10 Best Cities/ Places to Visit in Ohio
I firmly believe that every state in the country has many
different aspects to it. Sure, we like to think of Florida
as just its beaches and California as just Disneyland or San
Francisco but every single state actually has many different
sides to it. I also believe that by carefully selecting ten
cities in each state to visit, the average traveler can get
a really good feel for what that state is all about despite
the fact that it has so many different sides to it.
So what about if you’re going to Ohio? What cities would you
choose to see there to really get a feel for what the entire
state of Ohio is like? It would really need to be a great
combination of the big cities and the rural areas and the
college towns because Ohio has all of these. It would need
to combine liberal and democratic politics, northern towns
and southern towns and other opposing forces that make up
what this Midwest state is all about.
There are a lot of options to choose from since there are
over 100 cities in the state but a good Top 10 Cities in
Ohio selection to start with would be as follows:
1. Columbus. This is the capital of Ohio and its largest
city so it’s a must-see city for any Ohio visitor. It can be
found smack dab in the middle of the state and therefore
serves as a great hub for branching out to explore all of
the rest of Ohio. Park yourself at a hotel here, see all of
the sights, explore the rich history of the area and then
make your way to some of the smaller cities throughout the
state. Be sure to see the landmarks associated with the
explorer for which the city is named which includes a
full-scale replica of the Santa Maria boat located at the
Scioto Riverfront.
2. Cleveland. This city is another of the large cities in
the state and therefore one that you really need to see and
explore if you’re going to understand the urban areas of
Ohio. This one, however, is located way up north so it’s got
a different feel and flavor to it than Columbus does. One of
the things that is really notable here is that it’s an urban
hub for culture and the arts so if you want to see plays and
theatre performances and even sports events in Ohio then you
want to make sure to spend a decent amount of time in
Cleveland.
3. Cincinnati. This is the third of the large cities that
you really have to see when you explore Ohio. It’s located
at the south tip of the state which makes it quite different
from the other two big cities but it’s also an urban area.
It’s got an interesting history as being one of the first
cities that was considered to be truly American – rather
than European in development like other East Coast cities
and even other cities in Ohio. It’s not necessarily the most
tourist-driven city in comparison to the other large cities
but there are things to see here and you get to experience a
side of urban Ohio that you might not see in the other two
large cities.
4. Oberlin. Moving away from the large cities of Ohio, the
first thing that you want to do is to check out the liberal
college towns that are scattered all throughout the state.
There are a lot of people who come to Ohio to take advantage
of the numerous small colleges to be found here. Oberlin is
a great choice because it is filled with arts and music
students so there are a lot of creative things to find here.
It’s located up north near Cleveland.
5. Medina. It’s important to see not only college towns in
Ohio but also other small towns where rural folks are making
a simple beautiful life for themselves. There are many of
these towns to explore but a good pick is Medina. Located in
the north central part of the state, it’s a little town with
a great town square. They have music and arts stuff going on
during some weekends, flea markets and antique shops to
browse and generally just a lot of exploration for visitors
despite being a small place.
6. Any town in Holmes County. It’s important to get a chance
to gain an understanding of the Amish culture while you’re
in Ohio since it’s a unique culture that can’t be found in
most other states. This is a bit touristy to do but it’s a
neat thing to add to your trip and to your understanding of
Ohio. Pretty much any town in Holmes County can provide you
with a bit of that experience.
7. Dayton. At the opposite end of the spectrum from the
Amish is the part of Ohio where technological advancements
are of extreme importance to the history of the area. That’s
the case with Dayton, a city in southwestern Ohio which is
known for its technology. It is especially known for
aerospace technology and is famous because it’s the hometown
of the Wright Brothers.
8. Sandusky. One of the things that you have to make sure to
see when you’re in Ohio is Lake Erie. The Great Lakes are
all amazing and definitely not something to miss when
exploring a state that borders one. There are several cities
in Ohio to see this amazing body of water but the one that
is best is Sandusky because it’s also home to Cedar Point, a
really cool amusement park filled with rollercoasters
including amazing old wooden rollercoasters that you aren’t
going to find in many other places that you may travel.
9. Toronto. Lake Erie is the big body of water that you
should see but you should also make it a point to check out
the Ohio River during your travels through the state. This
will also give you the chance to see some of the small towns
located in the southeastern part of the state. Toronto is a
good pick but any town on the river in this area will serve
to enhance your appreciation of the state.
10. Cuyahoga Falls. Another cool river in the state is
Cuyahoga River and the best place to check that out is in
this town named for the river’s waterfalls. This one is
good, too, because it’s located really close to Akron which
is another city worth seeing if you’ve got time to add an
eleventh city to your tour of the state. |
