Marquette, Mich.

If you don't like snow, Marquette country is not for you. But the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is one of the most beautifully austere places in the U.S. If you like winter sports, you're looking at an average of 141 inches of snow for cross country skiing, snowshoeing, snow-man building, whatever your heart desires. In summer, head for the beaches along Lake Superior or out onto the water for every kind of water sport.

The city (population: 21,300) has a small airport with regular service to Milwaukee, Chicago, and Detroit, and Marquette General Health System is ranked as one of the top 50 cardiovascular hospitals by Thomson Reuters. Median home price is $130,000.

Credit: AP