Or view the region via the Buckeye Central Scenic Railroad at 5475 National Road in Newark. This 90-minute route winds through scenic Licking County. Call (740) 432-2022.

In nearby Zanesville, visitors can take a one-hour cruise down the Muskingum River aboard the sternwheeler Lorena. Call (740) 455-8883. Visit the National Road/Zane Grey Museum, with three major exhibit areas. The first is devoted to the National Road, early America's main land artery to the west, which stretched from Cumberland MD to Vandalia, IL.

The second area is devoted to Grey, the "Father of the Adult Western," who wrote more than 80 books. A third area is devoted to Ohio art pottery. Call (740) 872-3143, or visit OhioHistory.org/places/natlroad.

The animal lover in your family will want to go on safari at The Wilds Game Park in nearby Cumberland. This conservation center, home to species from Asia, Africa and North America, offers safari tours and interactive educational activities. Critters include Przewalski's horse, Hartmann's mountain zebra, greater one-horned rhinoceros, Bactrian camel, a wide variety of deer, Rothchild's giraffe, American bison, sable and many more. Visit TheWilds.com.

For those who like to swing a golf club as much as they like casting a fly rod, the region has many golf courses, including the Longaberger and the Vista View in Nashport, and the Licking Springs Golf and Trout Club in Newark.

Also in Newark is the Burning Tree Golf Course, where a mastodon was unearthed on the course grounds in December 1989! The club's dinosaur museum alone makes it worth a visit. Call (740) 522-3464.

LAKE MILTON MUSKIES
Anglers looking forward to battling some mighty muskellunge this summer will want to head to Lake Milton, located off Route 534 at County Road, 15 miles west of Youngstown.

This 1,684-acre lake has been stocked with thousands of muskies. By now, most have grown past the 30-inch mark, and some 50-inch monsters have been reported!

Milton is also home to largemouth and smallmouth bass, bluegills and walleyes.

There's no shortage of family-friendly lodging near the big lake. Green Acres Lake Park in Lake Milton offers 140 sites with water and electricity, as well as 10 primitive sites. Paddleboats and small fishing boats are available for rent. The campground has a playground, a game room, swimming, hiking trails, horseshoes and hayrides. Call (330) 538-2194.

Country Acres Campground in Ravenna has full hook-up and primitive sites, as well as cabin and camper rentals. The campground has its own fishing lake, swimming pools, paddleboats, hay rides, a game room and a variety of outdoor sporting options. Try CountryAcresCamping.com, or call (330) 358-2774.

Fabulous fishing is a given in Ohio, with Lake Erie's 2.25 million acres plus 451 miles of the Ohio River, 40,000 miles of streams and more than 200 inland lakes to choose from.

Philabaun's Hidden Cove Resort is situated on the Berlin Reservoir in Deerfield. Fishing is allowed here, as are motorized watercraft. The resort has wooded and lakeside campsites and cabin rentals. There's a heated game room, a playground and a clubhouse. Call (330) 584-3695, or visit GoCampingAmerica.com/philabauns.