There’s so much to do in Cleveland every summer. Let me give you 20 ideas that won’t
disappoint you.
Let’s start on the shores of Lake Erie with Edgewater Beach. This park has something for
everyone, whether you want to get a drink and watch the sunset from the beach house,
get a group together for volleyball or let kids to build a sand castle. It’s so great
to spend an afternoon or an evening here. You can rent kayaks and other beach gear from
the little hut. This is the place to be. Let’s talk about kayaking on the Cuyahoga River.
Yes that river. Great Lakes Watersports in the Flats rents single and double kayaks.
We’re talking $25 or $30 bucks an hour to explore the river at your own pace. You can
get some very unique views of the city. This is a great way to explore and get some exercise.
If you’d like an easier way to enjoy the river, there’s the waterfront restaurants
in the Flats East Bank. Alley Cat Oyster Bar is really good. Collision Bend Brewing Company
has a huge patio right on the river where you can park your boat. Lindey’s Lake House,
another great patio with yard games. And the rooftop bar at Punch Bowl Social. Bowling
and mini-golf downstairs. Wait til you see the canopy walk and emergent tower at the
Holden Arboretum. There’s a huge walkway 65 feet above the forest floor that gets you
right into the canopy of the trees. And their biggest addition has got to be the emergent
tower. It’s a stairway that takes you so high you’re above all the trees. 120 feet
off the ground. Stargazing at Observatory Park. This is the
Nassau Astronomical Station in the Geauga Park District and their research grade telescope
is the size of a rocket. It’s part of Observatory Park which is a certified dark sky park. You’ve
got to come here on a night when they open their telescopes for public viewing. There’s
all kinds of astronomy nights. And a planetarium in case the sky is too cloudy. Imagine sitting
out on the lawn with a picnic basket and a bottle of wine, getting to hear one of the
best orchestras in the world. I’d recommend going on a night when they show a movie and
the orchestra plays the soundtrack live. Whether it’s at Blossom Music Center or Severance
Hall, the Cleveland Orchestra is world class. Heinen’s Downtown is inside an old-school
bank rotunda and it’s been repurposed into Cleveland’s premier grocery store. From
the wine machines to the kombucha on tap, it’s a great place to get lunch whether
you eat inside or outside. I totally recommend you stop in to check it out. Bar 32 has the
best view of any rooftop bar in the city. It’s on the 32nd floor of the Hilton Downtown
Hotel. You can eat outside with views of Lake Erie and the entire city. There’s a really
cool side room that’s a little more private. If you’d like a drink recommendation, The
View and the Aperoltini are some of their best. Yes, there’s a national park in Cleveland’s
backyard. Cuyahoga Valley National Park is 33,000. You can’t go wrong by taking a hike
on the Ledges Trail. This is some of the most scenic hiking in Ohio. There’s over 100
miles of hiking trail inside the park. Some of them include waterfalls like Brandywine
Falls. It's beautiful. But really the best thing is to explore the park by bike. The
Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail runs for 20 miles through the park. You can rent a bike
in Bedford or Peninsula. A good tip I'll share is to ride your bike one way and then take
the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad back to where you started for $5. The Cleveland Metroparks
Zoo is one of the most visited attractions in Northeast Ohio every year. Make sure to
see Asian Highlands and Tiger Passage. There are hundreds of species of animals here and
the zoo consistently builds new exhibits. There’s something about the indoor rainforest
exhibit that’s always been fascinating. I think people of all ages will be thrilled
with a visit to the zoo. North Coast Harbor is on Cleveland’s lakefront
and there’s so much here. You can go deep into the belly of an actual submarine on the
USS Cod and see everything from the control room to the kitchen. The Steamship William
G. Mather is a retired Great Lakes Freighter that lets you tour every square inch. If you
want to actually cruise Lake Erie there’s the Goodtime III. The Great Lakes Science
Center is a major attraction which includes the NASA Glenn visitors center and an actual
Apollo Command Module. Nuevo is a Mexican restaurant with great patios and sand volleyball
courts behind it. The International Women’s Air & Space Museum has exhibits on Amelia
Earhart, Bessie Coleman, the women of NASA, and lots more. And if that’s not enough
there’s the most visited museum in Ohio, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The Cleveland
Botanical Garden is one of kind. All throughout the summer you’ll see a huge variety of
blooms with with fun themes like the waterfall garden, the rain garden, the butterfly garden.
There’s a great kids garden with mazes and little hobbit houses to run around. Treehouses
too. And rain or shine, you have to see the glasshouse biomes. A Costa Rican cloud forest
with two levels. And the spiny desert of Madagascar with its chameleons and tortoises. Nothing
says Cleveland quite like the Terminal Tower. There’s an observation deck on the 42nd
floor that’s open on the weekends. You won’t get a better view of the city that’s open
to the public. When this tower was built, it was the tallest building in the world outside
of New York City. This is a can't-miss attraction. East Fourth Street is very popular for Cleveland
visitors. There are over a dozen restaurants and bars right next to each other in this
alley way. The Greenhouse Tavern is a great option for summer with two outdoor patios,
one of them is on the roof. Jonathan Sawyer, the chef, is a James Beard award winner. There’s
a lot here. League Park is the place where the Indians won the 1920 World Series and
later where Babe Ruth hit his 500th home run. The city has preserved the field and even
built a fence to match the huge right field wall that used to be here. You should come
see the Baseball Heritage Museum. They actually have a Babe Ruth home run ball, signed by
Babe Ruth, Willie Mays and other legends. If you love baseball, this needs to be on
your list. That brings us to the Indians modern day home at Progressive Field. One of the
best places to watch a ballgame in all of baseball. A lot of local Cleveland restaurants
have set up shop inside the park. Don’t forget Sweet Moses for your ice cream needs.
Lake View Cemetery is the burial place of John D. Rockefeller and other famous Clevelanders.
And the most beautiful memorial is for President James Garfield. The balcony outside has a
fantastic view of the city and the lake. Another spot you can’t miss is Wade Chapel. The
entire interior was designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany and his studio. Thousands of pieces
of stained glass. There’s symbolism everywhere you look. This is one of Cleveland's hidden
gems. I’m so glad that our area is home to all kinds of adaptive recreation for people
of all abilities. This is Herb and he’s playing at The Turn Golf Course where the
carts allow him to be upright and swing the club. Valley Riding has therapeutic horseback
riding for people of all abilities. The Cleveland Metroparks has handcycles and they’re adding
new adaptive options there every year. And 3 Trackers is an incredible organization.
A big favorite is adaptive paddling and kayaking. They even do waterskiing. I can't cover all
the ice cream options in Cleveland, but I can tell you a few. If you're looking for
where the locals go, Honey Hut makes all of their ice cream sweetened with honey. If you're
looking for a spot with an old-school feel, East Coast Custard in Parma Heights opened
in the 80's. And their frozen custard is a throwback to the early 1900's. And last but
not least, the Solstice Steps at Lakewood Park. Watching the sunset here is an event.
If you get a good one, people erupt in applause when the sun disappears below the Lake Erie
horizon. I hope this gives you some ideas to get excited
about whether you’re visiting Cleveland or have lived here your whole life. If you
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