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This post is sponsored by Ohio. Find It Here. and Remarkable Lake County Ohio. All words and opinions are completely my own.
We recently had a free weekend and decided to spend it exploring somewhere new in Ohio. Our search for a fun, family-friendly weekend took us to Lake County, Ohio. It’s in the northeast part of the state on the shores of Lake Erie, about 20 miles from Cleveland and a 2.5-hour drive from Columbus. We were able to spend time at the beach, play in nature, learn some history and more all in one trip. Check out some of the highlights from our family weekend trip to Lake County!
Jordan Creek Park
Jordan Creek Park was our first stop on our visit to Lake County, Ohio. The rock wall at the entrance to the adventure play area is only a tiny glimpse of what you can discover within the trees.
You’ll discover a 30-foot rope bridge,
lots of balance beams,
zip lines and a low-ropes obstacle course,
a large climbing wall,
and a natural play area.
The Adventure Play area is great for kids of all ages. Some activities, like the ropes course and climbing walls are geared to kids a little bit older, but even Hannah could do some of the balancing activities and the bridge. Her favorite, though, was this fort made out of tree branches.
Jordan Creek Park has about 2.5 miles of hiking trails too if you want to spend more time exploring the outdoors.
Fairport Harbor Beach
One thing you definitely can’t miss out on is the opportunity to dip your feet into Lake Erie. Fairport Harbor Lakefront Park is the perfect place to go. Parking for out-of-county visitors is only $3. You can rent kayaks and paddleboards, pack a picnic and just spend the whole day on the beach. On the weekends, they have lifeguards on duty too.
Lake County Captains
Taking in a Lake County Captains game is another fun thing to do in Lake County, Ohio! We’re very much a baseball family at this point, but even if you’re only mildly interested in the game, the food, atmosphere and entertainment in between innings are worth going to a game.
Oh, and did I mention the fireworks? Certain games have fireworks afterwards. The kids even got to go on the field and “set” them off!
James A. Garfield National Historic Site
I admittedly didn’t know much about President James A. Garfield before we visited this site and I am so glad we made this a stop! The tour, which is free, is excellent. Plan for it to take you about 45 minutes or so.
While you wait, you can watch the movie at the visitor’s center and tour the exhibits they have set up about President Garfield’s life, campaign and death. We all really enjoyed learning about President James A. Garfield, his family and their lives on their homestead.
The kids loved earning their Junior Ranger badges! They each had to complete some activities in this booklet and ask the ranger giving us our tour some questions.
Once they completed everything, they said the Junior Ranger pledge and received their badges. Such a fun way to get them interested in the James A. Garfield National Historic Site!
Lake Metroparks Farmpark
This park is the perfect family activity when visiting Lake County! Lake Metroparks Farmpark is a science and cultural center geared towards families and sharing about agriculture and farming.
When you first walk in, head to the dairy barn on the left to see the dairy cows and milking station. The kids got to see a machine-milking demonstration and meet the newest cow to the herd – Gaston.
Then, we checked out the Well Bred Shed to see the sheep, chickens, bunnies and even some baby piggies!
There are lots of opportunities to see animals outside too. We found more pigs, alpacas, cows and goats in the Barnyard too.
After checking out all the animals, we discovered the Plant Science Center and greenhouse,
watched honeybees in action,
and spent time looking at all the beautiful flowers and the vegetable garden. Produce from the garden can even be purchased inside the science center.
If you visit Lake Metroparks Farmpark, make sure you take a wagon ride, let the kids run around on the playground and stop for a photo op on a tractor before you head out.
Foodie guide to Lake County
Lake County, Ohio has endless options when it comes to places to eat, drink and treat yourself. If Jamie and I were visiting Lake County without the kids, we definitely would have spent a lot of time exploring the different wineries and breweries in the area. But for a family-friendly trip with kids in Ohio, Lake County has some foodie gems you can’t miss.
For one, Lake County has a taco trail. Yep. You heard me right. A taco trail. As in a long list of delicious, authentic Mexican restaurants spread throughout the whole region. Is your mouth watering yet? We have some picky eaters in our family, but everyone is always up for taco night.
Condado Tacos
Condado is one of my personal favorites. They have so many options, including vegetarian, vegan and gluten free! If you’re trying to decide between guacamole or queso, get both. They have traditional versions of both, or you can be adventurous by ordering their pineapple guac and dirty queso (my personal fave). For kids, you can order them a “small bud” which is a soft shell taco with chicken or beef and shredded cheddar. You can also order a quesadilla – it’s not on the menu, but they will happily make one for your child. Hannah was a fan.
If you’re not ordering off the kid’s menu, build your own meal by choosing your taco shell, bowl or nachos, then add your meat of choice, and all the toppings your heart desires. Liam got a rice bowl with brisket, Jamie ordered his usual “Sweet Heat” taco, and I decided to try out their kale bowl. I added their thai chili tofu and it was delicious.
Sunny Street Cafe
Skip breakfast at the hotel and head to Sunny Street Cafe instead. It’s a regional chain with a local feel and is one of my favorites for breakfast. The kids like to order their dinosaur pancake, which really does look like a giant dinosaur on the plate. I usually get their corned beef hash, which they make themselves. However, this time I got their Big Breakfast Sandwich. Our waitress recommended adding their fried green tomatoes on top and I was sold. Probably one of the best breakfast sandwiches I’ve ever had.
Pizza Roto
What’s better than enjoying a hot slice of pizza? Watching it being made right in front of your eyes first! Pizza Roto in Painesville lets you customize your pizza and then you can watch it cook in their rotating brick oven. Choose from a regular or gluten-free crust (which was excellent, by the way), eight different sauces, several different cheeses including a vegan option, and lots of different meats and veggies for on top. Their salads are customizable too!
Plan for leftovers, because there will likely be some. You’ll be glad to have it to snack on in between activities as you explore more of Lake County.
Kirtland Creamery
When traveling with kids, ice cream always needs to be on the itinerary somewhere. And in Lake County, Ohio, stopping at Kirtland Creamery is a must. It’s family-owned and operated and they serve both ice cream and food. I always have to call ahead to ice cream places because our family has some food allergies. I’m happy to share that Kirtland has a rotating list of non-dairy flavors. Caleb was thrilled to have more than just one or two options and thoroughly enjoyed his bowl of dairy-free cookies and cream. Kirtland also has a covered patio with a flat screen TV and it was playing a kids movie while we were there.
Where to stay
We spent the night at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Painesville. It was probably one of the most restful hotel sleeps I’ve had in a really long time. The beds were incredibly comfortable and our room faced the back of the hotel, giving us a beautiful view of the woods. It definitely felt like a relaxing stay away somewhere secluded even though we were in town and close to all of our activities.
Every place we visited during our Lake County trip had us talking about our next visit. On our next trip to Lake County, we’ll spend a whole day at Lake Metroparks Farmpark. The next trip to Kirtland Creamery, we’ll try a different ice cream flavor. We also can’t wait to check out more of Lake County’s taco trail and spend more time relaxing at the beach. Jamie and Liam are already making plans for a fishing trip. I promise you, once you visit Lake County, you’ll want to visit again and again. There are so many things to do for families and kids!
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