By Terry Troy
Traveling the world and the country is fun, but it’s just as enjoyable to explore close to home, too. Travel Local is your guide to outstanding and exciting attractions located within a few hours’ drive.
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio has one of the most storied collegiate programs in the country, with a history dating back almost 140 years. If you want to catch a modern-day game, in an environment that gives a nod to college football’s historic past, this is the place to do it.
Carson Field at the James Gamble Nippert Memorial Stadium has been the venerable home of the University of Cincinnati Bearcats football team since 1901, providing its fans with one of the best home-field environments in college football. The third-oldest NCAA stadium entered a new era in 2015 when the stadium reopened after massive renovations, which preserved architectural elements of the original field.
However, if you’re not nostalgic, or simply want greater involvement in your recreational activity, head out to Arcade Legacy in Sharonville. It’s been the Cincinnati area’s premier classic gaming destination since 2009, recently consolidating into one mega-location offering more than 15,000 square-feet of arcade games, pinball, classic and current gaming console stations and more.
Columbus, Ohio
When it comes to chowing down before a fall sporting event, it’s very hard to beat a good old-fashioned tailgate party, especially before an Ohio State Buckeye football game.
But if you’re just in town to catch one game, there are plenty of other venues close to the stadium where you can catch a bite or beverage before the game, without having to go through all the machinations of setting up a tailgate party.
The Varsity Club throws one of the biggest tailgate parties in the country. Being less than 500 yards from the stadium, the crowd is decidedly pro-Buckeye. Founded in 1959, this is the ideal location for pre-game or post-game festivities, offering live entertainment, cold beverages and, of course, great food.
With over 15 screens inside, five TVs on the patio and a jumbotron in the back parking lot, you’ll never miss a play.
If you showed up the day before the big game and overindulged in the many bars, pubs and craft breweries in the area the night before, you’re definitely not alone.
Check out HangOverEasy, the perfect place to find a cure for your swollen head and sour stomach. Here you’ll find all your classic breakfast favorites as well as some unique brunch items, sandwiches and even dinner fare.
Dayton, Ohio
In Dayton, Ohio, there are several attractions to consider, especially with the weather turning a bit colder. The Boonshoft Museum of Discovery is one of the premier children’s museums, science/technology centers and accredited zoos in the area that offers dozens of exhibits.
There is a lot of automotive history in Dayton, as well. Opened in 1917, America’s Packard Museum is housed in a restored Packard dealership (itself an artifact) housing the largest public collection of Packard automobiles in the world. It was rated as one of the top five automotive museums in North America.
The Dayton Art Institute has a strong tradition of offering a collection that is both nationally and internationally recognized as one of the best in the Midwest. The museum is committed to collecting works that can add to its encyclopedic collection, especially those by underrepresented artists, particularly works by minorities and women.
Huntington, West Virginia
If you want to discover local history and lore in Huntington, West Virginia, the Ceredo Historical Society Museum preserves the history of Ceredo and surrounding areas for future generations. In addition to a wealth of artifacts and documents from the Ceredo, there are also items from nearby towns including Civil War artifacts, locally produced glass pieces, Ceredo petroglyphs, memorabilia and genealogy books.
If you are interested in a slice of history more national in its scope, stop by the Museum of Radio & Technology, one of the largest radio museums in the U.S with over 10,000 square feet of displays that tell the story of entertainment technology. Here you can learn the history of radio, how it began and how it grew into television, computers, the internet and more.
The Central City Antiques District celebrates the midpoint of two growing railroad and industrial towns: Kenova and Huntington. The handpainted signs of the Cavendish-Cyrus Hardware Store, D.E. Abbott & Co. and Kincaid Furniture are still visible on the historic buildings in the Central City District of West Huntington.
Lexington, Kentucky
For most people, Northern Kentucky means enjoying horses as they gallop on bluegrass fields or race around a track. But there’s a lot more to enjoy, especially in a city like Lexington.
An organization called Bites of Bluegrass can help you create a private experience that’s customized to your group—whether it’s a family reunion, milestone birthday or just a girls’ weekend.
In downtown Lexington, you can experience history through a walking tour that includes the vibrant culture and rich heritage of the downtown. A tour guide will take you to various restaurants, where you can sample different foods, each that features ingredients from local farms with preparations that tie food to the city’s culinary past.
Take a food and history tour through Lexington’s Distillery District. Here you will discover the contributions of James E. Pepper, a legendary third generation distiller, while you tour what is the largest distillery in the United States.
If you’re interested in the bizarre and macabre, take a journey through Lexington’s haunted history. This tour will take you through the city’s most famous haunted sites, where you’ll experience chilling tales of restless spirits and unexplained phenomena that have plagued the historic buildings of Lexington for decades.
Louisville, Kentucky
It’s no secret that Louisville is the place to discover the origins of America’s favorite spirit: bourbon. But downtown Louisville has vibrant and distinct neighborhoods that offer something for everyone.
Lining downtown Louisville’s Main Street are some of the oldest buildings in the city, built between the 1850s and early 1900s. The Revivalist and Chicago School-style buildings with cast-iron facades are the largest collection in the U.S., second only to SoHo in New York City.
Whiskey Row is seeing a revival with new distilleries and attractions re-inhabiting the area that once served as home to the bourbon industry from the mid-to-late 1800s, while Museum Row is home to notable museums all within a few walkable blocks.
These areas offer an abundance of dining options, whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner. Want to experience straightforward Southern cuisine? Try Merle’s Whiskey Kitchen, Doc Crow’s Southern Smokehouse and Raw Bar or Dasha Barbours Southern Bistro. Want something a little more upscale? Try Proof on Main or one of the city’s great steakhouses: Morton’s, Jeff Ruby’s or Repeal. If you prefer dining with a view, go to The Galt House Hotel, where you’ll find Walker’s Exchange and Swizzle, a rotating restaurant and bar high atop the hotel offering great views of the Ohio River.
Indianapolis, Indiana
As the leaves start to change, the weather turns a bit cooler and there’s the hint of pumpkin spice in the air, Indianapolis welcomes with a host of fall festivals. There are two that you should visit if you want to celebrate autumn, the harvest and Halloween.
For the fifth season, Harvest Nights returns to The Garden at Newfields. This spooky, but not too scary, festival offers plenty of autumnal fun. There’s Mischief Manor with its glowing gourds galore alongside friendly spirits, The Three Graces.
You’ll find plenty to eat, too. The menu includes cinnamon Bavarian crème churros, giant Bavarian pretzels and caramel corn from Just Pop-In. Spirits will be high with beverage choices including Hotel Tango Distillery’s Spooky Campfire Cocoa, Whiskey Applejack from Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey and a new lineup of draft beers from Elysian Brewing Co. Upgrade your tickets to the Premier Package for a unique experience including special access to the second floor of Lilly House.
The 78th Historic Irvington Halloween Festival is a week of events including Spooky Organ Music, a costume ball, ghost tours, a haunted puppet show and dozens of other events. The festival culminates Saturday, October 26, with a street fair, which includes over 120 vendors, live music and a costume parade.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
If you want to see fall foliage, there is one view that shouldn’t be missed. From the top of Mount Washington in Pittsburgh, you can see the city set against panoramic views of hills of multicolored trees surrounding the city.
Park at the base, and ride one of two different funiculars that climb the mountain—the Monongahela and Duquesne—and experience grand views like the Grandview Overlook or Point of View Park, which has a bronze sculpture of George Washington and Seneca leader Guyasuta.
Grab a bite to eat while you’re there. Grandview Avenue’s Restaurant Row is home to some of the city’s best seafood and Italian restaurants. On Shiloh Street you’ll find DiFiore’s Ice Cream shop along with some great eateries for every budget where you’ll be able to grab a bite and a beverage in the “real” Pittsburgh.
If you’re anywhere near Western Pennsylvania or Pittsburgh this fall, this is one stop you should try to make.
