ON THE ROAD IN THE HEART OF IT ALL

HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT?  When I started to plan a road trip from my home in the Washington suburbs of Maryland to visit my family in Grand Rapids, Michigan, I looked at the possible routes, all of which would carry me through Ohio.  I decided I would break up my trip with a few overnighters in this state of more than 11 million people densely inhabiting a historic and verdant land between a Great Lake and a namesake river.  Of course, I had driven through and across Ohio several times on my way somewhere else, and that was just the point of this adventure.  I wanted to give Ohio its due.

So, I started planning my journey and went on Amazon in search of a current Moon Handbook or Lonely Planet or even a Fodor's or Frommer's.  Nothing.  I was really surprised and somewhat disappointed to learn that there currently is not a single statewide travel guide in publication for the 7th most populous state in the nation.  This seemed like an obvious oversight.  With all due respect to the Garden State, I would have thought Ohio would be in line ahead of New Jersey for a few travel guides.  I mean, it has Lake Erie, which even has islands and ferries and a lighthouse or two.  Ohio has the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame, two NFL teams, major league baseball, three big cities and lots in between. 

Well, having just returned from spending two separate weekends in the Buckeye State, I can assure you that it warrants at least one updated travel guide.  Ohio is a worthy destination for a variety of reasons.

THE HEART OF OHIO: Despite the lack of - or maybe because of the lack of - available travel books, I decided in planning my Ohio pilgrimage to include several criteria that reflect some of the superlatives of the state.  It's home to several small, well-regarded liberal arts colleges that feature beautiful campuses.  Ohio also ranks behind only Virginia in Presidential sites.  Finally, while the state is crisscrossed with interstates, I wanted to make my way via Ohio's many designated scenic back roads whenever practically possible.  Ohio delivered happily on all counts.

In choosing my stops, I also decided I would take a southern approach going out and return via a northern route.   So, I left my home in Maryland on a Saturday morning and drove west across the Alleghany Mountains headed toward central Ohio.  I entered Pennsylvania just west of Cumberland, Maryland, and, four hours later, admittedly mostly via I-70, arrived at my first Ohio destination, the gorgeous college town of Granville. 

Granville is a village in Licking County established at the beginning of the nineteenth century by New England settlers from Massachusetts and Connecticut.  It is located about 25 miles east of the state capital, Columbus, which itself sits almost exactly in the center of the state.  Although the village today serves increasingly as a wealthy exurb of Columbus, Granville's historic role has been home to Denison University.  Denison is one of those small, prestigious Ohio liberal arts colleges.  It was founded in 1831 and is a member of the Five Colleges of Ohio, an academic consortium of private, renowned liberal arts colleges.  Before this trip was over, I would hit two more of the five. 

I have no connection to either Denison or to Granville, but I sure wish I did.  This would give me an excuse to return often.  The Denison campus, with about 2,100 students, is lovely, perched on a hill overlooking the town and surrounding countryside.  And, Granville itself is an amazingly beautiful small town of tree-lined streets and well-manicured homes.  The village center features a sweet few blocks of shops, galleries and restaurants, all trying to lure you in from the sidewalk.  There are several lodging options in the village center, including the Buxton Inn, which claims to be Ohio's oldest continuously operating inn, but I chose a newer-old option just a few miles outside town.  Located along the Columbus Pike, the Orchard House Bed and Breakfast opened a few years back in a renovated 1850s farmhouse on 12 acres, complete with llamas, goats, pigs and other farm animals.  It features three large rooms that are a perfect mix of history and modern style.  I stayed in the Barbizon room, located at the front of the house.  It offered an enormous bathroom with views out to the barn and fields beyond.  Although it's a nineteenth century building, modern necessities like air-conditioning and wireless access worked like a charm.  There are great sitting areas downstairs and, each morning, I enjoyed co-owner Andrew's delicious breakfasts after my runs along nearby, scenic country roads.

I slept well at the Orchard House, so I got a late start my first morning.  My destination was about an hour due north, the campus of Kenyon College.  Located in the tiny village of Gambier, Kenyon is the oldest private college in Ohio.  Kenyon was founded in 1824 and today it ranks as one of the most prestigious liberal arts colleges in the country; it's been dubbed a "hidden Ivy." From my perspective, it also is one of the most beautiful.  The school's architecture has been described as "collegiate gothic," but the campus also features some striking new architecture, including the Gund Art Gallery, a new home for special exhibits and showcasing the work of Kenyon students .  As I strolled the leafy blocks on a brilliant, early summer Sunday, I thought how hard it must be to graduate and leave such an idyllic place.  Could I really justify a degree in African Diaspora Studies at this point in my life?  Do I really need any justification?

THE BIG CITY: All this time, I had assumed that either Cleveland or Cincinnati were Ohio's largest city.  While historically Cleveland was, Columbus today holds the title with a city population of just under 800,000 (Cleveland and Cincinnati still outrank Columbus on a MSA basis).  Staying so close to Columbus, I decided to spend at least an afternoon checking out the city and concluded that I should return for a longer weekend visit to this very dynamic Midwestern metropolis.

Named for Christopher Columbus, the city did not exist until the Ohio Legislature created it in 1812 as a compromise location for the state capital.  In addition to serving as the seat of state government, Columbus today is a corporate headquarters town, a regional medical center and a diverse city of historic neighborhoods, good shopping and dining and a renovated riverfront, all wrapped up in a friendly, welcoming vibe.  It also is home to Ohio State University, the largest single campus in the country with more than 56,000 students.

I started my afternoon visit with the nerd's obvious choice - the statehouse building.  The capitol was designed and built between 1838 and 1861 and features a mix of classic Greek architectural elements, but also includes an unusual, flat conical roof instead of a classic dome typical of most statehouses.  The statehouse sits a few blocks from the Scioto River, which now offers runners and amblers a renovated stretch of pathways and landscaped parkland.  From the state capitol, I made my way past the art deco Ohio Supreme Court and down along the riverfront and past several new or renovated bridges to the patio seating of Milestone 229, a waterfront restaurant serving up a great Sunday brunch and a reasonably priced menu of new American fare.  Fueled up after a great lunch, I made my way to the Short North, which is a hip area of shops, galleries and restaurants along a stretch of North High Street - a main drag in Columbus - between downtown and the Ohio State campus.  It was here that I found Grandview Mercantile Company-Revue, one of the best combination consignment-antique stores I've ever visited.  In fact, while some take home t-shirts or fridge magnets, I shipped home a lovely, used Baker buffet that cost a fraction of what it would have been priced back home in Washington.  I also found a small tile piece of art in a gallery featuring artists from central Ohio.   The Short North has several good dining options, including the Northstar Cafe and Barrel 44 Whiskey Bar.  I headed back to Granville and the Orchard House for my last evening in the area with a promise to myself that I would return soon to Columbus and spend more time.

BACK ON THE ROAD: The next morning, I bid farewell to the Orchard House and got back on the road to Michigan.  Just north of Columbus, I passed through Delaware, named in 1808 for the tribe of native Americans not the state, where I noticed the sign for the birthplace of President Rutherford B. Hayes.  I held off, planning to stop later in my road trip at his home and museum in the northwest Ohio town of Fremont.  I did stop, however, a short distance north in Marion to visit the tomb of President Warren and First Lady Florence Harding.  Their home in Marion also is open to visitors; it was from this front porch in 1920 that Harding unconventionally ran for President.

Continuing north from Marion through Upper Sandusky, I picked up the Old Mill Stream, an Ohio Scenic Byway that follows the Blanchard River along U.S. Route 224 and Ohio Route 37 through Putnam and Hancock counties.  A perfect antidote to interstate travel, this part of the trip featured more pretty small towns, tidy fields, manicured homes and, in Findlay, the beautiful 19th century Hancock County Courthouse, which is still in use.  Later that day, I crossed into Michigan just south of Hillsdale and continued on to Grand Rapids.

I just knew Ohio would make for a great road trip and I was right.  Maybe I should write a travel book.  More about Ohio later, on my return from Michigan.