As cabin fever reaches its peak, getting away for a few days is high on many priority lists. There are always the big travel destinations, but plenty of mid-size cities have a lot to offer, as well--and usually at a much more reasonable price. Cleveland, Ohio, is a city that often gets overlooked when making travel plans, but its cultural center, proximity to nature, and Midwestern friendliness make it a viable weekend getaway option.
Just outside of downtown Cleveland, University Circle is the cultural hub of the city and northeast Ohio as a whole. Home to the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, the Botanical and Cultural Gardens, the Children's Museum of Cleveland and several other attractions, University Circle has something for everyone. Prices for many of the attractions are reasonable, ranging from free general admission to the Art Museum to $10 adult admission at the Museum of Natural History.
University Circle Visitor Center
11330 Euclid Ave.
Cleveland, OH 44106
(216) 707-4640
universitycircle.org
In Cleveland, 21,000 acres are dedicated to its metropolitan parks system, including the Cleveland Zoo. Depending on the season, visitors to the Metro parks enjoy golfing, swimming, hiking and geocaching, fishing or winter sports. Most of the parks are free, and the zoo is $7 for adults in the offseason (Nov. 1-March 31) and $10 in the peak season (April 1-Oct. 31). In addition to the Cleveland Metro Parks, the Cuyahoga Valley National Park is 22 miles east of the city, offering hiking and biking trails and a scenic railroad along the winding Cuyahoga River.
Cleveland MetroParks
4101 Fulton Pkwy.
Cleveland, OH 44144
(216) 635-3200
clemetparks.com
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
15610 Vaughn Road
Brecksville, OH 44141
(800) 445-9667
nps.gov/cuva/index.htm
On the other end of the state, Dayton boasts many aeronautic attractions, but Cleveland holds its own with the Great Lakes Science Center and the International Women's Air and Space Museum. The Great Lakes Science Center is the home to the Return to the Moon Gallery (among many other exhibits), which was developed in conjunction with NASA's Glenn Research Center--also in Cleveland--and offers 14 exhibits on space travel. The International Women's Air and Space Museum is a free museum in the Burke Lakefront Airport that tracks the role of women in aviation, from Napoleon's Chief Air Minister of Ballooning, Madame Blanchard, to NASA astronauts.
International Women's Air and Space Museum
Burke Lakefront Airport, Room 165
1501 North Marginal Road
Cleveland, OH 44114
(216) 623-1111
iwasm.org
Great Lakes Science Center
601 Erieside Ave.
Cleveland, Ohio 44114
(216) 694-2000
greatscience.com
