Taking your holiday shopping on the road

by

If you’re looking to make your holiday shopping an experience rather than just another obligation, there are plenty of locations near – and a bit further away – that are sure to help you find a gift for everyone on your shopping list.

  • 1
    3.jpg

    60 E Broadway, Bloomington, Minnesota 55425
    Website

    Drive Time from Columbus: 11-12 hours

    This destination obviously isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s a bit of a drive from Columbus, but don’t let that deter you. With more than 520 stores, the Mall of America is, as the name suggests, the largest shopping mall in the U.S. The mall is home to just about every shop you can imagine, from L.L. Bean and Nordstrom to Forever 21 and Macy’s. Along with the shops, the mall also features an indoor theme park and aquarium.

    Drink & Dine

    Sky Deck Sports Grille & Lanes is part restaurant, part sports bar, part arcade and part bowling alley. With mac and cheese balls, funnel cakes and Philly cheesesteak egg rolls, there’s bound to be something to satisfy your post-shopping appetite.

    9 Yankee Stadiums can fit inside the Mall of America

    More than 8,700 weddings have been performed in the Mall of America

    40 million visitors annually –more than the population of Canada

    In Minnesota, there is no sales tax on clothing

    -Courtesy of Mall of America

  • 2
    Shop The Greene This Holiday Season.jpg

    4452 Buckeye Ln, Columbus, Ohio 45440
    Website

    Drive Time from Columbus: About 1 ½ hours

    This Dayton-area shopping center is a bit like Columbus’ own Easton Town Center, but more concentrated. It’s easy to split up your shopping by taking in a comedy show at the Funny Bone Comedy Club & Café or a movie at the Cinemark theater. Also, throughout the holidays, the town center features not only a giant Christmas tree, but a jumbo-sized menorah and dreidel.

    Drink & Dine

    When in Dayton, you might as well pay a visit to its famous local pizza shops, Marion’s Pizza and Cassano’s Pizza. Marion’s was ranked the No. 1 independent pizza restaurant by Pizza Today Magazine. Cassano’s, a staple in the community since 1953, is known for its salty, rectangular-cut thin crust pizza.

    If you’re looking to expand your Dayton shopping trip, the Greene shouldn’t be your only stop. The Mall at Fairfield Commons and Dayton Mall will help check off the rest of the items on your list.

  • 3

    400 South Wilson Rd, Columbus, Ohio 43074
    740-965-2927
    Website

    Drive Time from Columbus: Jeffersonville, 45 minutes to 1 hour; Sunbury, about 30 minutes

    For the budget-conscious, Tanger Outlets will save you a few bucks in both deals and gas money, since both locations are so close to home. 

    Each location has outlet options for various high-end shops, such as J. Crew Factory, Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store and Coach. Before your trip, check www.tangeroutlet.com to find deals that will keep even more extra cash in your pocket. And if you join TangerClub, you can find exclusive membership deals throughout the year.

    Drink & Dine

    In Jeffersonville, Werner’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que boasts a vast selection of pulled pork sandwiches, pork ribs and classic, house-made pies. Up in Sunbury, Firehouse Tavern is a family-friendly restaurant with a firefighter theme. Its claim to fame: a three-quarter pound burger.

    Hannah Bealer is an editor. Feedback welcome at hbealer@cityscenecolumbus.com.

    RELATED READS