Getaway to Fairfield County

Great Getaway Close to Home-

Fairfield County(Lancaster)

Just 45 mins from the East side of Columbus, it was just the trip our family needed.  There’s a variety of activities to suit everyones interests.  I was blown away by the gluten free options, I was on a vacation from cooking and got to treat myself.  Children’s museum, sweet treats, pottery, yummy meals, covered bridges, cute shops, Farmer’s Market, an awesome playground with a ‘mountain to climb’, historic mill, library, and a fun downtown area to enjoy. 

#hosted, but I am providing my honest feedback as always 😉

👍🏻AHA! Children’s Museum

1708 River Valley Circle South

Explore this 8,000 square foot adventure space featuring more than 35 hands-on exhibits and activities for children ages 0-8. The outdoor ​Raymond B. Martens Nature Playscape​ is the perfect space for kids to adventure this summer, providing natural materials and a playful STEM approach for hands-on learning.

Open 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. 

I have been wanting to go here and am happy we were able to check this off our to do list. I loved that there was an inside and outside space. I liked that you could see all the areas inside since our girls run in different directions with there varying interests.

Can you tell they were excited?
Shoot lasers to extinguish the fire
My oldest daughter’s favorite!
My youngests favorite.
My middle daughter’s favorite.

🖌Art & Clay on Main

150 West Main Street

She loves a T-Rex anything
She likes to whip her hair around just like a troll 😂
I loved that you could un-velcro the color swatches
So many choices!
Reasonably priced
I did have to set expectations, these were prefect.

🌳Rising Park

1120 N High St.

Explore the great outdoors and beautiful views of Lancaster at Rising Park, where kids can enjoy the pond and playground! If you’re feeling adventurous, hike to the top of Mount Pleasant. For a moderate trek, you’ll see breathtaking views.

We loved the shade, the adventure of climbing a ‘mountain’, the view, and of course the playground with tons of options.

You can barely see it, but there’s a 4 person teeter totter, and with baby in carrier made 5 👍🏻
Don’t let this hill fool you, it’s a beast!
These stone benches were cool.

📚Fairfield County Library

219 N Broad St. 

The aliens have landed for the summer and they have the kid’s area decorated awesome.  Along with a ship command station, spaceship tent and lots of fun games and books. 


She loves the alphabet transformers.

📍Rock Mill Park

1429 Rockmill Rd. NW

 A great educational experience about mills along with a great waterfall and view.  A covered bridge to walk on, and picnic area for a sweet treat(get some from the Happy Goat before you drive there or donuts from Gypsy Joe’s Ice Cream).

🌽Lancaster Farmers Market

134 South Columbus Street

Enjoy fresh produce, baked goods, crafts, flowers, body care products and more! The market is open Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

🥕🍓🍔Food Options🍦🍪

The Ale House 1890

149 West Main Street

Ale House 1890, a casual and comfortable restaurant.  I enjoyed a big juicy burger! 

  • The Well

203 S Broad St.

A gathering place featuring wholesome vegetarian eats, house-roasted coffees, fresh organic smoothies and local artisan wares. 

Open 8 a.m. – 3 p.m., Monday-Friday

My favorite restaurant we tried. I’m health conscious and the ingredients were fresh and mainly organic. The staff was very welcoming. My girls said it was the best food they ever had! My middle said she felt like she was at home(and it really did have that feel). And entirely Gluten Free!

My girls would have loved to stay and play all day.
An inside swing, no way!
PB, honey and chocolate chip toast for my oldest. Hummus plate for my middle.
The food was fresh and delicious, I’ll be visiting again soon.
These were yummy too! $5 for a mini mason jar full
Local shopping while you wait…
These are wonderful!
  • Santino’s Restaurant

122 N Columbus Street

They offer lots of healthy choices, including customizable salads, wraps and paninis.

The options were endless, which made it hard to decide for the adults.

The decor was fun
Hotdog wrap for my oldest and a chicken wrap for my middle. They had gluten free flatbread! The Quesidilla was delicious and had a little kick.
  • Gypsy Joe’s Ice Cream

123 N. Broad St.

Donuts and ice cream, no way! The beachy vibe was fun and my girls enjoyed the surfboard tables.

Pb chocolate for me, yum! Chocolate and strawberry for the girls.
The long john donuts were extra long.
  • Happy Goat

608 Forest Rose Ave.

This gluten-free bakery and bulk food store is dedicated to making delicious quality gluten-free baked goods with local ingredients. Warm your heart and fill your belly regardless of allergies and dietary needs.

I may have eaten 3 of these at one time. This Mom gets deprived from gluten free sweets. My stomach hurt from so much sweet, but my heart was happy.

I have been dying for an oatmeal cream pie, a childhood favorite!
Oh yeah!
  • The Downtown Bistro

123 North Broad Street

Located on Zane Square in the historic Hotel Lancaster, the restaurant has beautiful indoor/outdoor seating and an extensive menu with kid-friendly options.

Fancy meal to end the trip.

I suggest the Salmon!
  • Crazy 4 Popcorn

618 Forest Rose Ave.

The owner at Happy Goat suggested we try it out.  Holy Popcorn!  Just a few doors down from Happy Goat, a must try sampling dream.  My daughters loved it and so will you! They were wonderful with allergies(gluten for me and red dye for my oldest).

So many!

🛌Holiday Inn Express and Suites

1861 River Way Drive

Our home away from home for this fun yet tiring trip with 3 kids 5 and under 🤪

🛍Enjoy the small town charm in historic downtown Lancaster with some shopping

  • A Season in Time​ – 200 W. Main Street, open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturdays.
  • The Paperback Exchange​ – 201 W. Main Street, open 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Feline ambassadors Dickens & Webster will be there to greet you!
  • Silver Expressions & More​ – 168 W. Main Street, open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.
  • Ava Jewelers​ – 111 N. Broad Street, open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturdays. Ava will show you all her custom designs! 
  • Keller Market House​ – ​134 S. Columbus St​reet, open 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Saturdays.
  • Miss Molly’s Mercantile​ – ​117 S. Columbus​ Street, open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturdays.
  • Merch Lancaster​ – 123 N. Columbus Street, open 10:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Saturdays.
  • Tracie Lynn’s Collections​ – 113 N. Columbus Street, open 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturdays.
  • Rustic Gals Boutique​ – 131 N. Columbus Street, open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturdays.
  • Sparkle and Rust​ – 158 W. Wheeling Street, open 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Saturdays.