 Here are some recommendations for things to do within a few hours of Cincinnati. Columbus, Ohio is only a 90 minute drive and Indianapolis, IN is not much longer.
I'm also going to start posting destinations that we'd like to go to or have been that are within driving distance (5-7hours). Our first pick is Chattanooga, TN (love this town)!
There are lots of family friendly adventures waiting just for you - happy travels!
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Family Friendly Hotels
Hotels are ranked in order of our personal preference Please remember that hotels may vary in quality based on location, management of hotel and staff's attention to details. Hot waffles score high in our playbook.
- Embassy Suites - Love the separate bedroom and the nice size living room area. Manager's reception at night includes adult beverages in their beautiful atrium area. Best hotel breakfast we've had - lots of choices with made to order omelets, fruit, cereals, sausage, and much more. You'll pay a bit extra then the other hotels listed but sometimes it's worth it to splurge. We've stayed at a few Embassy Suites and have always had a good experience.
- Hyatt Place -
I was really impressed with Hyatt Place (July 2010) when we stayed here on our
return from NY. We stayed somewhere near Cleveland. I loved the modern
look of the rooms. Even though we didn't have a separate room for the
beds, the large room did have a partially separated living room area.
The hotel had a free continental breakfast and I loved the onsite 24/7
kitchen that had some yummy meal options. Since we were too tired to
eat out, we ordered in and even though you may pay slightly more, the
food was delicious and well worth it.
- Country Inns & Suites - Read about one of my favorite family-friendly hotels, Country Inns & Suites on Associated Content (April 2009). We stayed at the Calhoun, GA location. The beds were so comfortable and the breakfast was yummy and a step up from most others. The standard rooms were a bit on the smaller side in comparison to some of the other hotels but it was very clean and comfy and reasonably priced. They had hot waffles in the am.
- Drury Inns - We stayed at the Drury Inn in Columbus in March 2011 and it was great for a family. We had a suite with a separate bedroom area. Drury also has free hot appetizers, hot dogs, baked potato's, drinks and more at their nightly reception and in the morning there is a free hot breakfast including hot waffles. We had a coffee maker, mini-fridge and microwave in the room too. The indoor-outdoor pool was a also a winner at the Dublin location.
- Holiday Inn Express - Our stay at the Lookout Mountain location in Chattanooga TN (March 2011) included a Jr. Suite, but don't let the word suite throw you off - it was really just a larger room with a pull out sofa. We had a king bed and the girls slept on the pull out. I definitely favor rooms that have a separate bedroom or partially separate area for sleeping. The hotel was clean, the breakfast was nice but no hot waffles (that would be a great feature to add) and only one fruit selection. The pool was small but my girls loved it. The room did include a mini fridge, microwave and coffee maker.
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Chattanooga, TN
In deciding where to go for our 2011 spring break, I asked for suggestions and one of them was to visit Chattanooga, TN (about a 7 hour drive with stops). We only spent 2 nights and 3 days but we packed a lot into our trip. This was one of the best suggestions we've ever had. We loved, loved, loved Chattanooga and all it had to offer - fun in the city, beauty of the mountains and attractions for every interest. Here are some of the sites you can see:
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Columbus Area
Our state capital has a lot to offer. We've been to C-bus on many occasions - either to visit with close friends or just to see some of the sites. It's only a 90 minute drive so if your family is getting cabin fever and needs a quick change of scenery, then head North on I-71 for some fun things to do.
Franklin Park Conservatory - www.fpconservatory.org. 1777 E Broad St, Columbus, OH 43203, (614) 645-1800. This is a wonderful place to visit and it is filled with the most beautiful plants and flowers that it'll turn you into a wanna-be horticulturalist! There are special exhibits throughout the year but if you can get to their butterfly exhibit, it is absolutely enchanting (begins March 14, 2009). Check out their website for all the wonderful programs and exhibits they offer.
April 2010 Visit to Columbus Zoo
 Columbus Zoo & Aquarium - www.colszoo.org. 4760 Powell Rd, Powell, OH 43065, (614) 645-3550. They are open 365 days a year. In addition to the animals, they have some fun seasonal attractions that open in the spring such as a carousel, train rides, boat rides, and a small amusement park called Jungle Jack's Landing (my girls loved the rides, all just right for their age levels and it's an extra $8 to ride all day but we got lucky the day we visited since it was BOGO). I was very impressed with the Columbus Zoo - we had not visited since their renovations but I am so glad we took our "mini spring break" trip to C-bus this year. The zoo is outstanding. We didn't get to see alll the exhibits since it is so large but we did get to see the tigers, the huge manatee tank, and much more. I highly recommend the Columbus Zoo. If you visit in the summer, they also have an on site water park - the Columbus Zoo really has it all. The only thing I'd recommend doing is packing your lunch and drinks (it'll be cheaper and a lot healthier). Also, if you have a Cincinnati Zoo pass, you can get 1/2 price admission to the Columbus Zoo so don't forget your pass.
April 2010 Visit to COSI
COSI - Center for Science & Industry - www.cosi.org. 333 W Broad St, Columbus, OH 43215, (614) 228-2674. Cosi's motto is "explore science, discover fun". This place has it all and is an extraordinary place to visit. There is so much to see and do that you'll need to visit more than once. They have a great small child play area that will keep your little ones entertained and let their imaginations soar! We recently visited and purchased a family season pass for only $88 but this allows us to get into COSI anytime and the pass has reciprocity at many other museums (we can now visit Cincinnati's Museum of Natural History and Dayton's Boonshoft Museum of Discovery for free). COSI is huge so you won't be able to do everything in one day. They also will have special exhibits that may be an additional charge but for us, their permanent exhibits were plenty to see. My girls especially loved the water area where they could maneuver these large movable water spouts.
Slate Run State Park - Slate Run Living Historical Farm - www.metroparks.net/ParksSlateRun.aspx. 1375 State Route 674 N., Canal Winchester, OH 43110. My friend, Stacy, took us here a few summers ago and it was so much fun. My kids really enjoyed walking through the historical farm - they have real gardens that you can enter and actually see vegetables growing, there's barns filled with real farm animals and if you time it right you might get to see the running of the sheep when they bring them out to pasture. Pack a picnic lunch and head to one of the playgrounds in the park. The Santa Maria Replica - www.santamaria.org. 1111 E Broad St., Columbus, OH 43205, (614) 645-8760. You can actually tour a replica of the ship that Christopher Columbus sailed to America on.
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Indianapolis Area
Indianapolis, IN is also only around a 90 minute drive, so it is another easy place to have a family get-away. The Children's Museum of Indianapolis - http://www.childrensmuseum.org/ 3000 N Meridian St, Indianapolis, IN 46208, (317) 334-4000. This has to be one of the largest children's museums ever - it is unbelievable with so many fun and entertaining exhibits. Your kids would be happy exploring this place for days. One of their really cool exhibits is Dinosphere so make sure you incorporate that into your visit. There is also a planetarium. They have a nice food court on site so you can stay and play the entire day! On the 1st Thursday of each month, the museum is free from 4pm-8pm (sponsored by Target) and parking is always free.
Garfield Park Conservatory & Sunken Gardens - www.garfieldgardensconservatory.org. 2505 Conservatory Dr., Indianapolis, IN 46203, (317) 327-7184. We haven't made it here yet but it's on my list the next time we visit. It looks like a wonderful place to learn about and see beautiful plants and flowers. Probably a great place for pictures in the spring.
Indianapolis Zoo - www.indyzoo.com. 1200 W Washington St, Indianapolis, IN 46222, (317) 630-2001. In addition to their outstanding wild animal exhibits (check out the new elephant exhibit) they also have a petting zoo where kids can interact with some farm animals (make sure you use hand sanitizer after).
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Saint Louis, MO
Saint Louis is an amazing city and great fun for families (about 6 hour drive from Mason, Ohio). We only got to stay there one night since it was a great half way stopping point on our trip home from Arkansas. I booked a hotel at the Pear Tree by Drury Inn in downtown St. Louis near Union Station (they have revamped their old train station into a shopping and ding attraction). As we were driving, a friend emailed me that we should make sure to visit Ted Drewes frozen custard. So we took her advice and headed there first. There are two Ted Drewes in St. Louis and we headed to the one on Chippewa Street. The place was hopping. You ordered at the window and when they hand you your frozen custard, they tip it upside down - maybe some kind of test for this creamy delight.
 Since we only had a limited amount of time, the main thing we wanted to see was the St. Louis Arch. It's the "tallest national monument in the United States at 630 feet.". Admission to the base of the Arch is free but if you want to do the tram ride to the top then you need to purchase tickets for that ($10/adults & $5/kids 3-15 years). One tip that I missed out on is if you order your tickets online at least one day in advance then you can can get free parking at the Arch (normally $6). Since we had to call in our ticket reservation that day, we didn't get this great deal. But the Arch was well worth it. Just make sure you leave plenty of time to park, walk to the Arch, and go through National Park security (give yourself at least an additional 45 minutes). Once inside, the lower level had a great FREE museum to see, The Museum of Westward Expansion run by the National Park Service. We all enjoyed seeing the great displays and learning a little more about the early settlers and how St. Louis became the gateway to the West as well as learning more about Lewis & Clark. You can also see movies at the Arch - "Lewis & Clark: Great Journey West" and the documentary "Monument to the Dream". Riding to the top of the arch was a great experience - you enter these little pods (they are circular pods only 4 ft tall) and the pods transport you to the top of the Arch. Once at the top you are able to look out the tiny windows and see some amazing views of the city and the great Mississippi River. It was something to see. The trip up to the top is 4 minutes and the trip down is 3 minutes and you can stay at the top for as long as you like.
 
View from the bottom & view from the top of the Saint Louis Arch!
There was so much more that we wanted to do, but since Saint Louis was only a brief stop over, we'll have to save these other recommendations for another trip. But here are some things we'd like to do on a return visit (there are many more): - City Museum
- St. Louis Zoo
- Ride the Downtown Trolley ($2 adults, $1 kids per trolley)
- Anheuser-Busch Brewery - complimentary tours
- Butterfly House
- CityGarden
- Grant's Farm
- Purina Farms Visitor Center (free admission with advanced reservations)
- Saint Louis Science Center - free admission
- Magic House - Saint Louis Children's Museum
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