This suburb of Dayton’s motto is “Live, Work, Play,” and if you already live and work in the area you’re probably wondering what there is to do for fun on this side of town. We found a few things for you.

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Winan’s Fine Chocolates & Coffees

Several Locations around Kettering

Winan’s Chocolates and Coffees is a four-generation family owned business originating in Bryon, Ohio. The great grandmother of the current owner’s 1929 diary entry spoke of making candy for the bakery. What a history!  Winan’s now holds many locations including a few in the Dayton area, one in Kettering! Stop in for a cup of coffee and check out their wide selection of premium chocolates that includes barks, turtles, creams, caramels, and cordials! Sprinkled with a bit of sea salt, the handmade chocolates are quite the tasty sensation.

The extensive coffee list includes many blends and flavors including a Winan’s signature blend that is, “a perfect blend of Colombia, Kenya, Costa Rica and Sumatra.” Particularly delectable sounding flavors of coffee include Chocolate Raspberry, Maine Blueberry, and Praline Pecan Brulee. The latter is available in decaf, as well as Snickerdoodle, Vanilla Hazlenut, Columbia Supremo Blend, and the Winan’s blend. Winan’s Coffees & Chocolates has even jumped on the wine boat, offering a list of new wines as of March 2018 including mostly Americans and a couple Spanish and Italians. Wine, chocolate, coffee, tea, and gifts available to purchase for others makes Winan’s Fine Chocolates and Coffees a real treat to stop by.

Cox Arboretum MetroPark

6733 N Springboro Pike

Dayton, OH 45449

Later in the day you might consider stopping by the Cox Arboretum (a beautiful word meaning a botanical garden devoted to trees). It is a 189-acre facility devoted to getting and keeping visitors in touch with nature. There are plenty of gardens, forests, and prairies for you to simply ramble through and enjoy the scenery, but the Arboretum also offers more engaging activities. There are programs offered year round for both children and adults to learn about horticulture, plant science, and conservation. MetroParks is a network of parks all over the Dayton area dedicated to the conservation of lands and plants in their natural state. Visit their website to learn about their programs and other parks in the area.

At the Cox Arboretum you can find:

The Butterfly House

The Butterfly House is a special place that features nature pollinator plants attracting many different species of butterflies and moths. Remember the types of plants used in the garden and you can purchase your own to create a butterfly garden of your own at home. Hot afternoons are when the butterflies are most active, giving a spectacle of flitting and fluttering butterfly wings.

The Barbara Cox Center for Sustainable Horticulture

This center exposes the community to learning about sustainable horticulture, meaning a way of planting and cultivating land and gardens in a way that is sensitive to the existing environment. Using minimal chemicals and composting is one way to do this. If you want to feel the good old Earth with your fingers, stop by and learn methods of planting in the MetroParks.

Specialty Gardens and Pollinator Gardens

These gardens, including rock and water gardens, hold tips and tricks for making sustainable choices in your garden that positively impact the environment and also require minimal upkeep. At the pollinator gardens you’ll find plants that attract birds and butterflies. The makes for a beautiful buzzing garden and a healthier environment.

After visiting the garden, you might want to grab a bite to eat. Check out this fabulous American restaurant in Kettering called Christopher’s.

Christopher’s American Restaurant

2318 E. Dorothy Lane

Kettering, OH 45420

Christopher’s website opens with a quote from Bob Dylan, “come in, she said, I’ll give you shelter from the storm.” How charming! I know where I want to eat dinner now. They call themselves a Kettering tradition and have been open for more than 25 years. Their meals are a mix of traditional and innovative, and not too expensive, dinner entrees are between $14 and $21. Despite the low prices, Christopher’s takes care to offer you a suggestion for a wine pairing with your meal.

Their food comes from local and cage-free eggs, locally baked bread, meats from locally raised animals, as well as salmon from the Faroe Islands. They offer fair-trade organic coffee and teas if you need a pick me up from that post meal tiredness. Christopher’s is open all day for breakfast lunch and dinner from 7:30am to 9pm, so stop by any time. However, if you’re craving breakfast food, stop by before 1 pm! Now that you’ve eaten, you might be craving a drink and the ambience of a place dedicated to the thing! Check out Harrigan’s Tavern, your neighborhood Irish pub.

Harrigan’s Tavern

4070 Marshall Rd

Kettering, Ohio 45429

Harrigan’s Tavern is an Irish themed pub and sports bar in the heart of Kettering. Their happy hour is a whopping 6 hours long! 3pm to 9pm every single day of the week. It looks like they’re pretty hilarious as well, as the sign for their St. Patrick’s Day celebration read, among other things, “No Sex on the Beach, Daquiris, or Lemon Drops,” and above all, “Don’t be a dick.”

The reviews speak of a great atmosphere with an abundance of historical memorabilia decorating the walls. Who doesn’t like an irish pub year round?

There you have it folks, a few fun options close to home! Get some fancy coffee, eat fancy food for good prices, get in touch with nature, and crack open a cold one all within the neighborhood of Kettering!