At one time, Ohio was considered the western frontier. Now it’s the quintessential Midwest, with a balance of several metropolitan areas, small towns and farmlands. While its ranking indicates few people think of Ohio when planning leisure trips, this state offers all the recreational facilities to be found anywhere, plus the cultural and sports advantages of cities like Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus.

In addition to its eight presidents of the United States, Ohio has produced the inventors of the airplane and two of the best-known space pioneers — as well as General Sherman (as in Sherman’s march to the sea) and General Custer (as in Custer’s last stand). Quite a crew!!
As a visitor, you will enjoy getting to know your hosts, who in many ways manifest the best traits of Americans: friendly, but not pushy; smart, but not cocky; solid, but not dull.

A drive through the state produces Americana types of settings with white farm houses and hay and animal barns off in the distance, and a colorful array of wild flowers in the Spring. And don’t forget to shop for antiques. You’ll sometimes find unique items in rural communities and small towns with and at prices well below what’s available in big cities.

People interested in Ohio history should read the novel “And Ladies of the Club” by Helen Santmyer for a wonderful picture of the state and its people. Who goes there? Not enough, based on the possibilities. Ohio is easily accessible by train, plane or automobile and its image discourages nobody. When do they go? Late spring, summer and early fall are the best times to enjoy the parks, forests, river life and even the cities. Let's be honest, although skiing is available, if you want winter sports, you'll pick another destination.

Ride one of the really big roller coasters at the Cedar Point amusement park. Millennium Force is 310 feet tall, and the Top Thrill Dragster rises to 420 feet. Both are taller than the Statue of Liberty.

Try a tandem skydive in Xenia.

Take blacksmithing classes at a working blacksmith shop — Simply Smithing Blacksmith Shop — in Duncan Falls. Or, attend demonstrations to learn how things were done in the 19th century, and buy products made at the shop as gifts, or for yourself.

Bring your motorcycle and work on motocross skills at Briarcliff MX-Motocross Track in Nashport.

Get into the arena at Primetime Paintball in Gallipolis.

Test the concrete at the 18,000-square-foot Athens Skate Park.

Camp (using tents or teepees) and canoe along the Mohican River. Or, choose kayaks, rafts or tubes to travel the river. Time your fun to attend the Great Mohican Indian Pow Wow at the Mohican Reservation in Loudonville. It is staged twice, once in July and once in September.

Go jet skiing on Lake Erie.

For quirky times, attend the Circleville Pumpkin Show to see truly huge pumpkins and the world’s largest pumpkin pie; watch or even join egg tossing, hog calling, pie eating and pumpkin tossing contests. Or, for something quite different, attend the National Lawn Mower Racing Championships in Mansfield.

Kayak, or make it a tubing experience, in Put-in-Bay Harbor on South Bass Island in Lake Erie.

Participate in the annual mushroom hunt at the AEP ReCreation Land, a 30,000-acre recreation area created on land that has been reclaimed after being torn up by surface mining, in McConnelsville.
Or, use some of its 300 ponds and miles of trails for birding, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking.

Take a spinning class, or just drop in to relax and knit, at the Olde Yarn Loft, a yarn store in a cabin, in Somerset.

Take a guided horseback trail ride through Amish country, offered by Guggisberg Swiss Inn in Millersburg; in winter, ride a horse-drawn sleigh.

Try your skills at candle dipping, stamp printing, tin punching or weaving in a visit to Roscoe Village, a restored 19th century canal village. Time your visit to coincide with a Civil War reenactment (in July), or choose a different festival, such as October’s Apple Butter Stirrin’ Festival.

See “Tecumseh!” the outdoor drama that tells the story of the legendary Shawnee leader. The show is presented in the summer at the Sugarloaf Mountain Amphitheatre in Chillicothe.

Plan a driving trip along the Clermont County Ohio Freedom Trail which contains 33 sites associated with the Underground Railroad.

Ride the 33.5-mile Bike & Hike Trail at Sagamore Hills, which follows the course of the old Akron, Bedford & Cleveland (ABC) Railroad.

Canoe by moonlight on the Mohican or the Tuscarawas River.

Visit a working Amish farm where tourists are welcomed, Ridgeview Farm, in northeast Ohio. See an Amish farmhouse replica on site and the farm’s petting barn. A farm market operates from May through October, and autumn weekend entertainment includes a corn maze and hayrides.

Attend an Ohio State football or basketball game. Ohioans really love their teams

Buy furniture from the Amish in an area dubbed the Furniture Heartland, an area between Columbus and Canton that encompasses more than 30 stores and about 450 manufacturers. Most stores are in Holmes County, with others in Tuscarawas and Wayne counties. Along the way, stop in at Shisler's Cheese House in Wayne County to buy Amish foodstuffs.

Take a riverboat cruise in Cincinnati.

Tour the Twin City Opera House in McConnelsville, then attend one of the monthly Ohio Valley Opry country, gospel and bluegrass variety shows. Also, see the movies at the opera house, for $3.

Attend a workshop on herbs at the Ohio Herb Education Center in Gahanna, then buy take-home herbs in its gift shop. Also in Gahanna, see the Geroux Herb Gardens, which feature themed areas, such as Biblical, culinary, medicinal and meditation.

Take a self-guided walking tour of Delaware’s historic downtown; Delaware is one of only eight communities recognized by the White House as a Preserve America Community.

Play golf. The state boasts more than 800 courses.

Visit at least one museum or memorial associated with a U.S. president. Eight were Ohio born, and seven are represented (William Henry Harrison, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, William McKinley, William H. Taft and Warren G. Harding, but not Benjamin Harrison).

Be a bird-watcher (songbirds, waterfowl and an occasional bald eagle) and wildlife observer (beaver, deer) in Crooked Run Nature Preserve.

For more information, consult the Ohio Division of Travel and Tourism at www.discoverohio.com

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