BACK TO SCHOOL

But aren't you just a tiny little bit nostalgic? Maybe a lot bit? A part of you misses the vibe of a good university town. You want back in - if only to just watch it all go down from a safe distance.

We're not talking about Berkeley, here - or Ann Arbor, or Cambridge. Not even Madison, Wisconsin.

While all are certainly worthy of praise, why not visit one less traveled (as some poet dude once suggested)?

Here's the CliffsNotes on five you mightn't be so familiar with.

OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI

The school: Ole Miss

The vibe: Book learnin'.

On campus: The University of Mississippi's lush 1,000-acre spread, filled with magnolias and dogwoods is wall-to-wall activity, whether your interest is music (at the Blues Archive, listen to more than half a million recordings) or history (check out the Confederate Cemetery, where 700 rebs lay dead). Then, of course, there's sports. Rooting for the Rebels on fall weekends is practically the 11th Commandment.

Off campus: Oxford has a vibrant downtown, and, like in so many other instances down South, everything revolves around the courthouse (built in 1873). Here you'll find Square Books, a fierce independent in three parts (Square Books, Off Square Books and Square Books, Jr.) that could teach The Strand a thing or two about hospitality. Across the way, Neilson's Department Store is a nearly high-end historic gem, around since 1839. To the south you'll find Rowan Oak, where William Faulkner once lived.

Where everyone hangs out: At some point, most everyone seems to pass through Uptown Coffee, just north of the square. The coffee's pretty bad, but the girls who "study" there sure are centerfold-worthy (265 N. Lamar Blvd.).

Local know-how: Get a glimpse of the local arts scene at Off Square Books every Thursday evening, when it hosts Thacker Mountain Radio, a variety show that airs on public radio (thackermountain.com).

Stay: The best bet is the simple Downtown Oxford Inn & Suites (from $99; 400 N. Lamar Blvd., downtownoxfordinnandsuites.com)

Info: touroxfordms.com

DAVIS, CALIFORNIA

The School: University of California, Davis

The vibe: Dorm on the range

What it's all about: When taxpayers don't revolt over a special $14,000 tunnel built so frogs can cross the road without becoming street pizza, you know you're somewhere in NoCal. But Davis isn't just another Berkeley - besides being a progressive, kind-of-out-there burg, it's also got an up-at-dawn, milk-the-cows farming heritage, which the University plays up in a big way (Go Aggies!).

On campus: The school is well-known for being home to the whopping Viticulture & Enology School (a.k.a. Learning How To Make Wine), which makes total sense, given its close proximity to the Napa Valley (a scenic, 45-mile drive to the west).

It's no accident the Mondavi family has their name splashed all over the school's Performing Arts Center. The campus revolves around sprawling lawns and lush parks that host occasional battles of the bands and Jack Russell terrier races a-plenty (it's a local thing). Landscaping is eclectic to say the least (track down all five of the "egghead" statues, a series of sculptures by a former art professor).

Off campus: As you'd expect, there's a stellar Farmer's Market. It's held every Wednesday and Saturday in Central Park. Through October, the Wednesday installment features Picnic in the Park, where you can buy anything from roti to tamales.

Where everyone hangs out: Davis likes to play - it's where the first season of MTV's "Sorority Life" was filmed, much to the chagrin of locals. Students hit the G Street Pub to find home- rappers or to drown their midterm sorrows in any of the 70 beers on tap at The Cantina (also on G Street).

Local know-how: Davisites are the proud owners of the most bicycles per capita in the nation. Rent two wheels from the on-campus Bike Barn (from $15 per day, bikebarn.ucdavis.edu).

Stay: Head 15 miles west to the village of Winters, where the Abbey House Inn has six pleasant rooms, and the downtown has two great restaurants: Buckhorn Steakhouse for the Daddy's Cut of prime rib, and Putah Creek Grill for breakfast (from $90; abbeyhouseinn.com).

Info: yolocvb.com

DULUTH, MINNESOTA

The school: University of Minnesota, Duluth

The vibe: Little Alaska

What it's all about: Beautifully set in the Northwoods, this not-so-post-industrial city practically falls off the hill into Lake Superior. There are frequent black bear sightings on city streets. It's home to two ballet companies and, according to local lore, the second highest number of bartenders per-capita after Las Vegas. Oh, and Bob Dylan was born here.

On campus: Five major colleges claim space around town, the largest being University of Minnesota Duluth, home to the Tweed Museum of Art. Thanks to a vast right-brain conspiracy at Minnesota's state house, a law mandating the government devote a portion of its budget to public arts resulted in a glass sculpture hanging from the ceiling of the school's new two-story library. You'll find more outside.

Where everyone hangs out: Firstly, there's Superior Street, the main drag downtown. Stop in at the Electric Fetus, a small Minnesota record store chain that most locals can't imagine downtown without (12 E. Superior St.), on your way to the Duluth Athletic Club, which isn't an athletic club at all. They've got $1 domestic beers on Thursdays (21 N. 4th St.). Secondly, there's the waterfront Canal Park District, a tourist-friendly mix of manicured shopping areas and mid-priced hotels. It's also home to the Grandma's restaurant and bar empire, another gift Duluth gave to the world (well, to the Midwest at least). At Grandma's Sports Garden, there's food, but there are also students. And where there are students, there is Long Island Iced Tea (425 Lake Ave. S).

Off-campus: Head north out of town on scenic Highway 61, which angles north towards the Canadian border, mostly staying faithful to Superior's shores. Plan on stopping to take pictures, particularly when fall colors reach their peak.

Local know-how: January 28 marks the 25th anniversary of the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon (beargrease.com). It's like a little Iditarod.

Stay: Fitger's Inn, a former brewery along the Lakewalk - has 62 rooms; shoot for one with a lake view (from $119, fitgers.com).

Info: visitduluth.com

WALLA WALLA, WASHINGTON

The school: Whitman College

The vibe: Desert Napa

What it's all about: Italian immigrants planted vines here as early as the mid-1800s, but Walla Walla, a remote (five hours from Seattle) and small (less than 20,000 residents) town near the Oregon and Idaho borders, didn't become the center of one of the hottest wine-growing regions in the nation until the 1980s. Today, dozens of wineries dot the region.

On campus: Half college, half picnicker's Shangri-La (several streams flow through campus into duck-filled ponds), Whitman College serves as a center for the city's vibrant arts scene. For visual, head to the Sheehan Gallery. For performance, drop in on Cordiner Hall. For student work, drop by the Stevens Gallery in the Campus Center. The Friday night Coffeehouse event showcases musical talent.

Where everyone hangs out: The Ice Berg Drive-In has its place in local legend for shakes and 'rings (616 W. Birch St.), but all the great restaurants in town may make it hard for you to choose from. Vintners, farmers and business types alike congregate at the CreekTown Café, where the atmosphere isn't quite the typical rathskeller scene, but there's a decent beer menu and excellent burgers, topped with - you guessed it - the local onions (1129 S. 2nd Ave.).

Off campus: The historic downtown is a beaut, but the real attraction is wine tasting, which you can do everywhere, both in town and out in the sticks. In nearby Lowden, don't miss L'ecole No. 41 ("the school" en fran‡ais), one of the pioneers in the region. They've been producing since 1983 - the merlot is a must-try (lecole.com).

Local know how: A sizeable Latino community makes its home in Eastern Washington - nothing better after a few drinks than a trip to one of the local taco trucks. Two to know: La Monarca, found near Rose Street (at 11th Ave.), and Yungapeti (technically, it was a truck, now it's a sit-down resto), found on Ninth Avenue.

Stay: The Inn at Abeja has five rooms and cottages on 22 scenic acres of vineyard. It's like one of those little places in California, but cheaper (from $210; abeja.net).

Info: wallawalla.org