72 Hours: Mexico City

Living in Texas, I’m shocked I haven’t traveled to Mexico more seeing as how the country is only about a 2 hour flight away. I blame it on the fact that I’m really not a beach vacation person (my skin burns SO easily) and the majority of Mexico trips seem to always involve lounging under the sun by the water. So I when I looked into Mexico City for a sister trip destination, I was hooked on the fact that there are so many amazing coffee/taco/food choices, beautiful architecture and museums, interesting cultural sites, and most importantly no beach in sight. Mexico City was my first trip of 2024!

Where We Stayed

I always stay in hotels on international trips for safety and comfort reasons and this vacation was no different. We chose the Sheraton Mexico City Maria Isabel Hotel for its convenient location along the Paseo de la Reforma (a large and grand avenue modeled after Paris’ Champs Elysees), its high ratings, affordability ($400 for 3 nights in a 2 bed room), and safety (the US embassy is literally right next door and there is a ton of security nearby). The hotel is located about 20 minutes from the airport and walking distance to lots of food and cafes and the Chapultepec Park. I loved everything about our stay at the Sheraton on this trip and can’t recommend it enough!

Explore Bosque de Chapultepec

Chapultepec Park is a huge green space in the middle of Mexico City that is 3 times the size of New York’s Central Park. There are public bathrooms inside, plenty of vendors selling snacks and water and toys (we saw so many kids wearing fuzzy monkeys on their heads!), and tons of walking trails. But the main attraction of the park is Chapultepec Castle. The Castle is currently the National Museum of History, but in the past its also been the location of a military academy and the presidential residence of several Mexican presidents including dictator, Porfirio Diaz. Entry tickets are about 100 pesos ($5) and since food and drinks aren’t allowed in the Castle, it’ll cost another 10 pesos for a locker rental. Half of the exhibits are in Spanish only (thanks to Google Translate we were able to understand the basics here), but the main exhibits including the period rooms are in both Spanish and English. My favorite part was when we walked upstairs into the floral garden and observatory and got to see a gorgeous view of Mexico City as well experience so many colors. The Castle is located up a hill so the climb up can be tiring, but its totally worth it!

Floating Gardens of Xochimilco

Xochimilco was high on my list of things to do in Mexico City ever since I saw the colorful boats on Instagram. The Floating Gardens of Xochimilco is located in the Southern part of the city and is basically a series of canals where boats can float down and enjoy the surrounding scenery. The name Floating Gardens comes from the fact that there are gardens located along the canals that are built on land floating alongside the canals. These gardens are all family owned with the family usually living behind the gardens. There are also plenty of vendors selling anything from flower crowns to elote to sliver jewelry to alcoholic drinks on the canals and its pretty fun to spot these floating shops and have a snack on the water. And I can’t forget the mariachi bands! There are boats filled with mariachi musicians floating on the canal and for some pesos they will board your boat and perform a few songs of your choice to complete this Mexican experience. The canal can get crowded in certain areas and I was so impressed by the skill and strength of the rowers (yes each huge boat is manually rowed) navigating through the tiny congested canals. After your boat cruise finishes back at the original starting point, there is a small market along the dock that sells kitschy souvenirs and photo opps. I’m sure its possible to Uber to the Xochimilco area yourself and haggle for a colorful boat, but my sister and I chose to join this small group (there were about 10 of us) Airbnb experience that included roundtrip transportation, boat rental, and a tour guide. It made the experience much easier on us (the tour even picked us up and dropped us off at our hotel) and we were able to learn about the history and secrets of Mexico City as well. Although I feel like the overall experience was drastically overrated, it was still such a fun morning!

Take a Tour of Coyocan

Everyone knows who the amazingly talented and mysterious painter Frida Kahlo is and no doubt is she one of, if not the, most famous Mexican citizen. Frida Kahlo put her neighborhood, Coyocan, on the map and its now one of the most exclusive places to live in the city (I’m talking million dollar homes). The second half of our day tour took us through the streets of Coyocan to eat a delicious stuffed churro, to eat tostadas and shop in Mercado Coyocan, and learn about Frida Kahlo’s life at the Frida Kahlo Museum also know as Casa Azul (for its striking blue exteriors). This was one of my favorite parts of our entire trip because the neighborhood was bustling with so many people and sights and history! My sister and I had shrimp, chicken mole, and pork belly tostadas inside the Mercado Coyocan (the tostada stand is the most crowded but just wait and seats will appear) and bought some unique souvenirs after perusing all the shops. The market is huge and there was so much to see! Located about a 10 minute walk from the mercado is the beautifully blue Frida Kahlo Museum. Make sure to prebook timed tickets (or join a tour that takes care of tickets like we did) because this is one of the most popular attractions in Mexico City and sells out all the time. The Museum is self guided and includes exhibits on Frida’s life, her colorful dresses, her artwork, and her living quarters with her husband Diego Rivera. It was so interesting seeing Frida’s art studio and imagining her painting or drawing inside and equally as fascinating to view her bedroom and imagine her suffering from her many physical injuries and ailments. The Museum isn’t too big and takes about 1-2 hours to explore, but it provides a great in depth look at Frida Kahlo’s life and legacy.

Biblioteca Vasconcelos

Its no secret that I love books and anything book related! So when I saw pictures of this architecturally beautiful library in Mexico City I knew I had to stop by and explore. Biblioteca Vasconcelos is free to the public to visit and is spread out over 400,000 square feet. We were amazed by the “hanging” bookshelves that line the library and how big the entire structure was. The easiest way to get to the library is to take a (cheap) Uber, although there are bus stops and train stops nearby. Since we came all the way to the library, we also decided to walk 5 min to a nearby taco shop called Tacos El Paraiso to try their chicharron and mole verde tacos. This local taco shop is standing room only, but offers some of the most delicious tacos ever.

Walk Through the Mercados

Mexico City is filled with markets everywhere you look. From flowers to ready to eat meals to fresh vegetables and fruits to artwork, there are markets selling everything you can think of. My sister and I love browsing markets so visiting a few in Mexico City was definitely on our to do list. We chose the Mercado La Ciudadela and the Mercado de San Juan due to their close distance to the places were were planning to eat, but sadly both markets were not the bustling centers of shopping we thought they would be. In fact, I was pretty disappointed when wandering through both markets because there were barely any locals inside (the markets felt like tourist gimmicks) and the quality of the food and products sold looked subpar to the amazing food and crafts I’ve seen on the streets of the city. La Ciudadela was suppose to sell local crafts, but instead the stalls were filled with basic souvenirs that could be found everywhere including the airport. San Juan was suppose to have all kinds of local Mexican foods, but instead offered exotic meats such as lion meat, which both of us felt unethical eating. Its safe to say both markets aren’t worth stopping by (unless you are just curious to see what a Mexican market looks like) during your Mexico vacation, however, the Mercado Coyocan that I mentioned earlier, is completely worth it and in my opinion, the superior market. There are so many markets in Mexico City so I would encourage doing additional research to discover the best one for you.

Free Mexico City Walking Tour

I participated in my first free walking tour though Guru in Budapest (a 3 hour Jewish quarter tour) and was so impressed I knew I wanted to do it again in a different city. I booked this historic Mexico City tour on our last full day, which was a Monday, in the city because everything in Mexico City is closed on Mondays (yes all museums) and luckily this walking tour takes place on the streets of Mexico and not inside. Our tour guide took us to from the Metropolitan Cathedral to Zocalo Plaza (where we learned about Mexican independence) to Aztec ruins (where we learned about the creation of Mexico City by the Azetcs) to Santo Domingo Plaza and finally to the Palacio de Bellas Artes (where we learned about Dia de los Muertos). Our guide even introduced us to a delicious fermented drink called Tepache, which is made from pineapple rinds and sweetened with brown sugar and powdered cinnamon. The walking tour was a great opportunity to learn more about the country we were visiting and I loved seeing the historic sights with a more knowledgeable lens. While the tours are offered as free, its best practice to tip the tour guide at the end, especially if they did an amazing job!

Try the Mexican Pastries

Both my sister and I are huge foodies, but I’m the one with the huge sweet tooth. I knew I wanted to try the famous churros recommended by Eva Longoria in her show, Searching for Mexico, and I knew wanted to spend my mornings indulging in Mexican bread and pastries. Our very first stop (besides our hotel) in Mexico City was Panaderia Rosetta, a bakery in the Roma Norte neighborhood, which comes very highly rated. There was a short line when we arrived, but it moved quickly and 10 minutes later we were at the counter ordering our pastries. Rosetta is famously known for its guava danish so we obviously ordered that, but we also got an apple croissant, a dulce de leche cruffin, and a blueberry foccacia bread. Everything was delicious and the flavors were spot on. We ended our first day in Mexico City with a bag of crunchy churros and hazelnut and chocolate dipping sauces from Churreria El Moro. These churros were featured by Eva Longoria on her show and are a chain of cafes around the city- there was a location right behind our hotel. The churros may not taste like your average churros from home because they are made using only flour, water, and salt (instead of butter and eggs), but they are mouth wateringly good! On our last morning in Mexico City we visited the highly recommended Pasteleria Ideal near the historic city center. A little blue box means something different here as locals leave the bakery with their purchases tied up in bright blue and white pastry boxes. There are so many different kinds of bread, jellos, cakes, sandwiches, and pastries offered here that your senses will most likely get overloaded! But just take a metal tray (like we did) and wander through each row of baked yumminess to decide what to order. We tried the mushroom empanadas and a variety of sweet bread and we even walked away with 4 boxes of cookies to bring back to Houston.

Eat as Much Tacos and Mexican Food as Possible

There were so many types of food we wanted to eat in Mexico that there simply wasn’t enough time (or stomach space). We picked our restaurants based on variety since we wanted to try as many local foods as possible. It was really hard to narrow down our options (and we’re already planning what places to eat will be on our next trip), but here is what we decided on:

  • Restaurant Testal - A cozy and aesthetically decorated restaurant located in Roma Norte that serves the best octopus tacos and chicken flautas. Its also clean and service is great!

  • La Casa de Toni en zona Rosa - A Mexican chain restaurant owned by the richest man in Mexico, Carlos Slim. There are several locations around the city and some of them will have a wait. All of your favorite classic Mexican dishes will be on the menu. Because we went for breakfast, we ate plates of chilaquiles, a bowl of _______ soup, and arroz con leche.

  • Cafe de Tacuba - My favorite meal of the whole trip! Located in downtown Mexico City, this beautifully decorated and popular restaurant serves a menu of delicious Mexican dishes. We ate the tamales, squash and pork quesadillas, mini fried bean and cheese taquitos, and caramel flan.

  • Taqueria El Califa - Another chain restaurant, but this one specializes in all types of tacos! We had cheese taco shells here, but I also loved the cactus leaves we ate.

The main takeaway was that food in Mexico is GOOD. Actually, its more than good- its AMAZING. So most likely wherever you decide to eat will be delicious, Just be careful of street food and stay far far away from tap water!

Visit a Cute Cafe

If it were up to me I would have gladly spent the whole trip cafe hopping because there were so many cool cafes I wanted to try in Mexico CIty. But since this was a sisters trip, I agreed to just 1 cafe a day… and I spent a good amount of time selecting the 3 cafes below.

  • Cucurucho - A Japanese Mexican coffee shop that is located within 10 minutes walk of the Sheraton. There is no indoor seating, but there are a few chairs set up outside and with the glorious weather Mexico City had all weekend, it was the perfect morning activity to sit outside with our drinks. My iced coffee and my sister’s iced matcha latte (and our canelé) were amazing. I liked my coffee so much I bought a bag of beans to take home so my dad could enjoy this Mexican coffee too.

  • Curva Cafe - Another coffee shop that roasts its own beans and accents its drinks with neutral aesthetics. Curva is located near the historic center of Mexico City and about a 15 minute walk from Pasteleria Ideal. I tried my first expresso tonic here and was pleasantly surprised at how good it was!

  • Almanegra Cafe - Our first cafe of the trip! Located just 5 minutes from the Panaderia Rosetta, Almanegra has a descriptive coffee menu with so many options and a dark and moody aesthetic as well as plenty of outdoor seating. This was my favorite cafe out of the 3 because of its high quality coffee beans and dreamy location.

  • Jing Cheng Con Leche Cafe - I make it a point to try bubble tea in every single city I visit and I was so happy to see that Mexico City had so many boba options. We walked by Jing Cheng on our way to eat more tacos and saw that there were so many people inside and knew we had to try their boba.

Final Thoughts

I’m a city girl through and through and Mexico City is the biggest metropolitan area in North America (5th biggest city in the world) so its no surprise that I loved it! While I was initially worried about safety and the possibility of getting food poisoning, I’m so glad I didn’t let my fears stop me from making this amazing trip and having a great time. Mexico City is a city filled with rich culture, delicious food, and so many unique museums and experiences. I’m starting out 2024 travel on a strong note and can’t wait to see what the year brings!

I’m already making plans for a return trip to work remote in Mexico City for a few days- let me know any other recommendations!

11 Best Things to Do in Portland, Oregon

I’ve been reluctant to explore Portland because I had heard of its downturn during the pandemic, but when my mom invited me to join her on a business trip there I couldn’t say no to a free hotel room (I love saving money ok!) so i decided to tag along. I’m grateful to report that Portland has made a comeback and is back to its glory as a city known for its beautiful outdoors, good food, and cultural diversity. I spent a glorious few days exploring the city and here are the 11 best things to do in Portland.

Shop Til You Drop

Oregon is a no sales tax state and if you live in a high sales tax state like I do, shopping in Portland is a must. Everything, no matter the price, has no additional sales tax! The price you see on a price tag or on a menu is the price you pay. Its basically free money back in your pocket! However, because Portland isn’t the biggest city, stores may not have everything you want in stock, so its a good idea to shop online prior to going to Portland and ordering pickup at the store. Tax is charged at the point of pickup, not the point of sale so it doesn’t matter if you purchase your items while at home, as long as you pick it up in Oregon, there wo'n’t be any tax added. I spent way too much money at Best Buy (yes a Theragun is a necessity when you’re in your 30s!) and finally bought the Burberry backup I had my eye on for years. But one of the best stores to stop at while in Portland has to be the Adidas Employee Store. Anyone can shop there (you don’t have to be an Adidas employee), just make an appointment on the Adidas app for that specific store. Everything is 50% off- its like shopping in an Adidas heaven!

Try a Food Truck!

Food trucks are popular in Portland for a reason- they serve GOOD food. The food trucks in Houston mainly serve fried foods or juices and there is only so much of that you can eat. But in Portland, food trucks serve a variety of foods from Burmese to Korea to philly cheesesteaks to bubble tea to Chinese noodles. The best thing to do is to find a food truck court (a large space where a bunch of food trucks are parked) and let everyone eat what they want. We went to Hawthorne Asylum where there were about 10 trucks parked and ate the best Burmese noodle soup and rose cream tokbokki and finished off with with boba we picked up on the drive there from Boba Cat. There was ample space for seating and the atmosphere was so relaxing.

Hike Multnomah Falls

11 switchbacks. 11 long winding breathless switchbacks. I barely made it up the Falls to see the view from above (because 11!) but it ended up being such a rewarding morning hike (yes get there as early as possible because parking is scarce) and the fresh air was so nice. The view from the bottom of the Falls is actually better than the top (which is great because anyone can access the bottom portion), but the hike to the upper Falls allows you to see more scenery and truly experience everything Multnomah Falls has to e offer. Even though the Falls is one of Portland’s biggest tourist spots (being only 30 minutes away from the city), it was still one of the highlights of my trip because I remember growing up staring at a photo of the Falls my dad had taken when he lived in Oregon while in college. It was so amazing finally seeing the Falls in person so many years later!

Go on a Donut Tour

Portland is synonymous with the word donut. Donuts are everywhere in the city and the most famous one, Voodoo, is a household name. I choose the Underground Donut Tour and had zero regrets starting my Saturday on a 2 hour walking and donut eating tour of Portland. The Donut Tour not only took me to 4 different local Portland donut shops and explained the history behind each one, all while also highlighting the history of Portland. The two tour guides were so sweet and friendly and the donuts were all different and delicious! Here are the donut shops the Tour stopped at:

  • Sesame Donuts- Owned by a Lebanese American family, Sesame started near the Portland State University campus and has expanded to several locations around the city. They serve classic donuts, but are mainly known for the sesame donut holes. The sesame donuts were an interesting twist on regular donuts because they were savory!

  • Coco Donuts- 3 Oregon friends decided to open a pink themed donut shop after graduating college, which turned out to be a great decision because the mango mochi donuts at Coco were so yummy that it would have been a real miss to not have eaten them. Another flavor that was popular with our tour group was the lavender cake donut (this seemed dry to me so I ranked it lower).

  • Toki Restaurant- Not really a donut shop, its more of a Korean fusion brunch restaurant. But Toki actually served my favorite donuts on the trip! They were so chewy and the mix of flavors was SO GOOD. I loved the pomegranate basil flavor so much! The flavors rotate all the time so its definitely worth another trip.

  • Voodoo (duh!)- The tour guides prefaced our visit to Voodoo that they didn’t have the best tasting donuts, but since they are an extremely popular donut shop originating from Portland (and now all over the country including Houston), the tour had to stop there. Since I’d had Voodoo donuts several times before, I knew what to expect. The donuts are huge and the flavors are interesting (we had the maple bacon and peanut butter chocolate), but other than that, the donuts are average. Its still a Portland institution though so still worth a visit! The original pink shop is located on Third Avenue in Old Town.

Stay Caffeinated

Amazing coffee and adorable coffee shops are all over Portland and as a huge coffee lover, I knew I had to hit up a few cafes while in Portland. There were so many options (and lets be real, so little time!), but because I didn’t have access to a car, I wanted to choose cafes located near other places I was planning to go. I decided on the cafes below with a certainty that I was going to have to revisit Portland one day and try the coffee shops I didn’t have time for on this trip.

  • Prince Coffee- My first experience with Portland coffee was off to a great start at Prince. The cafe was so bright and refreshing and my stroop latte (think caramel ice cream vibes) was on point! I chose the Northwest District location because its actually located just a 10 minute walk from the popular Ken’s Artisan Bakery where I stopped by after for a grapefruit macaron.

  • Keeper Coffee- Keeper had the cutest exteriors- I thought I was in California when the Uber first dropped me off! The interiors are also aesthetically pleasing and the food is displayed in a way where everything looks so delicious and I had to take forever to decide what I wanted, I ordered the jasmine elderflower iced latte and the scone with lemon curd and had a quiet morning reading in this adorable cafe.

  • Jim and Patty’s Coffee- Located on a corner in the Fremont neighborhood, Jim and Patty’s is a huge airy coffee shop that usually has a line out the door waiting for their coffee and unique breakfast snacks. I tried the Friggin Fremont Latte (a latte made up of honey, cinnamon, and vanilla and somehow isn’t super sweet) and a pig newton (a sausage and cheese wrapped in a cheddar chive biscuit) and thoroughly enjoyed reading my Kindle while gazing out the giant windows into the foggy Portland sky.

  • Snow Bunny Coffee- A cute bunny themed cafe in the Pearl District that serves Asian inspired drinks. The Tokyo Banana tea latte was so unique and creative- I loved it! The cafe was the perfect place to take an after hiking break. Its also located across the street from The Fields Park, which is a newly built park with plenty of walkways and green spaces to enjoy the beautiful Portland spring weather.

  • Pip’s Original Donuts and Chai- Donuts and coffee? I was so excited to go here and Pip’s did not disappoint! The donuts are mini and come in sets of 6- each with a different flavor. I loved the nutella donut and the raspberry flavor the best, but they were all a great mid day snack. The chai is made in house and comes in different flavors as well.

 
 

Pedal Around the City

Portland has so many bike routes and remains a dedicated cyclist city despite being part of car dependent America. My mom and I joined a bike tour from Cycle Portland and cycled around the city for 2 hours all while learning more about the city. The tour was strenuous at times thanks to the many hills of Portland, but overall it was a great opportunity to see the city in a different way.

Smell the Trees at Hoyt Arboretum

The collection of amazingly tall trees at Hoyt Arboretum is breathtaking. We don’t have trees like that in Texas so it was nice to wander the paths of the Arboretum exploring redwoods and magnolias and many other different types of trees. The Arboretum is located in Washington Park, is open 7 days a week, and has free entrance.

Don’t Forget to Smell the Roses at the International Rose Test Garden

The roses weren’t fully in bloom when I was in Portland in mid May, but come June and July, the colorful roses should be out in full force. The International Rose Test Garden is also located in Washington Park across the street from the Portland Japanese Garden and also has free entrance. The Garden has all kinds of rose bushes and the other flowers and is beautiful to walk around. I saw a group of girls having a picnic while I was there and it looked so fun!

Hike to Pittock Mansion

Kill two birds with one stone by hiking the Lower Macleay Trail in Forest Park to Pittock Mansion. This was my first solo hike ever so I picked a short 1 hour uphill trek in the well populated Forest Park, located in the middle of Portland. Its just unfathomable to me that such a huge green forest can be in a bustling metropolitan area! The Lower Macleay Trail starts in the Lower Macleay Park- the best way to do the one way hike (although it could be both ways if you have time) is to get dropped off by Uber here. The trail starts by passing through a vivdly green group of trees and over a trickling creek. It then goes uphill to a Witch House and then further uphill to Pittock Mansion, a house museum located at the other end of the Park. Pittock Mansion was the home of Henry Pittock and his family, who made their money in the newspaper industry by owning The Oregonian. I booked a behind the scenes tour of the Mansion and had the chance to walk around the basement, attic, and maids’ quarters to see how the home was ran in the late 1800’s/early 1900’s. Hiking to the Mansion was one of my favorite things to do in Portland- it combined nature with a museum! What could be better?

Eat Pizza

My donut tour guide said that Portland doesn’t have its own style of pizza because its too busy excelling at everyone else’s pizza style. And I have to say I agree. Pizza is everywhere and its DELICIOUS. We tried Detroit style square pizza, which was my absolute favorite, at Ranch PDX. Their homemade ranch matched with their pepperoni pizza slices was beyond delicious- I wish I could fly back just to eat here again! I also tried Neopolitan pizza at Oven and Shaker and was amazed at how crispy and flavorful the garlic mushroom pizza was and how cheesy the arancini balls were. Make sure to make a reservation because Oven and Shaker is highly rated and crowded every night!

Powell’s City of Books

I love reading- no surprise if you’ve read my posts here and here (and here!). And I love checking out book stores when I’m traveling because they’re all so unique and diverse, plus it feels great to support local independent book sellers. Powell’s City of Books is THE largest independent bookstore in the WORLD so spending hours wandering through its various color coded rooms was a must for me. Any kind of book you can dream of is here- from memoirs to comics to rom com bestsellers to #booktok picks! I loved it so much here I visited twice and picked up some great read for my upcoming travels.

Oregon was such a beautiful experience and I’m already planning to go back next year to see the Tillamook cheese factory and drive the coast AND hike the dreamy beaches. Got any Oregon recommendations? Let me know in the comments!

10 Things to Do in Cincinnati, Ohio

The Midwest! I‘ve made it! I booked a last minute trip to Cincinnati after seeing a very affordable United AIrlines flight and finding an equally affordable hotel room out in the Blue Ash suburb (located 20 minutes to the downtown area). After my initial research into the city, I was shocked at how much there was to do in the area, including a donut trail! I had been to Ohio (Columbus) once before for a friend’s wedding, but never truly explored the Midwest so I was excited to see what the Midwestern lifestyle was all about. Check out my Cincy adventures below!

American Sign Museum

I’ve never been to a museum all about signs before and thought it would be interesting to check out. There are so many photo ops at this museums due to the giant unique signs hanging all around. The museum is very comprehensive in its history on signs and has about 3-4 galleries to wander through. The museum costs $15 for an adult ticket and was definitely a highlight of my trip to Cincy.

Underground Railroad Freedom Center

Cincinnati has so many great museums, but the Underground Railroad museum has got to be one of the best. As the city was on the Underground Railroad route, its fitting that its also the location of a museum that tells the story about slavery, the brave people who escaped, and how those escapes happened. The rooftop of the museum has an eternal flame that never goes out to honor freedom. It’s a must visit for Cincinnati and the opportunity to educate yourself on an unfortunate part of our nation’s history.

Suspension Bridge

Located right across the street from the Underground Railroad Center, the John A Roebling Suspension Bridge connects Ohio to Kentucky (so you can visit two states in one trip!) and offers beautiful views of both states. It’s a great opportunity to take some amazing photos while getting some exercise!

Lucky Cat Museum

Probably the most unique museum I’ve ever been to! The Lucky Cat Museum is owned and operated by one woman who put her private Japanese Lucy Cat collection on display after years of collecting. Visits are only possible through timed appointments since its an extremely small space (crowded with cats!) and last about an hour. There are so many cats inside that I thought I was seeing double (or triple?) everywhere I looked and there was also a few adorable games involving these cats that any visitor can play. I loved seeing how one person turned her passion and hobby into a money making opportunity!

Buck County Donut Trail

One of the main reasons why I came to Cincinnati in the first place was to do the Butler County Donut Trail. And to eat some donuts! There is an official trail map that can be found on the Butler County website which lists around 15 participating donut shops, however, its up to the participant to build their own personal route. The key is also to start early because donut shops open literally at the crack of dawn and are pretty much sold out or closed by noon. I chose these donut shops to eat donuts at and while I was sick of donuts by the end, it was a really cool experience!

  • Kelly’s Bakery

  • Mimi’s Lil Kitchen

  • Donut Spot

  • Jupiter Coffee and Donut

  • Donut Hole by Milton

  • Holtman’s Donuts

Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park

I didn’t know what to expect at this Sculpture Park and was honestly just looking for a place to take a break from donut eating, but wow Pyramid Hill ended up being SO impressive. There is something similar to Pyramid Hill in New York called Storm King and its basically the same concept. The visitor center where tickets are bought provides a map of the Park, which clearly marks where the sculptures are located and the recommended driving route. The Park is huge and while its possible to rent golf carts to get even close to certain sculptures, I opted to just drive my car and park in the specified spaces and take a short walk to see sculptures. Because I arrived right when the Park opened, there was barely anyone else there and I was able to just pull over on the side of the road and jump out of my car to look closer at the sculptures (and take some really cool photos!). Admission is $10 and it takes about 1.5-2 hours to see the entire Park.

Jungle Jim’s International Market

I never thought I would spend hours in a grocery store on vacation, but Jungle Jim’s was one of a kind and one of the most recommended non donut stops on the Donut Trail. Its a huge (and i mean HUGE) grocery store that sells food and items from all around the world. The aisles are appropriately labeled by area of the world and country. I sadly only brought a small carry on suit case to Ohio so I knew I wasn’t going to be able to do a grocery haul, but I was able to buy some unique candy and a bottle of siracha garlic salt! The most popular aisle in the store has to be the soda aisle though- there were all kinds of strange and creative soda bottles. If you like cantaloupe soda, definitely make a stop!

Underground Tour

Cincinnati was a huge beer town and when Prohibition happened in the 1920s, the city’s talented brewers had to find other ways to make, store, and serve their liquid gold. And that’s the reason why there are hidden underground tunnels and underground storage rooms located all under the city- with many of them being in the Over The Rhine district. I joined American Legacy Tour’s Ultimate Queen City Underground Tour and joined a small tour group to learn more about the history of Cincinnati and see some hidden underground tunnels. The tour lasted 2 hours and took us down some (very) narrow stairs to a church crypt as well as beer storage facilities. I couldn’t believe that so much was located underground! The tour was fascinating and a great way to understand more about Cincinnati.

William Howard Taft National Historic Site

I love learning about history and Ohio has its fair share of presidential history. I didn’t want to leave the state without hitting up at least one presidential site. As with all government sites, its free to visit the Taft Historic Site. There are timed guided tours of Taft’s former home where he was born and raised and a few interesting exhibits inside the Education Center on the Taft family legacy as well as 15 minute informative video. Its a quick one hour detour and well worth it!

Eat and Drink!

Midwest food is what one might expect in the Midwest- farm to table inspired, classics, and reasonably priced. The food was good, but nothing was amazing. However, these spots I stopped at served up some solid meals and drinks!

  • Pepp and Dolores- Solid pasta restaurant and bar in Over The Rhine neighborhood. Make sure to make a reservation because its a popular spot!

  • Skyline Chili- Cincy chili is NOT like chili in other parts of the US. The chili is served over a bed of spaghetti, although it can also be served over french fries, and is then covered in a GIANT mound of shredded cheddar cheese. The bigger the cheese mound, the tastier the chili!

  • Agave and Rye- Super creative giant tacos in an (extremely) decorative restaurant! I got the Mongolian beef taco and it came with a hard and soft taco shell plus sticky rice and flavorful stir fried beef.

  • Milk Jar Hyde Park- Can’t leave Ohio without trying local boba! Surprisingly, mid western bubble tea is not bad!

  • Taste of Belgium- I met an old college friend here based on her recommendation and was shocked at how crowded the restaurant was and how tasty the waffles were. My chicken and waffle plate was so delicious I couldn’t put my fork down!

  • Brown Bear Bakery- Be prepared for a line that wraps around the corner, but also be prepared for some unique and delicious pastries! I loved the matcha pound cake, but honestly there were so many mouthwatering options to choose from.

  • Coffee Emporium- A relatively big coffee shop that sells a variety of coffee beans (like a Mackinaw Island fudge flavor!) and a variety of caffeinated beverages. I ordered the Bumble Bee Buzz latte (iced honey vanilla latte) and loved it! There were also several large tables to sit around and read so I spent in hour here enjoying my morning. It was a great start to my day and my Cincy trip!

  • True West Coffee- I started my donut trail experience with a large glass of cold brew from True West (and to balance out the sweet donuts). True West was located in the small town of Hamilton, Ohio in a green house that had such cute interiors.

  • Collective Espresso- I decided on a iced honey latte from Collective Espresso to start off a rainy Monday and had a great time hiding out from the rain reading and sipping my excellent drink. The coffee shop is located inside of a tiny (its so tiny there are only 2 tables available so come early) glass building that is hidden on the outside and accessible through a small alleyway.

Cincinnati was a random last minute trip and a place I hadn’t considered going (until I saw the $200 flight ticket on United), but I actually really enjoyed exploring this Midwestern city and seeing how unique it is! The whole experience made me want to explore more underrated cities in America, so where should I go next?