Cincinnati Staycation Ideas - Get Your Cincy On
It’s no secret, that, I LOVE CINCINNATI. I fell head over heals for this city the second I landed here in 2017 and have never looked back. From the architecture, to the boutiques and ALL THE FOOD, I’ve always loved this little hidden gem of a city, which is why it was an absolute no brainer to partner with Cincinnati Experience to continue to encourage my followers to #getyourcincyon and lift up our small businesses, local shops & overall community members who contribute to all of it! And I’d like to say THANK U! It has been a long year and so many members of our local community contributed to keeping Cincinnati an AMAZING place to live!
All that being said, I started off my “summer of support” by checking out the Symphony Hotel, for a weekend staycation and it was such a unique experience! And right by Washington Park! A great walkable area, full of activities, eateries, late night experiences and morning markets!
Where I Stayed:
THE SYMPHONY HOTEL RESTAURANT & BAR
This hotel totally feels like a bed and breakfast too. The Symphony has its own bar & restaurant with a live jazz band, as well as a cozy rooftop patio. Not to mention, all the rooms are themed after classical composers. I stayed in the Mozart Room, which was so cool, and the three large windows are such a love letter to the Italianate architecture in Cincy. SO MUCH TO LOVE HERE. Also, there is a record player in the room that works! ANNDDDDD don't worry, even though the theme is centuries old with classical composer shower curtains, each room is equipped with TVs and all your favorite streaming services, just in case you want to stay, more than "cation". Oh, gosh, I almost forgot, there is parking included in your stay just a block away, in a stunner composer themed parking garage with chandeliers! Yup! It's cute!
Where I Ate:
MAIZE OTR
Checking out Maize FOR THE FIRST TIME, was such a disservice to myself, like, HOW HAVE I NOT EATEN HERE BEFORE! Seriously wondering how it wasn’t my 10th visit. SO. SO. GOOD! There were no doggie bags needed, and believe me, we ate all the things! I hope this is your next stop to #getyourcincyon 🥰 . Maize is known for their Latin American Comfort Food, which is flavorful, unique and filling! I left SO FULL! The staff was so friendly and had great recommendations! And even though the world is opening back up, currently they are still sticking to QR Code Menus, which I actually like! I felt like I’m saving trees, LOL. That being said, I feel like I got the whole Maize experience! You can go here on a budget or TOTALLY BALL OUT, we leaned somewhere in the middle, called, Eat Your Heart Out LOL, as you can see above.
Regardless of what you order you’re going to chow down some a-MAIZE-ing bites! I also think this spot is great for date nights or a drink with the girls, (although, you might want to make a reservation, the place was jumping). However, if you want to stay in, and cozy up to a movie with some delicious Latin American bites, you can order online and get take-out or delivery. As always, happy eating!
Where I Shopped:
HANDZY STUDIO & ARTICHOKE
I’ll be honest, it wasn’t hard for me to find an outfit I loved Handzy Studio Shop & they have so much more than clothes. This is a great place for gifts and even décor for your home! BUT if you love pastels, bright colors & everything about being a girl, you’re probably going home with a dress or two LOL.
And in true foodie fashion, how could I not add Artichoke to my list of places to support, from cookware and kitchen essentials to COOKING CLASSES (😉😉) Artichoke is another great place to add to your list to support & soak up all things Cincy.
What I experienced:
WINE & DESSERT TOUR WITH AMERICAN LEGACY TOURS
Did You Know You Can Make Wine in an Alley? Well Anything is Possible in Cincy 🤣🍷 I experienced my first Wine & Dessert Tour with American Legacy Tours which was so fun!
Our first stop on the tour was, Holtman's Donuts ! And thankfully, they weren’t sold out! I salivated over a Cherry Chocolate Donut! YUM!
Next was Graeter's! An easy crowd pleaser, and while I have been to both of these spots before, I liked knowing if I had someone coming from out of town, this would a great way to introduce them to all Cincinnati has to offer! Like, hello #getyourcincyon - I also didn’t hate eating Graeter's Raspberry Sorbet as we strolled through Washington Park to our next location. It also happened to be the City Flea, DOUBLE WIN!
Aannyywayy, soon we headed to Queen City Radio (QCR) for a slushy, which was the perfect segue into the wine finale. Slushies always give me, dessert but make it liquid, you know? And let it be known, I love QCR especially their huge outdoor space!
Last was Revel OTR Urban Winery and honestly it was the best stop. There was so much time to get to know everyone on the tour, we tried several of their wines, and received another tour of Revel. We also got to hang out with one of the owners, Anthony, and hear so many of his stories about his family and his father making wine when he was young, which really took it home. Not to mention, we learned about Revel’s microbrewery which keeps the winery alive!
Overall, if you live within the city limits you’ll definitely be familiar with the first few stops, but surprisingly, this local foodie actually learned some new things! From the fact that the Washington Park Garage used to be an old cemetery, to the fact that Revel is LITERALLY an URBAN WINERY. They are basically making wine in the alley’s yall (LOL) Okay, so not entirely in the alley but you get the point 🤣 This is such a great way to get out & about in our community to support our local businesses, especially with most of the tour being outside, with mainly a small group and small stops until the grand finale. So cheers to Cincy, to wine but let’s face it MOSTLY TO DESSERT!
Enjoy! I hope you book a staycation soon! You deserve it!
I am so excited to continue to support more businesses, because THE TIME IS NOW AND THE PLACE IS CINCINNATI !! Find your new favorite things to do at cincinnatiexperience.com.
xo Kait xo
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