Coffee and parks help make Olympia one of the best small cities in the U.S.

Coffee shops and parks help make Olympia one of the best small cities in the United States, according to National Geographic Traveler.

This week the travel magazine listed its top 29 small cities to visit, and Olympia and Spokane were the Washington cities that made the list.

The list is “based on unconventional metrics” the magazine believes lead to happiness. The magazine chose 10 categories, and used social media mentions to identify cities with green spaces, photogenic areas, dog friendly spaces, art galleries, coffee shops, breweries and concert venues, among other amenities.

A release from Experience Olympia & Beyond, the local visitor and convention bureau, says Washington’s state capital was designated the most caffeinated city selected because of its array of coffee shops. It also was the greenest city because of its parks.

“National Geographic Traveler is a highly regarded publication,” Experience Olympia & Beyond’s chief experience officer Shauna Stewart said in the release. “For Olympia to be recognized on this scale is truly an honor and speaks to the wonderful local makers that flourish in our community, from our local coffee roasters to the farmers market.

“It’s no surprise the natural beauty of our destination and the parks in the region garnered us this honor as they are such a treasure to both those that live here and the 1.2 million annual visitors,” she said.

This story was originally published January 16, 2018 at 1:07 PM with the headline "Coffee and parks help make Olympia one of the best small cities in the U.S.."