wow... this is breathtaking. i couldn't have agreed any less when you said that most people only visit the mega cities in the US. i currently live in a small city on the coastline south of Texas. Corpus Christi is a beautiful and quiet town surrounded by water that has presented lovely bitches that makes summer in this terrain a great idea. would be great to include Corpus Christi in your list. the people are great so is the food. :-) But i appreciate you sharing your experience.