• Home
  • About
  • Episodes
  • dadX
  • Dadvocate
  • CBUS Dads
  • What We've Done
  • Contact
The Dadass Podcast
  • Home
  • About
  • Episodes
  • dadX
  • Dadvocate
  • CBUS Dads
  • What We've Done
  • Contact
A community of
​central Ohio dads

Places We Love: Budd Dairy

7/21/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture

If you live in Columbus, you’ve likely withstood the anticipation or at least heard the buzz around the Buddy Dairy Food Hall. The novel concept was introduced by central Ohio culinary leader Cameron Mitchell as a “chef-driven incubator that provides opportunities for culinary adventures to refine their concept, grow their business and build a loyal following, all while sharing space with other like-minded entrepreneurs.”

The space certainly blends the spirit of our emerging startup ecosystem with our love for kick ass food as USA’s test market. Budd Dairy also serves as another catalyst for Italian Village’s renaissance and redevelopment, better connecting the rest of Short North and downtown with Weiland Park and the Ohio State campus.

My wife and I, itching to check it out, took the kids with us for our inaugural visit. We shut down a bit early on a Friday and arrived just before 5 p.m., right on time for happy hour. While not a barometer for the quality of the destination in my eyes, Budd Dairy offers a more than serviceable parking lot, especially considering it’s location where parking can be scarce.

The amount of seating at Budd Dairy is incredible, as you traverse through different areas and levels of the once industrial building. We always opt for the patio and settled into one of the last remaining tables on the rooftop overlooking Downtown Columbus. The patio was filled with a mix of young and old, families and singles. 

Bar service is centralized to Budd Dairy. My wife discovered a cocktail that more than fit the vibe and her tastes, while I enjoyed a couple local brews. When it comes to food, variety is not an issue. You order from any of the current businesses from your phone, and you’ll receive a text message when your meal is ready. We sampled a collection of french fries, hamburgers and pizza for the kids, while my wife and I savored a handful of appetizers.
​

After our dinner, we played a handful of family rounds of giant Jenga where no one seemed to mind the noise we created. We ended up hanging for a total of three hours, and I can’t wait for our next visit. Hope you and your family can check them out soon.
Bonus: they just announced new lunch hours!

0 Comments

Three Must Hike Trails in Southern Columbus

7/15/2021

0 Comments

 
Whether you’re an avid outdoorsman or aspiring adventurer, there is so much you can experience with your kid(s) in nature. As a fellow dad recently reminded me, “into the woods we go, because your kids don’t remember a day in front of the TV.”

I recently covered my top Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks  trails in the northern part of central Ohio. Here are a few of my recommendations of local trails within the southern end of town to explore with your little ones:

A Park in the City at Scioto Audubon (beginner): You’ve probably seen the iconic water tower on shots around Columbus. This Park blends a green oasis of wildlife and recreation set just a stone’s throw away from downtown. Most of this is flat, and you can explore the banks of the Scioto River, play on the obstacle course and even try your hand at climbing the over 7,000 square feet of the climbing wall, along with a 10-foot bouldering wall. The facilities are great and the restrooms have changing tables, which is a huge plus. 

Head to the Woodlands at Clear Creek (moderate to difficult): If you can afford the time for a mini road trip or mentally handle being in the car with the little ones for a while, I highly recommend this one. Close enough to Hocking Hills, but without the tourists this is a gem for hiking. There are easier trails, but plenty of challenging ones. According to the webpage for this park, it features over 5,300 acres of woodland. Plenty of time to look for yetis or let their imaginations go on a wild adventure. 

A Little Bit of Everything at Scioto Grove (easy-ish to difficult): The trails are super easy, but if you’re willing to try your hand at overnight backpacking at one of their designated areas it could become difficult depending on your experience level. This park is nicely kept, has well-marked trails and with a partnership with REI you’ll love the amenities. You can explore along the river here, too.

The Dadass Podcast recorded with Tim Moloney, Executive Director of Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks back in February. I highly recommend listening to learn even more about such a robust park system we have here in our backyard.
0 Comments

Vacationing in Hawaii...With Kids

7/6/2021

0 Comments

 
A once in a lifetime excursion, I recently vacationed in Hawaii, and it is everything you’d imagine if you’ve never been fortunate enough to make the voyage. The travel is certainly not easy, but it’s compounded exponentially by traversing with a six-, four- and one-year-old.

We spent our first five days on Oahu with my cousin who serves in our military and his family. He’s stationed there; it was ideal navigating the island with locals, versus always defaulting to the atypical tourist activities. We were on the go from sunup to sundown everyday, and it truly felt like we got a good sense of what Oahu has to offer:

Restaurants
  • Boston’s pizza (not the chain) was a clutch takeout spot for dinner two of the nights when we were on the move
  • Lanikai Juice had amazing, fresh smoothies that we started a few days with
  • Wilson Store lived up to the hype of best shaved ice on the island
  • The North Shore has a ton of food trucks - we hit Big Wave Shrimp in Haleiwa for lunch, and it was awesome (Guy Fieri approves too)
  • We got Nico’s takeout one night, and it was good if not unspectacular, but I hate judging restaurants on their takeout

Attractions
  • We stayed on the military base, and there were a couple beaches on it that were low key that we could’ve made a day at: Secret Beach and Pyramid Rock
  • Our minds were blown when we witnessed several turtles at affectionately-called Turtle Beach
  • My son is still talking about the beach at Kualoa Park, where we paddle boarded out to Chinaman’s Hat and hiked/climbed the small island
  • Lanikia Beach was the most beautiful beach we visited
  • The Lanikia Pillbox Hike was no joke, but is worth every minute
  • ​Bellows Beach was a blast
  • Waikiki Beach was touristy, but it was really cool being on a beautiful beach within a major city
  • We couldn’t visit Hawaii without touring Pearl Harbor, which was an incredible experience - even for the kids
  • Blowholes are apparently a thing, and Halona Blowhole was cool and offered incredible views

​After five days on Oahu, my family flew to Maui for an additional four days. We mostly relaxed around the beach near the resort during the day, but we still explored:
  • Maui Brewing was the canned beer of choice while on the beaches, but we hit their restaurant in Kihei twice
  • If you’re craving authentic Greek food while there for whatever reason, Pita Paradise hit the mark
  • Monkeypod came highly recommended, and exceeded expectations
  • Paia Fish Market was by far the most affordable place we dined and offered the largest portions and best kids’ meals (Paia was a cool town to walk around too)
  • Ululanis Hawaiian Shaved Ice was good, but didn’t top Wilson’s in Oahu
  • Ioa Valley State Monument offers incredible views and moderate hiking perfect for the kids
  • Twin Falls was amazing to explore - beware of mosquitoes though!

A few other miscellaneous/anecdotal observations:
  • Maui Brewing definitely has the most prominent distributing, but Honolulu Beerworks and Kohola Brewery also offered a solid slate of beers
  • Don’t be fooled by the myth of pineapples in Happy Meals like we were 
  • Parents beware: restrooms are scarce, so plan breaks intently. The aforementioned McDonald’s and grocery stores didn’t have public restrooms, and neither did some of the public beaches and parks we visited. One rather large restaurant we ate at had just one unisex restroom for the entire place.
  • Roosters are everywhere in Maui - and they will deliver their customary wakeup call
  • Geckos are like squirrels in Hawaii - they are also everywhere
  • Bring water shoes to the beach - many are lava rocky
  • Many ice cream places close at dinner time, so plan accordingly
  • Cliche I know, but prioritize stopping at a roadside fruit stand to get a coconut to sip fresh coconut water from
  • The people truly are happier and friendlier, except for our shuttle driver at the airport - that guy sucked
  • Hawaian Time is real too - island life is slower than on the mainland

We had an incredible time. Shoutout to my wife who was a rockstar who orchestrated the majority of the vacation for us. I highly recommend Hawaii if you have the opportunity to visit. And it can be done with kids. Hope my notes are helpful to any parent making the trip with their family in the future.

-Steven Michalovich, CBUS Dads contributor
0 Comments

    About

    CBUS Dads is a community of central Ohio area dads balancing an active lifestyle with being an involved parent. A Saturday for us may involve enjoying morning t-ball, lunch at a new local spot and an evening at a summer festival with our families. We may live downtown, in the suburbs or somewhere between, but our common thread is that we continue to experience the community we love - now as parents.

    Archives

    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    November 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    March 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Photo Credit: Emma Parker Photography
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • About
  • Episodes
  • dadX
  • Dadvocate
  • CBUS Dads
  • What We've Done
  • Contact