With one of the best state park systems in the country (there are 73 of them in Ohio), it's easy to see why great recreation opportunities abound. From the beaches and cross country skiing areas near Lake Erie to pleasure boating and nature preserves in Cincinnati, no matter what your preference, you'll find it in the Buckeye State.
Campers will find a range of facilities, everything from wilderness sites for tent setups to flat, paved pads with electric hookups for RVs. There are even fully equipped sites to rent, with spacious tents, screened-in canvas dining areas and all the equipment you'll need for a night or a week in the woods.
If you're a water baby, many of the parks have both lakes and pools. Most also provide year-round hosted activities that celebrate the seasons: wildflower walks in the spring, summer fishing adventures, bike trips at the height of autumn color and a wide array of cold-weather fun.
If you're looking for one spot for all seasons, the Hocking Hills area has been called the "state park capital of Ohio." It is rightfully proud of its nine state parks and offers one of the biggest and best-kept city parks you'll ever find. The area also plays host to one of the best winter hikes this side of Alaska, with waterfalls that freeze as they drop, and some of the most beautiful caves and gorges in the world.
There are dozens of books available on outdoor recreation in Ohio—some cover the general topic while others are aimed at specific activities. You'll discover first-class birding, boating, biking, hiking, horseback riding and much, much more. If you do it outdoors, they do it in Ohio.
Shopping
Shop for beautiful handcrafted furniture and cloth goods in the Amish communities and exotic handcrafted glass products in Toledo. A variety of small shops and artists' malls dot the countryside in the Hocking Hills area. Bargain hunting and specialty shopping pay off at such consumer meccas as the Lake Erie Outlet Factory and Caesar Creek Flea Market in Waynesville. The JC Penney Catalog Outlet Store in Columbus offers catalog returns and overstocked items as well as some interesting items that were used as store displays. And a bottle of authentic Ohio maple syrup makes a good souvenir for all the folks back home.
Antiques hunters will find an absolute treasure trove in the hundreds of shops, stores and malls in Waynesville and Lebanon. In fact, the entire state is so rich in antiques, even some of the tiniest towns offer shopping opportunities.
The village of Yellow Springs near Antioch College offers a Bohemian boutique with shops filled with handmade items and unusual gifts. Warren County offers visitors more than 100 antiques shops and nearly as many specialty stores. Easton Town Center in Columbus is an 800,000-sq-ft/74,322-sq-m shopping and entertainment complex. It's anchored by Nordstrom and Lazarus, and among the 160 retailers are 55 that are unique to Central Ohio.
Cleveland has many locally-owned boutiques and antiques shops as well. The neighborhoods of Chagrin Falls, Coventry Village, Little Italy and Shaker Square, and Larchmere Boulevard and Lorain Avenue are among the best bets for finding unique goods. Pottery collectors will find plenty to love in Zanesville. Ludlow Avenue in Cincinnati is home to some of the city's trendiest boutiques and shops. Leather bags with faces carved into them, one-of-a-kind amber broaches and private-blend bath salts are just a few of the treasures you'll find. And in Fairfield, Jungle Jim's International Market is literally a theme park for food. Its six acres of wild fun are filled with giant animated displays of every description. But don't be fooled—it takes its food seriously. There you can find 1,600 kinds of cheese, 10,000 wines and more than an acre/hectare of fresh produce.
Day By DayOhio is large, and there's a lot to see. If you want to cover the most popular areas on one trip, you'll need a minimum of 10 days, and you'll save time by flying into one major airport and out of another.
Day 1—Arrive Cincinnati.
Day 2—Cincinnati. Start by visiting the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, one of the newest attractions in the area. A couple of other popular spots are the Newport Aquarium (in the Kentucky part of Greater Cincinnati) and Cincinnati Museum Center, which houses several museums and an OMNIMAX theater.
Day 3—Drive north on Interstate 75 out of Cincinnati. Take Exit 44 onto Highway 725 going west to see the Miamisburg Mound State Memorial. Return to I-75 into Dayton. Aviation buffs will want to spend the rest of the day (overnighting in Dayton) at the Wright Cycle Shop and the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. For those who want to keep their feet on the ground, there's the Bicycle Museum of America. Others should continue on Highway 444 to Highway 675 and I-70 East to Columbus. Visit the German Village, where book lovers will want to make time for The Book Loft, a 32-room labyrinth filled with books and much, much more. Dine there, then overnight in Columbus. Another option is to take Highway 50 East out of Cincinnati to Chillicothe. See the town and Hopewell Culture National Historic Park, then take Highway 23 North to Columbus.
Day 4—Columbus. Be sure to include in your agenda one of the most respected science centers in the country by visiting COSI, a huge, hands-on science museum. Folks who know art and enjoy gardens will want to take a few minutes to visit the Topiary Garden, featuring a re-creation of Georges Seurat's A Sunday on the Island of La Grande Jatte. The painting has been reproduced down to the curl on the monkey's tail.
Day 5—Drive east on Highway 16 to Coshocton. Visit Roscoe Village, take a short barge ride and head north on Highway 83 to Millersburg, then east on Highway 39 through the Amish country. Head north on highways 800 and 212 to Zoar. Stop at the Zoar Tavern and Inn for a bite to eat, then explore the rest of Zoar Village before you continue to I-77 North to Canton and Akron. (Stop in Canton to see the exterior of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, even if you're not a fan.) Overnight in Akron.
Day 6—Visit the Akron Art Museum or Inventure Place (The National Inventor's Hall of Fame) and Quaker Square (lunch there), then head east out Market Street to the Goodyear World of Rubber. Afterward, drive to Cleveland on I-77 and overnight there.
Day 7—Cleveland. Don't miss the lakefront attractions such as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, and Great Lakes Science Center. The mass transit system has a waterfront line that conveniently connects many of the city's attractions and includes stops in the Warehouse District. For an interesting time, tour the Polka Hall of Fame and then make a stop at the Cleveland Accordian Factory. (It's best to call ahead to let them know you're coming.)
Day 8—Drive west out of Cleveland on Highway 6 to Sandusky. If you've got kids along, plan to spend the day at Cedar Point. Otherwise, take the ferry—or, as the locals call it, BOB (for Big Orange Boat)—from Marblehead to Kelleys Island, where you can rent a boat for fishing, view the prehistoric Glacial Grooves in the state park or spend the day on the beach. Or take the ferry from Catawba Point to Put-In-Bay on South Bass Island and visit the Perry Memorial. Spend the night back on the mainland.
Day 9—Return to Cleveland and see whatever you missed on Day 7. A trip to the Cleveland Botanical Garden would be a great choice if seeing two of the world's most fragile ecosystems (Cloud Forest of Costa Rica and Spiny Desert of Madagascar) under the giant Glasshouse is of any interest.
Day 10—Depart Ohio from Cleveland.
