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Positively Cleveland, Positively Fun

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Have you made plans for a family vacation this year? If the answer to that question is no, then read on, because I have the perfect family vacation destination for you: Cleveland. Yes, you read that right, I said Cleveland, as in Ohio. Not the first place that comes to mind when you think of a family vacation? I used to be the same way until the Sarver family spent a fun-filled week in the Buckeye State, and we can’t wait to go back!

Here’s an itinerary to help make the most of a week in Cleveland.

Note: We drove so we could have the convenience of our car, which we found necessary for getting around. We stayed overnight in St. Louis both ways to break up the trip a bit. For fun try these great car game ideas.

The first few days were spent an hour outside of Cleveland, in Sandusky, home to the famous Cedar Point, an amusement park with the most roller coasters in the United States.

Sandusky: What to Do:

Cedar Point Amusement Park

Cedar Point is home to more roller coasters than other amusement park. As I am not a roller coaster aficionado, I was hopeful that there would be more than just thrill rides, and I must say, Cedar Point delivered! One problem our family generally encounters at amusement parks is that two of us enjoy thrills, while two others prefer more mild options. I loved the variety of rides Cedar Point has to offer! There were so many of what I would term “mid” level rides—not too scary and not too wimpy—to please the entire family. We rode more rides together than at any other park we’ve visited. Some of our favorite things:

*We spent one day at Cedar Point and didn’t see the entire park. I would recommend at least a two-day visit.

Kelleys Island

Lake Erie is home to several islands, and after a day at the amusement park, we spent a day relaxing on Kelleys Island. To this day it remains my older daughter’s favorite day of the trip. Travel to the island by ferry, rent a golf cart and enjoy a day of beautiful scenery and family fun. We dined at Docker’s Restaurant, where we sat on a patio overlooking the water, and then spent time at the Glacial Grooves State Memorial (the largest example of glacial grooves in the United States). After the park, we were off to the beach where we spent several hours in the sand and water. While we enjoyed all activities, we really enjoyed exploring the island by golf cart, taking in the quaint homes and scenery.

After our days in Sandusky, we made the 45-minute drive to Cleveland. Check out our must-sees.

Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad: What’s more fun than a train ride? As I tend to over schedule our trips, a morning spent relaxing on the train and seeing the sights of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park was a nice midweek break. The volunteers aboard the train were so knowledgeable and shared so many interesting facts with us. After the ride, be sure to grab a meal at Yours Truly and then pop into Malley’s Chocolate Store—yum-o!! 

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: My husband and I are music lovers, so this was on the top of our list, and it was well worth the visit. We spent the better part of a day taking in the vast exhibits and memorabilia. With such a wide variety of artists represented, our girls found just as much to see and enjoy as we grownups did.  

The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo: We have a terrific zoo in Kansas City and love to visit, so it was natural to take in Cleveland’s zoo. While there are similarities between all zoos, we really enjoyed our time at the Metroparks Zoo. We found so much to see and explored several unique exhibits. The whole family enjoyed the nocturnal animals’ exhibit and was lucky enough to catch the koala bears when they were awake. We learned a lot from the docent outside of the koala house—she was truly an expert on the subject. We allowed three hours at the zoo but could have easily stayed a few more. 

Corner Alley: We spent the last night of our vacation at Corner Alley. It’s a family-friendly bowling alley with good food. It was nice to relax and enjoy our meal while bowling. The food is brought to tables where you play, so you can bowl and eat at the same time. 

Melt Bar & Grilled: While we enjoyed many good meals, you MUST visit Melt on a trip to Cleveland. The premise is simple: serve lots of different types of grilled cheese sandwiches. But the food is anything but simple! I ordered “The Godfather,” lasagna inside of a grilled cheese sandwich. My mouth waters as I write about it—quite possibly the best sandwich I’ve had, ever. 

Other notable places to visit:

Margaret Sarver lives with her family in Lenexa. While she loves Lenexa, she enjoys exploring other parts of our great country with her husband and two girls.

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