Lauren recently spent a long weekend in Columbus, Ohio with some friends, seeing sights, eating at local restaurants, and of course sampling lots of fun drinks!
Day one began with gel manicures at Lacquer Gallery, where they graced our nails with fun designs and even gold leaf! Once our nails were looking like something that belongs on a magazine cover, we walked the two short blocks to Katalina’s for brunch!
We indulged in some delicious & award-winning chorizo breakfast tacos, fresh-squeezed blood orange juice, and of course had to try the Nutella pancake balls! All were incredible!
After fueling up, we explored the nearby Victorian Village neighborhood on foot, looking at all the old houses.
Then we drove over to Easton Town Center, explored some shops, and got our first taste of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, which almost warrants a trip to Columbus all on it’s own! Pictured below is the Frosé sorbet, an incredibly perfect choice for the hot day that it was. The shopping center also offered lots of fun photo ops like a large fountain and a flowery photo booth!
We also found a fun little mural that encouraged us to take some jumping pics. We couldn’t resist!
After spending the entire first day walking around in the sun, we slept in late on day two, and then proceeded to spend another day walking! We walked around Victorian Village some more, spent a short time at the pool at our friend’s apartment complex, and then walked to High Street to explore the Columbus nightlife.
We quickly discovered that High Street is the place to be on a Saturday night as we couldn’t get a table anywhere! We put our name on a waitlist for an incredible rooftop bar called Lincoln Social and then decided to get some food from Shake Shack while we waited.
About two hours later, we got the text that we were in! It was well worth the wait. They make the cocktails you order right in front of you, and serve them in really unique ways. For example, the Hibiscus Mule is served in a teacup!
After our first round of drinks, we noticed a nearby table with a glowing purple beverage and asked the bartender what it was. We found out it was a shareable cocktail called Starry Night! Made with purple Watershed vodka, citrus infused chablis, Grand Marnier, champagne, and garnished with floating lights, we knew we needed to have it!
After blowing our step goals out of the water two days in a row, it was time for a relaxing pool day. The weather on Sunday was absolutely gorgeous and called for some frozen cocktails while soaking up the sun. As if that doesn’t already sound like the perfect day, the pool at this apartment complex is incredibly unique and a truly beautiful space to enjoy!
When we felt refreshed and well-rested, we drove to German Village, explored the cobblestone streets of this neighborhood, strolled through a quaint little park, and then walked to Antiques on High for a round of drinks.
We tried the Imperial Orb mocktail, which is perfect if you need a refreshing afternoon pick-me-up! It’s made with beet, pomegranate, orange, lemon, and ginger, and we felt completely rejuvenated after drinking it! The Miami Vice pictured in the back (half piña colada, half strawberry daiquiri), is an excellent boozy option as well!
As we were walking to Antiques on High, we smelled some delicious food across the street at Local Cantina, and decided to head there next for dinner. After filling up on a variety of tasty tacos, we walked to the nearby Book Loft of German Village, a fun little shop with 32 rooms of books!
With our bellies full and stacks of new books in our hands, we drove back to our friend’s apartment for a relaxing evening in.
We started our fourth and final day with a breakfast of bagel sandwiches and blueberry lemonade at The Lox Bagel Shop on High Street.
After chowing down this deliciousness, we walked across the street to The Candle Lab to make our own signature scented candles! We combined scents like Goji Berry, Yuzu, and Chardonnay and mixed the fragrances into hot wax. Two hours later we were able to go back and pick up our one-of-a-kind scented candles!
In honor of our last day in Columbus, we had to stop at Jeni’s one more time. The purple Wildberry Lavender definitely ranked high as one of our favorite flavors.
On our way out of town, we stopped at Fox in the Snow Cafe for coffee, cinnamon rolls, scones, and delicious blueberry galettes. It was a lovely way to end a wonderful weekend in Columbus and we look forward to visiting this lively city again soon!
Exploren with Lauren 