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Towns That Time Forgot
Gambier, Ohio
From a 19th-century Ohio college town to a onetime stop along the Santa Fe Trail in Kansas, you'll love these Heartland hamlets. (P.S. Don't miss the side trip that's listed with each one.)
Like colorful kites, scarlet leaves spin down from mammoth old maples above the Middle Path. This walkway bisects the Kenyon College campus and meanders into the center of Gambier (45 miles northeast of Columbus).
Beneath these massive trees and the spires of Ohio's oldest private college, time seems to move as slow as the barely stirring breeze. Couples stroll hand in hand through the college's stone gate, erected in 1824, then on past columned Greek Revival-style buildings that line the block-long business district.
Drifts of leaves scatter across green lawns that surround venerable college buildings. A walking-tour map points out historic structures, including Rosse Hall, built in 1829.
On a corner downtown, chatting groups spill from Kenyon College Bookstore. You could spend all afternoon exploring this warren of shelves packed with texts and best-sellers, plus tattered volumes about Ohio history. Bikes line up outside the Gambier Deli, where you can rent one to ride the nearby 14-mile-long Kokosing Trail.
The Kenyon Inn across from campus is as peaceful as the town. Deep-cushioned chairs grace the lobby, and the aroma of apple pie, a specialty at the inn's restaurant, fills the halls.
Side trip Go east 7 miles on State-229 to US-62; south to Martinsburg, an Amish community; then south and west 6 miles to Utica. Stops: In Martinsburg, Yoder's Cider Barn, and Plain and Fancy Shoppe for cheese; in Utica, Ye Olde Mill, an ice cream parlor and museum.
Travel tips Lodgings: Kenyon Inn and restaurant (800/258- 5391 inn, 740/427-2491 restaurant). Dining: Gambier Deli (740/427-4324). Contact: Knox County Convention and Visitors Bureau(800/837-5282).
