Ohio Travel Guide

Ohio is a state in the Midwest region of the USA. The state has natural boundaries to the north (Lake Erie) and to the south (Ohio River) and is bordered by the states of Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Ohio also shares Lake Erie as a border with the Canadian province of Ontario. The terrain is generally flat in the northwestern parts due to ancient glaciers, and gradually gets hillier as one heads east and southeast toward the Allegheny and Appalachian mountain ranges. Aside from a Great Lake (Erie) and a major navigable river (Ohio), the State of Ohio offers a national park (Cuyahoga Valley), a national forest (Wayne) and a bundle of islands on Lake Erie.

Ohio Travel Guide - Regions

Comprised of 88 counties, Ohio can be roughly characterized as having 5 regions:

* Mid-Ohio - flat agricultural land surrounding the State capital, Columbus.
* Northeast Ohio (NEO), also known as "Greater Cleveland" - rolling wooded foothills from the Allegheny Mountain range subside as they approach Lake Erie (definition of NEO includes 13 counties and 4.5 million people).
* Northwest Ohio - flat agricultural land surrounding Toledo and stretching into Indiana to the west and Michigan to the north.
* Southeast Ohio - very hilly, coal-mining country in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, rolling into Pennsylvania and West Virginia and including the Wayne National Forest.
* Southwest Ohio - hilly areas approaching the Ohio River, surrounding Cincinnati and rolling into Kentucky.

Ohio Travel Guide - Cities

* Columbus - the State capital and regional hub of 1.6 million residents
* Akron
* Canton
* Cincinnati - regional hub of 2 million residents, the "Queen City" is home to the Bengals and Reds
* Cleveland - regional hub of 3 million residents, the "Rock and Roll Capital of the World" and home to one of the five richest collections of arts and culture institutions in the US
* Dayton
* Toledo
* Youngstown

Ohio Travel Guide - Other Destinations

* Cuyahoga Valley National Park
* Lake Erie Islands - Located north of Sandusky (between Cleveland and Toledo), a group of picturesque and festive islands in Lake Erie are accessible via ferry. In addition to several Ohio State Parks located on the islands, there is plenty to do including visiting wineries, restaurants, bars, marinas and beaches.
* North Coast Beaches - Along the southern shore of Lake Erie are a large number of public beaches. The largest natural sand beach in Ohio, Headlands Beach State Park, is located east of Cleveland, in Mentor. Cleveland Lakefront State Park also includes a large beach at its Edgewater Park, just west of downtown Cleveland. Many other beaches are available throughout Northern Ohio, including Huntington Beach, Euclid Beach and Fairport Harbor.
* Wayne National Forest

Ohio Travel Guide - Understand

Ohio is the 35th largest state by size, but 7th by population (11,459,011 residents in 2004 according to the US Census Bureau). Ohio's nickname is "The Heart of It All", purportedly because of its shape (kind of like a heart), its central location to the densely populated areas of the US, its mosaic of big commercial cities, small towns, industry and farmland, and its critical role in "America's Heartland" (which can refer to the Midwest agricultural sector and the Great Lakes industrial base).

Ohio has played a critical role in the formation of the United States history and government. One of Ohio's contributions to history was the Underground Railroad network which helped escaped slaves move to the free northern states and Canada. Many Ohioans, most notably Harriet Elizabeth Beecher Stowe and John Brown campaigned against slavery.

Ohio has also been home to eight American Presidents, giving it the nickname Mother of US Presidents. American Presidents from Ohio were Ulysses Grant (18th, born in Point Pleasant), Rutherford Hayes (19th, Delaware), James Garfield (20th, Orange), Benjamin Harrison (23rd, North Bend), William McKinley (25th, Niles), William Taft (27th, Cincinnati), and Warren Harding (29th, Corsica/Blooming Grove). William Henry Harrison (9th), born in Virginia but settled (and buried) in North Bend, Ohio, is also claimed as one of Ohio's own. Ohio is considered one of the most important states in Presidential elections due to its 20 electoral votes and is often one of the few states that can go to either party. Unlike California, Illinois, New York that lean Democratic and Texas which almost always votes Republican, Ohio's vote has changed from one election to another in the past two decades.

The Wright Brothers, Orville and Wilbur, inventors of the airplane, were from Dayton in Ohio, giving the state one reason to call itself the Birthplace of Aviation Pioneers (though the brothers actually flew the airplane first in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, which claims to be the "First in Flight"). Ohio, however, has other claims to the nickname. Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk the moon was an Ohioan, as was former U.S. Senator and astronaut John Glenn, who was the first American in space. Ohio has also been home to 22 other astronauts, the Wright Patterson Air Force Base, the NASA John H. Glenn Research Center, and National Museum of the United States Air Force.

Ohio Travel Guide - Getting There

By plane

* Akron-Canton Regional Airport, 5400 Lauby Road Northwest, +1-(330)-499-4221. Akron-Canton Regional Airport (IATA:CAK) is a small, easy to navigate, quick in-and-out airport.

* Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (Follow I-275 to Exit 4 (State Route 212.) Follow the signs to airport terminals and parking.), +1-(859)-767-3151 (info@cvgairport.com). Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky International Airport (IATA:CVG) is on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River, so you'll have to cross the bridge to get to Cincinnati itself. Delta has its second largest hub here.

* Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, +1-(216)-265-6030. Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (IATA:CLE) is Cleveland's main airport is located on the west side of the city. The airport is served by most of the major domestic airlines, and it is one of Continental Airlines' three U.S. hubs as well. The RTA Red Line Rapid Transit (see, below) provides frequent and fast rail service from inside the airport to the heart of downtown in roughly 22 minutes for $1.75.

* Port Columbus International Airport, 4600 International Gateway, +1-(614)-239-4083. Port Columbus International Airport (IATA:CMH) is served by all the major airlines, with direct flights to most major American cities. Aside from rental cars, the airport can also be reached by the #92 bus, or by taxi. A taxi ride to downtown will cost approximately $25.

* James M. Cox Dayton International Airport, 3600 Terminal Drive (Located in the town of Vandalia), +1-(937)-454-8200. James M. Cox Dayton International Airport (IATA:DAY) is located in the northern part of the metropolitan area. Nonstop service is available to Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Denver, Detroit, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Newark, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Washington, D.C. Dayton is the nation's number one 90-minute air market, meaning the city can be reached in 90 minutes or less by 55 percent of the population.

By car

The State of Ohio is served by the following interstate highways:

* I-70 splits the state in half, linking Columbus, Dayton and Springfield beyond Pennsylvania to the east and beyond Indiana to the west.
* I-71 connects the three big cities, starting in Cleveland and running southwest through Columbus and Cincinnati, then beyond Kentucky.
* I-75 runs along the western part of the state, serving Cincinnati and Toledo and connecting them to Michigan to the north and beyond Kentucky to the south.
* I-76 serving Akron and Youngstown and connecting to Pennsylvania to the east.
* I-77 starts in Cleveland and runs south through Akron, Canton, New Philadelphia and Marietta and continues beyond West Virginia.
* I-80 is the Ohio Turnpike (a toll road) that runs across the northern part of the state, serving Cleveland, Akron, Toledo and Youngstown (where I-80 and I-76 criss cross) and beyond Pennsylvania to the east and Indiana to the west.
* I-90 also serves the far northern part of the state, including Cleveland and Toledo, merges with the Ohio Turnpike (I-80) for a stretch and continues beyond Pennsylvania to the east and Indiana to the west.

By train

* Amtrak. Amtrak serves Alliance, Bryan, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Elyria, Sandusky and Toledo.

By boat

Many boaters utilize the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Seaway and their connection points as a travel route. There are many marinas and public boat ramps available for this purpose. Also, the Great Lakes Cruising Company and the American Canadian Caribbean Line provide cruises that include Cleveland on the itineria. There are also steamboat and cruise options connecting points along Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.

Ohio Travel Guide - Getting Around

Most points within Ohio are easily accessible by auto with longest distances across the state of about 300 miles and less than 5 hours in driving time. For instance, driving from Cleveland-to-Columbus and Columbus-to-Cincinnati via I-71 takes about 2 hours (give or take 15 minutes). The larger cities in the state all have public mass transit systems.

By bus

* Greyhound connects over 25 of Ohio's cities. The following cities have a dedicated Greyhound station: Akron, Ashtabula, Athens, Cambridge, Canton, Chillicothe, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Dover, Elyria, Findlay, Kenton, Lima, Mansfield, Maple Heights, Marietta, Marion, Sandusky, Springfield, Toledo, Van Wert West, Salem Wooster, Youngstown, Zanesville.

By car

* State Route 3 (3C Highway) runs from Cincinnati to Cleveland via Columbus and receives it's nickname from the fact that it runs through Ohio's three largest cities, all of which begin with the letter "C".
* I-70 splits the state in half, linking Columbus, Dayton and Springfield beyond Pennsylvania to the east and beyond Indiana to the west.
* I-71 connects the three big cities, starting in Cleveland and running southwest through Columbus and Cincinnati, then beyond Kentucky.
* I-75 runs along the western part of the state, serving Cincinnati and Toledo and connecting them to Michigan to the north and beyond Kentucky to the south.
* I-76 serving Akron and Youngstown and connecting to Pennsylvania to the east.
* I-77 starts in Cleveland and runs south through Akron, Canton, New Philadelphia and Marietta and continues beyond West Virginia.
* I-80 is the Ohio Turnpike (a toll road) that runs across the northern part of the state, serving Cleveland, Akron, Toledo and Youngstown (where I-80 and I-76 criss cross) and beyond Pennsylvania to the east and Indiana to the west.
* I-90 also serves the far northern part of the state, including Cleveland and Toledo, merges with the Ohio Turnpike (I-80) for a stretch and continues beyond Pennsylvania to the east and Indiana to the west.

Ohio Travel Guide - Things To See

If you want to string together an itinery of all things Ohio, below are some themes that can guide you throughout the Buckeye State.

Museums, Galleries, and Zoos

* Armstrong Air & Space Museum
* Center of Science and Industry (COSI) - A really cool museum for adults and children alike is located in Columbus, but has a branch in Toledo also.
* Cincinnati Art Museum - As the name would suggest the Cincinnati Art Museum is located in Cincinnati. The museum has a great collection of African, Asian, and Islamic art. There's also a great collection by local artists.
* Cincinnati Zoo - The Cincinnati Zoo is one of the world's most famous zoos for being the second oldest zoo in the United States and one of the worlds most successful breeding zoos.
* Cleveland Museum of Art - The Celevalnd Museum of Art is a world-renowned museum with an excellent Asian collection, Greek and Roman statue to modern art.
* Columbus Zoo - The Columbus Zoo is a wonderful zoo for children. Between 1978 - 1992 Jack Hanna was the Executive Director of the Zoo and instituted an amazing array of changes and helped to spur the growth of the zoo.
* Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum - Located in Cleveland's University Circle cultural neighborhood, this fascinating museum is home to a variety of vehicles, including several examples of early 20th century Cleveland-made cars. Highlights include one of the first Deloreans, a Winston Bullet 2 racing car, and several former presidential limousines.
* NASA Glenn Research Center
* National Museum of the U. S. Air Force - The National Museum of the U. S. Air Force is located on the Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton.
* National Underground Railroad Freedom Center - The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center retraces the history of the struggle of American slaves to escape to freedom by way of the underground railroad. The museum also looks at slavery and genocide through out the rest of the world. Cincinnati was picked as the home of the museum due to Cincinnati's strategic location on the underground railroad.
* Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - The Hall of Fame is located on Cleveland's Lake Erie Shore.

Ohio Travel Guide - Things To Do

Festivals

* Ohio State Fair - The annual event celebrating Ohio and it's history is held in Columbus.
* Oktoberfest Zinzinnati - Cincinnati's Oktoberfest is the world's second largest Oktoberfest after Munich's.
* Tall Stacks - Held on the shores of the Ohio River in Cincinnati is a large festival paying tribute to Cincinnati's river boat history and has numerous concerts. Tall Stacks is held every three or four years.

Sports

* Cincinnati Bengals - Cincinnati's professional football team and rival of the Cleveland Browns since the founder was also the head coach for Cleveland's team.
* Cincinnati Reds - Cincinnati's Major League Baseball team. The team is also the oldest professional baseball team.
* Cleveland Browns - A National Football League team in Cleveland.
* Cleveland Indians - A Major League Baseball team in Cleveland.
* Cleveland Cavaliers - Cleveland's NBA Basketball team.
* Columbus Blue Jackets - A NHL Hockey team in Columbus.
* Columbus Crew - A Major League Soccer team in Columbus.
* Pro Football Hall of Fame - The NFL's Hall of Fame is located in Canton

Amusement parks

Ohio has been nicknamed the "Roller Coaster Capital of the World" due to the number of record breaking amusement park rides that call Ohio home. The two most noteworthy parks in Ohio are Cedar Point and King's Island.

* Cedar Point is located in Sandusky.
* Coney Island is a small historical amusement park on the Ohio River in Cincinnati.
* Geauga Lake and Wildwater Kingdom is located in Aurora near Cleveland.
* Kings Island is located in Mason near Cincinnati.
* Wyandot Lake is located in Columbus next to the Columbus Zoo.

Ohio Travel Guide - Eat

Not only are there great places to dine and things to eat throughout Ohio, but these cuisines, several of which define American Food, were born in Ohio:

* Banana Split - Ernest Hazard of Wilmington is one of the supposed inventors of the banana and ice cream treat
* Maple Syrup go to Geauga County in Northeast Ohio, the Village of Burton is the heart of maple country.
* Roasted Buckeyes where else would you go for this delicious snack but the Buckeye State?
* Salisbury Steak created by and named for Clevelander Dr. James H. Salisbury who desired to perfect the meat curing process (you can pay homage to him at Lakeview Cemetery near University Circle). Just ask the Menches brothers who must claim, "It's just a fancy hamburger covered in gravy."

Ohio Travel Guide - Drink

Great Lakes Brewery the restaurant is in the Ohio City district of Cleveland. The microbrews are available at many bars, restaurants and grocery stores. The restaurant has gunshots in its walls from Eliot Ness, the former Cleveland Chief of Police, and the FBI man who busted the mob in the early 20th century.

Ohio Travel Guide - Wineries

The first major winery in Ohio was founded by Nicholas Longworth near the banks of the Ohio River in Southwest Ohio. Due to the fertile land wine producing became one Ohio's important industry's and at by the 1860's was leading the U.S. in wine production. Due to crop disasters and prohibition wine producing in Ohio dwindled. Wines produced in Ohio have become increasingly popular, though, still largely undiscovered by tourists and locals alike.

* Al-Bi Winery Company
* Broad Run Cheesehouse & Swiss Heritage Winery, Tuscarawas County
* Dankorona Winery, Aurora
* Firelands Winery
* Flint Ridge Vineyard
* Harmony Hill Vineyards and Estate Winery
* Jilbert Winery, Valley City
* Kinkead Ridge
* Maize Valley Farm Market and Winery, just east of Hartville.
* Markko Vineyards (Conneaut; www.markko.com)
* Shamrock Vineyard
* Winery at Versailles
* Woodstone Creek Winery & Distillery
* Virant Family Winery, Inc.

Ohio Travel Guide - Transportation

Many major east-west transportation corridors go through Ohio. One of those pioneer routes, known in the early 1900s as "Ohio Market Route 3", was chosen in 1913 to become part of the historic Lincoln Highway which was the first road across America, connecting New York City to San Francisco. In Ohio, the Lincoln Highway linked many towns and cities together, including Canton, Mansfield, Lima, and Van Wert. The arrival of the Lincoln Highway to Ohio was a major influence on the development of the state. Upon the advent of the federal numbered highway system in 1926, the Lincoln Highway through Ohio became U.S. Highway 30.

Ohio also is home to 228 miles of the Historic National Road

Ohio has a highly developed network of roads and interstate highways. Major east-west through routes include the Ohio Turnpike (I-80/I-90) in the north, I-76 through Akron to Pennsylvania, U.S. 30 (the Lincoln Highway) a bit further south through Canton, Mansfield, Lima, and Van Wert, I-70 through Columbus and Dayton, and the Appalachian Highway (Ohio 32) running from West Virginia to Cincinnati. Major north-south routes include I-75 in the west through Toledo, Dayton, and Cincinnati, I-71 through the middle of the state from Cleveland through Columbus and Cincinnati into Kentucky, and I-77 in the eastern part of the state from Cleveland through Akron, Canton, New Philadelphia and Marietta down into West Virginia.

Air travel includes Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, which is a major hub for Continental Airlines, as well as Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport which is a major hub for Delta Airlines. There are several other airports in the state included, but not limited to the cities of Dayton, Columbus, and Akron/Canton.

Ohio Travel Guide - Stay Healty

Ohioans passed "SmokeFree Ohio" ballot measure in 2006 banning smoking in all public areas with very few exceptions. Hotels that have designated smoking rooms in hotels, motels, and other lodging facilities will may still allow smoking in smoking rooms under the new law. Restaurants and bars are forbidden from allowing smoking on their premises unless they have an outdoor patio. IThe law takes effect December 7, 2006.

Ohio Travel Guide - Stay Safe

In general, Ohio is a fairly safe state. The biggest threat toward all visitors is the weather. Ohio's climate consists of four very distinct seasons. The spring, late fall, and even early winter can bring strong storms and tornadoes. Tornadoes have been reported as late as late November.

The winter, especially, in northern Ohio can be especially cold and snow storms or blizzards can often make roads impassable.

Summers, are normally hot and very humid. Smog warnings are also common throughout the summer and it is advised that no one be outside for extended times without plenty of water. Be sure to keep yourself hydrated during the summer.

Although extremely rare earthquakes can occur. Ohio partially falls on the New Madrid Faultline, which has been responsible for several violent earthquakes.

Article Source: Wikipedia