Where in Ohio would fit the bill? (Cleveland, Akron: neighborhoods, airport)

[DixieSam28]

I was asking a few people if I should move to Traverse City, MI or Honesdale, PA and someone recommended me Ohio as it was more conservative then Pennsylvania and Michigan. What part of Ohio should I check out? Here's what I want:

• Near a big lake that doesn't get many tourists
• Votes republican
• Plenty of trucking (or other blue collar) jobs
• Cool summers and snowy winters
• Plenty of hills to sled on

[joe from dayton]

Ohio has a few large lakes. Lake Erie helps keep the summers a little cooler in NE Ohio, but you are not going to find cool summers anywhere.

https://www.planetware.com/ohio/best...-us-oh-262.htm

[OhioNative]

Try the north east portion of the lower Peninsula of Michigan near Lake Huron. There are some slightly hilly areas between Alpena and Oscoda. Beautiful area, snowy in the winter and cool in the summer, and does not get many tourists.

[DixieSam28]

Originally Posted by OhioNative

Try the north east portion of the lower Peninsula of Michigan near Lake Huron. There are some slightly hilly areas between Alpena and Oscoda. Beautiful area, snowy in the winter and cool in the summer, and does not get many tourists.

Gotta be less than an hour from a Sam's Club.

[bjimmy24]

Depends on exactly how you prioritize these criteria listed. But the two places I think of immediately are Geauga County and Trumbull County in Northeast Ohio.

Geauga is more rural than Trumbull, though I wouldn't say Trumbull is super "urban" either. Just overall, Geauga is more rural. Geauga has voted conservative for longer, but Trumbull is really quintessential blue collar land for sure. It has flipped from blue to red since 2012, largely due to its large working class now rejecting Democratic Party ideals and policies.

Geauga winters are the snowiest in the state, so if that is what you mean by "snowy" you will definitely get it there. But for some people it may simply be too much. Trumbull is definitely a bit milder, but you still get snowfall. Geauga doesn't really have big lakes per se, but you're not far from Lake Erie. Not too much effort to get to the lake out by, say, Fairport Harbor. Mosquito Lake is in Trumbull and pretty large.

There are hills in both places, though I can't point you towards exactly the sledding hot spots.

In Geauga, I'd check out the areas around Chardon, Burton and Middlefield. In Trumbull, look at Howland, Vienna, Cortland.

[WRnative]

Northeast Ohio is the best location in Ohio for those interested in winter sports and easy access to a really big lake. Geauga County is very hilly with many sledding hills, but none are better than the lighted sledding hill at Punderson State Park. The hill also has a tow line.

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/ohio...dding-hill-oh/

Northeast Ohio counties has metro (county) parks with a strong emphasis on winter activities. See posts 7 and 9 in this thread. These park systems all offer numerous sledding hills.

https://www.city-data.com/forum/clev...cleveland.html

https://www.city-data.com/forum/clev...etroparks.html

The region's downhill ski lodges also offer snow tubing parks.

https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/lo...f-937a691b9a3b

If you want a big lake, Lake Erie qualifies as one of the world's best, if not the best, fresh water surf lake. The region's coast offers many marinas and several good beaches.

One warning. Winters have become much more mild in northeast Ohio due to climate change and snowfalls are becoming less frequent with lower snow cover than in the past. Check out the snowfall totals for the last 3 years in Chardon, the Geauga county seat and snow capital of Ohio.

https://www.chardon.cc/155/Yearly-Total-Snowfall

[DixieSam28]

Originally Posted by WRnative

Northeast Ohio is the best location in Ohio for those interested in winter sports and easy access to a really big lake. Geauga County is very hilly with many sledding hills, but none are better than the lighted sledding hill at Punderson State Park. The hill also has a tow line.

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/ohio...dding-hill-oh/

Northeast Ohio counties has metro (county) parks with a strong emphasis on winter activities. See posts 7 and 9 in this thread. These park systems all offer numerous sledding hills.

https://www.city-data.com/forum/clev...cleveland.html

https://www.city-data.com/forum/clev...etroparks.html

The region's downhill ski lodges also offer snow tubing parks.

https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/lo...f-937a691b9a3b

If you want a big lake, Lake Erie qualifies as one of the world's best, if not the best, fresh water surf lake. The region's coast offers many marinas and several good beaches.

One warning. Winters have become much more mild in northeast Ohio due to climate change and snowfalls are becoming less frequent with lower snow cover than in the past. Check out the snowfall totals for the last 3 years in Chardon, the Geauga county seat and snow capital of Ohio.

https://www.chardon.cc/155/Yearly-Total-Snowfall

Thank you. Also, I found a ton of land between Painesville and Ashtabula. Are those as hilly as Geauga County?

[WRnative]

Originally Posted by DixieSam28

Thank you. Also, I found a ton of land between Painesville and Ashtabula. Are those as hilly as Geauga County?

No, but northern central Lake County, where Painesville is located and is the county seat, has many excellent parks and several sled hills. Holden Arboretum, which is nearby Painesville to the southwest, actually has some significantly elevated areas (Little Mountain). Nearby in Kirtland is the Chapin Forest Reservation of the Lake Metroparks which encompasses much of Gildersleeve Mountain.

https://holdenfg.org/attractions/hol...ttle-mountain/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Mountain_(Ohio)

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Location...unty_Ohio.html

Chapin Forest - hike, scenic overlook, fish, cross-country ski and snowshoe | Lake Metroparks

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gildersleeve_Mountain

Sledding locations at Lake Metroparks | Lake Metroparks

https://www.geaugaparkdistrict.org/activity/sledding/

https://northeastohiofamilyfun.com/b...ortheast-ohio/

The topography just south of Painesville changes rapidly as the elevation rises towards Geauga County. The Grand River running through Painesville has a significant gorge, best viewed at the Beaty Landing Lake Metropark or at Painesville Recreation Park and the Grand River Conservation Area off east Main St. on opposite sides of the Grand River suspension bridge there.

http://www.lakemetroparks.com/parks-.../beaty-landing

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...unty_Ohio.html

See the images here.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...unty_Ohio.html

Keep in mind that in more hilly areas, or in neighborhoods close to northeast Ohio's deep river gorges, there often are excellent sledding hills on private land. When I was a kid, I often sled on a steep, long drop into the Grand River Valley; it was not for little kids, as we often had to flip on our backs to avoid going into the river. It was much better and with many fewer sledders than the public hills, and, cumulatively, I spent many hundreds of hours on that sled hill. Back then, we had significant deep snow covers much of the winter, which then began in early November with snowfalls often on Halloween.

Keep in mind the location of the northeast Ohio Lake Erie lake effect snowbelt.

https://www.cleveland19.com/story/33...-belt-in-ohio/

Painesville and Ashtabula cities are on the generally flat Erie Plain.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erie_Plain

The Portage Escarpment separates the Erie Plain from the Appalachian Plateau in northeast Ohio.

Here is a map showing Ohio's physiographic regions. Note that most of Geauga County is on Pittsburgh Plateau (Pittsburgh is mountainous) while Ashtabula County is generally on the Grand River Low Plateau. The Pittsburgh Plateau stretches into southern Trumbull County, Mahoning County and Columbian County on its way to Pittsburgh. Northern Holmes County (western Holmes County is the heart of Ohio Amish Country) also is on the Pittsburgh Plateau, explaining much of the natural beauty there.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portage_Escarpment

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g...h.Country.html

Note also that the Pittsburgh Plateau extends westward into southeast Cuyahoga (Cleveland) and Summit (Akron) Counties, explaining much of the beauty of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

https://www.nps.gov/cuva/planyourvis...ter-sports.htm

Hope this helps you understand the varied topography of northeast Ohio.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portage_Escarpment

https://www.epa.state.oh.us/portals/...ns_of_Ohio.pdf

[DixieSam28]

Originally Posted by WRnative

No, but northern central Lake County, where Painesville is located and is the county seat, has many excellent parks and several sled hills. Holden Arboretum, which is close to Painesville, actually has some significantly elevated areas (Little Mountain). Nearby in Kirtland is the Chapin Forest Reservation of the Lake Metroparks which encompasses much of Gildersleeve Mountain.

Chapin Forest - hike, scenic overlook, fish, cross-country ski and snowshoe | Lake Metroparks

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gildersleeve_Mountain

Sledding locations at Lake Metroparks | Lake Metroparks

https://www.geaugaparkdistrict.org/activity/sledding/

https://northeastohiofamilyfun.com/b...ortheast-ohio/

The topography just south of Painesville changes rapidly as the elevation rises towards Geauga County. The Grand River running through Painesville has a significant gorge, best viewed at the Beaty Landing Lake Metropark or at Painesville Recreation Park and the Grand River Conservation Area off east Main St. on opposite sides of the Grand River suspension bridge there.

Beaty Landing - Lake Metroparks on Ohio’s Grand River | Lake Metroparks

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...unty_Ohio.html

See the images here.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...unty_Ohio.html

Keep in mind that in more hilly areas, or in neighborhoods close to northeast Ohio's deep river gorges, there often are excellent sledding hills on private land. When I was a kid, I often sled on a steep, long drop into the Grand River Valley; it was not for little kids, as we often had to flip on our backs to avoid going into the river. It was much better and with many fewer sledders than the public hills, and, cumulatively, I spent many hundreds of hours on that sled hill. Back then, we had significant deep snow covers much of the winter, which then began in early November with snowfalls often on Halloween.

Keep in mind the location of the northeast Ohio Lake Erie lake effect snowbelt.

https://www.cleveland19.com/story/33...-belt-in-ohio/

Painesville and Ashtabula cities are on the generally flat Erie Plain.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erie_Plain

The Portage Escarpment separates the Erie Plain from the Appalachian Plateau in northeast Ohio.

Here is a map showing Ohio's physiographic regions. Note that most of Geauga County is on Pittsburgh Plateau (Pittsburgh is mountainous) while Ashtabula County is generally on the Grand River Low Plateau. The Pittsburgh Plateau stretches into southern Trumbull County, Mahoning County and Columbian County on its way to Pittsburgh. Northern Holmes County (western Holmes County is the heart of Ohio Amish Country) also is on the Pittsburgh Plateau.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portage_Escarpment

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g...h.Country.html

Note also that the Pittsburgh Plateau extends westward into southeast Cuyahoga (Cleveland) and Summit (Akron) Counties, explaining much of the beauty of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

https://www.nps.gov/cuva/planyourvis...ter-sports.htm

Hope this helps you understand the varied topography of northeast Ohio.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portage_Escarpment

https://www.epa.state.oh.us/portals/...ns_of_Ohio.pdf

[mshultz]

Originally Posted by DixieSam28

Gotta be less than an hour from a Sam's Club.

Here's a list of Sam's Clubs in Ohio:
https://mystore411.com/store/list_st...more%20rows%20