Cradled by Appalachian foothills, rich in high steeples and cupolas, with a public university that feels like a big liberal arts college and, at times, an aggressively hippie character, Athens, Ohio, is a far corner of the Midwest. At first sight, it bears a stronger resemblance to the crunchier parts of northern New England. But instead of cold Yankee reserve, Athenians operate with plain-spoken Midwestern friendliness. Get them started about why they like their town, and it's hard to get them to stop.
What to do
Ohio University has its origins in the late 18th century, and Athens was the first college town in what was once the Old Northwest. It's easy to sense an idealistic, assured young republic taking its first steps west. Red brick Federal-style architecture pervades the city and university. Walk down Court Street and through the arched Alumni Gateway into the College Green, then wander the shaded, wildly picturesque campus. Maya Lin's Bicentennial Park is a grassy open space studded with raised and depressed concrete rectangles that recall early computer punch cards — she took computer science classes at OU as a high school student.
Envelop yourself in the local culture at the Farmers Market, held year-round in a mall parking lot on Saturday mornings (1-740-593-6763; athensfarmersmarket.org). I munched on Memorial Day strawberries while taking stock of nonperishable goods: ceramics, pawpaw-dyed fabric, jams, pickles, popcorn kernels, carpentry, squeezed-to-order lemonade, fudge and apple cider vinegar.
If you miss her at the market, visit Marti Klinger's Lavender for Luck on the outskirts of town. When breast cancer forced a hiatus from the horse business, she jump-started plans to grow lavender. Pick your own or visit the cute boutique in her basement for salves, soaps and cosmetics made with her harvests and other crafts (1-740-541-2700; lavenderforluck.co).
Dairy Barn Arts Center is a great exhibition space (1-740-592-4981; dairybarn.org). The spectacular Quilt National '17 is on display until Labor Day, with work by 85 artists from 10 different countries. The quilts here are abstract and pictorial, made with inventive and eclectic materials. This is quilting's cutting edge: wildly unique takes on stitching layers together.
While Athens is within an hour of Hocking Hills State Park's hemlock-fringed sandstone gorge and Zaleski State Forest's 30 miles of backpacking trails, Strouds Run State Park is adjacent to town (1-740-384-4474; parks.ohiodnr.gov/stroudsrun). The gorgeous 161-acre Dow Lake reservoir is ringed by steep hills and forest, not vacation homes. Fishing requires an Ohio license; canoes, kayaks, pontoons, paddleboats and stand-up paddleboards are available for rent.
Where to eat and drink
For lunch, O'Betty's Red Hot is decked out in vampy burlesque decor and cabinets full of flea-market knickknacks. Get the Mata Hari, a griddled all-beef dog on a toasted honey bun covered in cocoa-laced Cincinnati-style chili and coleslaw, with hand-cut fries (1-740-589-6111; obettys.com). It's across the street from the worker-owned Casa Nueva, serving "Mexican-style" cuisine with a full bar and frequent live music. My seasonal burrito had spring greens and blue cheese, topped with shredded carrots and a spicy-sweet strawberry salsa (1-740-592-2016; casanueva.com).
Union Street Diner has homemade pie and cheesecake and never closes. My server assured me with pride that the mashed potatoes were real, not instant. Her favorite is the open-faced roast beef. On Thursdays, you must get the chicken and homemade noodles special — served over potatoes, it's the quintessence of Lower Midwestern cuisine (1-740-594-6007; unionstreetdiner.com).
