Look for a special “Ohio Day Trips” magazine insert in the April 24 Galion Inquirer, Morrow County Sentinel and Bellville Star.

Everyone knows about the big tourist attractions in Ohio, and all are less than 200 miles from this part of Ohio.

They lure millions of visitors to the Buckeye State each year. And almost everyone who lives in north central Ohio has visited Cedar Point in Sandusky; the Lake Erie Islands, including Put-in-Bay; and Kings Island in Mason.

But a special magazine insert in next Wednesday’s Inquirer — a joint effort of the Galion Inquirer, Bellville Star and Morrow County Sentinal — is meant to provide a lot of other day-trip opportunities, all within just a few miles of the three communities served by these newspapers.

Ohio also has some of the best zoos in the nation … in Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo and Cincinnati.

But a lot closer, and although it’s not actually a zoo, is Alpaca Meadows, just a few miles from Galion in Ontario. Alpaca Meadows allows visitors a chance to to get up close and personal with the cute and cuddly alpaca.

There are lots of places in this area to get to know animals, including Wildlife Haven on Ohio 598, north of Galion. It bills itself as a center for rehabilitation and education. Wildlife Haven’s main focus is on the care of injured, orphaned and displaced wildlife, most of which are in trouble due to man-made causes. Each year more than 700 wildlife “clients” are brought to Wildlife Haven where they are provided with professional care and given a second chance at life in the natural world.

The Ohio Bird Sanctuary is another site close to open that allows children and adults a chance to get to know Ohio’s native wildlife on a personal level.

Ohio also has lots of baseball available: The Cleveland Indians; Cincinnati Reds; Columbus Clippers; Akron Rubber Ducks; Lake County Captains and Mahoning Valley Scrappers.

But closer to home are the Galion Graders. This baseball team is a member of the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League and plays its home games at Heise Park in Galion throughout the summer. For more information on the Graders, including rosters and schedules visit their Facebook page.

Enjoy, take in some of these sights that are not as well-know as their more famous counterparts, but just as enjoyable, a bit cheaper. And in the meantime you can support your local communities.