Any cheap vacation destinations within a 6 hour drive of Columbus, Ohio for a weekend trip?
February 9, 2009 · Print This Article
Calista asked:
Me and the boyfriend are planning a nice, relaxing (but still fun and interesting) little mini-vacation next weekend, but we still haven’t decided where to go. We’ll be driving, and we’re on a very tight budget… we’re both huge nerds and enjoy things like museums and theatre and bookstores, but we don’t really want to go to a big, tourist-filled city that would be expensive to do anything in… help me out here.
travel backpacker
Me and the boyfriend are planning a nice, relaxing (but still fun and interesting) little mini-vacation next weekend, but we still haven’t decided where to go. We’ll be driving, and we’re on a very tight budget… we’re both huge nerds and enjoy things like museums and theatre and bookstores, but we don’t really want to go to a big, tourist-filled city that would be expensive to do anything in… help me out here.
travel backpacker
A good option might be Nashville. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s an incredibly touristy place to go, but there is also a lot of history and culture there as well. Vanderbilt is there (so you know there are some smart people)
Also, it’s really not a terribly expensive city, and it’s less than 6 hours away from Columbus.
My wife and I went there several years ago when we were on a tight budget. We stopped off at the Louisville Slugger museum for a few hors on our way down.
Good luck!
Tri-City areas of Bristol, Johnson City, and Kingsport, TN.
Try a Tennessee cabin on a river. These are located near Bristol, Johnson City, and Kingsport in a town named Elizabethtin, TN on the Watauga River.
The decks of the cabins have a river view. The river is so peaceful. It is a real laid back area in the mountains. The cabins have refrigerators and stuff to cook with, so You could pack your lunch to go and eat breakfast at the cabin.
There are so many things to do . There is a drive-in movie theater, historical museums, and so much more. There are some awsome places to eat, too. Here is a small list of things to do and see. Things are slow there. Just laid back. There are tons of things to do and it isn’t crowded.
You would like Historic Jonesborough, TN. There are probably museaums and some old libraries there. Also, there are museums in Johnson City/Kingsport 30-45 minutes away. You can find this stuff on the chamber of commerce websites for the following towns all within 10-55 minutes of the cabins. Elizabethton, Tn Jonesborough, TN
Kingsport, TN Johnson City,TN Bristol, TN
The Appalachian Trail and Roan Mountain St. Park will have beautiful fall scenery
There is a Spa about 20 minutes away
Trout Fishing On The River
Bristol Motor Speedway - 15 Minutes Away
Watauga River Dam -
2 Lakes Within 5 Miles (It is so peaceful)
Super close to Columbus - go to Hocking Hills. It’s only about 1-1.5 hr drive (depending on where you’re heading from in Columbus). There are a bunch of cabins to rent at varying price ranges.
You can go hiking (the trees this time of year are perfect, and I hear it is nice there in winter too actually). You can get massages in your cabin. There is a chef that travels around and will cook a romantic dinner for you in your cabin. Or to save money - take something to throw on the grill and make your own meal! Many of the cabins have hot tubs / jacuzzis too
There is also a new zip line tour there (I think it’s about $75 per person)… there is canoeing… there is rock climbing and rappelling… all sorts of things to do.
Another idea is Chicago - it’s close, and it’s cheaper than a big city like New York. You can sometimes get good last minute deals on hotels downtown. It’s about a 5 hour drive from Columbus. GREAT museums - Museum of Science and Industry - Aquarium - Field Museum. Check out Navy Pier, Millenium Park, etc.
I’d like to mount a campaign to encourage people not to go anywhere. Travel has become so expensive and unpleasant that it’s hard to understand why people don’t stay home.
Why are we crowding our highways and airports to get someplace else? Newspapers and magazines are filled with ads trying to get us to travel. They want us to go somewhere - anywhere but home.