Best Place for “Freedom of Espression”

Housed in an old church in Powell, Espresso Yourself Music Café is everything you’d want in a coffeehouse — hot and cold drink menu, house-made Paninis, gourmet desserts, books to read and comfy couches. But the best part? This family-run business supports local artists and musicians, with live music nightly and local artwork for sale on the walls. Relaxation (and encouraging local talent) never felt so good. 50 W. Olentangy St., Powell 43065, 614/436-7100, www.espressoyourselfmusiccafe.com

Best Makeover

For years, the dilapidated buildings on the northeast corner of Broad and High streets in downtown Columbus cast a dark shadow on the well-manicured Ohio Statehouse grounds across the street. Not anymore. The old eyesores have been replaced by a vibrant development filled with restaurants, offices, condos and a local TV news studio. To top it off, there’s a giant Times Square-esque video board that lights up the capital city day and night. www.broadandhigh.com  

 

Best Bet for Young Birders

“Look, up in the sky!” isn’t just superhero speak for these kids. The Ohio Young Birders Club lets fledgling birding and nature enthusiasts ages 12–18 meet up with other kids who share this interest. The organization is based in northwest Ohio, but events are held throughout the state, so parent drivers need not wish their kids had wings, too. 419/898-4070. www.ohioyoungbirders.org  

Best Spot for Business Serenity

Opening this month, the Gathering Place at the Inn at Cedar Falls lets corporate types and other groups surround themselves with the natural beauty of Ohio’s Hocking Hills while they get down to business. Fully equipped with a flat-screen TV, white-boards and wireless capability, the building also showcases an herb-garden roof, recycled carpeting and other green features.21190 St. Rte. 374, Logan 43138, 800/65-FALLS (32557). www.innatcedarfalls.com

Best One-Stop World Tour

Save those frequent flier miles and take a trip around the world at the Cleveland Cultural Gardens, located near University Circle, the city’s cultural hub. The gardens, a chain of exotic plantings and fascinating sculptures, represent every place from Germany and Italy to lesser-known locales like Azerbaijan.Rockefeller Park, Martin Luther King Blvd., Cleveland 44103. www.culturalgardens.org

Best Take on the Egg Roll

If you’re a fan of the Reuben sandwich, you’re going to love the Yankee Doodles at Liberty Tavern in Powell. From the outside, these tasty appetizers look just like typical egg rolls, but one bite reveals the surprise inside — a warm combination of corned beef, Swiss cheese and sauerkraut. And, to complete the experience, they’re served with Thousand Island dressing on the side. 50 S. Liberty St. #104, Powell 43065, 614/825-0500. www.libertytavernpowell.com

Best Covered Bridge Spot

Ohio is dotted with covered bridges, but Eaton’s Roberts Bridge is a rare “double-barreled” bridge that was built in 1829. The structure was restored and moved in 1991 to a safer spot at a park near downtown. Featured in Preble County’s official seal, it’s the oldest covered bridge in Ohio and believed to be the second oldest in the United States. Preble County Historical Society, 7693 Swartsel Rd., Eaton 45320, 937/787-4256. http://pchs.preblecounty.com/bridges.html

Best Way to Starve a Cold and Feed a Fever

Jeni’s Ice Creams has a sure cure that’ll have you feeling fit as a fiddle in no time. The Columbus creamery has whipped up two concoctions guaranteed to provide just what the doctor ordered. Sore Throat Remedy Sorbet is a soothing creation of tangerine, tart cherries, chamomile, ginger and pectin. Influenza Sorbet provides a healthy shot of lemon, honey, orange juice, ginger, pectin – and whiskey. Order pints online this month and next: at www.jenisicecreams.com or call 614/488-3224.

Best Reason to Wear a Bib

The first thing you do when you sit down at Montgomery Inn at The Boathouse is take in the panoramic view of the Ohio River. Then, you inhale the intoxicating aroma of the Cincinnati restaurant’s famed ribs and wonder how soon they can get a rack to your table. As you wait, take the bib they offer you. You’ll be glad you did. 925 Riverside Dr., Cincinnati 45202, 513/721-7427. www.montgomeryinn.com

Best Organic Meal

One of the state’s most innovative restaurants, Casa Nueva is dedicated to the idea of slow food — that is, food grown locally, prepared locally and served right to the plate. Guests will find a distinctive dining experience, an entirely organic menu and an intelligent staff who know exactly what they’re serving and where it came from. With delicious seasonal specialties, unique treats like the Apple-Pawpaw Lassi and Build-Your-Own Burritos, there’s something for meat lovers and vegans alike. 6 W. State St., Athens 45701, 740/592-2016. www.casanueva.com

Best Day in the Park

Yellow Springs is known for its charming downtown, top eating spots like the Winds and homey-hippie village feeling. But the Greene County village’s real attraction is Glen Helen Nature Preserve — 1,000 hilly, creek-cut acres of forest and prairie, owned by Antioch University, that boasts scenic hiking trails, craggy cliffs, a picture-perfect waterfall, a pine forest, a raptor center for wounded hawks, owls and eagles, amazing old-growth oaks, a covered bridge and the actual, original “yellow spring,” which spurts cold, iron-laced water. 405 Corry St., Yellow Springs 45387, 937/769-1902. www.antioch.edu/glenhelen

Best Place to Satisfy the Whole Family

It continues to be the same great place Jack Hanna has promoted with his furry friends for years. Now, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has some new neighbors — the Zoombezi Bay water park and Jungle Jack’s Landing, an amusement park with zoo-themed rides — to complete the experience. Add in the reconfigured Safari Golf Club and there’s something to entertain every family member. 4850 W. Powell Rd., Powell 43065, 614/645-3550. www.colszoo.com

Best 30-minute Drive in the Country

The scenery along Chagrin River Road (St. Rte. 174), about 20 miles east of downtown Cleveland, ranges from nature at its loveliest to country style at its grandest. The leisurely tour from Chagrin Boulevard in Moreland Hills to Chardon Road (U.S. Rte. 6) in Kirtland takes in parklands, a polo field, scenic views of the river and magnificent country estates, not to mention the charming hamlet of Gates Mills. Warning: Look out for cyclists and deer — both are ubiquitous along the route.

Best Place to Take a Spin

The Center of Science Industry (COSI) is filled with cool hands-on exhibits that teach various lessons to children young and old, but it’s a “feet-off” feature that gets your head spinning. When the Columbus museum’s Centripetal Generotor reaches 17 mph, the floor drops away from your feet, but static friction equivalent to three Gs keeps you stuck to the wall. 333 W. Broad St., Columbus, 614/228-2674. www.cosi.org

Best Boat Ride

For sheer fun and adventure, you can’t beat the ferry trip from Port Clinton or Catawba to Put-in-Bay. Whether you take the Miller Lines ferry or the Jet Express, the scenic, relaxing ride across Lake Erie’s waves and back is the best possible bookend to a festive weekend on South Bass Island. www.pibinfo.com/ferryboats.html

Best Way to Get Your Fiber

Thursday nights from 5 to 8 p.m., Spinning Turtle Yarns & Gifts in Nelsonville hosts Fiber Club, a chance for crafty types to get free help with their projects (crocheting, spinning, felting and embroidery, among others) from shop owner Marti Dolata. The event has grown into a bit of a bee, drawing a crowd of community crafters who come just for the social aspect. 25 Public Square, Nelsonville 45764, 740/753-3885. www.spinningturtle.com

Best Place to View 200-Year-Old Clothing

The Fort Meigs Museum and Visitor Center contains hundreds of artifacts, including weapons, pottery and even clothing — all dating back to the War of 1812. Much of the memorabilia was found on site — reminders of the bloody battle that took place here. 29100 W. River Rd., Perrysburg 43551, 419/874-4121. www.fortmeigs.org

Best Burger

You have not had a burger until you have tried a “Tankburger” at Tank’s Bar and Grill in Dayton. The bar itself is a major local fave, its clientele a mixture of University of Dayton students, alums, downtown office workers, loyal suburbanites and neighborhood denizens. The bar serves beers from around the world, and the food is great. The crisp brown fries are legendary, breakfast is worth writing home about, and getting a seat during lunch is tough. The “Roadkill Chili” is well known, and the burgers? Well, there are many claimants to a best burger title, but Tank’s just flat-out wins. Voted a favorite a few years ago by the Dayton Daily News’ “Leadbelly Boys” dining team, the Tankburger will fill you up and not let you down. 2033 Wayne Ave., Dayton 45410, 937/252-2249

Best Homage to Pedal Power

New Bremen’s Bicycle Museum of America, in the heart of the Auglaize County village’s neat-as-a-pin downtown, showcases its collection of more than 1,000 pedaled two-wheelers of every kind — including a strange wooden contraption that is billed as America’s oldest bike. Pedal on over and have a peek. 7 W. Monroe St. (St. Rte. 274), New Bremen 45869, 419/629-9249. www.bicyclemuseum.com

Best Use of an Old Building

Located in historic Lin Hall, the Kennedy Museum of Art fills the walls of what used to be the Athens Lunatic Asylum, a mental hospital that was built in the late 1800s. The magnificently preserved building, featuring the red brick that Athens is known for, is now home to a significant collection of Native American and African art, prints, photographs and more. Traveling exhibits, lectures and more make the museum one of the region’s premier arts resources. Lin Hall, Ohio University, Athens, 45701, 740/593-1304. www.ohiou.edu/museum  

Best Reminder of the Power of Words

Ohio has birthed many great writers, but none holds the singular place in history claimed by Dayton native Paul Laurence Dunbar: He was the first African-American man of letters to make a living and achieve international fame for his writing. Poems, essays, novels and plays poured from his pen during his brief 33-year life. The red-brick house that sits on a street since renamed in his honor was his home from 1903 until his death in 1906, and is marvelously preserved to look almost exactly as he left it. 219 Paul Laurence Dunbar St., Dayton 45401, 937/224-7061. http://ohsweb.ohiohistory.org/places/sw03/index.shtml

Best Place to Play “Project Runway”

Substance for Fashion Conscious People, a hip boutique in Columbus’ Short North Arts District, offers workshops where you can revamp a plain T-shirt during Tee Shirt Renovation or quite literally put your stamp on a shirt with Antique Block Printing. All materials are included in the workshop and, just like the show, you have a limited time to complete your masterpiece. 783 N. High St., Columbus 43215, 614/299-2910. www.shopsubstance.com  

Best Re-use of an Old Police Station

The Precinct restaurant, Cincinnati. Go to check out the decor and the restoration of the 1901 Police Patrol House No. 6 on the city’s east side, but by all means stay for the steaks — some of the best in southwest Ohio. The Precinct opened in 1981 to launch Jeff Ruby’s dining empire, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Arresting. 311 Delta Ave., Cincinnati 45226, 513/321-5454. www.jeffruby.com/precinct.html

Best Industrial Artifact

When you first see the Hope Furnace — a tall, rounded stone structure off St. Rte. 278 near McArthur in southern Ohio, you may well wonder just what it is you’re looking at. A tunnel entrance? An old fort? It’s actually the ruins of an old iron furnace from the 19th century, and one of three that can still be seen in Vinton County. Opened in 1854, the furnace ran until the 1870s and churned out tons of iron, much of which went into the weaponry of the Civil War. Massive, strangely beautiful and a bit creepy, it’s said today to be haunted.Vinton County Convention and Visitors Bureau, 740/596-5033. www.vintoncountytravel.com/LakeHopeDrivingTour.htm  

Best Piece of Public Art

We vote for Cleveland’s big rubber stamp. Commissioned in 1982 by Standard Oil from those artistic creators of oversize replicas of everyday things, Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, it was rejected by the powers that be upon delivery and sat in a warehouse for several years until it was gifted to the city — which wisely ensconced it in 1991 at downtown’s Willard Park. All steel, 50 feet long and bearing the word “FREE” on its business end, it delights to this day.

Best Party Sandwich

We don’t trust skinny food critics. For that reason, the shredded chicken from Root’s Poultry in Fremont gets our vote. This tasty longtime local favorite managed to satisfy the mammoth appetite of Sandusky native and current left tackle of the St. Louis Rams Orlando Pace, who was a regular at the restaurant when he lived in Ohio (the owner still jokes that once Pace left for school, they lost 20 percent of their business). 3721 W. State St., Fremont, 43420, 419/332-0041. www.rootspoultry.com

Best Small-Town Summer Staple – Flea Markets on the Square, Sunbury

Until someone invents a working time machine, your best bet for returning to a simpler era is to stroll the town square in Sunbury on Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day, when antiques and collectibles dealers set up shop that beckon bargain hunters. Other than a nostalgic piece of Americana, you never know what you’ll find Cherry, Granville, Columbus and Morning streets, Sunbury 43074, 740/965-2860. www.sunburybigwalnutchamber.com

Best High-tech History Lesson

The new Ohio Statehouse Museum at the Ohio Statehouse (opening in June) will shine the spotlight on this iconic Ohio building and help visitors better understand its history through nearly 15,000 square feet of updated, interactive exhibits that include video displays, images projected on the vaulted ceilings in the Crypt and a big-screen TV equipped with “gesture tech,” which uses human gestures to activate images. Broad and High streets, Columbus 43215, 614/752-9777. www.ohiochannel.org/your_state/ohio_statehouse/index.cfm

Best Place to Float Back in Time

A trip on the General Harrison — the reproduction canal boat that plies the restored stretch of the Miami and Erie Canal at the Piqua Historical Area State Memorial — is both relaxing and enlightening, The 70-foot boat is pulled by a mule team and accompanied by entertaining narration about how travel felt — hint: not comfy — back in the 19th century. 9845 N. Hardin Rd., Piqua 45356, 937/773-2522. http://ohsweb.ohiohistory.org/places/nw13/. Boat rides resume in March.

Best Reason to Save Room for Dessert

Bun’s is a Delaware institution (since 1864), and the fudge cake is a Bun’s institution. Moist, decadent cake, rich fudge icing ... made fresh in the Bun’s bakery. Get a whole cake to go, too, and see why many a casual dessert eater became a chocoholic here. 14 W. Winter St., Delaware 43015, 740/363-2867.

Best Place to Get a Sugar Buzz

For more than 100 years, Spangler Candy Co. has been making life a little sweeter. The family-owned business pro-duces 10 million Dum Dum Pops and 2.7 million candy canes each day, along with marshmallow Circus Peanuts and kid-friendly Safe-T-Pops. Spangler got its start in 1906 producing baking powder, then (thankfully) added candy to the product line in 1908. 400 N. Portland St., Bryan 43506, 419/636-4221. www.spanglercandy.com

Best Stop for Chocoholics

Before holidays, the lines at Esther Price in Dayton are long and the parking lot is so full it creates traffic problems. The objects of so much attention are the gold-boxed, red-ribboned, mouthwatering chocolates produced by the Dayton confectioners for more than 50 years. 1709 Wayne Ave., Dayton 45410, 800/782-0326. www.estherprice.com

Best Creative Cupcakes

With flavors including cookies-n-cream, pumpkin buttercream, chocolate peppermint, buckeye, pineapple crumbcake and “pretty pretty princess” (a vanilla cupcake topped with a sugar tiara and vanilla frosting), ultra-hip Pink Moon Cupcake Bakery in Powell makes the days of “chocolate or vanilla” seem like ancient history. 84 W. Olentangy St., Powell, 43065, 614/802-0230. www.pinkmooncupcakes.com  — Jenny Pavlasek

Best Stocked Pantry

You’ll never find them advertised online, but those in the know tipped us off that Cindy’s Pantry in Attica is the best way to satisfy your sweet tooth on a budget. Cindy Biller offers 21 different kinds of cookies, three different cutout cookie sizes and additional goodies such as buckeyes and peanut brittle. The treats, which start at $3 a dozen for small cut-out cookies, are available by delivery or mail order only. Call 419/426-1515 or e-mail cindyspantry@yahoo.com for details.

Best Place to Buy an Aluminum Christmas Tree

You can buy groovy ’60s furniture year-round at vintage emporium Flower Child. But when the mercury drops, the store transforms into a retro winter wonderland, complete with color wheels, shiny aluminum trees and an impressive collection of vintage ornaments still in the box. Locations are in Cleveland (11508 Clifton Blvd. 44102, 216/939-9933) and Columbus (989 N. High St. 43201, 614/297-8006). www.flowerchildretro.com  

Best Reason to Learn The Charleston

BalletMet Columbus has added a very grand pas de deux to a beloved classic. From April 23 through May 3, the company will be transforming F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Jazz Age novel, The Great Gatsby, into a dance extravaganza that would make our high-school English teachers proud. For details, visit www.balletmet.org or call 614/229-4848. — Linda Feagler

Best Place to Think You’re on Another Continent

The Wilds, of course. The sprawling, 9,154-acre reclaimed strip-mine land in Muskingum County, home to all manner of well-cared-for wildlife from all over the world, simply must be visited to be believed. Giraffes, antelope and rhinos? What’s stopping you?14000 International Rd., Cumberland 43732, 740/638-5030. www.thewilds.org

Best Big-City Skyline View

We just love city skylines for all they say and suggest about a town, especially when they’re all lit up at night. Cleveland looks good when you’re coming in from the southwest on I-90; Columbus looks uptown and smart from I-670; Dayton looks like a much bigger city as you arrive from U.S. Rte. 35 East. But anybody who loves city lights knows that the best skyline view in Ohio is, ironically, available only from outside Ohio. That’s because to see the magical, Oz-like panorama that is downtown Cincinnati at night, you need to be in northern Kentucky. As you head north toward the city, the vista can make you gasp. — Ron Rollins

Best Way to Pretend You’re Tarzan

Like this thrill seeker, I was actually soaring through the treetops — nearly 70 feet above the ground — on a brisk autumn morning. Hocking Hills Canopy Tours, the only zip line of its kind in the Midwest, allows the adventurous to fly through the air while safely attached to an overhead cable. I’m pretty sure the king of the jungle would approve. 10714 Jackson St., Rockbridge 43149, 740/385-9477. www.hockinghillscanopytours.com — Ilona Westfall

Best Clothing With a Conscience

It’s a small store with a big heart ... not to mention great fashion. Revive in Cleveland Heights is stacked high with stylish clothing and accessories for women, men and children — all fair-trade goods from developing countries. I love a sweater with a story, and Revive owner Lisa Dunn and her staff are always eager to describe the artisans behind the soft, natural-fiber apparel, colorful scarves and chic jewelry they source from around the world. 2248 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights 44118, 216/371-2778. www.revivestore.com

Best Music Venue

For me, there’s nothing better than a great concert; it can reaffirm your love for an artist or introduce you to an entirely new sound. I’ve seen music performed across the region, and the historic Stuart’s Opera House has become my favorite venue. The meticulously restored interior at Stuart’s provides an intimate concert experience, and the sound and lighting are superior to anything I’ve come across. Recently, award-winning acts like Arcade Fire and Andrew Bird have taken the Stuart’s stage. 52 Public Square, Nelsonville 45764, 740/753-1924. www.stuartsoperahouse.org  

Best Reason to Break Your Diet

Everyone loves a grilled cheese sandwich. While Melt Bar & Grilled takes this to a whole new level with its gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, one stands above the rest. The Parmageddon, named for the notoriously pierogi-loving Cleveland suburb of Parma, is a hulking hybrid of comfort food and Polish favorite consisting of gooey cheddar cheese, Napa vodka kraut, onions and potato and cheese pierogi — all tucked between two thick, buttery slices of perfectly grilled bread.14718 Detroit Ave., Lakewood 44107, 216/226-3699. www.meltbarandgrilled.com  

Best Lighthouse Surprise

You expect to see them along Lake Erie, but the pretty white lighthouse that pops into view at the west end of the 13,500-acre Grand Lake, just south of Celina near St. Rte. 29 and U.S. Rte. 127, sure grabs your attention. The Celina Rotary Club built the lighthouse in 1986. It reminds you that Mercer County might be in the middle of the state — but it’s all about water and boating, too.

Best Singular Sensation

Cleveland’s Playhouse Square sure knows how to kick off its Broadway theater season in style. In September, the second-largest performing-arts center in America invited Cleveland theater lovers to join the Radio City Rockettes in a kick-line down Euclid Avenue. Popcorn, soda and a commemorative T-shirt were awarded to the 350 participants who showed a little leg and had a lot of fun. www.playhousesquare.com

Best Spot to Look Up and Gasp

The Schuster Performing Arts Center in Dayton is the home of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra and the center of the Gem City’s performing-arts universe, from the Dayton Opera to visiting Broadway shows. The 2,300-seat main auditorium is modern, lush and acoustically perfect — but the real delight is at the very center of the soaring ceiling. Contained in an oval-shaped “eye” at the top is a glittering constellation of stars that show what the sky looked like on the night that Orville and Wilbur Wright, Dayton’s most famous sons, first flew their airplane in 1903.1 W. Second St., Dayton 45402, 937/222-1510. www.schustercenter.org