A rainy day in Yellow Springs
Yellow Springs is a cute little hippie town near Dayton, Ohio. It is especially famous for its street fair, local artisans, great hiking trails, and it is also known as the home of the comedian Dave Chapelle. Yes, he apparently actually owns a house in Yellow Springs, but I am not a big enough fan to stalk him and find out the exact address. And because Saturdays in Dayton can be quite boring, me and one of my friends decided to drive to Yellow Springs and just walk around a little.
One of many cute little Yellow Springs streets. A chinese restaurant next to a brewery? Not an unusual sign in this quirky little town.
How to get there?
Yellow Springs are situated about a thirty minute drive from Dayton. So, if you are driving from Dayton, follow the signs for US35 east to Xenia. Eventually, you will come to an exit for Dayton - Yellow Springs road. Take this exit and follow the road for approximately ten more miles. You will eventually come to a bright yellow sign, saying Yellow Springs. Turn right just before you reach the sign, and once you reach a big white building at the end of the road, you have successfully arrived to Yellow Springs.
Be careful - speed limit in Yellow Springs is very low - only 25 miles per hour, and there are not many signs that indicate it, so pay attention. Police officers in Dayton area are very strict about speed limits. Speaking from my own experience, unfortunately.
If you are driving to Yellow Springs in summer, stop at one of the sunflower fields on the way there and take some pictures. The seemingly endless sunflower fields are just breathtaking. And very yellow.
Where to park?
One of the reasons why I love Yellow Springs, is the free two hour parking. And there will almost always be enough parking spots. And the good thing about parking in Yellow Springs is also the fact that this is a very small town, meaning you do not need to be good at remembering where you parked your car. You can take the famous Sunrise cafe as your reference point, and your car will either be up or down the road from it, since this is the only stretch with parking spots in Yellow Springs.
The main parking area in Yellow Springs is situated in front of the Sunrise cafe.
A walk through Yellow Springs
When me and my friend arrived to Yellow Springs, we immediately noticed that the place is basically deserted. Of course, why would anyone of a sound mind (except us) walk around in freezing rain? Luckily, all the shops were open despite the lack of people, so we were able to browse through all of them. And since there were almost no other cars in the parking lane, we were able to find a parking spot right in front of our favourite bar, the Sunrise cafe, where we went to grab a coffee and warm up a little.
Even the trash cans are beautifully decorated in Yellow Springs!
Then, we walked down the main street. We passed a silver shop, a few cool bookstores (check the one with an incredibly fat cat inside), a theatre, a souvenir shop, and then we turned left. There are two cool local craft shops in these colourful buildings, and if you are looking for some cool and fairly cheap decor to decorate your house, this is the place to go. And with your purchase, you will also support the local artists, and not the retail chains. After checking out the two shops, we turned left again. This part of Yellow Springs has all the popular restaurants (including a Chinese one!) and breweries.
Two of the local artisan shops. Worth browsing!
Yellow Springs even has its own little theatre.
Once you reach the end of this street, simply turn left again, and you will reach the area where you parked your car shortly. The walk itself will only take you about fifteen minutes, but me and my friend stopped in most of the shops, so it took us almost one hour and a half to get back to the car.
In spring and fall, the city of Yellow Springs hosts a very special event - the Yellow Springs street fair, which attracts people from all over the state of Ohio. This fair is a great opportunity to get to know some local artisans, try local foods, and support the local economy. Like I already mentioned, the Yellow Springs street fair can be pretty crowded, but it definitely is worth visiting. Last year, they even played some live music there!
Food and drinks
The not - to - miss spot in Yellow Springs is definitely the famous Sunrise cafe with a lovely patio in the back. And despite the name, this is actually a restaurant with excellent breakfasty foods. Oh, and they offer unlimited coffee refills. And their coffee is good and fairly strong, which is a rarity in the United states of America.
Spirited goat Coffee is a cool place to grab a quick bite. I am talking mostly smoothies and desserts here, but they do offer freshly made sandwiches as well. And the best thing about this place - the music that they play.
Ellie’s restaurant and bakery is another great spot in Yellow Springs where you can eat some great local food. I have eaten at Ellie’s restaurant and bakery several times, and these are my absolute favourite foods: Hurricane salad with salmon, butternut squash ravioli and the pulled pork sandwich. And please do not skip a dessert, regardless on how full you are. Their freshly baked goods are mouthwatering.
Beer lovers should head to the Yellow Springs brewery, which is situated off the main street, but still a walking distance from the place where you parked your car. Yellow Springs brewery serves local craft beers (and some regular domestic bottled beers), and they are also available for purchase. They also offer a sampling of beers, which is a great way to discover local craft beers
A few words for the end…
Yellow Springs is a pretty cool place to spend a few hours at. It does not have that typical Midwestern feel like most of other small towns in Ohio, and this is one of the things that makes this place special. While the place will not be as lively in winter months, you will still enjoy strolling through the streets of this hippie town and browsing cute little bookshops and local craft shops.
Everything is colourful in this little town.
