Hello again.  It looks like I'll be taking a day to drive from Cincinnati to Cleveland.  I'm planning on leaving about 8am and I need to be at Shaker Square by 5pm.  I'm also bringing a person along who likes hiking, nature, and has never been to Ohio.

 

I was thinking about going straight West out of Cincinnati, stopping in Chillicothe to visit some mounds, then going over to Hocking Hills for some hiking.  Then maybe stop in Columbus for a bit and maybe Cuyahoga Valley National Park if there's still time.  I've never been to any of these places, so I'm not sure how much time that takes, or if there are better, more scenic places to stop.

 

Also, is Lancaster worth visiting?  A map I was looking at says that it's pretty historic, but aren't all towns in Ohio?

 

Thanks in advance.

Well, 15 minutes straight west out of Cincinnati will put you in Indiana.  There are some very nice small towns to visit in Indiana!!

 

Other than that, Cincinnati to Shaker Square would take you a good 4 hours driving straight up I-71.  I don't think it would be possible to do all the things you've mentioned and still be there by 5.

 

 

Sounds like a nice long weekend plan, but not for one day unless you have a helicopter.  If you're looking for a state park hike, rather than driving across half the state to Hocking Hills, I would recommend Mohican near Mansfield since it's so close to I-71...

You really don't have that much play time. It can take as much as 5 hours to make that run if traffic gets bad (as it sometimes does esp. north of Columbus). If you take the back roads the whole way there that will pretty much take your whole day (such as 22/3 to Cbus and then just 3 north of Columbus). There are a lot of cops these days off the expressways and they hide better.

Hmm...I usually find that back roads take about the same amount of time. But in this case I'll trust the locals. 

 

So do you think Breakfast in Columbus, maybe explore a couple of Columbus neighborhoods for an hour, then 71 up to Mohican, then wander up through Cuyahoga Valley if there's time? 

 

Mohican looks just right.  I checked out the website and it looks like there's forest, rocks, and a scenic overlook...that's the type of stuff I'm looking for. 

 

Are there any other scenic byways I could take in that direction if there's time...or is there a good section of Cuyahoga Valley NP to check out?

 

How about the small towns along there...are any of them worth stopping in?

If you're a back road fan, you could take Rt 3 up from Columbus thru Mt. Vernon to Mohican.

 

From Mohican to Cuy Valley, the back road options are:

 

Rt 3 to Wooster then Rt 585 takes you up to Rt 21 north to I-77, or

Rt 39 through Amish Country (Millersburg, Berlin), then north on US 62 (more Amish in Wilmot) to Massillon, then to Rt 21 north...

 

Rt 39 is part of the Amish Country National Scenic Byway http://www.ohiobyways.com/Amish_County/HolmesCounty.htm)

Rt. 21 is part of the Canal Way National Scenic Byway, but it's mostly highway driving and not particularly scenic to me.  http://www.ohiobyways.com/CanalWay/CanalWayOhio.htm

That seems like a great path. The problem with the back roads in Ohio is a 55mph speed limit that slows to 25 at every town with cops everywhere and they pretty much routed 71 as efficiently as possibly. There are lots of towns and traffic lights to slow you down.

I would go through Holmes Country, from Columbus.  Basically, take I-71 to the Sunbury exit (Route 36), make a right, and go through Mt. Vernon (cute town) up to Amish Country. Beautiful stuff out there, then take US-62 north to Amishland and then when you're done with that, take Route 39 (make a right) and go to I-77 up to Cleveland.  It's scenic in an Amish sort of way. 

 

But if you want more hills, waterfalls, etc, screw Mohican, go to Hocking Hills.  Meaning, take 50 out to Chillicothe (take some photos), then take 93 north (in McArthur, which is NOT worth the photos) and take it to the Hocking Hills.  Visit Old Man Cave, Ash Cave, Cedar Falls, Natural Rock Bridge, etc.  Then just take 33 up to Columbus and head to Cleveland.

Anyone have breakfast recommendations in Columbus for Prok?  German Village or Short North are easy detours off I-71 and worth a stop, but I haven't lived in Columbus for over 10 years so my restaurant recommendations are probably not so great anymore.

 

Baked goods from North Market? www.northmarket.com

North Star Cafe? www.thenorthstarcafe.com

There are a ton of wonderful breakfast places in Columbus but I recommend Jack & Benny's for your classic, collegiate breakfast joint; Banana Bean in German Village for your veggie-delicious breakfast; Michael's Goody Boy for your greasy-spoon-joint; or Rise & Dine for cheap and generous portions.

you could take Rt 3 all the way from Cincinnati to Cleveland, the Col to Cle portion of that is the most scenic, however.

I would definitely stop off in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park if you get a chance ... even if to do a half-hour drive-through to get a taste for it. You can get a pretty detailed map at http://www.nps.gov/cuva/planyourvisit/index.htm (the map link is toward the upper left on the screen), and there is also wikitravel entry at http://wikitravel.org/en/Cuyahoga_Valley_National_Park. There's a lot to see in the park. If you want to stop in the southern tip, I would recommend stopping by the Boston Store Visitors Center and then heading over to Brandywine Falls and maybe to Stanford Hostel (there is a nice loop trail that connects Brandywine to the hostel grounds). If you want to stop on the northern end, I would stop at the Canal Visitors Center, take a quick peak at the Towpath Trail and then along the Gorge Parkway, getting out at the Overlook and Bridal Falls. Unfortunately, I don't think given your schedule you'll have sufficient time for much of a hike, but you might be able to fit in a half-mile deal ... I find both the trails near the gorge and near the hostel pretty convenient, although the gorge trails are perhaps a little more breathtaking. Regardless, I would definitely stop through.

 

 

 

Anyone have breakfast recommendations in Columbus for Prok? German Village or Short North are easy detours off I-71 and worth a stop, but I haven't lived in Columbus for over 10 years so my restaurant recommendations are probably not so great anymore.

 

Baked goods from North Market? www.northmarket.com

North Star Cafe? www.thenorthstarcafe.com

 

I love North Star

I would definitely stop off in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park if you get a chance ... even if to do a half-hour drive-through to get a taste for it. You can get a pretty detailed map at http://www.nps.gov/cuva/planyourvisit/index.htm (the map link is toward the upper left on the screen), and there is also wikitravel entry at http://wikitravel.org/en/Cuyahoga_Valley_National_Park. There's a lot to see in the park. If you want to stop in the southern tip, I would recommend stopping by the Boston Store Visitors Center and then heading over to Brandywine Falls and maybe to Stanford Hostel (there is a nice loop trail that connects Brandywine to the hostel grounds). If you want to stop on the northern end, I would stop at the Canal Visitors Center, take a quick peak at the Towpath Trail and then along the Gorge Parkway, getting out at the Overlook and Bridal Falls. Unfortunately, I don't think given your schedule you'll have sufficient time for much of a hike, but you might be able to fit in a half-mile deal ... I find both the trails near the gorge and near the hostel pretty convenient, although the gorge trails are perhaps a little more breathtaking. Regardless, I would definitely stop through.

If you only have a couple minutes to stop at CVNP, I'd stop near the ledges pavilion on the East side of the park. There's lots of really short looping trails and the overlook is awesome. Plus then you're just a couple minutes from Route 8.

You could also stop at Malabar Farm, not that far from Mohican.

http://www.ohiodnr.com/parks/malabar/tabid/762/Default.aspx

Thanks for all the great tips.  I know it's a tight schedule.  I'm planning on picking and choosing the route base on time...so I appreciate all suggestions even though many won't get stopped at.

 

A couple more questions...

 

I can make Hocking Hills work, but is is really THAT much better than Mohican?  (I'm hoping the answer is yes.)

 

Also, the person I'm coming with has never been outside of Southeastern Wisconsin and Northeastern Illinois...so I really want to show him some hills.  (That's why we're going to Cincy.)

 

I'm also wondering about the Indian Mounds in Chillicothe.  There's a number of groups and if we go to Hocking Hills I'd really like to stop at one or two groups...which ones are the best?

 

 

 

 

 

Anyone have breakfast recommendations in Columbus for Prok? German Village or Short North are easy detours off I-71 and worth a stop, but I haven't lived in Columbus for over 10 years so my restaurant recommendations are probably not so great anymore.

 

Baked goods from North Market? www.northmarket.com

North Star Cafe? www.thenorthstarcafe.com

 

I absolutely LOVE all of the pictures I've seen of German Village and I've never been.  Is there a nice cafe with maybe outdoor seating if it's nice.  I would love to eat brunch surrounded in red bricks.

 

 

Are there any other State Parks along the way that are worth checking out?  We'll see if I can fin any in.

 

I've driven most of the back-road options between Cleveland and Columbus. Here is how I rate them:

 

> US 42 (least scenic but fastest at 3 hours);

> SR3 (fairly scenic, especially between Mt. Vernon and Wooster, and takes about 4 hours);

> US 62/SR43 via Canton (most scenic and includes Amish Country in/near Millersburg, takes about 5 hours).

 

If you stay away from Columbus, you might be able to take US22 from Cincinnati to Lancaster, which is pretty fast (perhaps as little as 3 hours if you don't make stops). You may have time to do your thing in Lancaster (but not much time). Then my suggestion is to stay on US22 to Zanesville. Then take SR60 north to US62, then decide whether to stay on US62 to Canton then take SR43 north or take SR83 north to Wooster, then to SR3.

 

Either way, north of Wooster on SR3 or north of Canton on SR43 has lots of traffic and slowdowns, but there's no other option except to sneak into Cleveland through the Cuyahoga Valley as others suggested. Getting to the valley is tricky, but here's a route I've taken and suggest....

 

To reach the valley and avoid traffic as much as possible, turn left off US62 at Brewster to SR93. Stay on SR93 toward downtown Akron. Take SR93 to East Avenue, turn right. Take East to Wooster Road, turn right. Take Wooster to SR59 (a freeway) past downtown. Take SR59 about a mile to Market Street. Turn left. Take Market about a half-mile to Merriman. Take Merriman past the mansions and into the valley. After the second railroad tracks and at the bottom of the bottom, immediately turn left onto Merriman/Riverview. Take Riverview all the way north to Pleasant Valley Road near Independence. Turn right on Pleasant Valley Road to Canal Road. Take Canal Road north to Granger Road. Turn right on Granger to Lee. Turn left on Lee. Take Lee to Van Aken Blvd. Turn left on Van Aken and take it to Shaker Square.

 

Good luck!

If you have time, as you are coming up Riverview Road from Akron to Cleveland, take one brief 1000 ft. detour.

 

Merriman will turn into Riverview as you cross Portage Path.  Drive another 2.5 miles up Riverview and turn right on W. Bath Road (right after you pass the water treatment facility on your left.  yeah, I know.).  Look to your left (about 1000 ft. east of Riverview on Bath) and there will be a pull-off lane on the north side of the street.  Park, get out of your car, and look south at one of the largest great blue heron rookeries anywhere.

 

It's the middle of hatching season, so there will be a ton of adult birds and some chicks that are just emerging.

Hello again.  It looks like I'll be taking a day to drive from Cincinnati to Cleveland.  I'm planning on leaving about 8am and I need to be at Shaker Square by 5pm.  I'm also bringing a person along who likes hiking, nature, and has never been to Ohio.

 

I was thinking about going straight West out of Cincinnati, stopping in Chillicothe to visit some mounds, then going over to Hocking Hills for some hiking.  Then maybe stop in Columbus for a bit and maybe Cuyahoga Valley National Park if there's still time.  I've never been to any of these places, so I'm not sure how much time that takes, or if there are better, more scenic places to stop.

 

Also, is Lancaster worth visiting?  A map I was looking at says that it's pretty historic, but aren't all towns in Ohio?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

 

My advice, get I-71, blind fold yourself and don't remove it until you get to the Ohio Turnpike.  There is nothing to see south of the Turnpike.

Yes, Hocking Hills is THAT much better than Mohican.  Trust me.

 

Also, Serpent Mound, if you have time, is a must. 

^If it's open.  How can a mound be closed?  Well it has been every time I've driven past. 

My advice, get I-71, blind fold yourself and don't remove it until you get to the Ohio Turnpike. There is nothing to see south of the Turnpike.

 

That's too bad, MTS. There's some wonderful scenery in Ohio, and MOST of it is south of the Turnpike.

My advice, get I-71, blind fold yourself and don't remove it until you get to the Ohio Turnpike.  There is nothing to see south of the Turnpike.

 

That's too bad, MTS. There's some wonderful scenery in Ohio, and MOST of it is south of the Turnpike.

 

There's stuff worth seeing outside of NE Ohio?  :?  Who knew?!

Fort Ancient wasn't open as of last Friday. May 1st was traditionally the opening day for state sites but with the budget who knows.

This trip is most likely happening on Wednesday, June 17th so I'm sure stuff will be open by then.  We'll see what happens.  I'm torn between between showing Mat (the travel companion) the hills of the Southeast Ohio but not Columbus, and showing him Columbus and not the hills of Southeast Ohio.  I still have tons of time to figure it out though.

 

This trip is most likely happening on Wednesday, June 17th so I'm sure stuff will be open by then.  We'll see what happens.  I'm torn between between showing Mat (the travel companion) the hills of the Southeast Ohio but not Columbus, and showing him Columbus and not the hills of Southeast Ohio.  I still have tons of time to figure it out though.

 

 

enough time to alert the Police

My advice, get I-71, blind fold yourself and don't remove it until you get to the Ohio Turnpike. There is nothing to see south of the Turnpike.

 

That's too bad, MTS. There's some wonderful scenery in Ohio, and MOST of it is south of the Turnpike.

 

There's stuff worth seeing outside of NE Ohio? :?   Who knew?!

 

It clearly ain't at Shaker Square...you know...the Church's Chicken of Cleveland neighborhoods.

My advice, get I-71, blind fold yourself and don't remove it until you get to the Ohio Turnpike.  There is nothing to see south of the Turnpike.

 

That's too bad, MTS. There's some wonderful scenery in Ohio, and MOST of it is south of the Turnpike.

 

There's stuff worth seeing outside of NE Ohio?  :?   Who knew?!

 

It clearly ain't at Shaker Square...you know...the Church's Chicken of Cleveland neighborhoods.

pronky will disagree!  :-P

Made the trip up I 71 in 2 hours 37 minutes and 49 seconds.. (yes I timed it) speeding and during the night time of course. Highway patrol is wasnt out.

My advice, get I-71, blind fold yourself and don't remove it until you get to the Ohio Turnpike. There is nothing to see south of the Turnpike.

 

That's too bad, MTS. There's some wonderful scenery in Ohio, and MOST of it is south of the Turnpike.

 

There's stuff worth seeing outside of NE Ohio? :? Who knew?!

 

It clearly ain't at Shaker Square...you know...the Church's Chicken of Cleveland neighborhoods.

pronky will disagree! :-P

 

Pronky!?!  Prokofiev would not be pleased.

 

And yes, I do have to disagree.  Shaker Square is not the Church's Chicken of neighborhoods.  It's the Buffalo Wild Wings of strip malls.

With the time schedule like it is, you might also consider visiting the National Park and some other local park offerings after your arrival. Not sure how long you're staying, and certainly don't want to pull you out of the city, but the lakefront is a must (such as going down to Edgewater and working your way down to Whiskey Island; it can be tricky to get to, but you're on a hill at the intersection of the lake and the river looking right at the downtown skyline). Some of the Metroparks are also pretty stunning ... for hills, Rocky River Reservation and Hinkley Reservation (google Whipps Ledges and look at the images. Wow.) stick out in my head, but there are several worth a visit. Of course, if you're going to be at Shaker Square, I think a trip to the Shaker Lakes and the Shaker Lakes Nature Center is a must ... beautiful scenery and a fascinating history for urban planning geeks (first citizen-driven effort in the U.S. to defeat a major proposed highway). Then 35 mins. to the east, there's Holden Arboretum, the largest in the country. And of course, if you have time, nothing beats biking from downtown through the Industrial Valley, stopping off in Tremont and heading south to connect with the Towpath and biking down to the National Park. One of the more interesting amenities in the region.

 

Regardless, it sounds like your friend is going to see a TON of nature on this little trip :)

My advice, get I-71, blind fold yourself and don't remove it until you get to the Ohio Turnpike.  There is nothing to see south of the Turnpike.

 

That's too bad, MTS. There's some wonderful scenery in Ohio, and MOST of it is south of the Turnpike.

 

There's stuff worth seeing outside of NE Ohio?  :?  Who knew?!

 

It clearly ain't at Shaker Square...you know...the Church's Chicken of Cleveland neighborhoods.

pronky will disagree!  :-P

 

Pronky!?!  Prokofiev would not be pleased.

 

And yes, I do have to disagree.  Shaker Square is not the Church's Chicken of neighborhoods.  It's the Buffalo Wild Wings of strip malls.

 

oh...no...you didnt!

 

Made the trip up I 71 in 2 hours 37 minutes and 49 seconds.. (yes I timed it) speeding and during the night time of course. Highway patrol is wasnt out.

 

That's an AVERAGE of 94.7 MPH.  Where's the YIKES girl?

Made the trip up I 71 in 2 hours 37 minutes and 49 seconds.. (yes I timed it) speeding and during the night time of course. Highway patrol is wasnt out.

 

That's an AVERAGE of 94.7 MPH.  Where's the YIKES girl?

 

Note to self:  Never ride shotgun with JamesMatthew!

 

 

Note to UO:  YIKES girl is on Holiday this week so Richard Simmons is filling in.

 

Odd question...does anyone know if there's a family diner in downtown Chillicothe?  I'm looking for breakfast hours. 

Made the trip up I 71 in 2 hours 37 minutes and 49 seconds.. (yes I timed it) speeding and during the night time of course. Highway patrol is wasnt out.

 

That's an AVERAGE of 94.7 MPH. Where's the YIKES girl?

 

 

My magnum was thirsty on that trip.. She craved more gasoline!!!!  Gots to keep your baby happy.