NH IS PRETTY

***AMERICA'S PRETTIEST TOWNS***

America's filled with beautiful places, but here's "Forbe's" Magazine's picks for the country's top prettiest towns (--in alphabetical order by state) . . .

#1.) BRISBEE, ARIZONA. This used to be a mining town, but now it's sort of a bohemian place, and it's great for long walks. It's just north of the Mexican border.

#2.) FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA. Route 66 runs right though the heart of Flagstaff, where boutique hotels, lively bars, exclusive stores, and great restaurants are housed in charming brick buildings. Plus, the Grand Canyon is only 90 minutes away.

#3.) BODIE, CALIFORNIA. In 1879, Bodie was a gold-mining town with 10,000 residents. Now it's one of the best-preserved ghost towns in the entire country, and the town itself has been designated a state park.

#4.) MENDOCINO, CALIFORNIA. This is a tiny place on the coast about four hours north of San Francisco. It was originally founded as a logging town, but now it's popular with artists and nature lovers because of the rugged coast, and all the state parks nearby.

#5.) ASPEN, COLORADO. Before it was transformed into a ski resort in the 1940's, Aspen was known for its silver mines. There's a reason real estate is so expensive there now. It's got a Western-style downtown and four mountains of world-class skiing.

#6.) ROCKPORT, MAINE. Rockport's harbor is a beautiful place. It was the summer home of Andre . . . the seal from the 1994 kids movie . . . who swam to the sea every year from an aquarium in Boston.

#7.) HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE. Home of Dartmouth College, Herman Melville described it as "the quintessential New England college town." The whitewashed colonial-style buildings make Hanover the heart of the Connecticut River Valley.

#8.) PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE. This historic town is both a functioning, modern community and a museum piece. Brick buildings line the streets and alleys, and the charming port makes for spectacular sunrises. (Visit www.ForbesTraveler.com for the complete list.)