• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Its a Hero

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Sponsor and Advertising
  • Categories
    • recipes
    • brews + food
    • wellness
    • events
    • dairy-free
    • money saving tips
    • Explore Ohio
    • Family Travel
    • tips + tricks
    • Instant Pot Recipes
    • giveaway
    • printables
  • Instagram Links

Explore Ohio // Cuyahoga Falls { AND A GIVEAWAY! }

May 14, 2017 by Rachel 33 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links

Before moving to the Akron, Ohio area, I’d heard about one of its suburbs, Cuyahoga Falls. I assumed it was this tiny place. Because, honestly, it just sounds like a tiny little peaceful place. But it isn’t tiny by any means! But it is peaceful and has so many wonderful things to do and see!

If you’re following along with my “Explore Ohio” series, you’ll know that we briefly considered moving elsewhere like Upstate New York and even have looked at real estate in Dayton, OH; but I’m so happy that we are raising our children here in beautiful Cuyahoga Falls!

I urge you to come visit my beautiful town! And while you’re here, check out some of my favorite places:

HiHo Brewing Company. Two former teachers took a leap of faith and started a brewery in their hometown from the ground up. I fell in love with HiHo the first time I walked in. The huge space is super inviting for people of all ages — there are board games, couches, and a tasty selection of food. Also? Beer, obviously. A delicious rotation of craft beers, brewed on-site.

The Blue Door Café. A hidden foodie gem, just North of Akron, exists on the corner of State Road and Broad Boulevard, and can easily be missed. There is no signage, but always a packed parking lot. The only ‘advertising’ they need is the signature blue door. Incredible pastries and brunch dishes are served from classically-trained French pastry chefs. People literally flock to the Blue Door from all over (I’m looking at you, Cleveland friends! I see your check-ins from FB and Foursquare 😉 ).

The Social Dept. Located right next door to HiHo, this t-shirt company offers on-site screen-printed regional shirts, onesies, and even beer growlers! I just bought Chad this Cleveland Indians shirt for his birthday!

Hale Farm and Village. Located in the middle of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, this historic village preserves aspects of our past and brings them to workshops and families who visit the working farm. They even allow rentals for weddings! How cool would it be to have your wedding here!?

The Gorge Metropark. So much hiking, ya’ll! I was unprepared for my first hiking excursion here. In my defense, we were supposed to go to the zoo, but we went to the Gorge instead. And I was wearing ballet flats and a dress. Lesson learned! Winding trails, waterfalls on the Cuyahoga, views of whitewater kayak races just up the river, rock climbing kiddos… it’s got it all! Even ice skating during the winter months!

Retro Dog. Old-school diner and drive-in hot dog restaurant. But not just any hot dogs — these Buffalo-natives serve Sahlen’s hot dogs with a funky-fresh twist! Toppings galore, white-hots, loaded fries, crazy burgers, and custard! This is a big favorite in our family — even Remy can (and will) throw down a whole footlong hot dog on the reg!

Birthday weekends are for hotdogs ? and French fries ? (and beer for mommy, duh ?). Hard to believe that little hand will turn 4 tomorrow?.

A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Oct 15, 2016 at 9:05am PDT

Blossom Music Center. If you’ve grown up in Northeast Ohio (or even Central Ohio!), you’ve likely seen a concert or two at Blossom. This outdoor amphitheater is a super popular outdoor music venue for all types of music. It’s even the summer home of the Cleveland Orchestra! (Personal note: This is where I saw my very first concert when I was four… Whitney Houston, ya’ll. Such a cool experience!).

Sarah’s Vineyard and Winery. Located across the street from Blossom Music Center, this gorgeous vineyard offers indoor and outdoor seating as well as an array of delicious wines! Like many other local spots, it’s very family friendly! So bring the kiddos and a picnic!

The Riverfront Family YMCA. Okay, okay. I’m a tad-bit bias. I love my local branch of the YMCA, but I also work there. We have an amazing gymnastics program, an awesome 2-,3-, and 5-day preschool, and so many fitness classes! Come catch me there, Monday through Friday! 🙂

Darby’s on 59. We lived in the Falls for years without knowing that this place existed. This tiny little gem is located on route 59, across from the Cuyahoga River. They have an adorable outdoor patio and delicious food. I can easily live off of their calamari and sliders for the rest of my life and be happy!

Discovered a delicious (previously unknown to us) restaurant right around the corner! Southern fried chicken slider and fries were delish! #latergram #instayum #instafood

A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on Aug 16, 2015 at 10:41am PDT


Metropolis Popcorn. Located on the pedestrian-only portion of Front Street, Metropolis Popcorn offers 50-flavors of Ohio-grown popped-corn! Some traditional flavors, some crazy-pants flavors, but all delicious!

Burntwood Tavern. Admittedly, there are a few of these around Northeast Ohio. But ours is the best. Know how I know? It’s located overlooking the Cuyahoga River. Bonus? They have amazing food and an even better Happy Hour menu. And I can’t forget about the live music every Thursday and Friday night! How awesome is that!?

Honestly, I had to cut my list short because I could just go on and on and on! I haven’t even begun to mention places like The Office Bistro, Craft Beer Bar, or any of the numerous parks and wading pools (one of which is literally in our backyard!).

And now my favorite part of this series — a GIVEAWAY! I’m hosting a Giveaway for a $25 Gift Card to Burntwood Tavern (which can be used at any of their locations — Chagrin Falls, Solon, Rocky River, Brecksville, Lyndhurst, Crocker Park, Fairlawn, Belden Village, and right here in Cuyahoga Falls!). Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

This giveaway and blog post is a partnership with Nakturnal. As always, all opinions herein are my own. This post may contain affiliate links.

 

Filed Under: Akron, brews + food, cleveland, explore locally, Explore Ohio, food, giveaway, love list, NEO, Ohio, restaurants + bars, shop local, sponsor Tagged With: akron, brews + food, cleveland, craft beer, explore locally, explore Ohio, food, foodie, giveaway, local, NEO, ohio, restaurants + bars, shop local, sponsor

Previous Post: « Friday Favorites //
Next Post: a Midweek Mantra // »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Laura

    May 14, 2017 at 5:25 pm

    The farmer’s market and riding on the bike trails

    Reply
  2. Crystal @EatDrinkCLE

    May 14, 2017 at 9:37 pm

    I love Rockin’ in the River

    Reply
    • Rachel

      May 15, 2017 at 12:02 am

      PUHHH-lease come down and visit me ASAP! HiHo????????

      Reply
  3. Jenni hoertz

    May 14, 2017 at 9:59 pm

    We love hiking in the gorge and we love our local YMCA.

    Reply
  4. Bethany

    May 14, 2017 at 10:00 pm

    We love taking the kids to the Akron Zoo! Hopefully we’ll get to the children’s museum soon.

    Reply
    • Rachel

      May 15, 2017 at 12:01 am

      Do you have a zoo membership!?!

      Reply
  5. Kate @ GreatestEscapist.com

    May 14, 2017 at 10:13 pm

    Obviously I lovelovelove CF – home sweet! I haven’t been to a few of these new places yet, though. I’ll have to check them out. Some other places I love are the Chowder House, Waterworks, & the Cashmere Cricket, among others. I love that suddenly there’s so much to do & see in my hometown.

    Reply
    • Kate @ GreatestEscapist.com

      May 14, 2017 at 10:14 pm

      Oh, & Krieger’s!

      Reply
    • Rachel

      May 14, 2017 at 10:19 pm

      Girl, I wanted to include ALL OF THOSE!! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Harmony, Momma To Go

    May 15, 2017 at 7:09 am

    Wow, beer, wine, hiking, and all that food. looks divine! My friend, who lives in Ohio now, has a dog named Cayahoga! I guess he is from this area.

    Reply
  7. Deanna

    May 15, 2017 at 9:32 am

    Howe Meadow farmers market, Sheraton. Also, randomly MC Hair studio is amazing. Stumbled across them on twitter and make the drive to get my hair done!

    Reply
    • Rachel

      May 16, 2017 at 8:45 pm

      LOOOOVE MC Hair! They did my pedi, hair, & bikini wax before Ari was born 😛

      Reply
  8. Corey | The Nostalgia Diaries

    May 15, 2017 at 3:04 pm

    I can’t believe that I’m from Ohio but have never been to Cuyahoga Falls. This looks like such an amazing town!

    Reply
    • Rachel

      May 16, 2017 at 8:45 pm

      I think it’s time for a blogger date here. 😛 Come visit!

      Reply
  9. Vicki @ Babies to Bookworms

    May 15, 2017 at 3:45 pm

    This all looks awesome! That Blue Door Cafe looks awesome and like the exact type of place we would visit on a vacation!

    Reply
  10. Brittany

    May 15, 2017 at 5:18 pm

    I love Ohio. Lived there all my life until moving to Kentucky. Cuyahoga Falls is beautiful.

    Reply
  11. Robin

    May 15, 2017 at 9:29 pm

    This is such a great glimpse into what seems like a neat little town! I love hearing about the unexpected places to get great food and see interesting things that you can’t find anywhere else – and that farm looks so beautiful! Thanks for the tour!

    Reply
  12. Jenny

    May 15, 2017 at 9:49 pm

    It looks like a beautiful and family friendly place. I think my children would really enjoy the markets and the zoo. 🙂

    Reply
  13. Kristian

    May 16, 2017 at 8:35 am

    Hiking the Gorge with my boys and heading to the zoo are our favorites. We also love driving out through Amish Country and just enjoying the country side and sunsets .

    Reply
  14. Stefanie

    May 16, 2017 at 9:41 am

    It looks like such a fun place to visit. We will have to make plans to stop the next time we drive by!

    Reply
  15. Carrie Ostergard

    May 16, 2017 at 1:13 pm

    This looks like an amazing place to visit.

    Reply
  16. Arushi Garg

    May 16, 2017 at 1:17 pm

    I have never been to Ohio ! this post makes me want to go there.

    Reply
  17. Patricia

    May 16, 2017 at 8:28 pm

    This looks like my kinda place!! That Blue Door Cafe looks awesome!

    Reply
  18. Katie

    May 17, 2017 at 1:36 pm

    My Mother in law is from here! We visited once, and I absolutely loved it!

    Reply
  19. Trista Peterson

    May 17, 2017 at 2:18 pm

    Ah! Everything looks SO fun! We need to make a trip to Ohio… it’s not too far from Iowa!

    Reply
  20. Joanne

    May 18, 2017 at 9:48 am

    Love Hale Farm & Village!! (Sorry if this is a duplicate comment – I tried posting one yesterday but not sure if it went through)!

    Reply
  21. Dale

    May 18, 2017 at 9:50 am

    Blossom Music Center is a favorite of mine – but need to try Sarah’s Winery!

    Reply
  22. Erin J.

    May 18, 2017 at 8:54 pm

    I have never been up this way, but would love to come check it out once baby arrives–sounds like a fun family getaway spot!!

    Reply
  23. Katie

    May 21, 2017 at 11:41 am

    My favorite thing in cuyahoga falls is to sit outside by the water, burntwood tavern has an awesome view!

    Reply
  24. Kristal

    May 21, 2017 at 4:17 pm

    We love walking the riverfront, visiting the wading pools in the summer, and all of the local parks!

    Reply
  25. Julie

    May 23, 2017 at 12:02 pm

    I love shooting pictures of the Falls followed by adult beverages as several of the places listed and then Uber home! I’ve not been to the Burntwood there yet. I do have pictures of it when it was burnt wood and waiting to be built though!

    Reply
  26. Nicole Youngclaus

    May 23, 2017 at 2:52 pm

    Wow! Looks like an amazing place to visit and the food looks so good!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. a Midweek Mantra // says:
    May 17, 2017 at 7:04 am

    […] Don’t forget to enter my giveaway here! […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Blog Archives

Grab the Button

It's a Hero

Recent Posts

  • Easy Reuben Sliders Recipe
  • New Years Eve Charcuterie Board
  • Kids New Years Eve Charcuterie
  • Easy Christmas Charcuterie Board
  • Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
  • Mason Jar Pancake Mix
  • Air Fryer Tornado Potatoes
  • Easy Garlic Herb Butter Recipe
  • Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff
  • Copycat Crumbl Chocolate Chunk Cookie
Collaborate with Rachel Loza on influencer marketing
dealspotr.com
Follow