San Francisco

San Francisco

San Francisco is hills, fog, Mission burritos the size of forearms, and pastel Victorians stacked like dominoes. Karl the Fog has his own Instagram, the cable cars are still mechanically pulled by cables running under the street, and the Pacific shows up at the end of every west-bound avenue. The food is wildly good, the views are theatrical, and yes, you'll get cardio just walking to the corner store.

Columbus

Columbus is on the Chattahoochee River, with the longest urban whitewater course in the world (since 2013) running right through downtown for rafting and surfing waves. Fort Moore (formerly Fort Benning) is the city's anchor. The Riverwalk stretches for miles. The downtown has come back nicely with restaurants and breweries. Smaller and friendlier than the city's industrial reputation suggests.