A well kept secret is starting to leak beyond the boundaries of the Little Cities microregion. The subject of the breach: a relatively unknown place in the hills southeast of Ohio’s state capital where abundant history, nature and cultural arts come together to create a unique “sense of place” among a series of remnant mining towns surrounded by Ohio’s only national forest, the Wayne Forest.
Do you or someone you know want to investigate this secret? Not a bad choice! However, you might want do some planning to assure the journey is worthwhile. Many of the best experiences in this unique microregion of Ohio happen with guides who can take you to off the beaten path locations on packaged group tours provided by the Little Cities of Black Diamonds Council. However, if you don’t’ have a group, or the time or money for such an adventure, its becoming increasingly possible to do it on your own. Here are thirteen recommended experiences to choose from for “geotourists” who want to visit the Little Cities. What makes one a geotourist you ask? Beyond investigating off the beaten path places its about “place-based” eco-, heritage- and arts tourism. It’s not just visiting and learning about a particular piece of geography, its doing it in a way that leaves the place better than you found it (tread lightly, respect local people and their customs, tip your waitress well, become a member, volunteer, send a check, come back, etc.), Now that we’ve covered that matter, on with the suggested destinations, divided into three areas of the microregion: |
