A 2014 Best Small Town Near To My Heart

I was just crazy excited to see hometown haunt Marietta, Ohio chosen as one of the 2014 Best Small Towns in America by Smithsonian Magazine.  It is most assuredly a well-deserved title and seeing this quirky and historic town get national recognition just warms the cockles of my cynical heart.  I have so many memories of Marietta, some hazy, others as crystalline as can be....

....memories like serving up fresh dishes like the beloved Chicken and Pea pasta (chicken breast, peas and green onions in a thyme Parmesan cream sauce) made with locally crafted Rossi Pasta at the Levee House Cafe.  Enjoying spicy breaded wings on the deck of the Becky Thatcher sternwheel boat on a crisp autumn evening while watching the Marietta College crew teams slice through the water below. Indulging in a classic hot bologna sandwich at Harmar Tavern. Standing in awe on the roof of the historic Lafayette Hotel, sitting on the confluence of two rivers filled with watercraft as a massive fireworks display exploded all around us. 


Much has changed since my days of being a resident of Marietta and blessedly, some things have not. The Becky Thatcher is tragically no longer there (one day, I'll write a post about the wealth of memories I have of this place alone). The Levee House, Harmar Tavern and Lafayette Hotel still stand and welcome guests.



The Marietta College campus still looks breathtaking in the fall and the streets are still lined with an astounding array of various architecture styles.

 

I look forward to returning in a few weeks and visiting some of the newer Marietta businesses that are generating some righteous buzz like Thrive Café. 

In the meantime, go on with your impressive self, Marietta. Enjoy your well-deserved spotlight and see you soon!

The video at the top of the page was created by the Marietta-Washington County CVB showing the reaction of residents when they found out about the designation by Smithsonian magazine. You can read the Smithsonian magazine article in its entirety here. Visit the Marietta CVB-WC page to learn more about Marietta here.

None of the photos on this post are my own.