Bags packed, a full tank of gas, windows down, and your favorite song blaring through the speakers! Let the road trip begin! Weekend road trips can be the best memories of your college years, as someone who lived up north near Cleveland for two years and now lives in Cincinnati, I’m a regular when it comes to road trips. The weekend has arrived, your best friend or significant other and you are beyond excited to go visit a different city and explore! These are some of the best cities I’ve visited during weekend road trips, along with the best places to eat, see, and explore!
Akron, Ohio
This small city is not too far from Cleveland; it is about a three and a half hour drive up north. The summers are mild, and the fall is brisk and beautiful! I’ve spent a lot of time up there getting to know the area and some of the people too. I would suggest going here for at least two day trip since there’s a lot of things to do.
My usual weekend trip to Akron consists of driving up on Friday night and staying out late! If you are 21 and over, there is a great bar district called the Valley which is a bunch of bars all connected, so you can bar hop all night. If you aren’t 21 and over, the hookah bars in Akron are awesome. My favorite is Karma right in downtown Akron because it has hookah and a bar within it. Their hookah is very reasonably priced, and its great if you have a large group of friends.
After a night of drinking or hookah, if you find yourself in need of some late night food, I suggest you go to Sheetz. Now this is a gas station but with a twist, inside you can order food that is made for you on the spot! They have everything from mozzarella sticks, chicken tenders, mac and cheese, and my personal favorite, the cinnamon roll! They also have regular gas station items to buy, but I think the food you order is super good!
The next morning after your late Friday night out, the best way to cure that hang over is to go to Wally Waffle for some of the best local waffles in town! They have a variety of toppings all piled onto a waffle, my personal favorite is The Elvis. It has bacon and peanut butter cooked inside the waffle, with bacon bits, peanut butter, bananas, and whip cream all on top! It’s so sweet you don’t even need syrup, trust me, you will love it! For the remainder of the day, there are so many things you could chose to do!
Site see the Cuyahoga Falls or go on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic train ride:
Depending on your budget you can choose to do either or, but my favorite place to see the falls is at the hotel on 1989 Front St, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221. This hotel has a restaurant inside that overlooks the falls, but you don’t have to spend a pretty penny just to see the falls. There are steps on the far end of the hotel where you can walk down and see the roaring falls for free! Of course, if you love trains like me and want an amazing scenic train ride, then the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic train ride is your best bet. It takes you all over Akron, Ohio through the woods and valleys around the falls.
The Akron Art Museum:
This modern architectural building sticks out from all the old industrial buildings around it, but inside the art is amazing! There is a discount for students, so bring your I.D. for a cheaper ticket. You can walk around this two story building for as long as you want and look at all the amazing art.
Fun n’ Stuff:
This is an arcade with lots of fun activities for young kids and adults; they have your typical arcade games, go karts, mini golf, batting cages, roller blading, lazer tag, and so much more! Everything is reasonably priced and super fun! My favorite is the go karts because you feel like a little kid all over again racing your friends!
Maize Valley Farm:
If you are visiting in the fall time, this fall festival is one of the best with a hay ride, pumpkin patch, wine tasting, pumpkin cannon, and a huge playground. This place is the perfect fall day for people of all ages! I’ve been here twice, and the pumpkin cannon was the best part of the day! They shoot pumpkins into an old beat up van, and they explode!
Chippewa Lake Amusement Park:
This is an abandoned amusement parking in Chippewa Lake, Ohio about 30 minutes outside of Akron. Of course, you have to be smart about entering this amusement park because it is fenced off but there are holes in the fence where you can slip through and go explore. With grass over-grown and cracked concrete path ways leading you to all sorts of old rusted out amusement park rides, this is one of the coolest abandoned places I’ve been to.
Indigo Lake:
A drive down many long back roads to reach this breath taking view! This lake is a part of the many parks within the Cuyahoga Falls area but out of all them, this one is my favorite. With a huge crystal blue lake wrapped in by lush grass hills. This place is a great for relaxing and taking in the beauty of nature.
One of a Kind Pets:
There are two different locations for this pet shelter, so make sure you go to the one with the cat room. 20-30 cats all in a room with a spiral stair case that has cat cubbies in the middle. Seats to sit and soak up all the cat love and just hangout and give these cats the love they deserve. Even if you can afford to adopt, spending time with these animals is always encouraged. They often post pictures of their new puppies on their facebook page that you can come in a play with! If you love animals like me I would recommend this place.
After a long day of adventuring, you are probably looking for somewhere to eat, these are some of my favorite restaurants to go to in Akron.
Swenson’s:
This might seem like your traditional burgers and fries place, but it’s unique in that its car side service. Also, the men who serve you are very attractive, which only makes the experience so much better. Their famous burger, the Gally Boy, is amazing; it's all you’d want on a burger in more. They have a multitude of sides, shakes, and even desserts. I would recommend this place if you’re looking for a cheap dinner or lunch that is also delicious.
Diamond Deli:
A traditional deli in the heart of downtown Akron, with the best corn beef and matzo ball soup in town. My fiancé and I went here on one of our first dates, so it holds a special place in our hearts. Important note: this restaurant isn’t open on Sundays which I always forget about and am disappointed when it’s not open. The food is reasonably priced, made to order, and all around amazing.
La Loma:
A small restaurant down an uncommon road a few minutes outside of downtown Akron. This was a discovery made by yours truly when I was bored one day on Yelp craving Mexican food and Taco Bell just wouldn’t do. Hands down the best authentic Mexican food in town; the burritos are to die for and the nachos are heavenly! It’s a very casual setting with Spanish game shows playing in the background and beautifully traditional murals all over the walls. If you’re looking for some solid Mexican food for a good price, this is your place to go.
Luigi’s Restaurant:
Your traditional late night greasy pizza restaurant, they are open until 2am on the weekend and midnight during the week. It is a hot spot for college kids after a long night out. They have salad covered in cheese, and pizza covered in grease. Honestly. the pizza is awesome if you have the late night munchies.
Your tummy is full of all the amazing local Akron eats, and you have just enough room for dessert. Of course, most of these restaurants have dessert options, but if you want to try some more Akron local eats these bakery’s and sweets shops are the places to go.
Sugar Luv Confections:
This small candy shop located within Cuyahoga Falls makes the best salted caramel I’ve ever tasted. My mouth is watering just thinking about how good these things are. Hand made in the back of house, these 75 cent caramels will melt in your mouth and be the perfect amount of salty and sweet. They also have caramel apples, truffles, and unique sodas. Unfortunately, their hours are limited since they are a mom and pop shop, but if you can get there in time, I stronger recommend you trying them out. You can also order their caramel and other candies online and get them shipped right to your door.
Pandora Cupcakes:
Not sure if this a local cupcake shop or a chain, but these pink shops are scattered all over Akron. With a variety of cupcake flavors each day, there is always something for everyone’s taste. I had a salted caramel cupcake which was chocolate cake with a salted caramel middle and salted caramel frosting. It was an amazing cupcake, plus their pricing is pretty good.
Mr. Bulky’s Food:
A candy shop where you can fill bags full of any candy you want, from gummys to chocolate. This place has the best selection of candy in Akron, Ohio. My favorite thing from here are their cookie dough bites. I know you can buy cookie dough bites in boxes at Walgreen's for $1, but something about these cookie dough bites are so much better. My best friend took me to this place my freshman year of college, and we bought lots of candy that day and were a fan favorite at our dorm. Everything is weighted and priced per pound. It says on the bins how much each candy costs per pound. They also have individually wrapped and boxed candies scattered throughout the store.
These are some of my all-time favorite places to eat, visit, and explore in Akron, Ohio! The best time of year to go would be spring, summer, or early fall. Akron being so close to Cleveland, they typically get a lot of lake effect snow so unless you like temperatures in the negatives and a couple feet of snow, I would recommend avoiding the winter times.
Detroit, MI
This industrial city is the home of Ford Motors and the very first state fair. Some people see it as a struggling city, but I see it as a city getting back on its feet. Detroit has been a place I basically grew up in, although I never permanently lived there. I would spend almost every holiday visiting my grandparents and exploring the city.
The Eastern Market:
If you love food, shopping, and small vendors, this is the place for you. This market is a huge, open market full of some stand-alone shops there all year around, along with small vendors selling everything from fruits and vegetables to flowers and bread. This market has so much to explore. My personal favorites are the ice cream and bread stands.
Dequindre Cut:
On a long concrete path leading to Lake Michigan, along the way you will see an assortment of graffiti from different well known artists in the area. It’s bustling with people on bikes, blades, and walking/running. If you need a stroll to work off all the tasty treats you found at The Eastern Market, than this is your place to go.
The Guardian Building:
Art Deco in design full of Detroit history, this old building looks pretty plain from the outside, but on the inside, it has some of the most breath-taking designs. I believe it used to be a bank, and if you find you way into the basement, you can still see some of the safe doors. They also have a cute gift shop full of all things Detroit memorabilia. Great building to take photos of and explore!
The Heidelberg Project:
This is a street long project full of random treasures, basic peoples trash sprawled all over lawns and house. People live within these houses, and one house you can even sign. It has a very artistic meaning behind it that will leave you thinking about the message.
Slows BBQ:
At this point in the day you're probably hungry. This restaurant will not disappoint. With the best BBQ around, this place is one of my favorite places to eat while in Detroit. Also, the sides are too die for, get the mac and cheese. It is a little bit expensive, but I think it’s worth every penny.
Sugarcreek, Ohio
If you’re looking for a more relaxing weekend trip, this small Amish town is perfect! With a quiet main street, and the largest cuckoo clock, it’s a site to see. My fiancé and I went down here one weekend when we lived in Akron and made a day trip out of it.
Rebecca’s Bistro:
This small restaurant serves up traditional lunch food, but with a twist. It’s delicious! I can’t remember what exactly I had here, but the food was so good! Plus the waiters were so sweet, and it made you feel like home.
Random Antique Store:
I never figured out what this store was called, all it said was antiques in big letters. Once inside, there was so much to look at! I ended up finding one of my favorite spoons that I own. My fiancé found a bunch of cool metal signs. I would say that there was something for everyone.
World's Largest Cuckoo Clock:
Found in the center of this small town, this cuckoo clock is large. In pictures, it looks not that big, but once your there you realize how huge it really is. Whether or not it’s the world’s largest, I’m not sure, but it’s for sure a cool site to see.
Columbus, Ohio
Most people who live in Cincinnati have been to Columbus, Ohio once in their lifetime since it’s only a little over an hour away. My sister personally goes to OSU, so she has always been my tour guide when I come visit for the weekend.
Superchefs:
This super hero themed restaurant is one of the best breakfast places in the city. Their waffles are so fluffy, plus they have chicken and waffles, which if you’ve never had chicken and waffles, you must try it. Trust m,e you won’t regret it, best combination ever!
Short North Market:
Crowded with people, full of food and nick knacks, this large, open market is great to explore. Depending on the season, they have a variety of outdoor vendors from fruit to honey. They also have a pretzel stand that makes some of the most creative flavors of pretzels I’ve ever had. Along with a tea/juice bar which has everything from grass shots to a multitude of flavored loose leaf teas. This place is a great to find a good mid-day snack while exploring Columbus.
Tensuke Express:
This restaurant is located inside of a Japanese market, known for being one of the most authentic Japanese restaurants and markets in Ohio. This simple, modern restaurant serves sushi and traditional Japanese noodles along with many other tradition Japanese eats. My sister raved about this place saying it’s the best place to go for lunch.
Columbus Museum of Art:
If you love art, then of course you’ll love this art museum, also great for a rainy day! This huge building has all sorts of artistic media represented from paintings to glass blown sculptures. Great for kids to learn about the importance of art, also don’t forget your student I.D. for a discounted ticket!
Harvest Bar + Kitchen:
My sister said this is the best place to go for dinner while visiting. This modern restaurant serves oven-fired pizza and is also a bar! With delicious hand crafted pizzas and much more to choose from, this is the perfect place to just relax after a long day of exploring the city.
Saint Louis, MO
This was the city I got engaged to my fiancé in so it will forever hold a special place in my heart. I also went here once before with my sister and my mom for a weekend girl’s trip! Not only is the arch a site to see, but there are also so many other great places to visit.
The Mud House:
As someone who has been a barista for a while, I have grown to love coffee. I found this quiet coffee shop off of Yelp. This was my fiancé and I’s first stop on our weekend away to Saint Louis. The food was amazing, and the cold brew was to die for. They had a contraption that made the cold brew slow drip which just made the taste so much smoother. Also, they have bacon, so they already gained so many points in my book. I would highly suggest checking this place out for a quick breakfast.
The Gateway Arch:
Of course this is the classic land mark in Saint Louis, but if you’ve never been up in it you must do so. The wait can be a little long on the weekends, but inside, there is a gift shop and movie all about the building of the Arch so you’re far from un-entertained. You go up in these small white pods that hold five people max, and once up at the top, there are small windows that overlook the city on one side and then the river on the other. Such a beautiful site to see but also a nerve racking if you look down!
City Museum:
This playground of a building is full of small corners and things to climb on. Not your traditional museum but a great time if you love climbing around. Tip: make sure you wear workout clothes because this will for sure be a workout. Also long pants because the giant slide is made out of metal so it’s easier to slide down if you’re wearing long pants! I don’t want to spoil any of the fun, but you should go here if you’re ever in the area.
Pho Grand:
If you don’t know what Pho is, well it’s a traditional Vietnamese soup full of noodles and some type of protein along with a bunch of other toppings. Pho has recently become one of my favorite foods. Going here was just the icing on the cake for an amazing weekend! If you want to try something new I would suggest going here!
These are my top 5 favorite weekend trips to take! If your best friend or significant other are looking for a place to go on a weekend and don’t know what places to explore, I hope this list helps you explore more cities and have wonderfully fun weekends!
