When you think of the American Southwest, it isn't the towns that initially come to mind. Rather, it's the incredible landscape: carved-out chasms, towering red rocks, and dramatic desert expanses. But you shouldn't miss the beautiful old towns-the clusters of adobe houses around Spanish-style plazas and the rows of Victorian miners' cottages that still cling to precipitous hillsides. Many of these communities started as remote outposts, then flourished in a burst of riches, only to fade again. <br /><br />Today the Southwest is a region of energetic growth and multicultural vitality, and its quaint towns are enjoying renewed attention as their rich history, striking settings, and distinctive architecture attract Americans touring their homeland's picturesque byways as well as visitors from around the world. <br /><br />Nik Wheeler's stunning photography and Joan Tapper's perceptive commentaries celebrate the beauty and heritage of thirty special communities in Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and western Colorado. They range from tiny villages of a few hundred people to towns of as much as 40,000, but most are the kind of place where a chance conversation still opens doors: Bisbee, Spring City, Truchas, Tubac, Tombstone, Cimarron, Silverton, Ouray, Winnemucca, Moab, Sedona, and so many more.