By DAN LIGGETT
A 200th birthday bash only comes around once, and Wilmington and Clinton County are making plans for a yearlong blast.

By BRANDON SMITH
When the autumn air is at its most crisp and hot apple cider allows friends to be outside well into the night, there may be no setting as perfect as Cowan Lake.

If you’re travelling through central Ohio, stop at these local eateries for the greatest hamburgers

By RYAN CARTER
Finding a great hamburger in southwest Ohio is not a difficult task.

Hunting, berry picking, mushroom searching are all part of the experience at Indian Creek Wildlife Area southeast of Fayetteville

By BRETT ROLLER
Just 20 miles east of Cincinnati off of U.S. 50 lies a quiet sportsmen’s paradise in the middle of corn fields and woods.

By KATIE WRIGHT
From the rolling fields of native prairie grasses waving in the wind to the rush of water pouring over the falls in a deep woods, the sights and sounds that greet visitors to Fallsville Wildlife Preserve are at once both peaceful and breathtaking.

There’s plenty to do this Fall in “Downtown USA.” Here is what our local downtowns have to offer:

By Carol Chroust
To celebrate Main Street, USA, visit southern Ohio! Five county seats, from Central Ohio into the Appalachian foothills, represent small town Midwestern America at its best. Georgetown, Hillsboro, Washington Court House, West Union and Wilmington are preserving their history, enjoying the present and looking to the future.

By Carol Chroust
Clinton County was visited by glaciers in earlier ages that left rich flat rolling farm land in their wake. Attracted by opportunity and fertile soil, the settlers came early, before the turn of the 18th century. The county was formed in 1810 from parts of Highland and Warren Counties and named after the vice president of the United States, George Clinton. That same year, sixty acres near Lytle Creek were given for a county seat. Early settlers named it after their home town, Wilmington, North Carolina. Green and lush, Clinton County is the coolest and wettest county in Southern Ohio.

With dramatic scenery, state parks, sanctuaries, nature preserves, caves and lakes, this beautiful county was named Highland because it was on high land and the “topography was hilly and divides the watersheds of the Little Miami and Scioto Rivers.” In 1807, Hillsboro was constructed to be the county seat of Highland County. With two separate railroad lines, by the 1880s, the town was a center of manufacturing and agricultural business and trade.

 Washington Court House reflects the name and theme of the Harry Ahysen mural over the downtown Veteran’s Memorial Park, “Many things are centered here”. Formed from parts of Ross and Highland Counties, Fayette County was founded in 1810. It was named after Marquis de Lafayette who aided Americans in the Revolutionary War.

 By Carol Chroust
The route to West Union, though the Appalachian foothills, is as nice as the town and a special part of the trip. The Boston Herald, November 26, 1998, described Southwest Ohio as “a region that rivals New England for scenic beauty, picturesque country inns and historical sites”. That describes Adams County perfectly. Known as “The edge of Appalachia”, beautiful Adams County also has an exciting history.

By Carol Chroust
In 1808, Allen Woods bought 200 acres of wilderness and, eight years later, laid out a plat with 22 lots and four streets. He named it Georgetown after his hometown in Kentucky. Brown County was founded in 1817 when it was formed from parts of Adams and Clermont County. It is bordered on the south by the Ohio River. It was named after Jacob Brown, a War of 1812 hero. After several years of political bickering over which town would be the county seat, an Ohio General Assembly commission unanimously chose Georgetown. In the 2000 Census, Brown County was one of the fastest growing counties in Ohio.

By Carol Ward
If you are seeking nostalgia, a specific antique, or collectible or just want to spend time browsing, Adams County has a variety of antique shops focused on your whims and desires. The best days to find shops open are Thursday through Saturday. However, please note most shops have a phone number listed and the owners are more than willing to work with you to plan a day of antiquing when the posted hours do not fit your schedule.

By Tom Cross
Adams County has a number of top bed & breakfast that pamper visitors and provide the all comforts of a country inn. All serve a generous breakfast, a friendly atmosphere, and perhaps best of all a place to leave your cares behind.

By Tom Cross
Although the name may have a familiar ring, this totally new festival promises to bring a tradition of herbs, crafts, and natural products to a location familiar to all, the Wheat Ridge Amish Community.

By VALERIE MARTIN
Food vendors, demonstrations, rides, games, music, displays - sounds like every festival you have ever been to, right? But add two parades every day, contests galore and more pumpkins than you will ever see in one place, and you get “The Greatest Free Show on Earth” - the Circleville Pumpkin show.

By BRYAN PECK
Each year in late spring people from a three-state region migrate toward southern Ohio to the Ohio River to get away from life’s trial’s and tribulations. Brown County, an hour east of Cincinnati, has eight campgrounds along the Ohio River.

By MEREDITH CREEK
Historic landmarks across Highland County preserve the memories of years past and provoke in some a desire to learn more about the richness of a county founded more than 200 years ago.