When a free weekend comes along, everyone wants to use it wisely.  And no one knows more great places to spend a getaway than Midwest Living.  The editors have been visiting the region’s small towns for 20 years, and their list of 100 Best Small-Town Getaways guarantees readers will find the perfect place to escape for a little shopping, sightseeing and relaxing. 

Since Midwest Living’s first issue in 1987, its editors have been on a continual quest to uncover the best cities and towns. For this official Top 100 list, the editors looked specifically at the 8,500 towns with populations less than 20,000 in the Midwest and added a layer of research that spanned several months and ranked towns in 12 categories: attractions, vibe, scenery, walkability, shopping, dining, lodging, arts scene, outdoor activities, proximity to major cities, multiday potential and wild card (for special events such as festivals).

This year, two southern Indiana communities ranked in the top ten.  Number one in Indiana, and number four overall, was Madison, Indiana, with this description “Towering limestone bluffs and the Ohio River frame picturesque Madison, an old riverboat port so tied to the past, 133 downtown blocks are on the National Historic Register, with buildings dating to 1817.  Antique dealers fill the district, a brick river walk leads visitors close to touring riverboats, and a stroll through Madison’s hilly streets provides glimpses of lush gardens around grand old homes, some converted to inns.”

Coming in at number six overall (#2 in Indiana) was Nashville, “So-called progress never quite made it to Nashville, a haven of hills and forests 55 miles south of Indianapolis.  That’s fine with the artists who live and work in studios tucked amid the town’s 250 shops and the countryside.  The artists’ colony founded by Indiana painter T.C. Steele, who was drawn by the vistas that seem to spread from every hilltop, celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.”

As ranked by Midwest Living Magazine, the Top 10 best small-town getaways are:

#1 Ephraim/Fish Creek, WI
#2 Petoskey/Charlevoix , MI
#3 Galena, IL 
#4 Madison, IN 
#5 Saugatuck/Douglas, MI 
#6 Nashville, IN
#7 Bayfield, WI
#8 Put-in-Bay, OH
#9 Stillwater, MN
#10 Mackinac Island area, MI

Indiana communities ranking in the top 100 are:
14 - Shipshewana, IN                      
39 - Corydon, IN                              
41 - Chesteron, IN
61 - New Harmony, IN                   
66 - Centerville, IN                         
71 - Seymour, IN  
87 - Greencastle, IN