Travel + Leisure 2010 America's Favorite Cities (subscribe to rss feed)

If it's peace & quiet topping a traveler's list, then Santa Fe is the place to be according to Travel + Leisure magazine's 2010 "America's Favorite Cities" poll. Santa Fe was rated the number one city for Peace & Quiet and the top Cultural Getaway in the country out of the 35 US cities included in the rankings.

As determined by visitors, Santa Fe was rated in the top ten in the following categories:

#1 Peace & Quiet
#1 Cultural Getaway
#3 B&B 's and Inns
#3 Independent Boutiques
#4 Relaxing Retreat
#4 Antique Stores
#4 Weather
#4 Stylish Boutique Hotels
#4 Museums/Galleries
#5 Environmental Friendliness
#5 Vintage Shops & Flea Markets
#5 Romantic Escape
#8 Overall for Quality of Life & Visitor Experience
#9 Ethnic Food
#9 Historical Sites/Monuments
#9 Overall for Shopping

The city didn't score so well on the Wild Weekend scale or in the Singles/Bar Scene category. As for when to visit, visitors voted for the Fall and Winter/Christmas as their favorite times to be in Santa Fe.

"Santa Fe was the smallest city, by far, in the poll but our history, charm, relaxed lifestyle, and authentic nature set us apart." said Santa Fe Convention & Visitors Bureau Executive Director Jim Bradbury. "The city continues to be regarded as one of the country's favorite travel destinations as confirmed in its ratings for peace and quiet, romance, relaxation, and as a cultural getaway."

Of Santa Fe, the magazine's web site says, "...despite its vibrant population of skiers and hikers, painters and photographers, alternative healers, hippies, gays and lesbians, and émigrés from seemingly every one of the other 49 states, this city remains strongly connected to its Spanish-Native American heritage-and to the pristine landscape that surrounds it."

Cities included in the poll were: Anchorage, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Charleston, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Honolulu, Houston, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Memphis, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix/Scottsdale, Portland, ME, Portland, OR, Providence, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Fe, San Juan, PR, Savannah, Seattle, and Washington D.C.

All the results are published in the magazine's November issue and can be seen on its web site, www.travelandleisure.com.