Top historic destination winners

There's a 95 percent chance Senior Editor Christine Sarkis is thinking about travel right now. Follow her on Instagram @postcartography and Twitter @ChristineSarkis.

Christine Sarkis is an SATW-award-winning journalist and executive editor at SmarterTravel. Her stories have also appeared on USA Today, Conde Nast Traveler, Huffington Post, and Business Insider. Her advice has been featured in dozens of print and online publications including The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, and People magazine. She has also shared travel tips on television and radio shows including Good Morning America, Marketplace, and Here & Now. Her work has been published in the anthologies Spain from a Backpack and The Best Women's Travel Writing 2008. She is currently working on a travel memoir.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: The Trtl Pillow. It's easy to pack and comfortable, and makes it so I can actually sleep on flights.

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: Seeing the Aurora Borealis from the comfort of somewhere warm, like a glass igloo or hot spring.

Travel Motto: Curiosity is an amazing compass.

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The U.S.’s National Trust for Historic Preservation has named its 2007 Dozen Distinctive Destinations.

This list is geared towards travelers looking for “unique and lovingly preserved destinations.” The top five are Charlottesville, Virginia; Chatham, Massachusetts; Chestertown, Maryland; Durango, Colorado; and Ellensburg, Washington.

The complete list includes descriptions of each city as well as photos. And, the user comments I read (you’ll find them at the bottom of the destination descriptions) were pretty handy.

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