re: Best 30 cities to visit in the U.S. ...

Louisville and Baton Rouge are good jokes

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Pensacola, Fla. Really? I lived there for about 8 months in 2010/2011 and wasn't impressed.

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While the city as a whole hasn't changed much, the historic downtown is night and day from 7-8 years ago.

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Pittsburgh, PA

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Pittsburgh is the armpit of the Northeast. Who made this list and how are they qualified enough to make this list?

Pittsburgh, PA
Boulder, Colo.
Greenville, S.C.
Anchorage, Alaska
Annapolis, Md.
Hagerstown, Md.
Pensacola, Fla.
Omaha, Neb.
Columbia, S.C.
Hickory, N.C.
New Orleans, La.
Madison, Wisc.
Reno, Nev.
Healdsburg, Calif.
Santa Cruz, Calif.
Charleston, S.C.
Olympia, Wash.
Spokane, Wash.
Albuquerque, N.M.
Rapid City, S.D.
Ann Arbor, Mich.
Asheville, N.C.
Baton Rouge, La.
Honolulu, HI
Kansas City, Mo.
Lakeland, Fla.
Newport, R.I.
Portland, Maine
Louisville, Ky.

Been to most of these places. Terrible list. No Savannah? No Des Moines? No Austin?

No Staunton, VA?

List is shite.

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Among the categories used to determine a city’s happiness were green spaces, galleries, coffee shops, breweries, music venues and Instagrammable moments.

Additionally, cities were rewarded for their tales of urban renewal, about collaborating to improve their Main Streets and pursuing development policies.

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Coffee shops? Who goes on vacation and spends a lot of time sitting in coffee shops? A better question may be "Who DOESN'T?" Amirite?

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SPOKANE, WASHINGTON A high count of record stores, tattoo parlors, vintage clothing boutiques, and coffee shops per capita boosts Washington State’s second largest city to the top of our hipster-friendly and most caffeinated lists for its population category

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I know every time I'm planning a vacation, I always want to make sure there are plenty of record stores and tattoo parlors at my destination.

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BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA Black-and-red linoleum floors and vintage swivel chairs summon up the 1920s founding of the historically African-American Webb’s Barber Shop in Louisiana’s capital city. It’s one of an unusually high number of hair salons and grooming spots

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Another must for a travel destination: lots of hair salons and barber shops. You know, for when you need to get your hair cut in as many different places as possible while you're on vacation.

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LAKELAND, FLORIDA Frank Lloyd Wright fans flock to this central Florida city to experience more than ten of his buildings gathered at Florida South College, the world’s largest single site of the architect’s work. But Lakeland makes it onto our list for its number of pet stores and dog-friendly restaurants per capita.

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Awesome! I hate when I go on vacation somewhere and they don't have enough pet stores.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA With BBQ an essential menu item for South Carolinians, Columbia tops our list for meatiest city per capita in its population group. Locals get their grilled meats buffet-style at Little Pigs Barbecue or stuffed in delectable sandwiches at Southern Belly BBQ’s three locations. But don’t think that they neglect their grooming. Columbia also tops our list in its population group for its number of barber shops and salons.

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These authors are REALLY committed to keeping their hair looking good.

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HICKORY, NORTH CAROLINA A thriving 20th-century manufacturing hub for furniture and textiles, Hickory now finds itself heading our list for its hipster-friendly offerings, from tattoo parlors to vintage clothing boutiques.

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And getting tattoos and vintage clothing, apparently.

So, if you're looking to go on a trip and you really need to get a lot of tattoos, haircuts, pet supplies, vintage clothes and coffee, this list is a must-read.

I honestly have no idea how Lakeland Fla ended up on this list. There are at least 20 to 30 nicer cities and towns in Florida.