A Fun Filled Visit to Middletown Ohio!10 min read
I was invited to spend 48 hours in Middletown, Ohio. Since I haven’t been to Middletown for a long time, I am sure I thought the same thing you are thinking right now…whats going on in Middletown? It only took me pulling into our cute boutique hotel to convince me that this was going to be fun!
Middletown is working hard on making a comeback, and in the last 3 years with dedication and the idea of revival they’ve been on an upswing and I can only it see it getting better. Our schedule was packed with so many fun activities. You are going to be amazed at this longer than usual post from me. First, let me just say the passion and love the locals have for their community was inspiring. Most shop owners were from Middletown and many had moved away for years only to return to the calm close-knit community after living in places like LA, Charleston, Virginia, Boston and more. They all said the same thing… they liked growing up there and wanted to come back and let their kids have that same experience. Another thing they had in common was the ambition to invest in the town to get the ball rolling as far as restaurants and stores.
We stayed in the cutest boutique hotel called Indigo Pass. This is a cool modern, hip and cozy hotel that is walking distance to all the fun stuff going on in Middletown and close to all we did during our 2-day visit.
The Swire – 64 S. Main St. -We started our trip with lunch at the most quaint restaurant located in the most charming old historic home. The ambiance, staff, and menu were amazing.
Very important (if you read my blogs) they have a fun cocktail menu. I sipped on the “Blame it on the Juice” and after a few, you might just do that :) The menu is full of greatness, but don’t leave without devouring an order of onion rings and “special sauce” Yummmm … When you walk out the door, take a minute to peek into the iconic Sorg Opera House just across the street. It is slowly being brought back to life and the story of the Sorgs is pretty cool.
Connections Day Spa-50 S. Main St.- not on our agenda, but worth a shoutout! Really cool salon and spa. They do a great giveback on the second Saturday that provides kids haircuts and the proceeds go to Sleep In Heavenly Peace which provides beds for children in need. Loved the vibe and the owner Sabrina!
Pendleton Art Center -1105 Central Ave.- We have a Pendleton in Cincinnati and they extended their love of art and community to Middletown. Pendleton is a collection of individual art studios you can visit, participate and purchase one-of-a-kind art creations. We were lucky to participate in an ornament-making class with Maura Lisa Studio. She was delightful and we went home with adorable ornaments that added flare to my tree and made for unique and fun gifts for my friends.
Grandpa Joe’s Candy Shop – 1212 Central Ave.- Who doesn’t love a candy shop? This iconic and stocked-full-of- goodness candy shop is the home of the World Famous $5 candy buffet! You get a box and can fill it to the brim as long as the box can close..haha…not an easy task! Part of the fun is watching everyone rearranging the candy to try to fit just one more piece :) It’s not just candy either, they have some fun gift items and a soda pop collection that is out of this world!
White Dog Distilling– 1357 Central Ave. -Mike & Debbie were such a treat to talk to. Mike took his hobby to business and Middletown is lucky to have them. This great little watering hole is so cute with games to play at the tables while you sip on Mikes distilled vodka, gin, agave spirits, and rum. I loved the bottles with cool old pictures of Middletown on the labels … great gift idea! We came back later in the evening to get down with the band and hang out with our new friends we met throughout the day… so much fun ;)
Spoken-1201 Central Ave. – So this was another “not on the list of activities” we were walking to dinner and past this cool bike shop, but when I looked in the windows I noticed a group of people laughing and drinking so, of course, I had to check it out! Low and behold … there is a cute bar inside the shop… genius and so fun. Side note the I saw the whole crew and owners later at White Dog so basically, we’re all buds now ;)
Gracies – 1131 Central Ave. – So, Ami who owns the hotel we stayed in also owns Gracies and Haven the yoga studio (I love this small town vibe). Gracies, named after her grandmother was delightful. The back story is Ami Vitoris’ grandparents owned a long-running grocery in town. They worked side-by-side serving the community and everyone was like family. In 2007, the grocery closed after a great 61-year run. Ami returned to Middletown after living in LA, DC & New York to raise her kids with family. She purchased a building that is home to all of her businesses with the belief that “ this town matters and the investing in a small town can change the world.” She and others want to be part of a comeback story of Middletown “ The rebirth of an all – American city.” Oh, and the food, vibe, and cocktails were great… loved it all including the story :)
Land of Illusions Christmas Glow – This was 1.5 miles and over 3.5 million lights … if that doesn’t scream “ get ya in the spirit” I don’t know what does! In addition, there are rides, huge fire pits, shopping, Santa, petting zoo, holiday movies, live characters and more. You have to check this place out at Halloween too because from what I hear that is really really, really unbelievable.
West Central Wine – 1120 Central- We had to stop in this cute place and happy we did. Great cozy atmosphere and fun bartender. They have a light bite menu that looked yummy. They have a full bar and nice wine collection obviously ;) You can look for my Hey Michelle sticker on the bar frig :)
Java Johnny’s – 3534 Central Ave. – This is how we started our Sunday and that was a great way to do it. The coffee was great but please grab a fat ooey, gooey chocolate chip cookie (heated up) or a delish scone yummm
Haute Fusion Glass Studio– 1050 Central Ave. – Meeting John the artist & owner was a treat. He’s a cool cat from Manhattan and his energy was contagious. He loves what he does and it shows through his work and the way he shared his talent as we learned the process of making glass ornaments. His shop is full of his beautiful creations and award-winning pieces. He holds classes all the time and it is so much fun. He also has a popular selling e-book which showcases some of his unique techniques for all skill levels oh and he’s a father of 5 kids what a guy … look for him at art shows all over even one of my faves the Hyde Park show :) I will definitely be going back to make more fun things.
Bourbon’s Craft Kitchen & Bar-2231 N. Verity Pkwy- Loved this place! It was perfect for grabbing a fantastic lunch at the bar and watch some football ( Bengals lost :). We shared an awesome Gyro and dangerous plate of Queso Poutine fries… dang, why is everything that is not healthy so dang good? They have a menu full of options and a bar stocked with over 130 whiskeys.
Holiday in the Highlands Home Tour- 2709 McGee Ave- This was an event you should put on your calendar for next year! We had a tour through a beautiful historic neighborhood of Middletown. The homes are decorated incredibly for the holidays and you get to look all around the homes and meet the owners. I will remind you of this next year :)
Next visit I’m hitting
The Jug for a burger! This legendary drive-up burger joint has been around 87 years serving up sacks of burgers, root beers, soft-serve ice cream and more and now it’s open all year!
If you’re working on your Donut Trail Passport be sure to cruise through and get a stamp at Central Pastry Shop!
Halloween–I’m coming back to Land of Illusion Scream Park– the 3rd best haunt in America and the best haunted trail in the US… yikes there are over 4 hours of thrills and 6 different haunts! They also are the home of the huge new water park in the summer.
I need to check out some of the breweries like Fig Leaf and the gluten free brewery Rolling Mill eveyone raved about this spot.
Oh, and stop in Gold Beret Vintage & Thrift Shop. 1118 Central Ave. They have a fantastic collection of clothes, shoes and jewels.
Triple Moon Coffee Is a great place for lunch, awesome drinks and great vibes! Check it out!
Sorry for the late response! I did grab a coffee at Triple Moon and loved the vibe. We were jammed with activities and they had reserved where we ate but I will definitely try the food there when I go next time :)
Thank you!
Just an FYI. The Christmas home tour will not be in the Highlands in 2020. The tour rotates every other year with a tour of the Middletown Historic District on S. Main St. So that’s where the tour will be held in 2020. Thanks for the great write-up about our community. We are very proud of the progress being made to revitalize the city.
Thank you! I will be following up next year so I will clarify the location and that makes sense that it would change :) We had a great time and have had so much feedback and wonderful comments.
Light upMiddletown in Smith Park should be on your list for next year!
Sorry for the late response. It was on our list but the line was miles long the night we tried to go. We had to jam all the things I wrote about all in 24 hours :) Next year!
Thank you
We also have an awesome Italian restaurant called Cibo e Vino near Bourbon Kitchen (which I also love). Another great coffee/breakfast/lunch place in Middletown is across from the Pendleton and is called Triple Moon. Heather, the owner, is very involved also in the revitalisation of the town. The chicken salad at her place is the best I’ve ever had. Comb’s Barbecue on Central Ave a few blocks from the downtown area has wonderful ribs, pulled pork, brisket, chicken and yummy sides. There is so much to love in Middletown! I haven’t even mentioned our parks – Smith Park, Bulls Run Arboretum, and the Nature Trail on the grounds of Miami University-Middletown.
Thank you so much for more great places to add to my list. I did have coffee at Triple Moon :) I will be back and I will definitely try some of your recs!
This is Gene and Daphne ( Sisson) Weber . We both grew up in Middletown , on poinciana and Santa Fe , a neighborhood where we played outside all the time. We couldn’t have a better childhood . Loved reading your post. We would love to visit Middletown and see all the changes. I was a former Jug Boy when we car hoped. Thanks for your blog
Sorry for the late reply! I love hearing everyone’s memories and Middletown stories. Please visit you will be surprised. (love the Jug)
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