Ohio

The dangerous part of Ohio thrift shopping is the phrase, “I’m just going to look.” That plan usually lasts until I spot a jacket I did not know I needed…

I knew the view was supposed to be good. I was less prepared for the 202 steps it took to reach it. At the top, Northeast Ohio looked completely different….

I knew this Fremont stop had my attention before I even made it past the counter. Warm tamales were ready to go, sweet breads filled the cases, and I was…

Trying to rank Mexican restaurants in Toledo sounded simple until the tacos started making a case for themselves. Across this corner of Ohio, tiny neighborhood counters sit surprisingly close to…

I rarely walk into an Ohio bakery in fall and leave with only the thing I planned to buy. A cinnamon roll turns into a croissant for later. Then I…

A pumpkin patch can get surprisingly expensive before you even pick out a pumpkin. That is why I like these Ohio farms. You can walk in without paying admission, look…

Some Ohio towns look like they missed a few decades of updates, and I mean that as a compliment. I have wandered through places where the storefronts, public squares, and…

I knew I was going to want to stay awhile the moment the three-tiered tray arrived at the table. There were tiny sandwiches, warm scones, little sweets, and a pot…

I have planned more than one Ohio fall drive around where I wanted to eat, and October makes that strategy especially easy to defend. Pick the right country restaurant, and…

Some of my favorite Ohio fall days have cost little more than a tank of gas and whatever snacks I threw in the car. That is part of what makes…

Northwest Ohio was not where I expected to find a 30-foot waterfall framed by Japanese maples. Yet a few minutes after walking through the gate, I was following the sound…

Few things improve a chilly Ohio evening faster than hearing a plate of fajitas sizzling its way toward the table. That was basically the mood I wanted for this list….

I knew breakfast had taken a seasonal turn the moment pumpkin bread showed up as French toast. That was enough to get me curious about this small-town Ohio diner, where…

Small Ohio towns just hit differently in October. I have set out for a quick drive more than once and ended up staying until evening because a waterfall, a bakery…

I knew I was getting pretty far off the main road when the railroad tracks started feeling like the biggest landmark around. Then I pulled into this small Ohio eatery…

The quickest drive from Columbus to Hocking Hills takes about an hour. I have yet to make it that quickly. Once I leave the city, there is always something that…

I did not expect the crust to be the thing I kept thinking about afterward, but that first crunchy bite got my attention fast. This family-run Ohio pizza spot has…

Some Ohio towns are getting quieter in ways that do not show up on a road sign. A few streets have fewer neighbors than they once did, while the people…

I went in looking for a few cheap craft supplies and immediately lost track of that plan. A bag of buttons caught my eye, then some yarn, and somehow a…

I knew this Ohio seafood list was getting serious when one perch order looked big enough to feed the person sitting across from me too. Around Lake Erie, that is…

There is a certain confidence in walking into a pizza buffet where people have been filling the same plates for decades. In Ohio, a few of these places have lasted…

The cornbread showed up sizzling in a skillet, and after that I pretty much stopped pretending I had a plan for dinner. This small Ohio restaurant is the kind of…

By October, some Ohio trails barely look like the same places you passed a few months earlier. Leaves pile across the path, sandstone walls peek through the trees, and every…

I knew the weekend was off to a good start when the loudest thing around the pool was the breeze coming off Lake Erie. This adults-only Ohio inn is built…

You could drive past this wooded corner of Ohio a dozen times and never guess what is hiding beyond the trees. I would not expect a koi pond, a small…

October gives Ohio’s Lake Erie shoreline a completely different mood. The summer crowds thin out, the trees start changing, and even a familiar park can feel worth another visit. I…

Cleveland to Columbus can be a two-hour drive, but where is the fun in doing it that quickly? Ohio packs plenty of worthwhile detours between the two cities. You might…

A good apple can derail my entire fall afternoon. One minute I am driving east of Columbus with a simple plan, and the next I am wondering how many apples…

The first Ohio evening that made me reach for a jacket also made a steak dinner sound like an excellent idea. Apparently, cooler weather does that to me. A warm…

October in Ohio always feels a little too short. One week the trees are just starting to turn, and the next half the leaves are already on the ground. That…

I thought I was going in for a Reuben. Then the potato pancake showed up and made the whole plan a little more complicated. This downtown Cincinnati deli does the…

Some shopping trips begin with a list. Mine usually end with me wondering how a lamp, framed print, and chair are all supposed to fit in the back seat. That…

I knew I had found the right kind of Lake Erie restaurant when I had to walk past a row of boats to reach the table. Dinner came with gulls…

The wagon rolled slowly beneath a canopy of orange and gold, and suddenly I was glad nobody was in a hurry. Every bend seemed to bring another stretch of Ohio…

I did not expect a gluten-free lemon bar to become one of my favorite food stops around Columbus. Then I took the first bite. The crust was buttery and held…

The grocery carts caught my attention first. Ohio chefs were not always shopping somewhere hidden behind restaurant doors. Plenty of them were picking up ingredients at markets anyone can walk…

I went in looking for one cheap fall decoration. That plan lasted about ten minutes. First came the brass candlesticks. Then I found an amber dish, a plaid throw, and…

I knew I had ordered too confidently when the breakfast platter landed and barely left room for the coffee cup. Eggs took up one side, potatoes the other, and the…

A quick lunch gets complicated fast when barbecue is involved in Columbus. I have gone out planning to grab one sandwich and somehow ended up comparing brisket, ribs, pulled pork,…

I thought I was pulling into an orchard. Then I spotted the patio tables, grapevines, and people settling in for lunch and realized this was going to be a very…

You know an Ohio fall drive has gone off schedule when the box of donuts gets a seat of its own. That usually starts with one quick farm-market stop. Then…

I knew I was in the right kind of diner when the stool spun before I even sat down. That happened more than once while I was working through Ohio’s…

I was only supposed to grab one ingredient. Somehow, a few aisles later, my cart was full and I was still finding things I wanted to toss in. That was…

Once the evenings turn chilly in Ohio, a plate of roast beef and mashed potatoes starts sounding a lot better than anything complicated. That sent me looking for family restaurants…

A sandstone gorge looks completely different once October gets hold of it. Across Ohio, forest trails begin trading summer green for deep reds, bright golds, and long stretches of orange…

I really was not expecting to see water this blue in northwest Ohio. I had been driving past flat fields and long country roads, and then this bright sapphire quarry…

I thought ranking Ohio diners would be easy until I started deciding what actually makes one better than another. A great breakfast helps, obviously. But then you walk into a…

The road was quiet until a stone tower suddenly appeared through the trees. That was not what I expected to find in southwest Ohio. I pulled in thinking I would…

The first flaky pastry made me stop and check twice that it was actually gluten-free. A few stops later, I was doing the same thing with doughnuts, biscuits, and bowls…

The cow grazing near the parking lot was my first clue that this was not going to feel like a normal grocery run. A few steps later, I was standing…