Greetings. My best friend and I have begun a tradition of taking a weekend trip each summer. Last year our most beloved stop was New Harmony, IN, as we met and stayed with a really kind, artsy couple. We'll begin and end in South Bend, IN. Anyone know of any charming small towns rich in art, history, farms, culture, camping, good food, good music, good wine, lovely outdoor excursions and salt-of-the-earth people??? Anywhere within the broad Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan area? P.S. we're poor. Thank you!!!

As if I didnt list enough idealistic small-town characteristics, here are more: antiques, diners, swimming holes, book stores and old churches. Although we're only 23 & 24, we're old-souls.

Midwest Living (I think it's the issue still in the stores) has a list of what they consider to be the 100 best small towns (under 30,000) in the midwest. It might be worth your while to pick it up, not only for now but for future ideas.

Obviously, there's not tons of info on each town. But it's got a lot more than I thought it would. I found it interesting. And figured that, at the very least, it gave me ideas for places worth checking into.

good to know. thank you very much CAPH!

I loved New Harmony. Two other favorites are Galena, Illinois, and Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

I really liked Cedarburg, WI. Maybe a little far for you though it is southern Wisconsin.

If you liked New Harmony, you may like Bishop Hill, IL www.bishophill.com.

If you can extend your area to Missouri, look into Hermann or Augusta, both great wine towns. Hannibal is nice, and the whole area from Hannibal to Clarksburg is turning into an artist's haven, with several studios you can visit. Ste. Genevieve is also very nice.

If you're going into Michigan, consider Marshall.

Port Washington, WI. Small, quaint town on Lake Michigan with a beautiful marina.

Galena,Il so much history & interesting little towns along the way such as Elizabeth. Scenery driving to Massbach Ridge Winery is outstanding.

Columbus, IN. A world-class architectural hotspot. And a delightful place to visit!

Details at http://www.columbus.in.us/

Have you ever been to Bloomington, IN? The campus is probably the prettiest I've ever seen (and having done college tours with two kids, I've seen a lot)! There are lots of inexpensive restaurants and all of the other things you would expect to find in a college town.

And nearby Brown County State Park offers some very nice scenery. Nashville is supposed to be well worth a visit as well.

Sebell -

Looking for a little-known, out-of-the-way place?

There's a quaint little rural town in southern Kentucky where you might have a bit of fun. It's called Marion, and it's nestled in the middle of a large Amish community.

There are neat small shops, a few interesting places to eat, and a fantastic mineral museum. That area was once a rich mining area, and the Clement Mineral Museum houses the lifelong collection of one of the town's most successful mine owners.

The museum also hosts fairly regular trips to old mine sites and allows guests to collect pretty rocks to take home with them…if you don't mind getting a little dirty while you're there.

http://www.MarionKentucky.US/

A feature I really enjoyed was how the local folks get across the Ohio River to the town of Cave-In-Rock, Illinois. Instead of a bridge, they use a small ferry boat that is a barge. It's pushed and pulled across the river by a tugboat. And it's free. It usually runs from around 6 in the morning until 10 at night. A ride on the ferry at sunset can be awesome.

There's a nice state park where you can camp in Cave-In-Rock. If you go, enjoy!

Very interesting post about Marion, KY, Steve. I just wanted to add that Cave-In-Rock State Park also has cabins that have a really nice view of the Ohio River. I've never tried to stay there. But if it's like every other state park in Illinois, they probably book way ahead on weekends.

Wish I'd known about the ferry when we were in the area a couple of years ago!

Boom boom where is Marshall and whats makes it great?

The first places that come to my mind are Nashville, Indiana, Bardstown, Kentucky and the Lebonon/Waynesville area outside of Cincinnati, Ohio.

I forgot about Port Washington, WI. Also a very cute town in addition to Cedarburg. You could do both as they are about 20 minutes drive from each other.

wow. everyone, thank you! this is tremendously helpful. i wish we could make this trip a month long instead of a weekend! i'll let you all know what we decide, but in the mean time, keep 'em coming!

Sebell - Since you menitoned that you are "poor".....are you interested in maybe saving some money by camping one night at a cheap place with no electricity or running water?

If so, you can camp right near the parking lot of the Cave-In-Rock to Marion Ferry for only 3 dollars! It's a safe place, and you can just set up a tent and wait for the mayor to come down to collect the fee. You'll know he's the Mayor....because he's the guy on the big red Harley!

A friend and I camped there one night. We enjoyed sitting on the banks of the Ohio River and watching all of the ships go back and forth at night. The Mayor never showed up to collect his fee, so the we found him the next day on our way back through and he said, "Forget it. We're just glad to have tourists come through."

There's some unique history in the area. Cave-In-Rock was once home to pirates without ships! That's right...they hid in the caves, waited for a big ship to come by, then raided it by swimming out or using tiny boats to attack. You can visit some of those caves inside the State Park now.

Marion also features tours of the Amish area with opportunities to see their hand-made crafts and purchase some beautiful things.

If you go, just enjoy the rural scenery and you'll have a blast.