The second annual list of CNN’s ten “America’s Best Towns to Visit 2025” was recently released, and Las Cruces ranked #7. Scott Brocato recently spoke with Marnie Hunter, Senior Producer at CNN.com Travel, about the list, and what qualities about Las Cruces put it there.
Scott Brocato:
Talk about the process that goes into selecting each town. It starts with CNN travel editors tapping readers and contributors for nominations? How does that work?
Marnie Hunter:
That's right. I mean, we put out our first annual list last year. So this year we were able to build on that by asking readers last year, what did we miss? What towns should we take a look at? So we put that form out online and made that call to our viewers to give us their ideas of places that we should be considering for this list, places in the U.S. that people maybe haven't thought of but would be interested in visiting.
Scott Brocato:
And do the towns have to be of a certain size, a maximum size, population-wise?
Marnie Hunter:
No, they don't. Although this year we went a little bit smaller. So I think Las Cruces is the largest town on our list, small city. But, you know, we're looking at places that maybe aren't on everybody's radar, so it kind of depends. It could be a small city, it could be a fairly small town. It's kind of a wide lens that we're looking at these through.
Scott Brocato:
Well then, when you settle on a town, what's the criteria? What are the some of the things that you rate about each town?
Marnie Hunter:
So we looked at hundreds of towns and then we whittled them down, and then we looked at our finalists in terms of the kind of attractions that they have for visitors: the dining, the beverage scene, the culture, museums, nightlife, diversity, the sense of identity that a town might have, how close it is to other interesting things, day trips and that kind of thing. And then, you know, the more intangible “wow factor”: does it have stunning scenery? Is there one attraction that really stands out? And then the practicalities of lodging options: how easy is it to get there? That kind of stuff.
Scott Brocato:
From your experience as a writer--and by the way, the number one town was Ithaca, NY, which you wrote about and visited--what do you, the writer, what do you do when you get to that town? And how long do you stay there?
Marnie Hunter:
I was in Ithaca for about three days. But I did some advance work so, you know, really examining what is Ithaca known for? What kinds of attractions are there? What is, you know, what are the standout things that a visitor would be interested in? And I talked to some locals before I went, so I got kind of some suggestions. I looked online to see the kinds of places that people are talking about in terms of restaurants or bars or things that you shouldn't miss. So I kind of get there with a good sense of the things that I want to take a look at.
Scott Brocato:
Well, before we get to Las Cruces, how did Ithaca get to be #1?
Marnie Hunter:
You know, we scored on the things that I discussed in terms of attractions and dining and food and beverage and obviously different towns have different strengths. One of Ithaca’s is that kind of “wow factor.” Ithaca is packed with waterfalls. There are waterfalls in town, there are waterfalls right outside of town. There are some really interesting landscapes in terms of exploring these gorges that have been cut through the landscape. It's in the Finger Lakes, so there are wineries and cider houses. And it's a college town, so Cornell is there, Ithaca College is there. So there's a fair amount of culture for a town of its size. So that's kind of what set Ithaca apart this year.
Scott Brocato:
Now we circle back to us, Las Cruces, which came in at #7, which is fantastic. How did Las Cruces make the list? What were some of the contributing factors?
Marnie Hunter:
Well, I mean, Las Cruces has such a spectacular setting. There's so many opportunities to enjoy that outdoors. Obviously the weather is sunny most of the year. The blend of cultures really sets Las Cruces apart; you know, that Hispanic, Mexican American, Native American and Western culture all kind of blending. So those are some of the things like that. The scenery and the day trips and the range of activities that you can do within a fairly short distance.
Scott Brocato:
And green chile. You didn't miss the green chile. So we're grateful for that. (laughs)
Marnie Hunter:
Yes, yes, yes, exactly, the flavors!
Scott Brocato:
Well, I moved here nine years ago, and it doesn't really...we talked about the sizes of towns a while ago. It doesn't feel like a big city. It's the second largest city in New Mexico behind Albuquerque, but it feels like a small town.
Marnie Hunter:
Exactly. Yeah. Well, and we're looking at these places in terms of talking to locals about, you know, what do you like about living here? We want to hear about small businesses and the communities that really, you know, help to build this kind of destination that makes people interested in visiting.
Scott Brocato:
Well, Marnie Hunter, we appreciate you joining us for KRWG Public Media in Las Cruces. We thank you--we thank CNN, I should say--for ranking US #7 on your top ten list of “America's Best Towns to Visit.” Thank you so much for joining us today.
Marnie Hunter:
Thank you for having me.
