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Columbus is not usually a place that comes to mind when thinking about a vacation destination, but it should be talked about more. I recently came back from spending a few days in Ohio and I was absolutely impressed and I want to travel there again. First off, I spent most of my time in Columbus and immediately felt like it was a city where you could go at your own pace as a visitor. I have been to popular destinations like LA and NYC which of course are extremely large cities, but I felt caught up in the hustle and bustle sometimes. With Columbus you can see as much as you want without being overwhelmed.
My friend who lives in Columbus met me in the Clintonville area of Columbus to kick off our visit together. We had a fantastic brunch but more about the food later. Clintonville is a lovely area. There are plenty of charming homes and tons of people were on their bikes and pleasure walking. The Clintonville area is also home to a lovely park I enjoyed called Whetstone Park. I would highly recommend checking it out. There was plenty to do in the park with trails, a recreation center, including playground areas for kids if you have little ones and much more. The Garden of Roses was on my list to see and it is in the park. Unfortunately, the roses weren’t in full bloom but based on the photos, it is beautiful.
German Village was by far my favorite part of Columbus we explored. I could wrap up the charming area with a bow. The neighborhood was originally built in the mid 1800’s by German settlers and the area has been preserved and restored. The beautiful brick houses and cobble stone streets there are aesthetically pleasing. The whole area is celebration of German history with pubs, artisan coffee shops, authentic fudge, and German Chocolate shop, and more. The first place I would visit when I travel to Columbus again is German Village by a mile. Random site note, but my grandma is almost full-blooded German and I believe that connection in my heart was felt even more walking through German Village.
Downtown Columbus is also a great vibe. There are plenty of restaurants, shops, and activities to do. We walked through the majority of downtown and I took notes of places to explore next time I visit. Two of the areas I want to check out most was Capital Square and the Arena District. I also want to specifically check out the Bill Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum. It was on my list but we ran out of time . It looks super fascinating. There is a website that details each of the areas of Downtown Columbus with the descriptions. Check it out here.
Italian Village is technically considered part of Downtown and my friend and I had brunch there. Italian Village is another part of Columbus that is an ode to history with its origins from Italian immigrants. The area is fun mixture of art, music, pizzerias, and bakeries. Check out the official website for the Italian Village neighborhood here.
Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Garden is located east of downtown and is a must see. It is a beautiful building from the outside, but I couldn’t imagine how exquisite it was inside. They have incredible displays of different flowers, plants, a butterfly exhibition, stained glass, waterfall, and more.
Finally, Westerville is the area I stayed in outside of Columbus. It is an upcoming area with just as much potential as all the things to do in the heart of Columbus. I would like to see more in that area. I felt extremely safe even staying by myself and everything looked new or renovated. We shopped and had dinner in the Easton Town Center near Westerville, which I would recommend checking out.
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Eat
Columbus has no shortage of great food places and beyond to check out. Katalina’s is a top choice for breakfast, brunch, and or lunch. We ate at the Clintonville location. I had their Pancake Balls with some sort of chocolate filling. It was mouth watering and delicious. I would visit Columbus again just for those lol. Martini Modern Italian in the heart of downtown was a great spot for dinner. They have incredible drinks and great dishes. Fox in the Snow Café in Italian Village is a darling café and coffee spot. I had one of the best breakfast sandwiches there. Finally, Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant was a great place for dinner. I had a delicious chicken and cheesy potato dish.
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Stay
I stayed at the lovely Renaissance Columbus Westerville location. From the moment I checked in till I checked out, I felt at home. The staff is incredibly warm and friendly. The location is ideal to explore many different parts of Columbus. It is a safe area, not super crowded, and even parking was a breeze right next to the hotel. It was a perfect hotel to relax after many hours of driving and exploring. I wanted to point out how awesome the bathroom was. I know it is a bit odd to specifically point it out, but I was impressed. There was plenty of room and the shower had a built-in lifted bar to shave lol. Sometimes walk in showers are not the most convenient but the design was just right. Here is a link to the hotel to book for your visit in Columbus.
A Day in Cleveland
I had the opportunity to spend time in Cleveland. My main purpose was to visit friends. But I couldn’t miss the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. As a huge music lover, I was overwhelmed in the best way at all the displays in the museum. It is 6 floors of pure bliss for anyone who appreciates the art and history of music. I was super impressed how expansive the coverage was from early music history in the 1920’s through modern day. There are also so many fascinating things to see in the displays like costumes down to rare memorabilia like the singer’s prescription glasses. It is easy to spend hours there. I had dinner with friends outside of Cleveland in Chagrin Falls. It is beautiful and quaint area that looks straight out of a Hallmark movie. I had the best drink ever and yummy pizza at M Italian. Breakfast was at Yours Truly. In all I enjoyed my super brief time in Cleveland and would love to explore more.
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