Creating a teen getaway in Portsmouth, Ohio is a perfect opportunity to share some quality time together as a family. The teen years go SO FAST!! Busy schedules (work, sports, school…) can make for fleeting moments of together time. Being intentional is key.
BUTTTT, the big question always pops up ~ what activities can we do that everyone is going to enjoy in the middle of winter in Ohio?!?!
We found ourselves checking all the boxes and more during our weekend in Portsmouth. It’s a perfect teen getaway destination for indoor fun!!
Here’s what we accomplished:
- Quality Time together
- Friendly competition
- New experiences
- Learned fun facts about Ohio
- Ate delicious food
- Met the friendliest people
- Supported locally owned businesses and got to hear their ‘why’
- Had fun!
The activity and food options are varied but what makes it extra convenient is the proximity to everything. We did hop in our car and drive to the different destinations but during warmer weather, you could easily walk from place to place. Portsmouth is a city going through a huge revitalization and it’s so exciting to see commerce filling up these historic downtown buildings again.
If friendly competition is your jam, then a teen getaway in Portsmouth is going to bring lots of smiles and laughter. Get your hotel room booked, read through your options, reserve your time slots, and go have FUN!!
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Food and Drinks in Portsmouth Ohio
If you’ve followed this account for long, you know I love checking out locally owned coffee shops wherever I travel. Fortunately, the entire family loves doing the same!
Our visit to Portsmouth started off on a delicious note with our stop at Lofts Coffee Company & Roastery.
Lofts is located in the heart of the downtown district and is one of several coffee shop stops on the Scioto County Sip & Savor Coffee Trail. Beans are sourced from around the world and roasted locally.
A large display of freshly baked goods created quite a hard decision. I opted for the orange spiced cake and OH. MY. GOODNESS was it ever delectable!! Along with their pastries, this coffee shop serves up hearty breakfast and lunch entrees, too.
Indoor and outdoor seating is available, which is always good to know if you’re planning to meet someone.
Lofts Coffee Company & Roastery 842 Gallup St. Portsmouth, Ohio
Sabor Mexicano
We all know teens love to eat. So obviously, food is important when planning out a teen vacation.
During our teen getaway to Portsmouth, Ohio we enjoyed a meal downtown close to our hotel and activities. Maestros Mexican Grill for the win! Who doesn’t love made to order tacos?
Maestros’ menu really goes above and beyond the standard Mexican food choices. Chips, salsa & queso started us off. Street tacos (only $3.99 each) and Mexican bowls rounded us out. (Figuratively and literally) The Juan Style & Health Coach bowls were fresh, flavorful, and filling. This place even serves breakfast!
How’s that graffiti accent wall for a touch of fun?!
Maestros Mexican Grill 836 4th St. Portsmouth, Ohio 45662
More Food and Fun in Portsmouth Ohio
Oddfellows was a fantastic destination where food and fun merged. Food, bowling, and arcade games are always a win with teens.
I knew there was something special about this restaurant from the moment I stepped inside.
~Bold murals making a statement
~The energy from a restaurant full of patrons
~A welcoming staff
There was something more to this business than just a place to fill our bellies and play games. My intuition was right – and the community is in on it too.
A long awaited dream came to fruition when Oddfellows opened in December of 2023. It’s an inspiring story still unfolding.
The Oddfellows Serve Up Food and Fun
The chef’s menu is quite diverse. Pizza with pizzazz, wings, creative entrees, and gelato. We tried a mixture of items, and everything was tasty and served with great presentation.
On each side of the kitchen, where you’ll see the brightly tiled wood fired pizza oven, are duck pin bowling lanes. Further to the back of the restaurant is the arcade. Here you’ll find many of the favorites from the 80s: Pac Man, Donkey Kong, Centipede and more.
I was impressed by so many things about this place. It’s definitely a great destination to meet up for food and fun!!
Oddfellows 526 2nd St. Portsmouth, Ohio 45662
Axe Throwing
Good ol’ competitive play is at the heart of this family. Axe throwing was a perfect activity to up the ante amongst our ongoing tally.
The game is both harder and easier than it looks. Finding the right axe was key. Within minutes of warming up, we had all landed a bullseye and competition was ready to commence.
When you play at Southern Ohio Axe Portsmouth, you get a personal axpert to help guide you through various games and to help you improve your technique.
We played 31, Timber, and Around the World. After four games the scores were:
Dad – 2
Teen – 1
Mom – 1
Ya, I know! We couldn’t believe he beat us either!! Miracles happen every day, folks. (can you tell we like to smack talk?)
Other games to try are Humans vs Zombies, Battleship, Axes & O’s, and a Corn Hole version.
The facility also has a huge shuffleboard and corn hole to play. This works out great for added entertainment for your group as you are waiting your turn or just to add to the evening’s experience.
Things to know:
- Wear closed toe shoes
- Axes are provided
- There are five bays so several parties can play at once
- You can play for 30, 60, or 90 minutes. (I’d plan on 60-90 as the first 20ish minutes are used perfecting your technique)
- Food & drinks can be brought in (DORA area)
- They even have a mobile option where they come to you! Great party idea
- It’s super fun!
Southern Ohio Axe Throwing 412 2nd St. Portsmouth, Ohio 45662
Simulator Golf
If there’s one thing for certain about Ohio’s weather, it’s that it’s unpredictable. You might get on the golf course in February but come March you’ll need to wear a snowsuit.
Boneyfiddle Golf and Lounge to the rescue!
With three golf simulator bays and 30 courses around the world to choose from, you can keep perfecting your game year-round.
Tips to know:
- Bays are rented by the hour
- Clubs can be brought in or rented
- Balls & tees are provided
- You can have drinks and food delivered to your bay while you golf
This is yet another fun way to enjoy spending time with your teen while visiting Portsmouth, Ohio.
As far as our competition tally goes, my husband and I got crushed. I think I had enough strokes to cover all three of us. All is good though. Keep bringing the competition!
Boneyfiddle Golf and Lounge 347 3rd St. Portmouth, Ohio 45662
Family Teamwork
After all the competitive play, it was nice to come together as a team and accomplish the escape room challenge at Deadbolt Escape Room and Mysteries.
We had so much fun mastering The Curse of Tiki Island! This is just one of five escape room challenges to master. New challenges open periodically and seasonally. This was not our first escape room experience but definitely our most enjoyable. All of the challenges are created by the staff, so you’ll never encounter the same puzzle that you’ve already solved at a different escape room. The Tiki challenge had us in several rooms throughout the hour as we unlocked a plethora of puzzles, codes, and padlocks.
I can’t give away too many details, but I can happily report that we solved it with less than three minutes remaining on the clock. We can’t wait to try the next one!
Deadbolt Escape Room and Mysteries 309 Jefferson St. Portsmouth, Ohio 45662
Art and Culture in Portsmouth Ohio
The mom in me loves it when I can slide a little learning into our outings without it being too obvious. Our visit to the Southern Ohio Museum was perfect for that. And it was well received!
The ‘Art of the Ancients’ installation, featuring more than 10,000 prehistoric Native American artifacts, really grabbed our attention. The carved spearheads, gorgets, bowls, and combat items were fascinating to view.
Other areas of the museum house both permanent and temporary exhibits. Everything was interesting, beautifully designed and thought provoking.
The museum’s admission is free so whether you love assessing art for hours or you just want to stop by and see the amazing collection of arrowheads, the price is right.
The current temporary exhibit is ‘Mother Tongue: Of Eden & Mother Tongue: Let’s Chat’ by Juliellen Byrne.
Southern Ohio Museum 825 Gallic St. Portsmouth, Ohio 45662
Portsmouth Floodwall Murals
Portsmouth is known for its murals. With over 2000 feet of art depicting the city’s history, culture, industry, and architecture, you can understand why. The city took their massive, concrete flood wall and turned it into a work of art. Brilliant! People travel from all over the country to see these famed murals painted by the well renowned artist, Robert Daffort of Lafayette, Louisiana.
You can walk or drive down the street admiring the various panels. Plaques are posted periodically, or you can download the audio tour for a more in depth explanation of each scene.
This was a great way to learn more about Portsmouth’s role in American history. Who would have guessed that they once were the home of both a Major League baseball team and an NFL team. Add to that the famous legends that grew up in the area and the massive commerce that once exported from buildings right down the street. The flood wall murals are a destination in and of themselves but adding to our teen getaway was a big plus.
Making Memories Takes Being Intentional
Whew! This teen getaway in Portsmouth was full of genuine quality time, laughter, great food, discovery and more. We can’t wait to do it all over again.
As mentioned earlier, our lodging at the Holiday Inn was in close proximity to all of the activities, restaurants and art mentioned. To book your reservation, you can use this link.
Holiday Inn 711 2nd St. Portsmouth, Ohio 45622
So, who do you plan to take this trip with? Not only does it make a fantastic teen getaway, it can easily become a girls’ getaway or a couple’s getaway, too. There is so much more to explore in Scioto County as new businesses continue to make their debut. The Shawnee State Park adds an additional area to hike, bike and horseback ride.
A huge THANK YOU to the Scioto County Visitors Bureau and local businesses for arranging our visit and hosting our stay. We truly had a wonderful time and loved every moment. As with all of my trips, I only write on what I’ve experienced and give honest feedback.
Ohio is full of amazing towns. So many are seeing a resurgence of community entrepreneurship and involvement. This makes exploring Ohio an ongoing destination for unique experiences in every county. Looking for additional ideas? Check out these articles for inspiration.
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