Day trippin’ — 1-day adventures close to home
Hocking Hills offers some of the most breathtaking scenery in Ohio. And the best part of taking the short ride south to the park is that it’s free.
With summer in full swing and most residents taking a year or more off from vacationing, people are looking to slowly start having fun again, now that more and more Ohioans are becoming vaccinated from the coronavirus.
And although many aren’t ready just yet to plan that big Disney vacation or hop on over to the Bahamas, locals are stepping out and traveling closer to home.
With its centralized location between Cleveland and Columbus, Wayne County finds itself in a hotbed location to some of the greatest one-day trips in all of Ohio. There are dozens of places to visit within reach of about a tank of gas or less, and just about something for anyone — theme parks, museums, zoos, parks, every major sport possible, and so much more.
Five places within a short drive of the area — Cedar Point, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Hocking Hills State Park, Put-In-Bay and the Pro Football Hall of Fame — are each its own unique example of why it makes an exciting and fun one-day trip away from home.
Cedar Point
At a little more than 1 1/2 hours away, visitors to Cedar Point can ride the amusement park’s 18 roller coasters that include such fan favorites as Millenium Force and Top Thrill Dragster. But with Cedar Point’s record breaking 71 rides, there is plenty of other fun to be had at the park in Sandusky, including Camp Snoopy for the younger family members to enjoy. You can easily enjoy a 10-hour day at the park and get your money’s worth on a weekday, as most days operate Mon.-Thu. from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Weekends give you two more hours as the park is open until 10 p.m.
Cedar Pont has an amazing water park too, but it can be difficult to do the rides and the waterpark both in one day. Here is one tip to keep in mind when buying tickets — don’t wait to buy them at the gate. You will pay a whole lot more than buying tickets in advance. Right now, single-day tickets to Cedar Point are available to buy online at www.cedarpoint.com for $49.95.
Cleveland Zoo
If you’d like to visit all seven continents of the world and interact with the animals that live on them all in one day, look no further than Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, less than an hour north of Wooster. Situated on 183 wooded acres, Cleveland’s Zoo boasts the ever-popular African Elephant Crossing and the African Safari, where visitors are able to feed 17-foot giraffes right out of their hands.
An extra-special feature at Cleveland Zoo is The Rainforest, which features more than 600 animals from the rainforests of the world, as well as thousands of its native plants. There are also interactive exhibits throughout the two-story habitat. Adult zoo admission is $16.95, with discounts for children and seniors. Make sure to visit clevelandmetroparks.com/zoo for more information.
Hocking Hills
If seeing some of Ohio’s most breathtaking scenery is more your style, get comfy in the car for a little while because Hocking Hills State Park is the furthest away of these five one-day trips, taking about 2 hours and 30 minutes. But when you finally set your sights on the beauty of Old Man’s Cave you will be in true awe, so don’t forget your camera. It’s a pretty easy 1-ish mile hike from the parking lot to get down to the cave so it is something visitors of all ages and physical fitness types can handle and enjoy.
There are also several more picturesque hiking areas in the vicinity, including Ash Cave, Rock House, Conkle’s Hollow, Cedar Falls and more if you’d like to continue on. And the best part of this trip? It’s free. Check out hockinghills.com to find everything you could need to know before planning your trip.
Pro Football Hall of Fame
Of all the places in the entire United States that it could have been created, it was Canton, Ohio. Do Ohioans truly realize how lucky they are to have such a world-recognized treasure placed right in their own backyards? That’s because the Pro Football Hall of Fame is just minutes from Wayne County the closest of our one-day trips to take to get away.
Just a short drive down Route 30 sits the place that every child who one day dreams of becoming a professional football player aspires to become part of, as the bronze busts of only the best of the best players sits in that museum in Canton. For $28 (children and seniors are a bit less) visitors to the Hall of Fame will be able to wonder the Gallery, where the 326 bronze busts of those players currently inducted are displayed. Information about each Hall of Famer is available on touch screen kiosks so that visitors may learn more about each one.
Also featured is the Lamar Hunt Super Bowl Gallery that goes into exceptional detail, along with memorabilia and interactive displays, to give history on each of the past Super Bowl games. There are several chances for interactive learning and much more to do at the museum. To find out more visit www.profootballhof.com.
Put-In-Bay
The final idea for a one-day trip gives visitors anything they could want all wrapped in one. This little getaway offers some of Ohio’s best sights to see, foods to eat, things to do and even offers time spent on the water. It’s none other than a trip to one of Lake Erie’s Islands, Put-in-Bay.
From now through Labor Day weekend, Put-in-Bay is doing its best to get back into the swing of things, after the coronavirus put a damper on its 2020 tourist season. But as one of Ohio’s most longtime busiest summer destinations, Put-in-Bay is back in business for 2021. A quick 2-hour, 30-minute trip from Wooster (which includes about 45 minutes on a ferry; even faster if you jet across the mainland on the speedy Jet Express), Put-in-Bay offers a state park, historical museum, an international peace symbol, a cave, winery, dozens of restaurants and bars — all giving off a Key West vibe.
And yes, the ferry is available if you want to bring your car aboard the island but really, why bother? Rent a golf cart for the day from one of the many rental shops because that is what everyone is driving around the island anyway. And if you decide to stay overnight there are plenty of places to lay your head, from hotels to campgrounds and hotels with swim-up bars, too. To learn more about Put-in-Bay in 2021 visit putinbay.com.
This is just a small sampling of some of the fun things area residents can spend their time doing in a day in Ohio. For more ideas about plans and ideas this summer not too far from home, visit ohio.org.