Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Welcome back to Exploring America state by state. After the mountain gorges and whitewater rivers of West Virginia today we're heading into Ohio, a state that quietly shaped more of modern American history than most travelers ever realize. Ohio is known as the Buckeye State, named for the distinctive tree whose nut shaped seeds still show up on hats and T shirts across the state every football season. Without fail, this is the birthplace of aviation, home to more astronauts than almost any other state in the country, and the place where rock and roll itself earned its official hall of fame. Ohio blends rolling farmland, industrial river cities and genuine Americana small towns into one surprisingly varied road trip. And it deserves far more time than most people give it on the way to somewhere else. The Ohio River Scenic Byway follows the river's winding path along the state's entire southern border, passing historic river towns and dramatic bluffs above the water at nearly every turn. The roads through Hocking Hills wind past sandstone gorges, waterfalls and dense forest that feels nothing like the flat farmland most people picture when they think of Ohio. The Amish country byway through Holmes county curves past the largest Amish population in the world, with horse drawn buggies sharing the road alongside your car at a much slower pace. And Route 2 along Lake Erie's shoreline offers wide open water views and access to the ferry docks heading out to the islands just offshore, Hocking Hills State park hides some of the most dramatic natural scenery in the Midwest, with Old Man's Cave and Ash Cave offering waterfalls and sandstone formations that genuinely surprise first time visitors expecting flat cornfields. Serpent Mound, an ancient earthwork built by indigenous peoples over a thousand years ago, stretches in a massive snake shape across a quiet ridge in southern Ohio. Malabar Farm State park, once home to author Louis Bromfield, combines rolling farmland with a genuinely fascinating literary history most visitors never expect to find here. Ann Kelly's island out on Lake Erie preserves ancient glacial grooves carved directly into the limestone bedrock, a rare geological feature you can walk right across.
[00:02:16] The Rock and Roll hall of Fame in Cleveland celebrates the entire history of rock music with genuine artifacts, instruments and and stage costumes from legendary performers across every era. Cedar Point, often called the roller coaster capital of the World, packs more record breaking rides into one Lake Erie peninsula than almost any park on the planet. The Pro Football hall of Fame in Canton honors the sport's history in the very town where the National Football League was actually founded over a century ago. The National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton traces the story of flight from the Wright brothers all the way to modern space exploration completely free to enter every day of the year, and Amish country in Holmes county offers a genuinely peaceful, slower paced world of farmland, cheese shops and traditional craftsmanship. A few things worth cedar points in park food and parking can add up quickly, so packing snacks and arriving early for better parking spots saves real money over the course of a day. Some Amish country shops cater heavily to tour bus crowds with marked up prices, so ask locally for the family run shops that serve the actual community rather than just passing tourists. And downtown Cleveland's waterfront restaurants near the major attractions tend to run higher than equally good spots just a few blocks inland from the lake. Ohio is genuinely easy RV territory with flat terrain and a well maintained interstate network including i70, i71 and the Ohio Turnpike connecting every major region of the state efficiently. Hocking Hill's back roads are narrower and winding, so a smaller support vehicle for day trips into the park works well if you're camping nearby with a larger rig. Amish country roads are shared with horse drawn buggies, so slower, more attentive driving is expected and genuinely appreciated by the local community you're passing through for paid camping. Hocking Hills has a wide range of campgrounds and RV resorts positioned close to the park's most popular trailheads and waterfalls.
[00:04:22] East Harbor State park on Lake Erie offers a large, well equipped campground with easy access to the lake and nearby island ferries for free or low cost camping. Wayne National Forest in southeastern Ohio allows dispersed camping across large sections of public land, one of the more generous free camping options in the Midwest, though specific rules vary by district and should be checked ahead of time. Cedar Point operates its own resort properties right on the peninsula, letting you walk to the park gates without ever needing a car during your entire stay. Hocking Hills is dotted with cabins and small lodges tucked into the forest, a genuinely peaceful home base for exploring the gorges and waterfalls nearby. And Amish country's inns around Berlin and Millersburg offer a quieter, farmland surrounded stay with genuinely excellent home style cooking Just down the road. Amtrak serves Cleveland, Toledo and Cincinnati along routes connecting to Chicago and the east coast, though service is limited compared to the busier Northeast Corridor lines. Cleveland's RTA rail and bus system covers the city and surrounding suburbs reasonably well for anyone basing their visit downtown. Beyond the bigger cities, Ohio is largely a car dependent state, so plan on driving between most of your stops across the state.
[00:05:43] Ohio's food identity carries real regional pride. Cincinnati chili, a uniquely spiced meat sauce served over spaghetti and topped with cheese, comes in a specific numbered system. Locals call two way, three way, four way and five way, depending on what's piled on top. The buckeye candy, a peanut butter center dipped in chocolate and shaped to resemble the tree's actual nut, is a beloved homemade treat found at nearly every local bakery across the state. Cleveland's Polish Boy, a kielbasa sandwich topped with coleslaw and barbecue sauce, is a genuine city institution worth seeking out. Ann Amish Country's cheese shops and pie bakeries offer some of the most authentic, made from scratch comfort food in the entire Midwest region. Ride the record breaking coasters at Cedar Point for a genuinely thrilling day that draws enthusiasts from around the world every single season. Take a horse drawn buggy tour through Amish country farmland, learning firsthand about a way of life that has remained deliberately unchanged for generations.
[00:06:48] Hike the waterfall trails of Hocking Hills at sunrise when the gorges are quiet and the light filters through the forest canopy beautifully overhead, and catch a concert or explore the exhibits at the Rock and Roll hall of Fame, an experience that genuinely rewards music lovers of every generation and background. Summer is peak season at Cedar Point, with extended hours and the full lineup of rides running daily right through Labor Day weekend. Lake Erie's island towns, Kelly's island and Put In Bay come alive with ferries, boating and lakefront dining all summer long every year, and Hocking Hills sees its best hiking weather in early summer before the more humid stretches of late July and August settle in over the gorges and trails. Ohio runs genuinely affordable by national standards, with hearty meals often costing well under $15 and camping running 20 to $35 a night at most state parks. Cedar Point tickets and Amish Country D dining experiences are worth budgeting for separately, since those specific stops can add up faster than the rest of your trip. Overall, Ohio delivers strong value for the sheer range of experiences packed into one state. Cell coverage is strong along the interstates and throughout Ohio's major cities, with reliable signal for navigation and streaming in most populated areas of the state. Coverage drops a bit in the deeper valleys of Hocking Hills and the more rural stretches of Amish country, so download offline maps before heading into those quieter regions. That's Ohio, a state holding rock and roll history, record breaking roller coasters and genuine Amish farmland all inside one surprisingly diverse set of borders. Next time we're heading into Michigan, a state surrounded by the Great Lakes, home to charming lakeside towns, thick northern forests and a genuine automotive legacy. Pack the cooler and I'll see you there.
