12 Great Places You've Never Heard Of

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Farmland is available in Athens, but it’s not the black topsoil and flat fields of typical Midwestern farms. Instead, farms in the area tend to be small, and growers have to work harder to make the clay soil productive. But many have taken up the challenge, and, thanks to the mild climate, have turned the area into a bit of horticultural heaven. The Athens farmers market is open year-round and everything sold is local. Athens also has a community kitchen that growers can use to make value-added food products.

Athens is home to Ohio University, which gives it all the benefits of a college town: arts, culture, eclectic restaurants and bookstores, speakers and sporting events. But unlike some better-known college towns, Athens remains fairly remote and inexpensive.

Population: 21,824
County: Athens
Climate: cold winters and warm summers; generally without extreme temperatures
Cost of living index: 92
Median home price: $144,900
Alternative energy: net metering, some loan and grant programs
Don’t miss: Dairy Barn Arts Center

Wimberley, Texas

The Texas Hill Country is a popular tourist destination, especially in spring when the meadows are awash in bluebonnets and other wildflowers. The area has grown rapidly in the past 10 years, as retirees, artists and young families flee ever-growing cities for a more peaceful life in a smaller community. Wimberley is one such community that still feels like a small town but has enough happening that it may be the next Hill Country boom town. It’s situated on the picturesque Blanco River and Cypress Creek, and it has a historic town square with 65 shops.

Wimberley is known far and wide for its Market Days, held the first Saturday of every month from April through December. The outdoor market gives local vendors a place to sell a variety of wares, including crafts, food, artwork, antiques and furniture — it’s a great venue for the self-employed.

The area is renowned for peaches and pecans — you can pick up some at the Wednesday farmers market or the Hill Country Natural Foods store. Both sell all sorts of locally grown products. Destination farms in the area feature wine, lavender, olive oil, flowers and vegetables.

“The climate is fabulous for almost year-round gardening here,” says Frank Arnosky of Arnosky Family Farms. “We can grow cool season crops all winter long.”

Pamela Arnosky, Frank’s wife, adds: “The best gardening in the Hill Country is along the creek bottoms, and there are numerous pockets of good soil located along the ephemeral creeks. The hilltops are rocky, but the views are lovely! We have days here when the climate is crisp and dry like New Mexico. On wet days, the weather is reminiscent of western North Carolina!”

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