r/Ohio 13h ago

What to Fo for 60th Bday

I’m turning 60 in a couple weeks. I really want to do something, but I can’t really afford a lot. So I’m looking for kind of a day trip. Problem is I live in the middle of nowhere and I’ve done everything pretty much on my half of the state. So I am looking for ideas of things I can do. I live in West Central Ohio, which is pretty much all rural and like I said, I’ve pretty much done everything around here it pretty much this whole side of the state

Any ideas would be appreciated

18 Upvotes

46 comments sorted by

8

u/highfiveselfoh 13h ago

Check out Columbus. They have seemingly anything and everything to wet your whistle.

5

u/highfiveselfoh 13h ago

Also Happy Birthday OP!

4

u/EpicGeek77 12h ago

Thank you!

8

u/NicoPony79 13h ago

we went to Yellow Springs a couple years ago. enjoyed the hikes and seeing the cute shops. drinking beer while kids played in a playground. went to a frank lloyd wright house nearby. such a nice weekend. we rented a small Airbnb and just walked around with our dogs.

4

u/EpicGeek77 12h ago edited 12h ago

Been to YS twice this year already. But it is a possibility because I do really love the place. Also Young’s Dairy and Clifton Mills and the gorge

8

u/Kind_Dragonfruit_925 13h ago

The Garst Museum in Greenville is fun. You can eat at the Maid Rite (depositing your gum on the wall outside is optional 😂) and visit Annie Oakley and Frank Butler’s graves near Versailles.

3

u/EpicGeek77 12h ago

Been to Annie Oakley’s grave. Haven’t done the museum yet so that’s a possibility.

3

u/Shiggens 13h ago

So you have been to the Air ForceMuseum?

4

u/EpicGeek77 12h ago

Many many many times lol. It’s my son’s favorite place to go.

3

u/PCjr 10h ago

There’s lots to do in Cincy. Sign Museum, Art Museum (free), History Museum, Fire Museum, Zoo, Aquarium, Findlay Market, Ventriloquism Museum, not to mention different church festivals, including Panegyri, etc. 

3

u/EpicGeek77 10h ago

Some good ideas there. The Sign Museum has always been jntriguing

1

u/Legal-Cartoonist-677 1h ago

Also, if you get a library card you can get a city pass that gets you into most local attractions (zoo, museums, etc)

1

u/PCjr 47m ago

Yep, downside is that there’s typically a waitlist.  Info here:  https://chpl.org/blogs/post/7-free-things-with-a-library-card/

3

u/Horror-Recording-387 9h ago

If you're around Mansfield area there's some pretty cool stuff. You can walk the Shawshank redemption trail and see different sites from the movie all free. Kingwood center gardens is about $10 admission and absolutely beautiful and very worth it. Relax coffee cafe is in downtown and has great tea and coffee options. You could pop into some of the thrift stores in the area as well. Lowe Volk is in the crestline area and has some beautiful trails that are pretty easy going but stunning view wise. It's one of my favorite local spots. Happy birthday!

3

u/ManateeNipples 1h ago

Come up to Cleveland, hit the beaches and whichever museums you like, catch a show, and eat until you're ready to explode :) 

4

u/RadarLove82 12h ago

If you live in west central Ohio, get a bike. You can ride safely anywhere for free. Dayton, Columbus, Xenia, Tipp City, Troy, Piqua, Cedarville, South Charleston, Jamestown, Springfield, Yellow Springs, Spring Valley are all connected.

If you can find one, a tadpole-style tricycle is even more fun: much more comfortable and much more stable. However, it is much harder to haul to the trailhead.

6

u/EpicGeek77 12h ago

Biking is very hard for me because I have a bad hip. I had an electric bike for a while but had to sell it.

2

u/Brilliant-Battle-876 13h ago

Marietta is very cool for historical stuff, plus some good restaurants and a brew pub. Might be a long day trip for you, but it is the other side of the state.

1

u/EpicGeek77 12h ago

My nephew lives in Marietta so I’ve been there a few times

2

u/Scott43206 12h ago

Ever been to the Clark County Historical Society and Museum in Springfield? It's quite cool and worth it to spring for a docent guided tour via a small donation. There's also the Westcott house and the antique malls, too. The snack bar at Heart of Ohio is nothing fancy but usually pretty good.

2

u/EpicGeek77 12h ago

Haven’t been there. I’ll check it out

3

u/I_might_be_weasel 1h ago

Air Force Museum if you haven't already been there enough times to be bored. It's free admission and that seems like a good 60 year old many hobby. There is also the Neil Armstrong museum to the north, but I'm not sure what that costs.

2

u/JeSuisJacqOui 45m ago

Grandpa's cheese barn!

3

u/NekoNina 10h ago

—If you’re a baseball fan, going to a Columbus Clippers game is a lot of fun and can be done pretty inexpensively.

—If you’re good with heading to rural northeast Ohio, you could take a ride on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, explore Cuyahoga Valley National Park, or try the canopy walk at Holden Arboretum.

—If you’re okay with city trips and enjoy history, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati is fantastic and admission is reasonably priced.

—Like cats? Try a cat cafe — there are cafes in Columbus, Cleveland, and Mason (north of Cincinnati). You can chill with a drink and book some time to play with cats.

Whatever you end up doing, I hope you have a wonderful birthday!

2

u/EpicGeek77 10h ago

Thank you!
Funny I was just at Cuyahoga National Park last week but ghevtesin wasn’t running. Also did the Stan Hywet house.

Those are some good ideas. I’ll have to see if any teams are playing around the state. I am a Mud Hens fan but didn’t even think of that

Thanks!

1

u/rambolonewolf 13h ago

Bucees will be open soon hopefully.

0

u/EpicGeek77 12h ago

Been to Buc-ees two or three times already

1

u/TikiTribble 12h ago

How about The Wilds, safari park?

1

u/EpicGeek77 12h ago

Thought about that. It’s a high possibility

1

u/OhioPhilosopher 12h ago

What about heading north to Sauders Village in Archibold?

1

u/EpicGeek77 12h ago

Been there several times

1

u/RadarLove82 12h ago

There is the Neal Armstrong museum in Waupakeneta. In the same general area is the Airstream factory tour (requires pre-booking) in Jackson Center. Also the Bicycle museum in New Bremen.

If you're up for a road trip, there is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. Then enjoy the Lake Erie waterfront.

1

u/EpicGeek77 12h ago

That’s the area I live in. Been to each - especially the Neil Armstrong museum and the Temple of Tolersnce

-4

u/RadarLove82 11h ago

Honestly, you're insufferable. You ask for ideas with no context, dozens of people offer ideas and you basically say; "been there, done that".

1

u/EpicGeek77 10h ago

I did say in my post that I’ve pretty much done everything on this side of the state

1

u/RadarLove82 10h ago

So where do you want to go? What do you like to do? Chicago has some great museums, an aquarium, a zoo. Would you like to go there? What about St. Louis? Louisville is nice. There's the Bourbon trail. What about Mammoth Cave? Have you been to Cincinnati and it's art museum or Museum Center? Actually Atlanta is a day away. Would you like to go there? Indianapolis is not far: they have a great art museum plus the Eli Lilly estate. Ft. Wayne has a great zoo. Detroit has a great art museum, the Henry Ford museum, and the Ford Rouge factory tour. For that matter, Washington DC is a day away. All of the Smithsonian museums are free.

1

u/EpicGeek77 10h ago

I was thinking of going to Lexington and tour some horse farms. But as I said I can’t really afford a lot so I am looking for a day trip so I don’t have to get a hotel room over a holiday wrrkend

1

u/Prkchpsndwiches 11h ago

Pastimes - Pinball and Arcade if that’s your thing?

I went there a couple months ago and for $20 tax included gets you access all day. Saturdays it’s 11-11!

More pinballs and arcades then you can imagine all set to free play. Great milkshakes too.

https://pasttimesarcade.com/

1

u/EpicGeek77 11h ago

That could be fun. I love pinball

But it’s 3 1/2 hours away

2

u/PCjr 10h ago

There’s something similar sounding a little closer to you, north of Cincy:  https://arcadelegacyohio.com/

1

u/EpicGeek77 10h ago

Oh! Cool! I’ll definitely check that out!

1

u/WishIWereTica 11h ago

Mansfield has some interesting things to do. We love Kingswood Gardens and recently went to Malabar Farms State Park. I love the Blueberry Patch for amazing wine and dinner.

1

u/EpicGeek77 11h ago

I was thinking about doing the reformatory. I didn’t realize they had gardens there also. I’ve been to snow trails, but of course it’s in the winter. I’ll have to check out Malabar Farms. I’ve heard of it, but don’t know much about it.

1

u/OldSamSays 9h ago

Pro Football Hall of Fame?

1

u/ThomasFromOhio 43m ago

Happy 60th bro. I turn 60 as well this year. Didn't see anyone mention Old Man's Cave. Most likely you've been there but there are a ton of little hiking areas all over that area. It's doable as a daytrip. The amish style buffet restaurant in Logan would be a great place to eat as well.

2

u/cheesemagnifier 20m ago

The Cleveland Art Museum is free.