Ohio

Cold air, wet leaves, and the sound of rushing water are a pretty convincing reason to pull over in October. That is when Ohio waterfalls look especially good. Red and…

I started wondering if my GPS had made a mistake somewhere outside Millersburg, Ohio. The road kept getting quieter, then a small sign appeared behind a house. That was the…

I rarely walk into a thrift shop looking for one specific thing. That would make the whole treasure hunt far too easy. Toledo is especially good for this kind of…

I can start fall with one apple pie in mind and somehow end up planning half an Ohio road trip around the ingredients. That is the dangerous part about these…

I only meant to stop for one fall view. Then I found another overlook twenty minutes away. That is usually how October goes for me in Northeast Ohio. One waterfall…

I almost treated this like any other fuel stop. Then I opened the door, caught the smell of smoked meat, and realized the gas pumps outside were only half the…

Have you ever looked at a grocery receipt and wondered how the total climbed that fast? That question sent me looking beyond the usual supermarkets. Across Ohio, small bulk food…

Sometimes I just want a good donut without having to think too hard about it. Give me a soft glazed one, a hot coffee, and I am pretty much set….

If the garlic reaches you before the menu does, you are probably off to a good start. That happened at this little Puerto Rican kitchen in Cleveland, Ohio. The pernil…

I have a hard time driving Ohio backroads in October without eventually looking for a diner. Fall color is nice, but it gets even better when there is coffee and…

I know I have found a good deli when I start planning tomorrow’s lunch before I finish today’s. That happened more than once while driving across Ohio. One stop led…

I have learned not to walk into an Ohio pie shop with a one-pie plan. That plan usually lasts until I see the case. One stop has more than 35…

I figured I would walk through the market, grab a few things, and be on my way. Then I passed a butcher counter, caught the smell of fresh bread, and…

Ask someone what to eat in Cincinnati, Ohio, and chili usually comes up first. Fair enough, but that is not the whole story. There are barbecue spots tucked into neighborhood…

I went in thinking I might find a few cheap craft supplies. About ten minutes later, I was digging through beads, old postcards, fabric scraps, and things I had no…

I thought I was heading out for an easy walk in central Ohio. A few steep minutes later, the hills had other plans. That is part of what makes this…

I have learned that “I only need one sewing supply” is usually a dangerous sentence. Around Cincinnati, Ohio, that quick errand can turn into an hour of comparing fabric, testing…

I knew I had ordered too much the second the tray hit the table. Three meats, three sides, cornbread, buns, and a row of sauces somehow all fit in front…

The first clue that fall festival season had really started was the smell of kettle corn drifting across a small Ohio downtown. A few minutes later, I was watching an…

Would you cross Cleveland for a plate of pasta? I probably would not have said yes until this place changed my mind. From the outside, it looks like a small…

You know how a fall drive somehow makes you hungry faster than usual? That happens to me every October in Ohio. A few hours on back roads usually turns into…

I thought this would be a quick grocery stop. Then I found warm donuts, rows of bulk spices, a deli counter, and somehow ended up looking at garden sheds before…

I am exactly the kind of person who sees a “factory tour” sign and immediately wants to know what is happening behind the doors. Ohio gives that curiosity plenty to…

I have learned one important rule about Ohio Amish Country in October. Never decide where to eat only after you get hungry. There is always another bakery, diner, or farmhouse…

I only planned to browse for half an hour. Then I turned one corner, spotted another aisle of vintage signs and glassware, and realized the car was going to be…

The first clue is usually the plate. When breakfast shows up hanging over the edges, I start wondering what the bill is going to look like. At these Ohio restaurants,…

I thought I was stopping at an Ohio orchard for apples. Then I saw the donut line, found the cider tap, and realized this was going to take a little…

I kept running into the same problem around Toledo, Ohio. Do I order the ribs or the steak? Eventually, I decided that was a question worth investigating properly. Over the…

My first mistake at a Cincinnati buffet is usually grabbing a plate too soon. By the time I reach the end of the line, I have already spotted three things…

I knew I had underestimated lunch when the pierogies landed on the table. They were thick, generously filled, and much bigger than I expected. One bite of warm potato and…

The first bite usually tells me whether a deli deserves a second visit. When the bread is still warm, the meat is piled high, and melted cheese starts escaping down…

I expected Sunday lunch. I did not expect to eat it inside a 1906 gristmill with the river roaring just outside the windows. The drive through southeastern Ohio already felt…

I knew it had officially turned into an Ohio October afternoon when I started warming my hands around a bowl of soup instead of my coffee cup. The wind outside…

I came to this corner of Ohio thinking about waterfalls. I left wondering what retirement would look like here. The shift happened faster than I expected. Hocking Hills sits close…

The wind had picked up by the time I stepped inside, and my hands were still cold from the walk across the parking lot. A few minutes later, I was…

I pulled up to this Ohio restaurant and had to check twice that I was in the right place. From the street, the old stone house looked more like somewhere…

I have learned that some of Dayton’s best sandwiches come from places I would never have picked out as delis from the sidewalk. One lunch stop sent me past a…

I did not expect the ribeye to arrive looking like the kind of steak I usually save for a special dinner. It filled most of the plate, had a proper…

I have lost count of how many times an Iowa fall drive has made me pull over for a view I was not expecting. Give October a few cool nights,…

You know how a fabric stop can turn into three before lunch? That is basically how this Ohio road trip came together. One shop leads to another, and pretty soon…

I did not expect one small Ohio town to give me this many reasons to keep the car parked. I started with a walk downtown and somehow ended up by…

I had not planned on ordering pie. Then I walked into this little Ohio diner and saw the dessert lineup. A warm slice of apple pie ended up on my…

I can be completely full and still change my mind the second someone mentions homemade pie. Ohio diners are especially dangerous that way. You go in thinking about breakfast or…

I knew this Ohio road trip was going to take longer than planned when the first overlook made me shut off the car instead of snapping a quick photo and…

By 7 a.m., State Route 664 is still quiet enough to feel like you have the Hocking Hills mostly to yourself. That is also when this little Ohio diner starts…

Going to an orchard for apples sounds simple enough. In Ohio, that plan tends to fall apart the moment you smell something warm coming from the market. The bakery counter…

Most historic mansions ask kids not to touch anything. This one practically dares them to touch everything. Behind the stately brick exterior, three floors are packed with places to climb,…

I am usually pretty happy to leave the main highway behind once the leaves start changing. In Ohio, the quieter roads often end up being the ones I remember most….

The best thrift-store find is usually the thing I almost walked past. That has happened to me more than once around Dayton. I will stop for a quick look, spot…

The first cold Ohio morning of October usually changes my plans before breakfast even starts. Suddenly, coffee tastes better, a warm booth sounds much more appealing, and taking the long…