amount of money and a functioning automobile, the adventurous college student can experience the best

this region has to offer. What follows are some suggestions to exciting, interesting and even educational

destinations. Be forewarned that this is by no means an exhaustive list, but at least you won't be able to

say, "There's never anything to do around here."

by jennifer hamilton photography by Tanya Ackerman

Akron

Stan Hywett Hall was home to Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. co-founder F.A. Sieberling and his family until the 1950s.

Sure, it's also known as the Rubber Bowl, but Akron isn't nearly as dull as it sounds. Plus, it's close by and perfect for day trips. The first stop on your itinerary should be Hale Farm and Village, which takes visitors back to mid-19th century farm life. Costumed pioneers greet you and are eager to answer any questions about their rustic lifestyle. As you tour the 21 buildings in the village, take in the sights of craftspeople demonstrating the arts of glassblowing, candlemaking, blacksmithing and pottery throwing. Gardens and orchards beckon the nature lover, and you can even pet the oxen, sheep and cows that call Hale Farm their home. Ticket prices are $10 per person.

If you're more intrigued by art than by a Little House on the Prairie atmosphere, head to the Akron Art Museum. It offers international, national and regional art from 1850 to the present. Artists include Harry Callahan, Andy Warhol and Frank Stella, to name a few. Outside, the Myers Sculpture Courtyard features permanent large-scale art exhibitions. And in case you're still not convinced, it's free of charge.

Another museum in downtown Akron is Inventure Place, the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Opened in 1995, Akron's Inventure Place celebrates the creative and entrepreneurial spirit of great inventors. The first inductee was Thomas Edison, but other inventors honored since Edison include Henry Ford, John Deere and George Washington Carver.

A fourth nearby place that's worth an afternoon visit is Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens. A tudor-style mansion built between 1912 and 1915, Stan Hywet was home to Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. co-founder F.A. Sieberling and his family until the 1950s. Helen Keller, the VonTrapps and President William Taft were among the more famous visitors before the house was opened to the public. While you're on the tour, be sure to check out the 23 fireplaces, hand-carved oak paneling and 21,000 panes of glass. If the weather is cooperating, you can venture outdoors to stroll through the Japanese Garden, the Lagoon, the Great Meadow and the Rose Garden. The tour includes the conservatory and greenhouse. The Museum Store and Carriage House Cafe are optional. Admission for both the house and gardens is $7 per person, or $3.50 for the gardens alone.

Columbus
If visiting Akron is still too close to home to be considered a "getaway," maybe Columbus is the place for you. The city has its appeal, particularly because it's Ohio's capital. If you're prone to shopping sprees, head straight to the City Center in the heart of downtown Columbus. This three-level mall offers two coffee shops, Abercrombie and Fitch, The Limited, The Express, The Gap, The World Bead Company and dozens of small specialty stores.

The Short North district, also downtown, is the best and cheapest place to see a controversial play and to buy a cup of gourmet coffee. Stop in the Short North Pole, a specialty ice cream store that is famous for combining your favorite desserts. Choose from homemade brownies, pies or cookies as the toppings for one of a dozen flavors of ice cream.

If you're not in the mood for local art or dessert, perhaps Ohio State University will interest you. Home to the Wexner Center for the Arts and the Buckeye football team, OSU is a city in itself. The campus is bordered by High Street, which is a great place for window shopping.

One of Columbus' historical attractions is the Santa Maria, a full-scale replica of the ship Columbus sailed to America. The Center of Science and Industry is another Columbus highlight. COSI has four floors of interactive, hands-on exhibits that appeal to kids of all ages, and you'll learn something, too.

Stepping into a machine that looks like a transporter from Star Trek will prompt a computer to voice your height without the use of a scale. One-on-one rat basketball is also popular, but what draws the biggest crowd is a simple metal sphere the size of a volleyball. When this exhibit is open, visitors can place their hands on the sphere, which transfers static electricity to the rest of the body, making visitors' hair stand literally on end.

Cleveland
If the city skyline is beckoning, but Columbus is too far away, Cleveland is the destination for you. An hour's drive from Kent, Cleveland is home to one of the best zoos in the state, the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Founded in 1882, the Metroparks Zoo is the seventh oldest zoo in the country. With attendance reaching more than a million visitors a year, it is one of the largest year-round attractions in Northeast Ohio. The zoo is home to thousands of animals of more than 400 species. The RainForest, one of the zoo's newer attractions, depicts the amazing diversity of the world's three major rainforests in Africa, Asia and South America. Inside the two-story jungle live more than 600 creatures, including orangutans, anteaters and reptiles, in addition to almost 400 varieties of plants. Be sure not to miss the 25-foot indoor waterfall.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is another one of Cleveland's most popular attractions. Exhibits include tributes to Pink Floyd, Jefferson Airplane, Elvis Presley and the Beatles. There's a large gift shop and a cafe that serves lunch and snacks. Admission is $15 per person. Nearby is a smaller version of Columbus's COSI, the Great Lakes Science Center. Here you can catch an eyeful at the Omnimax Theatre, a six-story-tall theater that makes you feel like you're part of the film. The science center's interactive modules, optical illusions, historical artifacts and hands-on experiments are guaranteed to entertain you.

Cleveland is also renowned for University Circle, a cultural park 5 miles east of downtown, where the Cleveland Art Museum is located. One of the top 10 art museums in the country, the Cleveland Art Museum is a favorite destination for art buffs and casual visitors alike. The collection includes more than 30,000 works of art, including some that date back 5,000 years. It opened to the public in 1916. Admission is free.

Hocking Hills

A relaxing afternoon of hiking awaits amid the rock formations of Hocking Hills.

Hocking Hills, about three hours south of Kent, is a nature lover's paradise. There are several scenic hiking paths, including the well-known Old Man's Cave, Ash Cave, Conkle's Hollow and Cantwall's Cliffs.

The most popular of all the Hocking areas is Old Man's Cave, which derives its name from the hermit who lived in the large recess cave of the gorge. Along the length of the trail, the gorge cuts through the entire 150-foot thickness of the Blackhand sandstone and enables visitors to peer into the earth's subsurface.

In the southernmost areas of Hocking Hills lies Ash Cave, which is the largest, most impressive recessed cave in the state. The horseshoe-shaped cave is massive, measuring 700 feet from end to end and 100 feet in depth. Ash Cave is named after the huge pile of ashes found under the shelter by early settlers who believed the ash had been left by Indian campfires.

The recommended time to visit is in the fall when the leaves begin to change color, but it is a perfect area to sightsee any time of the year. In addition to nature hikes, several rural stores in the park's vicinity sell everything from wind chimes to American Indian paraphernalia. Horseback riding is offered at Stone Valley Ranch. Rates are $20 to $35 per hour.

Unfortunately, dining choices are limited in Hocking Hills because of the rural location, so picnicking is a wise idea. Some recommended restaurants are Blueberry Hill, Raven Wood and the Colonial Inn Restaurant. Because Hocking Hills is quite a drive from Kent, overnight lodging may be necessary. If you are truly an outdoors person, camping grounds are plentiful. Some suggestions are Hocking Hills KOA Kamping, Crockett's Run and Top O' The Caves, all of which charge about $20 per night, depending on availability.