Rod Serling lives.

Well, at least his spirit lives. It hovers in a special way over this month’s issue of Ohio Magazine, which celebrates the 2010 class of Ohio’s Best Hometowns — Cambridge, Granville, Sylvania, Willoughby and Yellow Springs. (For the purposes of this exercise, you’ll want to keep the latter two towns especially in mind.)

Intrigued? Serling would be pleased. The legendary creator and host of the early ’60s television series “The Twilight Zone” was first and foremost a writer. And among his many literary gifts was his ability to hook his audience in his first few lines.

OK, this is no “Twilight Zone” and I’m no Rod Serling. But let’s cue the show’s theme music as I point out that Serling was educated at Antioch College in Yellow Springs and that one of the most famous and captivating episodes in “The Twilight Zone” anthology was called “A Stop at Willoughby” — written, of course, by Rod Serling.

What? No tingles down your spine? Fine. Have it your way. Kill the theme music, return from the shadows and step into the light of day. If we can’t coax you to take a journey into the world beyond, at least join us on our real-world tour of the finest hometowns anywhere.

With your suggestions and nominations as a starting point, our editors once again explored each of the state’s five regions to discover the best of the best — the places where the spirit of the state (if not Rod Serling) is most clearly manifest. These are the places that serve as Ohio’s hallmarks of excellence in recreation, services, education, commerce and civic pride.

Visit Cambridge and experience the nostalgic charms of Victorian Village. Visit Granville and discover new things in a setting where you are treated as an old friend. Visit Sylvania and walk down a sunny street where you can relax on a uniquely artistic park bench. Visit Willoughby and shop in its bustling and bright downtown. Visit Yellow Springs and enjoy natural beauty that serves as the backdrop of history.

“A Stop at Willoughby,” by the way, was Serling’s favorite episode from the first season of “The Twilight Zone” in 1960. Fifty years later, a stop at Willoughby — as well as Cambridge, Granville, Sylvania and Yellow Springs — is high on our list of favorite things to do. We suggest you stop by, too.

Here is our salute to each of the five towns, and to the people fortunate enough to live in them.