Nothing will take my ridiculous bias away from me! Nothing I say! (I'm sure Ohio is nice).
To the original poster: think about starting out your flying life in gliders. It can be a cheaper (and more fun) way to learn the fundamentals. Gliding clubs also tend to be social with pilots coming from many sectors of life including different parts of professional aviation. I've talked with old ex-test pilots, Pan Am guys, etc. hanging around the glider port waiting for a tow. Check out
www.ssa.org to find a gliding club near you.