By Chealsea Bray- Elle A. Design

​Planning a trip can sometimes be more stressful than relaxing. Let us do the work for you as we plan out some of the must-see spots in Champaign County! Schedule this weekend getaway for you and your family and come see how much our small town has to offer. 

​Get a coffee at Hemisphere Coffee Roasters – 275 E. Sandusky St, Mechanicsburg, Ohio 43044
Start your day out with a great cup of coffee! Hemisphere Coffee Roasters is an amazing local coffee roaster. They provide many local businesses with their blends and have fans all over the country! We suggest you try their blueberry cobbler coffee; it is a local favorite! You can buy whole beans or grounds to take home too.
 
Grab some breakfast and a snack at Simple Comforts – 1 S Main Street, Mechanicsburg, Ohio 43044
If you need more than just a cup of great coffee to get your day started, you can swing by Simple Comforts and get a baked good and have breakfast on the go. They also have smoothies and hot chocolate for non-caffeinated breakfast alternatives. Grab a snack to take in the car and head on to the next stop.
 
Get going on a walk with the Scioto Street Self-Guided Tour – Begins at 205 Scioto Street, Urbana, Ohio 43078
Once you are fueled and ready for an adventure you can head to Urbana and enjoy the self-guide tour of Scioto Street. The tour is a half mile long and showcases homes built as early as 1805. This street is full of the history of Urbana and Champaign County, and highlights some of the most notorious families from the area. If you are a fan of history or architecture this tour is for you!
 
Ready for Lunch? Head to Mumford’s Potato Chips and Deli – 325 N Main Street, Urbana, Ohio 43078
When you are ready to refuel and stop for lunch make sure Mumford’s Potato Chips and Deli is on your list! This hometown staple has been serving the community since 1932. Upon entering Mumford’s, you will feel as if you are stepping into the home of a friend. This deli-style shop is a great place to enjoy a sandwich right in downtown Urbana.
 
Explore the hidden gem of Grimes Field Municipal Airport – 1636 N Main Street, Urbana, Ohio 43078
You will find more than you expect at this small airport in Urbana. Grimes Field Municipal Airport is a general aviation airport located one mile north of Urbana. It is the only airport in the United States with three museums on site, one of which is the Champaign Aviation Museum. Here you will find fully restored vintage aircrafts including a B-25 that you can even take a flight in! They are currently working to restore other planes including a B-17 Flying Fortress that is a very special ongoing project. You can support their long-term goals of renovation by making a donation on their site. Also onsite is the Airport Café. Their pie is the talk of the town and you won’t want to leave without enjoying a piece while you watch airplanes land and take-off.
 
Take in a movie at Gloria Theatre – 213 S Main Street, Urbana, Ohio 43078
After a long day out and about you can relax for the evening by taking in a movie at the Gloria Theatre in Downtown Urbana. This theatre originally opened more than 113 years ago and still shows movies today! The theatre only has one screen and is an experience unlike any other. The theatre is being restored by the GrandWorks Foundation to be a venue for movies and live theater in the near future.
 
Stay the Night at the Brand-New Cobblestone Hotel – 170 OH-55, Urbana, Ohio 43078
The Cobblestone Hotel is one of the newest businesses in Urbana having just opened earlier this year! With all the amenities of a large hotel but the feel of a small town, you will feel right at home and have a very comfortable stay here. They have an indoor pool that can be enjoyed year-round. The facility is even dog friendly, so your beloved pet doesn’t have to stay behind as you explore all Champaign County has to offer. Get a great night’s sleep to prepare for another great day in Champaign County! 

​Start the day with great coffee and amazing breakfast at The Depot Coffee House – 644 Miami St, Urbana, Ohio 43078.
As you start your second day exploring Champaign County you can grab breakfast at the hotel before hitting the road. If you need a coffee fix on your way, be sure to stop at The Depot Coffee House! This gem is located inside an old Railroad Depot and the history you feel when you enter is unlike anything else. They serve amazing coffee, lattes, and other specialty drinks. You can also get a baked good to take with you before you head to your next adventure.    
 
Get ready for a full day of fun at Kiser Lake – 4889 OH0235, Conover, Ohio 45317
The area offers six hiking trails that offer amazing views of the water and of the marshland that surrounds the lake. If you would rather relax you can visit the swimming beach that is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. You can also rent a boat from one of the two boat rental locations within the park to go fishing or to just see more of this amazing lake. There are tables and grills at the park as well as shelters to enjoy your lunch at. If you just can’t get enough of the lake, there are 115 camping spots available to stay overnight. You can also take advantage of the “Rent-a-Camp” units by reservation so you don’t have to pack your own tent! There is so much to do a Kiser lake you will want to plan a whole day there to make sure you have seen it all.
 
As you pack up and head for home, we hope your conversation on the way is about how much fun you had in Champaign County! We hope you will tell you friends to visit and that you will want to come back too. There is so much more to see and do but this weekend plan will get you acquainted with our small towns and all they offer. We can’t wait to see you again! 
Explore all of Champaign County by visiting the Champaign County Visitor's Bureau.

​By Chelsea Bray- Elle A. Design

​We are so happy to see some of our favorite local restaurants opening back up for dine-in. This year has been very hard on the restaurant industry so we want to focus on supporting local as much as we can when dining out. Along with employees wearing masks and gloves at all locations, there are some important things to note at a few of your favorite restaurants. Things are still changing daily, but for now we have taken some time to gather information from local restaurants on what you can expect when dining out this summer. 

Located on the square in Urbana, Cafe Paradiso has made some amazing changes to help with social distancing and health safety while dining. The restaurant offers two outdoor tables on their patio and indoor dining is limited during this time. The team at Cafe Paradiso also had a great idea of putting their menus under plexiglass on their tables. This makes it easy to see all your options and the menus stay clean and safe! The best way to visit right now is to make a reservation by calling 937-653-8040. They are open Monday through Thursday 11am-8pm and Friday and Saturday 11am-9pm. You can also find them on Facebook and follow them for more updates on what they are doing to keep you safe. 

In Mechanisburg, you can stop into Mixin’s N Fixin’s Country Diner for some comfort food. They are asking customers to wait to be seated ensuring proper sanitation between parties. While visiting you will need to make sure your party is no larger than 10 people. They offer prepackaged individual wet wipes and hand sanitizer for all customers. You will notice barriers between tables that are there to keep all the patrons safe and healthy! The team at Mixin’s N Fixin’s is still offering carryout orders as well and will deliver to your vehicle upon arrival. Be sure to check out their Facebook page for daily specials and to see what pie they are offering ​each day! 
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If you are craving some BBQ, you can find it at Uncle Beth’s in North Lewisburg! They are open Thursday, Friday and Saturday 11:30am-7:30pm for dine-in and carry-out. Right now, their inside dining is very limited to account for proper social distancing, but they have added extra tables outside to make up for it! Their menu changes weekly and you can find what specials they are running on their Facebook page. When you arrive at the restaurant their menu is printed on the wall, so you don’t have to touch anything. They also offer a large variety of desserts than you can enjoy after your meal or take home and enjoy later. 

Another Urbana favorite, The Farmer’s Daughter, is open again for dining. Their current hours are Monday-Friday 6am-8pm, Saturday 7am-2pm and they are closed on Sundays. They have many options for dining including indoor seating, covered outdoor seating and curbside pick-up, that can be ordered online or over the phone. They have worked very hard to create an outdoor seating area that matches the atmosphere you are used to when dining at The Farmer’s Daughter. Once you have had dinner you can grab dessert, coffee or a unique gift item next door at their gift shop, The Farmhouse Gift Shop. Check out The Farmer’s Daughter on Facebook to see more updates as they become available! 

We hope this quick run-down will help everyone better understand what to expect while dining out in Champaign County! We are so excited to see restaurants opening back up and to see people dining out again. All of the amazing local support has been key to keeping our favorite local businesses open and operating. Thank you, Champaign County! 

Last week 24 local businesses received a total of $54,265.15 in grant funds to support them during the difficulties faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

To be eligible for the grant program, commercial or retail businesses must have a storefront in Champaign County (cannot be home-based or nonprofit), have fewer than 50 employees, be current on local, state and federal obligations such as taxes and assessments, been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and, if a franchise, have no more than two storefronts in the county and not be corporate owned.

24 local businesses applied for this grant program and the CEP Board of Directors agreed to assist all 24 businesses that applied.  The following businesses received funds: The Half Day Cafe, LG Industrial Supply, Tommy Brooks Salon, Massage on Monument Square, The Cutting Edge Hair Salon, The Hair Closet, Carriage House Salon, Let's Eat Cake, Pam's House of Beauty, Kim's Creative Designs, Theresa's It Figures, East Lawn & Garden, Kaleidoscope, Oxner's General Store, Vape on the Square, Main Graphics, The Vintage Traveler, Brugh's Auto & Tire, Family Country Cuts, Tom's Varsity Barbershop, Paul's Catering, Metz Painting & Roofing, Jones Country Store and The Hive. 
 
Many of the business owners were overwhelmed with emotions and all were grateful for the opportunity these funds offered. Some said they were struggling to decide whether to continue after being closed. Mike Manoloff, owner of Oxner's General Store, said, "Thanks to this grant, I'll be staying in business." 

"This will improve my chances to remain apart of Urbana's Small Businesses... It also keeps a dream alive, " Tina Blakeman, owner of The Vintage Traveler. 
 
 “Our small businesses are essential to the vitality of Champaign County. We want to do what we can to help get them back on track, to continue providing jobs and valuable products and services that make our county a better place to live and work,” explained Marcia Bailey, CEP Director. 

Many of your favorite local restaurants in Champaign County are still offering carry out and delivery options. From Cafe Paradiso, to Airport Cafe, Braden's Cafe & Sweets, Mumford's, Uncle Beth's, Cardinal's Pizza and more. Champaign County Visitor's Bureau has you covered, with local restaurant menus available in one place!