Weekend in Columbus – What to See and Do
This past weekend we escaped NYC for a nice family trip to Columbus, Ohio – which was voted one of the top 10 domestic destinations by the Travel Channel in 2020.Our flight was less than 80 minutes long but if we were to drive, 8 hours is the average time from NYC. This was my second time in Columbus and this time I was invited by Experience Columbus to share what the city looks like for the holidays!
Where to Stay in Columbus
Location is very important to me so I can’t recommend Aloft Easton enough. Located at Easton Town Center, this modern hotel has everything we needed: the best location to explore different parts of town, comfy beds, gym and swimming pool.
What to do and see in Columbus
Easton Town Center
This is my favorite part of town. At Easton Town Center you have plenty of shops, restaurants and entertainment! I love walking around and you can easily spend a full day here exploring, shopping and dining!
Speaking of dining, we had a delicious lunch at Northstar Cafe and dinner at True Food Kitchen. After that we stopped by the Christmas tree at Easton’s Central Park Fountain for a beautiful holiday show!
Northstar is a local favorite and they focus on using locally grown, organic, and artisan produced foods to protect the environment, support producers, and maintain their commitment to serving the most wholesome and delicious food they can.
True Food Kitchen is a modern and beautiful restaurant with a menu that changes at least 4 times a year to take advantage of the best ingredients. Everything is made from scratch, it’s a pretty healthy and clean eating option and the food is very flavorful!
If you are looking for unique souvenirs made by local artists and companies, head to Celebrate Local, they have everything, from Ohio/Columbus Christmas ornaments to local wine.
Short North Arts District
As I mentioned before, I love walking around, shopping at local businesses and eating delicious food, so we couldn’t miss the Short North Arts District!We started by having brunch at Tasi, another local favorite! I loved the atmosphere, the service and I got to meet Tasi herself and it was lovely! They have vegan options as well. The huevos rancheros were really good.
Some of my favorite shops at Short North Arts District
Another interesting fact I didn’t know is that Columbus is a fashion capital. There are more designers per capita there than the rest of the United States, except for New York and Los Angeles! Which means you can find great and unique shops in the city!
Some of my favorite shops were Fashionista Therapy, Jolie Occasions and Red Giraffe Designs. The stores were beautiful! I felt like taking everything home! If you have the time, we also stopped at On Paper, Big Fun (for comics and toys) and Insomnia cookies (not local but oh so good!)
North Market
You can’t leave Columbus without visiting the North Market! It’s a 145-year-old vibrant public market where you will You can’t leave Columbus without visiting the North Market! It’s a 145-year-old vibrant public market where you will find the best independent farmers, merchants and makers! There is a little bit of everything but food is obviously the star here. And I was so happy they had vegan options!! Check out Willowbeez SoulVeg for yummy food and American Nut for vegan flavored popcorn!
The Budd Dairy Food Hall
Voted one of the best new food halls in America, this beautiful space is the perfect spot to end the day in the area. It’s vibrant, beautiful and there is a rooftop on the third floor, great for summer days but it’s tented and heated in the winter, so always a good idea!
Wildlights Show at Columbus Zoo
Every Holiday Season the Columbus Zoo welcomes thousands of visitors every day for their famous Wildlights winter show. There are more than 3 million twinkling lights, music, activities for kids, Santa and you can see some of the animals as well.
German Village
And of course I couldn’t leave this out! The German Village is the cutest neighborhood in Columbus and I love that it isn’t just one street or a couple of blocks long. It’s big! German Village is a historic neighborhood with brick-lined sidewalks alongside charming homes, great restaurants and local sAnd of course I couldn’t leave this out! The German Village is the cutest neighborhood in Columbus and I love that it isn’t just one street or a couple of blocks long. It’s big! German Village is a historic neighborhood with brick-lined sidewalks alongside charming homes, great restaurants and local shops.
We stopped by different shops but the Red Stable was a favorite! It’s sooo cute! Outside or inside you are in for a treat with great Ohio gift ideas, everything Christmas and if you head upstairs, you can see the work of local artists on the second floor!
We also stopped by Tiki Botanicals and Schiller Park! The first one, Tiki Botanicals is a local shop owned and operated by a husband and wife duo! It’s the perfect place to get yourself or someone you love a special gift. They have soaps, candles, body and hair care products and everything smells amazing! The park is nice to walk around and there is a playground in the area if you are traveling with kids!
The Book Loft
If you love books, The Book Loft is a muIf you love books, The Book Loft is a must visit! You can literally get lost in this narrow 32-room book shop! It’s so unique and you can find good deals! They also carry some gifts and random stationary items.
Lindey’s
For lunch, I can’t recommend Lindey’s Restaurant enough! What a treat and a great way to end our trip! The service was great, the location is perfect, the interior is oh so beautiful and the food was delicious. Easily 5 out of 5 for me! And they were able to accommodate my vegan requests!
And you can’t leave the midwest without trying Jeni’s ice cream! Funny story, when I was at the CAMP store here in NYC the staff was super excited about carrying Jeni’s and I was like…WHAT OR WHO IS JENI’S? I had never heard of it before! You have to try for yourself and you will understand why they were so proud to have her products!
Anyway, you can find Jeni’s shops all over Columbus, but we found them at Easton Town Center, the North Star Market and walking around the Short North Arts District!
I hope you guys enjoyed learning more about Columbus and will consider adding it to your list of places to visit this holiday season and beyond!
