This Ohio Donut Trail Is A Sweet Journey Worth The Road Trip

We're all about planning a vacation around food, whether it's a tour through California wine country or a rail-powered European foodie adventure. But you don't have to visit one of the world's best food cities in order to have a unique, food-oriented holiday, as evidenced by the Butler County Donut Trail. The concept is simple: Download a Donut Trail Passport and visit all 13 donut shops along the route. Return your completed passport to the Travel Butler County office, where you'll receive a free Donut Trail T-shirt. (The design is updated yearly.) Even better? Wear your Donut Trail T-shirt to receive additional savings at local attractions.

Butler County is located along the southwestern edge of Ohio. Although you may not be familiar with some of the cities along the Donut Trail (like Hamilton, Middletown, and West Chester), the Donut Trail Passport map reveals that most of the stops are roughly 20 minutes north of Cincinnati, and about 30 minutes southwest of Dayton. Now, planning a trip along the Donut Trail isn't quite as extensive as planning a food-lover's itinerary across Europe. If you plan correctly, you can even complete the Donut Trail in as little as one day; you just have to wake up nice and early, as some of the donut shops have been known to sell out by 10 a.m. But to make the most of the experience, you may want to call the official Donut Concierge — they're basically a Donut Trail travel agent!

Donuts have a complex history dating back to ancient Greece, and although donut makers continue to innovate, donuts largely remain a fairly inexpensive and accessible breakfast food. You may already have your go-to favorite, be it something simple like a classic glazed, something more over the top like a bear claw. And you can't go wrong with sprinkles. But the Donut Trail is a chance to try something new, and it's worth doing a little research into what some of the Donut Trail shops are known for before you embark.

For example, you'll definitely want to grab a maple donut at Jupiter Coffee and Donuts as the maple syrup comes from the owners' family farm. And the shop does frequent seasonal and holiday specials, like Chewbacca long johns for Star Wars Day. Kelly's Bakery, a Hamilton stop, is known for both classic and creative flavors; but you'll definitely want to try the buckeye donut, a chocolate-glazed yeast donut with a peanut butter frosting center. Ohio is the Buckeye State, after all. Finally, if you are trying to do the Donut Trail in a single day, you may want to start at The Donut Spot in Fairfield, which opens bright and early at 3 a.m.!

As long as you pace yourself, you can feel good about your Donut Trail excursion. You won't find any big-name shops on the passport — no Krispy Kremes, etc. Rather, they are all family-run businesses, many of which have been local mainstays for decades.