Clark Gable said it: “I’m just a lucky slob from Ohio who happened to be in the right place at the right time.”

We appreciate the sentiment, of course, but we wonder if he said too much. Really now, doesn’t “I’m a lucky slob from Ohio” say it all?

Here at Ohio Magazine, we always feel it is the right place and the right time. Heck, we put the final touches on this issue in the middle of a snowstorm in Cleveland, and we felt like lucky slobs throughout the process.

Our cover story helped. As much as we enjoy every issue, our annual Best of Ohio package is a special pleasure to produce each January. It captures the very heart of our mission to celebrate the beauty, the adventure and the fun of life in the Buckeye State.

Want to find the best way to make the season — any season — bright? Look no further than Root Candles in Medina, where 48 fragrances evoke every season and every (good) mood. Medina itself, by the way, is one of our Best Hometowns this year.

In search of an international taste treat? Sample the cabbage of Cincinnati’s Fab Ferments, made with a multicultural line of naturally fermented vegetables.

Need a java buzz? Swing by The Depot Coffee House in Urbana — another of our Best Hometowns — for the perfect blend of coffee, baked goods, live entertainment and local art.

Seeking some sparkle in your life? Here’s a gem: Cathy’s Wire Art Jewelry on Kelleys Island. There you’ll find beach glass transformed into earrings, necklaces, rings, pendants, bracelets and other must-be-seen artistic jewels.

Prefer rocks of a different sort? Centerville proudly claims “Ohio’s largest collection of early stone buildings.”

Or maybe you’d just rather make a splash. Indulge the urge at the Wapakoneta WaterPark. You do know that Wapakoneta also is one of our Best Hometowns, don’t you?

Rounding out our Best Hometowns this year are Worthington and Zanesville, each of which has a host of Ohio’s “bests.” Read all about them in this issue, as well as other bests from around the state.

And thank you for the vital input you gave us for our “Best of Ohio” feature this year. Thanks to your help, we believe these bests are, well, the best ever. We’re lucky slobs to have the fun of exploring them.

As for all those second-bests in other states? Frankly, my dear, Clark Gable had a pretty good line we could quote about that list, too.