No wonder our art director, Lesley Blake, was smiling. Photographer Jonathan Willis was smiling, too. So was his assistant, Chris Kubik.

It was, after all, the one bright day that interrupted a dozen days of rain. And our cover photo this month would not be the same without the sun.

But the biggest smiles came from 8-year-old Isobel and 4-year-old Thea Glass, and their parents, Simon and Susannah. And they would have had fun even if it were wet.

The Glass family came from Cincinnati to experience a day of adventure and excitement at the Wilds, the amazing conservation center located on nearly 10,000 acres of reclaimed mine land in rural southeastern Ohio. From its inception in 1984, the Wilds has combined conservation consciousness and education programs with unique visitor opportunities.

“The photo shoot itself was a treat,” says Lesley. “Everything worked just right — the animals cooperated and we got what we came to get. But the most fun was watching the little girls’ faces as they learned and played. It was a bonus to have been able to give them that memorable day with their family.”

The Wilds is one of our “Budget Travel” destinations, places to go and things to see to make this summer memorable for you and your family, too. Here are getaway opportunities in every part of the state — north, east, south, west and center — for the perfect Ohio summer.

Many of the places and events we feature are in southeast Ohio, which we celebrate this and every month in Ohio Magazine. In the recent past, our Southeast Ohio readers have enjoyed Over the Back Fence, a supplement devoted solely to travel and other topics in their corner of the state.

We now will incorporate that coverage directly into the pages of Ohio Magazine so that our readers everywhere can enjoy them. As our cover story this month illustrates, one of the great advantages of being an Ohioan is that our distinctive regional delights are available to all of us, no matter what part of the state we call home.

The Glass family found that out on their excursion to the Wilds. This summer, what new Ohio discovery will your family make?