A few weeks ago, my bestie and I took a road trip to Columbus, Ohio. We’ve never been before and wanted to go explore before watching her brother open for Kane Brown. We did a lot in our 48 hour trip and I’m excited to share with you everything we did in today’s Columbus Ohio travel guide!
A Complete Columbus Ohio Travel Guide
One thing I noticed about Columbus was how everything was 15 minutes away. All the things we did were super close and didn’t take us long to get around. Traffic was also super light and there was parking readily available. I appreciated this after being in Nashville for so long!
Where to Stay
We stayed at the Graduate Hotel. Located in the heart of the Short North Arts District, the Graduate Columbus is just a quick trip to Ohio State University and downtown Columbus. Settle into the warm, tailored spaces, where plaids in a scarlet and gray mix with gold-medal-worthy details. I have a whole blog post on our stay there here!
Where to Eat
Thurman Cafe – You’ll see the Thurman Cafe on every Columbus guide. Their burgers are THE BOMB. The Thurman doesn’t take reservations but the cafe is located near Schiller Park and in a super cute neighborhood so walk around a little before your meal! I got the Western and it was the best burger I’ve ever had. Definitely make room for this in your itinerary!
Fox in the Snow Cafe – The cutest little breakfast spot in Columbus is Fox in the Snow. Their inside seating was still closed due to COVID, but they have little benches outside. So you can order your breakfast and coffee and enjoy it outside! They had delicious scones, strong coffee, and scrumptious breakfast sandwiches.
Currently, the Italian Village Cafe is open for take-out only Mondays – Fridays from 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. and Saturdays & Sundays 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.. Only our New Albany and German Village Cafes are open for dine-in service at the moment.
S’wich Social – Y’all this was the ice cream sandwich of my dreams and the biggest sugar high! I had two M&M cookies with vanilla ice cream and Oreos on top. S’wich Social was created with the belief that no matter the occasion, ice cream sandwiches bring people together. Definitely stop by if you have a sweet tooth.
Lox Bagel Shop – Right next to our hotel was Lox, home to some of the best bagels in America! I highly recommend one of their yummy breakfast or lunch sandwiches and cup of coffee. It’ll leave you energized and ready for a day of exploring Columbus. They currently don’t have indoor seating but do have outdoor seating if the weather is nice! Unfortunately, it was raining when we stopped by but we ate our breakfast in the Graduate lobby.
Dragon Donuts – Who doesn’t love donuts? This was our last stop on the way out of Columbus and got half a dozen for the road. I’m a classic glazed girl myself, but they had so many great options and varieties.
Goodale Station – Y’all know wherever I go, I’ll find a fun rooftop bar! We met a friend here for drinks and appetizers. It’s on the roof of a hotel and has the dreamiest views of Columbus. Go for happy hour Tuesday – Friday 4 pm – 6 pm and definitely make a reservation before going because they were packed out!
Lincoln Social – I didn’t get a chance to go here but everyone recommended it. It was also super close to our hotel so it’s easy to walk back without having to drive or get a Lyft. I don’t have any recommendations but if you go, send me your recs for next time!
What to Do
Explore Schiller Park – We were waiting for our table at the Thurman Cafe and walked to Schiller Park. It’s the cutest park area with fountains, bridges, park benches and lots of flowers. They also have events in the park! There was a play happening when we were there and I wish we could have stayed and watched.
Walk Around the Book Loft – Definitely set aside an hour or two if you’re a book lover. The Book Loft was MASSIVE with so many different rooms dedicated to different genres. They give you a map when you get in to help you navigate all the rooms and levels that are there. The Book Loft is in the German Village and it was such a cute spot to walk around.
Take a Photo in Front of the Love Columbus Sign – This is such a cool sign and you can literally pull over and take a photo in five minutes. Bring a tripod to help stabilize your phone or camera and your photos will turn out amazing.
Shopping at Easton Town Center – Easton Town Center is one largest outdoor malls and there is so. much. to. do. Luckily we popped by early in the morning before the stores were open but all of my favorite stores were there like Nordstrom, Free People, Anthropologie, Coach, Apple and more. in addition to shopping, they have the rainbow alley with the umbrellas (the umbrellas were closed the day we were there), a bike arch install, swings and a green area for kids to play on. We also found this phone booth with flowers in front of Nordstrom! It’s a shopping lovers dream there.
See the City View at Genoa Park – On our way out, we stopped at Genoa Park for one last view of Columus. It’s such a cute park area to walk around and get some exercise or just sit and enjoy the skyline.
What things in this Columbus Ohio travel guide do you want to try? Let me know in a comment below!
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