It’s finally that time of year again folks!!! Spring weather is finally trying to make its presence here in WNY, which can only mean we here at The Trophy WifeStyle are ready to get our travel on!!! Winter weather is just too unpredictable in these parts. You never know when the next blizzard will hit. So we tend to hibernate until the open roads are clear! Once Spring hits, it’s fair game and we try to travel as much as possible as a family.

Most of these trips are long weekend getaways, so we hate to overpack. Over stuffing the car is never fun! And that $25 luggage fee on flights really does bite. Long story short, the lighter our luggage and carry-on the better. That even means must have items like laptops.

Over St. Patrick’s Day weekend, my family and I had the chance to explore all the family fun that Columbus, Ohio has to offer. If you’re traveling to Columbus with the kids, COSI will definitely be the highlight of your trip.

COSI is Columbus, Ohio's dynamic Center of Science and Industry - named America's #1 science center by Parents Magazine!!! Definitely a destination hot spot you will not want to miss!!! Between seeing a real T-Rex, chillen in the Planetarium & playing scientists throughout the museum, your kids will never want to leave!

​ Here are a few helpful tips to consider before planning your first visit to COSI!

Just like most awesome places in the world, you will have to pay to park at COSI, so be prepared. COSI’s parking lots actually do not belong to COSI at all. They are owned by the City of Columbus, so the rates have nothing to do with COSI. On busy days, the lot managers will pre-collect the $5 parking fee (as you drive in). Otherwise, you pay as you leave the museum using a payment machine before heading to your car. There are metered parking spots on the streets around COSI if you’re really trying to keep to a certain budget, but they do not yet accept credit cards and tend to fill up when COSI opens in the morning.

You will be paying $20+ a person for admission into COSI. If you plan on visiting the Planetarium, there is an addditional charge. We went to COSI on a Saturday and boy was the place packed with family’s ready to learn! So plan extra time to wait in line for those tickets. Even if you have complementary tickets as we did, or purchase your tickets online, you still need to wait in line to exchange those tickets for a wristband. The fabulous news is, the willcall line is shorter than the other lines. If you’re on a schedule or have antsy kids, purchase those tickets ahead of time to save yourself time.

This is something I really wish we did! The one time I plan on actually spending my own cash on food, ughhh.... COSI is very limited in this department. They have vending machines throughout the museum and snack stands set up, but your selections are very limited. Unless popcorn,soda and soft pretzels are your fancy, pack those snacks. I was starving and had my husband stop at a CVS for some snacks for the hotel room on the way back.

This is the one question I have been getting nonstop from friends & family. Columbus is only a few hours away from us here in WNY, so EVEYONE who spotted our photos on social media have been buzzing about making their own trips to COSI & want our highlights.

While I really do suggest you plan enough time to explore the entire museum, I will tell you our favorite parts.

​• Dinosaur Gallery ~ you can get up close to dinosaurs like the incredible T. rex and find out why these amazing animals never really vanished from the Earth.

• OCEAN ~ Mighty Poseidon reigns over a mythical playground symbolizing the ancient stories of the sea. Explore the physical nature of water through laminar streams, eroding sand, and energetic waves. Ocean’s sparkling world of water will delight all ages.

If you happen to follow my family & I’s adventures over on Twitter and Instagram, then you know we spent St.Partricks Day weekend in Columbus thanks to Experience Columbus & The Red Roof Plus Downtown Columbus. Such a fun weekend. Who knew Columbus was a terrific & totally family-friendly weekend getaway spot!? We had a total blast!

We had one evening that we had the option to choose our dining spot, so I asked y’all on Twitter where one finds the yummiest cuts of beef in a fabulous atmosphere. Long story short, thanks to twitter and my totally awesome followers, we ended up at Lindeys, located in the Old German section of the city.

​My dad was born in Frankfurt, making me part German, so I’m always curious of all things German in the US! I loved the fact that we were headed to an area of the city filled with German heritage and delicious food! I can eat and feel like I was learning something at the same time.

The first thing I would love to mention about Lindey’s is that even though they are a higher end restaurant, they are totally family friendly!!! For those of you that are new here, my family and I try to share high end, family friendly travel here at The Trophy WifeStyle & Lindey’s was exactly that!

I wish I would have remembered to snap a photo of the kids menu (I blame the wine ;-) ) because Lindey’s nailed it! Nothing drives me more insane than restaurants tossing high end items on a kid’s menu fully knowing 75% of children have no interest in those foods. Just because mom & dad want a juicy filet, doesn’t mean the kiddos do! Kids are all about the grilled cheese sandwiches and chicken fingers and Lindey’s gave my child those options! And if you do have a kiddo that will actually eat a steak (I’m super jealous if this is your kid!!!) they can order one of those as well. Thanks Lindey’s for thinking about ALL kids & making sure they have a yummy time.

Another great thing about Lindey’s was the wine list! Tons of by-the-glass options AND their bottle prices were AWESOME! I love it when restaurants have bottles in the $25-35 range. Perfect for non-special occasions.

I just loved Lindey’s atmosphere. Everything from the lighting to the decorative ceiling was just fabulous. As you walk into the restaurant, you will spot the beautiful bar area. Then there is seating in the front of the building AND if you go through a doorway, it takes you to even more seating in the back. We were dining at Lindey’s on a Saturday evening at 6:30 and the place was pretty packed. Any empty table you may see in the photos was reserved. We were thankful we hit up Open Table for a reservation because we would have been out of luck without one.

Now on to the most important part, the food!!!! Safe to say my twitter followers made the best recommendation because wholly molly! It was beyond delicious. I had the French Onion Soup to start & The Twin Filets with Mashed Potatoes, Asparagus, onion straws & bearnaise sauce. My husband started with a caeser salad and had the Steak Fritas, basically a stripe steak with steak fries as his main course. Then the five year old had one of her favorite foods, Grilled Cheese & she chose a banana as her side dish. We were all so stuffed that we couldn’t even think about dessert!

So if you find yourself in Columbus, Ohio and want a family-friendly, yet upscale place to dine, Lindey’s is definitely the spot! Delicious food, fabulous atmosphere, fantastic prices. Lindey’s gets two thumbs up from us here at The Trophy WifeStyle.

This should come to no surprise, but souvenirs are NOT cheap. We attend a lot of shows so we knew to be prepared to pay a pretty penny for that Elmo my daughter was going to want. I swear souvenirs are how they get you. $19-24 for a balcony seat, but $35 for the stuffed Elmo your child has to have. The smile on my daughters face dancing away with Elmo during the show was definitely worth it though. I’m sure Sesame Street knew that hence the ridiculously high price.

My husband and I are known for showing up to broadway touring shows 15 minutes to curtain. Just enough time to grab a drink and head to our seats. Sesame Street Live is definitely a show you want to show up at least 30 minutes before. You will want plenty of time to shop for merchandise. Take photos. Maybe grab a snack & take a potty break before the start of the show. Sesame Street Live even has a photo booth with a photographer if you forgot your camera!

Bring your camera, or if you’re like me, make sure that phone is fully charged. You’re going to need it since Sesame Street Live encourages photos!!! Snap away to make sure you captured all those life long memories. Snd to make all your besties on Insta temporary jealous that you’re hanging with Elmo for the day ;-)

Honestly, this is one show where I don’t believe there is a bad seat. There really isn’t any action in the aisles. No calls for volunteers. We had lower/middle balcony seats and could see every last thing perfectly! Your child won’t miss anything whether they are in the front or last row!

Sesame Street Live doesn’t make any claims to be sensory friendly, but this show definitely is! Kids are kids! They are loud. Some cry. Some are like my daughter and make “happy noises” the whole time and no one bats an eye. No one will look at your child because they are a bit loud, I promise. This is a Sesame Street show, I think it’s safe to say everyone is welcome with open arms.

In the mood for some good food? A wide variety of drinks? All at a reasonable cost? Then I suggest taking a drive up to Busti to Busti’s Tap House ~ Ye Olde Ed-N-Jen’s :) Their the perfect place to sit back and enjoy an ice cold beverage after a long day day at work!

Busti’s Tap House has huge variety of beers that’s for sure! There was an #InstaFamous Oatmeal Stout I was spotting all over the gram & they actually had it! Over 32 bottled beers, 14+ draft beers & 8 wines with even a few being on tap! Busti’s Tap House ~ Ye Olde Ed-N-Jen’s has something for everyone!!!

Now let’s talk food!!!!!! I cannot go to a restaurant and spot French Onion Soup on a menu and not order it!!! I was so excited when I noticed Busti’s Tap House ~ Ye Olde Ed-N-Jen’s had my favorite soup!

Busti’s Tap House ~ Ye Olde Ed-N-Jen’s has a delicious menu that’s for sure!!! With steaks, chicken and biscuits, burgers, sandwiches, you are sure to find exactly what your looking for!!!

On Wednesday’s Busti’s Tap House ~ Ye Olde Ed-N-Jen’s has their wing night! 50 cent wings!!!

Friday’s at Busti’s Tap House ~ Ye Olde Ed-N-Jen’s you can order yourself the Prime Rib special or the Fish Fry!

I have had both the wings and the the prime rib and I would totally recommend both!!!!

The Busti’s Tap House ~ Ye Olde Ed-N-Jen’s kid’s menu features favorites like grilled cheese, chicken tenders, burgers and Mac & cheese!!! All for $5.99.

If you couldn’t tell, I’m a huge fan of Busti’s Tap House ~ Ye Olde Ed-N-Jen’s! We have now been twice and omg, the food just gets better and better!! Busti’s Tap House ~ Ye Olde Ed-N-Jen’s is a cozy place with a wide variety of drinks and killer food. Definitely an awesome place to dine if your looking for a laid back atmosphere with fantastically priced meals that don’t disappoint!!!

I also love it when restaurants offer normal
foods on the kids menu! An A+ for serving dishes kids will actually eat and not what we wish they would order.

We even made our trip “official” by signing our names on the wall! If you haven’t made a trip up to Busti’s Tap House ~ Ye Olde Ed-N-Jen’s , I highly suggest adding it to your restaurant bucket list! I promise you will leave satisfied.