101 Cool Places And Things In Ohio (Part II 11-20)

Thank you to those who have returned to check out the second part of my very long list of Ohio attractions, you can skip the next paragraph! For those who missed the first part of my list,you should read the next paragraph. It explains what this list is all about. Thank you to you as well!

If you have been following me on instagram @krisofohio, you have seen my daily posts since the first day of spring. I have posted a month's worth of cool places and things in Ohio using #101CoolPlacesAndThingsInOhio. These posts have included Ohio attractions that have made World and National best lists, places off the beaten path and exceptional Ohio brands. I have 71 days of posts left to go. This is where I plan to slow it down. I have posted a good portion of my favorite places and things in Ohio, but now I need to do some more exploring. On this post you will find the second group of ten attractions from my list and I will be adding to my list throughout the rest of the year. Feel free to help me with suggestions to complete the list. Leave your favorite Ohio attractions in my comments and they may just make my list. To the Ohio tourist, whether you are visiting from out of state or a resident exploring your home state, there is so much to do in Ohio. Use my list to start your Ohio adventure. I have posted only places I have experienced and all photos are mine unless otherwise specified.

Happy Exploring!

Kris, 

11. Room Escape Adventures/Trapped in a Room with a Zombie

 Columbus Idea Foundry
421 W. State Street
Columbus, OH 43215

 The company is based here in Ohio but have managed to provide escape adventures to many cities in the U.S and even a few cities abroad. This tells me, that people are excited about alternative options for entertainment. Something creative! If you want a different kind of date, special occasion activity or team building exercise; allow yourself to be locked in a room with a zombie that is chained to a wall with an hour to escape. Every five minutes the zombie's chain is released a foot until he or she is able to reach you in the last moments of that hour. That is, only if you aren't able to escape before then. Are you smarter than a zombie? Check out this show to see!

 

photo from room escape adventures site

  
12. Merry Go Round Museum 

301 Jackson Street

Sandusky,Ohio 44870

419.626.6111 

Celebrating their 25th anniversary this year, this is one of the most beautiful museums in Ohio! Inside a former post office, built in the 1920s, you will find a collection of carousel animals including pieces from Cedar Point's past. The museum also has a collection of items that belonged to renowned carousel artist, Gustav Dentzel.The museum featured four carousal deer in the White House during the holidays, last year. A carousel ride is included with your ticket.

13. Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream

Jeni's ice cream isn't just a treat, it is just a part of the daily lives of Columbus folk. Her stores are everywhere and when you think about ice cream, that is the place you go. Lines are around the corner all year long because she provides a culinary experience. The flavor combinations are interesting and unique and the Food Network's show 'The Best Thing I Ever Ate' agrees. This is not only one of the best ice cream spots in Ohio, it is possibly one of the best in the United States. She has stores in seven cities in six states.

14. The Warren G. Harding Home & Memorial

The Harding Home
380 Mt. Vernon Ave
Marion, Ohio 43302
740.387.9630
800.600.6894

The Harding Memorial
Delaware Ave 

The home and memorial of the 29th President of the United States is in Marion, Ohio. The home contains 5,000 original items used by the Harding family, including 300 items from the White House. The memorial is a Greek Ionic colonnade made of marble. It is the largest memorial to a president outside of Washington DC. At night it glows.

  
15. Slate Run Historical Farm
1375 State Route 674 N.
Canal Winchester, Ohio 43110

The park is part of the Metro Parks system of Central Ohio. When you visit the park, you are stepping back into the 1880s. The staff dresses in period clothing and farm chores are done as they were during that period of life. The farm includes many of the normal farm animals such as horses, cows, hogs and turkeys. There is a Gothic Revival farmhouse from 1856 that was restored to fit the era. Sign up to participate in weekly programs on the farm to get the best experience. The programs offer a hands on experience as a farmer for a day: feeding the animals, herding the sheep and whatever else needs to be done on a particular day.
 

16. Glacial Grooves State Memorial
Kelley's Island

Located on the north side of Kelley's Island, is the largest accessible example of glacial grooves left in the world. It measures 400ft long by 35ft wide. The native limestone contains marine fossils, some of which are 400 million years old. If you visit Kelley's Island, take a golf cart or bicycle to check out the natural wonder.

17. Put In Bay
 South Bass Island

This tourist spot has been welcoming visitors for over 100 years. In the 1800s it served as a base for Oliver Hazzard Perry. Besides it's ties to the War of 1812, it is also a cool place because of what it has to offer to all types of tourists. During the day, families can partake in activities like miniature golfing, butterfly watching or spelunking. At night PIB comes to life and the partying begins. People can bar hop at least a dozen bar including the Beer Barrel Saloon (the longest bar in the world). Take a short ferry ride and you are there!

18. Young's Jersey Dairy
6880 Springfield-Xenia Rd
Yellow Springs, OH 45387
937.325.0629 

This is one of my personal favorite ice cream destinations because the ice cream is made from a 15% butterfat mix. This is higher butterfat mixture than most use, so the product is richer in taste. It is made at the dairy farm in Yellow Springs, Ohio. The place offers two food option. The Dairy Store serves burgers and fried cheese curds or you can get country style dishes like buttermilk chicken and beef and noodles at The Golden Jersey Inn. This is a great place to spend the day with the family because there is plenty to do. You can utilize the batting cages, driving range and play miniature golf. There are also kiddie rides and a petting zoo where you can feed farm animals.

19. Wyandot Popcorn Museum
 169 E. Church St.
Marion, OH 43302 
740.387.4255

This museum is very unique because it is all about popcorn history.  At this museum you will find the largest collection of popcorn poppers and peanut roasters, specifically the largest collection of restored popcorn antiques. The museum is one of two popcorn museums in the world. It is located under a circus tent inside Marion's Heritage Hall. A free box of popcorn come with admission.
 

20. AMA Motorcycle Hall Of Fame
13515 Yarmouth Dr.
Pickerington, Ohio 43147
614.856.2222

If you love motorcycles, this museum is all about motorcycle history. The exhibits include: bikes from the oldest U.S motorcycle brand (Indian Motorcycles), a section on Evil Knievel including a replica of his Harley Davidson and a police motorcycle from the movie Terminator 2. You can view the very first motorcycles built to recent electric models. There is a biker inspired art exhibit that ends early May. 

I have covered twenty places from my list. I will post the next ten tomorrow. If you are interested in checking out the rest of my list before then, follow me or visit my instagram page @krisofohio. You can also look up #101CoolPlacesAndThingsInOhio in the instagram hashtag search.

Be blessed! Be free! Be Adventurous!
Kris,

Count Down to BDay 2014

Every year I get to see a Birthday is a blessing,I embrace getting older. I believe it is a gift and a privilege. We don't all get the same amount of time and the next day is never promised. With that said, I choose to treat each Birthday as a holiday. The main day is the most important but I plan small celebrations or activities throughout the month. My birthday is October 30th and I will be thirty-three this year. This Thursday I am not certain what I will be doing but if I wake up that morning I will be grateful. If I am blessed to see the weekend, I will continue the celebration. For now, I want to share with you some of the things I have been up to this month as part of my celebration.


Hakuna Matata

I have wanted to see The Lion King on Broadway for as long as it has existed. People who'd seen it before me told me about the beautiful costumes and how I would really love and appreciate it because I am an artist and designer. When I heard it was coming to Columbus, I knew I had to go see it. I told my mom that I wanted tickets for my birthday and the rest is history. I saw the show two weeks ago with my nephew. I was overwhelmed by the presentation. It was so intense and visually stunning. It was far more than I anticipated even after the feedback I got from those who attended previously. I was overwhelmed by the colorful cast and the positive homage to the continent in which the story takes place, Africa. I also really appreciated how the production managed to use so much of the beautiful and historic Ohio Theatre. There were characters in the balconies and walking down the aisles. I am a fan!! I will see it again in the future.The production leaves Columbus November 9th. There are still tickets left for the Columbus presentations. If you can't make it before then, they return to Ohio next year on March 31, at the Aronoff Center for the Arts in Cincinnati. For the rest of the tour stops visit The Lion King website.

Breakfast With Nick

Saturday morning I spent 3.5 hours with Dr.Breakfast. Nick Dekker is a Columbus, Ohio blogger and author of both the blog and book titled 'Breakfast with Nick'. I have been following his blog for some time now and recently purchased his book after first checking it out at the library. So when I learned that Dr. Breakfast and Columbus Food Adventures were teaming up for a Breakfast Tour, I was elated. The first tour was October 18th and filled up faster than I could get signed up. CFA has a passport program that rewards loyal customers with a free tour after collecting four stamps from purchased tours.I got my passports mailed out in time to be the last participant on the second tour. By then, the kinks had been worked out and I am sure the pressure was greatly reduced for Nick. He was very informative and by far the friendliest guide I have had during a CFA tour. Obviously, they are all friendly, after all, this was my fifth tour.

I have done a tour at the end of October for the last three years. Last year I did two. I have done the German Village and Short North walking tours, the Dessert Tour and the Taco Truck tour but this was by far my favorite tour. There is something very special about getting a tour of great breakfast spots by Dr. Breakfast himself. I admit, I am a fan. The tour gives his readers the opportunity to actually break bread with the man himself. He is easy going and makes it very comfortable to ask questions. He comes across believable and trustworthy. His choices in stops were brilliant, offering variety and food selections that were rare and special. For the brunch lovers, we got to indulge in two small plates; a chicken and waffle along with a mini pancake with maple pulled pork. At the same spot we also got a small Bloody Mary that we whipped up ourselves from the Bloody Mary bar. Ethyl and Tank, the brunch spot was the only place I had not been. Some of the other stops included Buckeye Donuts where we got to sample various donuts and listened to owner Jimmy's stories of famous patrons such as music legend, The Ol'So Fabulous Prince. Other offerings from the five tour stops were a 'Buckeye Pancake', a pancake with chocolate and peanut butter, a gravy covered piece of work called a 'Gut Buster', a Latin dish with chorizo and tortillas and a  'Doughssant'. The Doughssant, also known to some as the Cronut has been offered through the Auddino family in Columbus/Hillard for twenty years. You can find the 'Doughssant' at Auddino's Bakery & Cafe. I left the tour feeling full but not uncomfortable. I had to follow the tour with a long walk through the Short North.

The Zombie Escape

Occasionally I come across an activity in the city that blows my mind. I was browsing Experience Columbus when I found Room Escape Adventures and the 'Trapped in a Room with a Zombie' show. Lately all we have heard from doctors is how we need to pay more attention to our brain. It has been suggested to maintain a healthy brain and memory that our brain needs exercise.  This show is definitely a good way to do that. You are locked in a room for an hour with a zombie chained to a piece of furniture. You are forced to think through riddles and look for clues all while the zombie is trying to get you. The chain is released a foot every five minutes, so the zombie is getting closer and closer to you as time goes on. Teamwork is very necessary whether you know the people you are working with or not. Of all the cities where this company operates the show which includes big cities like: Los Angeles, New York and Atlanta, only 32% of the groups participating have won. Luckily we were among that percentile, escaping with just under two minutes left of the hour. 

I found the show to be amusing and challenging. I was able to offer some assistance during the game but found myself stuck many times. At the end the host will answer any questions you have and give you a run down of the highlights of your game. He announces a MVP and the people who helped the game along. I was happy to hear my name in the credits even though I knew what I'd done. Everyone loves a pat on the back.  This was something unique and interesting to do. They have been doing this show since February of this year but if you are looking for something fun to do for Halloween, there are still tickets left. However, there is no rush, you can also schedule for a show up until December. Should you go, look for my group photo. If you beat the game, you are added to the 'Wall of Fame'.

image courtesy of savvycities.com

The older I get, the less I want things. I have come to value experiences more. This year I have made sure to do things that I have always wanted to do and expose myself to a plethora of new experiences. That is what this blog is supposed to be about. I hope that you have enjoyed my entries so far this year. I have been inspired by so many people in my life, I hope that I have projected that same inspiration onto you as well. 

I would love to know!
What do you do special for your birthday? 
Or
What are your birthday plans for your next birthday?

Until Next Time,
Be Blessed! Be Free!BE Adventurous!
Kris,