<p>FROM USA TODAY:</p>
<p>10 great places to enjoy a textbook getaway
Updated 8/18/2005 6:02 PM ET </p>
<p>As college students head off to school, college towns across the country — some of them delightful destinations in their own right — are poised for the onslaught of students and their families. "Many of these towns leverage their geography as an attraction along with charm, dining, activities, high-caliber students and faculty, so you get the best of all worlds," says Keith Bellows, editor in chief of National Geographic Traveler magazine. He shares with USA TODAY's Shawn Sell some small-to-medium-size college towns that "have a real ability to keep the young and the young-at-heart engaged in culture and fun."</p>
<p>Charlottesville, Va.</p>
<p>"Not too far from Washington, D.C., or Monticello, the manicured, Thomas Jefferson-designed University of Virginia is located on one of the most gorgeous campuses and towns around," Bellows says. "It's a place that has history, bookishness and beauty" plus good eateries, pubs and the nearby Wintergreen Ski Resort. 877-386-1102; charlottesvilletourism.org</p>
<p>Hanover, N.H.</p>
<p>"A world-class cultural center in a rural setting, the home of Dartmouth College is ideal if you're an outdoors person," Bellows says. "There's great golf and hiking, plus skiing, kayaking and every other kind of outdoor sport." Not to miss: Hood Museum of Art and the Hopkins Center for the Performing Arts. 603-643-3115; hanoverchamber.org</p>
<p>Ann Arbor, Mich.</p>
<p>"Although it's a little isolated, there is a lot of cosmopolitan appeal here in AA," Bellows says of the University of Michigan's campus town. "There are so many record, book and antique stores to visit," plus coffee shops, music venues, a museum and an arboretum. "Perfect if you want a world-class university with a gritty urban feel." 734-995-7281; annarbor.org</p>
<p>Princeton, N.J.</p>
<p>Buildings green with ivy and traditional tree-lined streets make the colonial town and Princeton University "a beautiful, quintessential Ivy League place," Bellows says. "Find great theater in this diverse, tidy community, a hotbed of intelligence with the academic vigor that Princeton brings." 609-924-1776; princetonchamber.org</p>
<p>Madison, Wis.</p>
<p>"The University of Wisconsin is big, but there's a small-town feel here in the state's capital (you can't get away from the cheese, but you can go ice fishing on any winter's day)," Bellows says. "When you think of Madison, wedged between Mendota and Monona lakes, you think of a backwater place, but really there's an incredible eclectic urban feel to it. It's an interesting town with buildings by Frank Lloyd Wright." 800-373-6376; visitmadison.com</p>
<p>Boulder Convention & Visitors Bureau
In Boulder: Outdoor and cultural activities abound in this college town northwest of Denver.</p>
<p>Boulder, Colo.</p>
<p>"This politically hip, health-conscious city right by the mountains has everything," Bellows says, including the Celestial Seasonings tea factory, diverse cuisines, the University of Colorado's cultural life, concerts and lectures, "plus outdoor offerings like hiking, tubing and whitewater rafting." 800-444-0447; bouldercoloradousa.com</p>
<p>Flagstaff, Ariz.</p>
<p>"This is one of my favorites," Bellows says of this non-conformist mountain town with an elevation of 7,000 feet. Northern Arizona University is here, as well "as some of the Southwest's most beautiful scenery." Visit the Painted Desert and Grand Canyon (each an hour away) or hike in nearby Coconino National Forest. "Students, artists, new-age liberals and tree huggers rock the night away at brewpubs and pool rooms. You'll see lots of characters walking down the street." 800-842-7293; flagstaffarizona.org</p>
<p>Chapel Hill, N.C.</p>
<p>"An old place (chosen in the 1790s as the site for the University of North Carolina) that's now a huge Tar Heels sports and party town (catch a bluegrass band at one of the bars on Franklin Street)," Bellows says. "It's a pretty town permeated with history, energy and, of course, you have to remember that Michael Jordan went here." 919-929-9700; downtownchapelhill.com</p>
<p>Eugene, Ore.</p>
<p>"The running capital of the world is also a hippie haven," says Bellows, who characterizes Eugene as an easygoing place with an eclectic blend of runners, green activists, loggers and students. "The home of the University of Oregon is a gorgeous place, great for those who love the outdoors." Hike in the Willamette National Forest or stop at U of O's Museum of Natural and Cultural History. 800-547-5445;travellanecounty.com</p>
<p>Berkeley, Calif.</p>
<p>Come and get the counterculture. "It's a hippie haven, always has been," Bellows says, "but a great place to stay plugged in." Berkeley is the oldest of the University of California campuses and the scene on Telegraph Avenue is a mélange of "artists, students, moms with kids and aging hippies, all together in farmers markets, bookstores, cafes, record shops and ethnic restaurants." 800-847-4823; visitberkeley.c</p>