One of my least favorite phrases that adorns cars, laptops, and t-shirts is “Stuck in Ohio.” Ohio does not have the reputation of being a cool state. Most people have no desire to visit the state and people who live here are dying to leave. Ohioans try their best to venture away from the state, heading to Florida or South Carolina for the summer.
Honestly, I don’t understand the animosity towards the “Heart of America." I’ve lived in Ohio my entire life, rarely leaving for the summer, and I've compiled a list of some of the reasons why Ohio is cool for the summer.
1. Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure
GOBA is a yearly event that attracts thousands of bikers of all ages from all over the world. Volunteers plan a route and distribute food during the seven-day bike tour that covers almost 400 miles of this beautiful state. Camping is available, as well as activities in each town for everyone to partake in. This tour allows riders to experience the Ohio landscape in a whole new way, and there's even a t-shirt available. I completed GOBA when I was 13 years old. It took months of training, but it's an experience I will remember for the rest of my life.
2. State Parks
Ohio is filled with State Parks. 83, to be exact, with Shawnee State Park being my favorite. Hundreds of miles of trails, lakes, and caves are just waiting to be explored by Ohioans. Whether you're looking for a fully furnished cabin to sleep in and a heated indoor pool to relax, a patch of woods to pitch a tent and a lake to dip your toes in, or ancient Native American burial mounds to admire, these State Parks are amazing vacation spots.
3. Lake Erie and the Beaches
One of the main reasons Ohioans leave Ohio in the summer is because of beaches elsewhere, even though Ohio is one of the only northern states with a complete coastline. While Lake Erie isn't as glamorous as the Pacific Ocean, the 293-mile beach on the northern Ohio coast and islands off the coast have plenty of spots that are popular with travelers. Kelleys Island, also a State Park, is one of the most famous, boasting beaches, kayak rentals, and campgrounds. The beaches in Ohio are less crowded than more popular ones down south, and some of the shoreline is as beautiful as any other beach in the country.
4. Concerts, Concerts, Concerts
If there's one thing Ohioans love, it's concerts, especially country concerts. The outdoor venues, like Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls and Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati, make these events even more fun. Blossom is host to many country concerts every summer, the most out of every other Megaticket venue in the country. Tens of thousands of people gather for these shows almost every week. You're bound to have a good time, even if country music isn't your cup of tea.
5. Cedar Point
Last, but not least, Cedar Point. Located in Sandusky on the shore of Lake Erie, Cedar Point is one of the most famous, and second oldest, theme park in the country. The park was voted "The Best Amusement Park In The World" 16 years in a row and its 72 rides and 18 roller coasters make Sandusky "The Roller Coaster Capital Of The World." Valravn, a new ride debuting in summer 2016, is "the tallest, fastest, longest dive coaster in the world," according to the Cedar Point website. Cedar Point is Ohio's version of Disney World, and it always lives up to expectations.
