Destination Cleveland, OH - Stay the week!

Tuesday I posted an itinerary for a weekend stay in Cleveland. There is so much to do. Why not stay the week? The best directions for exploring more are East, West, and South--unless of course, you want to go to Canada in which case you'd need to find a boat and head North.

To the East:
The University Circle area near Case Western Reserve University is where the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Western Reserve Historical Society, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and the Cleveland Institute of Music are located along with the Cleveland Botanical Gardens and the Cleveland Children's Museum. Severance Hall, the home of the Cleveland Orchestra, and the Glidden House, a mansion built in 1901 by the Glidden family of paint fame. The mansion is a bed and breakfast that would be an attractive place to locate to explore this area.

A little farther out Euclid Ave. you will find the entrance to Lake View Cemetery where President Garfield's tomb and monument are. Climb to the top for a great view of the area. Our visit a while back was on a beautiful spring.


To the West:
If you are craving some outdoor activity, you might try the Rocky River Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks. The Metropark system actually circles the outskirts of the city into the suburbs and forms what is affectionately known as the Emerald Necklace. Or make a visit to our Cleveland Zoo which is also a part of the Metroparks. Our elephant exhibit and the veterinary facilities are especially interesting as well as the Rainforest building where you can step inside to a tropical climate any time of the year.

Looking to shop? Crocker Park in Westlake is a unique development of stores and restaurants and soon to be residential buildings.

To the South:
Right at Cleveland's back door is one of the most visited national parks in the country, the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The historic Ohio & Erie Canal runs through the valley and the old towpath where the mules walked to pull the barges up and down the canal has been transformed into a wonderful walking/biking path. There are lots of places to explore along the way between Cleveland and Akron and beautiful scenes to take in along the Cuyahoga river and the canal including wildlife. During the summer, reenactments of the canal locks are done on weekends.

Through the park and the valley between Independence and Akron runs the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. They offer scenic rides as well as themed rides including a wine train and a whodunit adventure. Smile at the trainmen. One of them is my husband. In late November and December up until Christmas, the train becomes the Polar Express. Smile at the elves. One of them is me!

That's only a small part of what is in the area. There are lots more little museums, nature centers, entertainment venues--including many community theaters. Did you know that that Chagrin Valley Little Theater has had many famous actors tread its stage including Tim Conway who grew up in Chagrin Falls? Don't miss out on Little Italy and the other Cleveland neighborhoods that make Cleveland so unique. And if you have a little more time to spend in the area, let me tell you about what's within a 2 hour drive--tomorrow.