Ohio Extended Weekend Getaway Suggestions (Columbus, Cleveland: appointed, 2013, rent)

[SteelCityRising]

In 2013 I hope to use my vacation time by taking numerous three-day weekends throughout the year so it feels like I'm actually going on more vacations instead of taking one entire week off in the summer and then using my other week around the holidays to visit out-of-town relatives. Being so near to the Ohio border we've found ourselves visiting the Buckeye State several times already and are looking for more suggestions.

Coming from Pittsburgh we really like Youngstown (for day-trips), believe it or not. The Butler Institute of Art is FREE, and it could easily stand up to many museums in much larger cities. We like going to White House Fruit Farms in the nearby suburb of Canfield, and we also enjoy just exploring the city.

We had very bad experiences this past year visiting both Cleveland and Cincinnati; however, we are willing to give BOTH a second chance. We wanted to avoid the throngs of people who descend upon Pittsburgh on St. Patrick's Day for our famed annual parade, so we decided we'd check out Cleveland on a whim. Naturally it was our fault for not doing any research, but we didn't realize Cleveland was ALSO hosting a major St. Patrick's Day parade that day, so we were "treated" to jacked up parking prices, drunks barging into us on the sidewalks as we tried to just explore the Downtown, being totally ignored and not even offered a menu at one sparsely-crowded restaurant, and overall just having a rough time. We decided to check out the aquarium to get away from the mess Downtown and were dismayed to find no cafe or restaurant on premises to help satiate our lunchtime appetite. We also were disappointed that the shark area was off-limits due to some sort of problem they were having. We accidentally found ourselves in Ohio City, which we liked; however, we underwhelmed by the small size of the business district considering it was so near to Downtown (was it really just right around West 25th & Lorain, or did we miss something)? We ended up just leaving and stopped at a suburban Ruby Tuesday for a late-lunch/early-dinner. I'm sure there was much more to see in Cleveland, and we'll return next year after doing more research.

In Cincinnati we liked a lot of the built environment of the city. It reminded us very much of Pittsburgh with its gently-rolling hills, fantastic skyline views, and quirky little neighborhoods. We thought Mt. Adams was vastly superior to pretty much any neighborhood we could think of in Pittsburgh, and we were pleased to see the revitalization progress underway in Over-the-Rhine. We really liked the ongoing riverfront redevelopment, as well, and Hyde Park is now truly one of my favorite urban neighborhoods in the country. With that being said we felt very out of place as left-leaning gay young professionals touring a city that (perhaps just as a fluke) was FILLED with young parents with numerous young children in tow at just about every juncture. We thought we were at an elementary school recess when we explored Newport-on-the-Levee because there were so many running and screaming kids bashing into us. We also were concerned by how many Romney/Ryan supporters we saw in the city proper. I am the first to admit I don't strictly vote along partisan lines, but with that being said just about EVERY core major city in this country is far-left ideologically while being surrounded by far-right suburbs to provide a good sense of balance whereas Cincinnati (at least from the vibe we received) was just "red" everywhere. Even though the city showed promise on many levels to even surpass Pittsburgh we left with an impression that the city was in a weird conservative time warp of sorts. I've even heard that Louisville is more liberal and progressive, and it's in Kentucky! Even the ONE gay bar we could find managed to attract roughly only a dozen-and-a-half other patrons in the entire time we were there, and unlike Pittsburgh where thriving and crowded LGBT-friendly establishments are everywhere we had to drive way out in this industrial-looking wasteland to find this place called Adonis---as if the general public wanted to "hide" it. We LOVED the zoo, but we visited when the remnants from a Tropical Storm were stalling out over the city and got absolutely drenched in the process, which caused us to cut our visit way short. We'll be back in the future to visit Cincinnati as well to see the entire zoo again, to hit up Hyde Park some more, to imbibe in Mt. Adams, and maybe check out Mariemont (which people on the Cincinnati sub-forum are calling a hip and trendy suburb). We just hope by that time the city seems a bit more cosmopolitan and "hip", like Pittsburgh, Louisville (supposedly), and Columbus (from what we've heard), as opposed to being a place where people cling to a suburban mindset.

Other than potential return visits to both Cleveland and Cincinnati we'd greatly appreciate more suggestions! What about Toledo? Akron? Dayton? Steubenville? We're considering a "rural" getaway to the Hocking Hills. Thoughts? Does Sandusky (unfortunate name given recent events at PSU) offer anything besides Cedar Point? What about Marietta? Yellow Springs?

As a frame of reference we really like cities that have some personality, history, and character. We love walking around different distinctive neighborhoods and prefer to eat at local haunts vs. chain restaurants. We like to experience a bit of the gay-oriented nightlife a city has to offer when we visit (which was a huge letdown about Cincinnati). Columbus has been doing a lot of tourism promotion advertising recently here in Pittsburgh trying to lure some of us to spend our money in their fair city, but does the city offer the same sort of urbanity that we'd appreciate? As a point of reference bear in mind we LIKE older established areas like Youngstown and do NOT like sterile newer areas like Cranberry Twp., PA (for anyone familiar with the Pittsburgh area).

[woxyroxme]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

We're considering a "rural" getaway to the Hocking Hills.

Very much worth seeing and it would take three days to see everything. I took these pics almost 5 years ago.

The Hocking Hills Photo Thread

[ram2]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

We also were concerned by how many Romney/Ryan supporters we saw in the city proper.

Why would that concern any open-minded person? Just for comparison, the city of Detroit has had continuous Democratic mayors since at least 1961.

[CortlandGirl79]

You need to check out Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens Promo 2

[SorryIMovedBack]

German Village at Columbus and this Columbus, Ohio Travel Guide - Hotels, Attractions, Dining ,
Things to do in Columbus: Check out 62 Columbus Attractions - TripAdvisor

[HPY1]

As previously stated the Hocking Hills is a wonderful area. You can rent a cabin see the parks and hike the trails.

Lots of people like "Amish Country" but I have be honest... I alway hear that term and have no idea where people go when they say "Amish Country."

I've heard Cincinnati has decent live theaters or you could watch a game.

Cedar Point

Kings Island

Columbus... You can go to the Columbus Zoo to the Water Park at the Zoo see German Village or shop at the decent malls they have there... There are always Buckeye Games or Hockey Games

Cleveland - I've never been in love with Cleveland but you could catch a baseball game see the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Some people like going to the Ohio River..... I am not sure what they see or do there without a boat, but still an option.

Athens, Ohio.. Ohio University is a beautiful campus and the town is okay. Not too far from the Hocking Hills either.

I hope those ideas help.

[bjimmy24]

SO much to do in Cleveland, I'm sorry you ran into St. Patrick's Day craziness before!
- Downtown: Indians, Cavs, Browns, Monsters, Rock Hall (The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum | RockHall.com), Casino, E. 4/Warehouse District restaurants and bars (East Fourth Neighborhood: Homepages - "Cleveland's Premiere Downtown Living Destination", Warehouse District - Homepage), Playhouse Square live theater, I also suggest taking a tour! (PlayhouseSquare :: Home) and some nice views/scenery like at Voinovich Park (right on the lake), the Mall (http://brentdurken.com/wp-content/up...ernal-Life.jpg), Euclid Arcade (The Arcade | A Cleveland Classic Since 1890). I think it's also worth going to the Cleveland Public Library (Cleveland Public Library - www.cpl.org).
- Ohio City: West Side Market, various breweries/bars/restaurants- might I suggest the Velvet Tango Room (Velvet Tango Room), Bonbon Cafe (Bonbon Pastry & Cafe) and taking some food from the market over to the new Market Square Park to eat.
- University Circle: Art museum (http://clevelandart.org/), contemporary art museum (Home | MOCA Cleveland), Botanical Garden (Cleveland Botanical Garden | Cleveland Gardens), cultural gardens (Cleveland Cultural Gardens), walk down Mayfield Road through the heart of Little Italy, get some gelato or stop for some pasta/pizza.

Some other good places that are often off the tourist radar are the restaurants in Asia Town (http://www.asiatowncleveland.com/), Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage (don't have to be Jewish to enjoy this place) (http://www.maltzmuseum.org/), Shaker Nature Center (Nature Center at Shaker Lakes), catch a show at Cleveland Heights' outdoor performance venue Cain Park (City of Cleveland Heights, OH : Home).

I recommend coming between May and September for maximum enjoyment. Cleveland is awesome all the time, but for a visitor, you'd definitely love the more summery months- countless festivals and such going on. I think last summer, I went to a different festival/event every single weekend day, no repeats. There really is a ton to do if you do a little research! Hope this helps and at least gets you started on thinking of more things to do! Hope you don't retreat to Ruby Tuesday's again.

[sheena12]

Hocking Hills - Athens would be a good combination vacation. You would like it, SCR, but I'd think Spring.