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For one reason or another, these quiet little corners of the country aren't likely to make our list. But we love them anyway. Our editors chose a few regions that they love to visit and would even want to live.

If you are looking to live close to nature, then the eastern Kansas Flint Hills, a narrow band of tall-grass prairie, may be the place for you. The waist-high bluestem grass, summer wildflowers, deer, turkey, prairie chicken and songbirds make this a nature lover's paradise. Absentee owners who don't contribute much to the local communities own much of the land, and schools are below average—as are health care and roads. Still, this is the largest, most intact tall-grass prairie in North America and is a sight to behold.
Jack Odle

Bounded by desert mesas on the east and west, the Mesilla Valley of southern New Mexico encompasses less than a 100-mile stretch of fertile farmland that snakes along the mighty Rio Grande River. Farmers use the Rio Grande's life-giving water to turn arid land into lush fields of crops. One of the area's strengths is a strong family farming tradition, but the area has begun to attract outsiders as well. A dry, mild climate complemented by spectacular mountain views adds to the area's appeal.
Kim Allen

Tucked neatly within Florida's panhandle is an approximately 300,000-acre region of gracefully rolling landscape that has been distinguished by the Nature Conservancy as one of America's "Last Great Places." Known as Florida Hill Country, this scenic terrain extends from Tallahassee, Fla., to the nearby counties of Jefferson, Calhoun Gadsden, Leon and Liberty. The area is home to some of the last remnants of the ancient longleaf pine forests in the nation.
Jack Odle

To thousands of vacationers, Maine's southeastern coast isn't the least bit undiscovered (the Bush clan has its compound there in Kennebunkport). But roam just a few miles off the coastal highway and Maine becomes an unspoiled rural beauty, perfect especially for people looking to truly escape. If you're a "people person," though, forget it—I mean, there are miles and miles of nothing. It's darn cold too; the growing season is short. But for rural peace and (real, real) quiet, coastal Maine gets my vote.
Jamie Cole