewery in town. If you're a stout fan, put Astoria on your calendar for February, when Fort George hosts the Festival of Dark Arts, featuring 80 unique stouts.

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Three celeb-owned Caribbean cribs you can rent for your next vacation
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Branson's eco-escape 7 Forget Necker, Sir Richard Branson has an even more exclusive BVI hideaway. Getty Images Sir Richard Branson may call Necker Island his primary home in the British Virgin Islands. But when the billionaire business magnate wants something even more exclusive, he retreats to the Branson Beach Estate on neighboring Moskito Island. The estate, which accommodates up to 22 guests across three villas, is perched on a dramatic outcrop with sweeping sea views. Each of the villas, connected by treetop walkways, have their own personality. Advertisement 'It's extremely hard to pick a favorite,' Branson said. 'All three are unique, from the interiors to the views.' But Headland House is where he and his wife Joan usually stay when they visit two to three times per year. 'My kids Holly and Sam prefer the other two villas, which are nearer to the beach,' he adds. 7 Get bitten, er, smitten with Moskito Island's villas for $20,000 a night. 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German long-distance train halted after deemed too dirty to continue
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Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A dog owner's first vacation with her furry companion, Oskar, turned into a heartwarming revelation as she saw him enjoying himself on holiday. In a viral TikTok video, the creator shared a clip of Oskar, a poodle, tail wagging and enjoying himself on a pool chair. She confessed that she is "never leaving him home again," inspiring others to bring their pets on their next getaways. Since the video was posted, it has received over 270,000 views. "POV [point of view]: You take your dog on vacation for the first time and realize you're never leaving him home again," the owner captioned the video. "Take this as your sign to bring your dog on your next vacation." File photo: A woman reads a book in a hammock with her dog. File photo: A woman reads a book in a hammock with her dog. Solovyova/Getty Images The video resonated with viewers, many of whom expressed a desire to have a travel experience of their own with their pets. "I really want to do this!" one user wrote. "How did you make sure the place you were staying is secure for him / was it a dog friendly Airbnb?" The owner, from Germany, responded with practical advice: "We looked for dog-friendly Airbnbs and asked the owner in advance whether the property is fenced. Best decision." Another commenter shared an anecdote of their own pet's distress when left behind: "I've stopped going abroad, as the one time I left my dog she was absolutely distraught when I came back," they wrote. "She was yelping, and I was crying. I now go to … a rented cottage and we both absolutely love it. She loves the beach." "Taking your CHILD on vacation, as everyone should," one commenter summed up. Tips for Traveling Safely With Pets For those inspired to set off on pet-friendly adventures, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) offered some comprehensive advice for ensuring a safe and happy trip in a press release. The society emphasized proper preparation for road trips, advising owners to acclimate their pets to the road with a series of short drives first. It is also crucial to keep them up to date with their vaccinations for interstate travel. Identification is also key: "Identify your pet with a tag attached to the collar or harness, and a permanent form of identification like a microchip," the release read. The ASPCA cautioned against complacency: "Don't: Assume your pet will never run from you. Unrestrained pets in unfamiliar circumstances can become frightened or startled and may panic and run into traffic or away from you." With these tips in mind, pet owners inspired by poodle Oskar's vacation can participate in the growing trend of integrating their furry friends into travel plans. Newsweek reached out to @ for comment via TikTok.

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