Home of the Chili Spaghetti… OHIO
When I drew Ohio out of my travel jar the only thing I knew about this state was the Columbus Zoo. This zoo is featured on Disney Plus, Secrets at the Zoo. I knew immediately this was something I must do. I started researching the things to see and I was pleasantly surprised by how much there was to do here and how family friendly it was. Traffic was manageable and the people here are really friendly. Here is what we did!
Sunday
Travel day
Dinner- The Hi-Mark
Monday
Coffee: Deeper Roots Coffee
Columbus Zoo
Dinner: Hofbrauhaus Newport
Tuesday
Coffee:Coffee Emporium
Newport Aquarium
Dinner: Skyline Chili
Findlay Market
Andrew Brady Music Center
Wednesday
Coffee: The 86 Coffee Bar
Cincinnati Zoo
Dinner: La Rosa’s Pizza
Red’s Game
Thursday
Coffee: Lola’s Coffee
Travel Home
The Hi Mark
This restaurant was in such a cool part of town. We ordered this to go because Vacation Squish had too many wiggles from being good on the plane and airport. I got a cheeseburger with fries and it was really good! They have an amazing fry sauce. We also tried their fried pickles and I would also recommend these.
Deeper Roots Coffee
This coffee shop served a good cup of coffee! They don’t have a ton of flavors but I was not disappointed in what I got. The parking is pretty wonky but we found one on the street pretty close (I hate parallel parking).
Columbus Zoo
Cost: Adults $ 34.99 Seniors $32.99 Child 3-9 $27.99
Parking $10- Pay when entering the lot.
This zoo is massive! I first set my sight on this after watching Secrets of the Zoo on Disney plus! It was so cool seeing this in person and the scale of how big this zoo is blew my mind. This is going to be a major day of walking, so wear comfy shoes. This zoo is done by regions of the world. They currently have 8 regions and over 10,000 animals. The zoo is well maintained and the animals all look happy. They have volunteers all around giving information on the exhibits. They also have rides for you to ride. I think these might only be open during the summer. They were closed in mid September when we went. The food is about the same you would get at other theme parks. It was worth the drive for us to go and see this.
Hofbrauhaus Newport
This place was SOOOOOOO good! This was a hit with everyone in the family! Let’s start with the potato soup. This was hands down the best potato soup I have ever had. It was the right consistency and the flavor on point. Beer cheese is one of the best we have ever had. Both these items are a must! We had the pretzel and fries topped with beer cheese! Everyone was impressed with their meals!
Coffee Emporium
This was my favorite shop we went to! The coffee was so good and the pastries were delicious. They have a wide variety of drinks and food to choose from. The parking is little crazy. We had to park in a residential neighborhood and walk up the hill to it. Worth the walk!
Newport Aquarium
This is a pretty cool aquarium in a really cool location. Parked in the parking garage which was super cheap especially if you are used to city prices. I think it cost us $5. In this area there is “food court” with some really great places. The Aquarium had a lot to see and do. They had touch tanks and a shark walk bridge. It is a quick drive from Cincy. We went during the week so it was a little cheaper. It was $26.99 for adults 13+ (no senior discount) and kids older than 2 cost $18.99. A little pricey but it was a great activity for the little squish.
Skyline Chili
Everywhere I read it said that you must eat at skyline chili. It was a place to eat in Ohio. I don’t get it… I would say it is a skip because I would give it 2/10. It was super affordable and was a super low cost meal. We got the pasta and the chili dogs. This is said to be a must do but that would be up to you.
Findlay Market
Cost: Free
Parking: Paid to Park $12
This market is Ohio’s oldest continuously operated public market. It was fine. I wouldn’t say this is a must do or something to try to fit in. We had good gelato. We were probably here less than 45 minutes. We spent more time taking touristy photos than actually shopping. There was not much to look at. Maybe in the summer this place is more hopping but it was pretty dull in September.
Andrew Brady Music Center
We went here for a concert and it was a pretty cool venue. The sound was great and our seats were amazing. I have reached the age where standing all night is not my jam. The only thing I thought was odd, we weren’t allowed to keep the caps for out water. They opened it and took the caps. If this bothers you like it did me, bring your own caps.
The 86 Coffee Bar
This was one of my favorite coffee places. We went to the one by the college. Everyone was so kind and talkative. They were interested in our trip and gave us places to try! I loved it. They had some really cool merch there. I got a journal made from coffee bags and my mom got a bag. The coffee tasted great and they had a wide variety. Loved this place!
Cincinnati Zoo
Cost: Prices Vary by the day you visit $9-$17.
I really enjoyed this zoo! The only downfall was the amount of bees there were. There was signs every where warning guest. As someone who has a bee allergy it was slightly terrifying. They have a wide variety of animals and a ton of volunteers that can speak about all the animals. All the animals were out and really active. If you have not heard of Fiona the Hippo you have been living under a rock! Google it and you will not be disappointed. The hippos were so cool. The highlight though was feeding the Giraffes! $3 a bundle is a steal of a deal! Mom, Dad and Squish all got to feed the Giraffes. Don’t pass this up!!! A lot of walking so wear comfy shoes!
La Rosa’s Pizza
This was a recommendation from someone that lived in Ohio. I am not pizza connoisseur and it is one of my least favorite food. I thought it was a good quick meal. It allowed us to take it back to our hotel to give my overly tired toddler a nap. If you need something quick give this place a try.
Red’s Baseball Game
The hospitality here at this stadium is amazing! Vacation Squish went to his first game and everyone that we encountered made sure we knew that he can get a special pack at their customer service area. He got a little certificate with his name on it, baseball cards and other goodies! I highly recommend this. We purchased our seats the day of for an amazing price! Stub hub for the win! I always suggest purchasing day of games for the best price seats! Great food and beer choices!
Lola’s Coffee
This was the hardest place to find and then when we did find it.. It wasn’t that good. The menu online was not up to date. So the coffee I wanted was no longer there and I got something else and it was sickly sweet! This was my least favorite cup.
Ohio is a family friendly state and there is so much to see and do! I enjoyed my time and wished I could have tried some better restaurants! Checking Ohio off my list! We came we saw we conquered.
