Exploring Akron and Toledo

Ohio is a Midwestern state that stretches from the Ohio River and the Appalachian Mountains in the south to Lake Erie in the north. Akron is the fifth largest city in the state. It is located in a very picturesque part of the U.S. It is a city where the old blends in with the new.

Boston Mills is known as the snowboarding capital of Ohio and a great spot for winter sports. Boston Mills and Brandywine are sister ski resorts. Together they offer 19 ski runs spread over 79 acres. At Boston Mills you’ll find the Tiger Run which is the steepest ski slope in all of the U.S. Other fun winter activities include snowshoeing and sledding.

The Akron Zoo dates back to the 1900s. It is a 50-acre zoo located west of downtown Akron. You can see more than 700 animals. There are eight themed areas. Among them are:

Komodo Kingdom is an indoor exhibit that features a Komodo dragon, Galapagos tortoises, and other rainforest species.

Tiger Valley is home to African lions, Sumatran tigers, sloth bears, and red pandas.

Farmland is home to sheep, African pygmy goats, and other domesticated animals. This is where you can get the A&K Wilber Express the zoo’s train ride.

The Kent State University Museum has eight different galleries which feature static and rotating exhibits. Here you can find on display textiles, furniture, glassware, paintings, and decorative pieces. The artwork is by both local and international artists. The pieces range from the 18th century to the present day.

Blossom Music Center is one of the most picturesque performance spaces in the U.S. It was built outdoors spreading across 800 acres in the hills of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. In the summer months, the Cleveland Orchestra plays here and movies can be seen with an orchestral accompaniment. Pop concerts are also held here.

Akron Art Museum is worth seeing for both its architecture and its art. Art collections range from 1850 to the present day. There is a large gallery with modern and contemporary artwork. You’ll find traditional paintings, sculptures, photos, and paper drawings. The museum has found a home in a Renaissance revival building from the 19th century. It is an impressive mix of glass and steel.

Brandywine Falls is located in Cuyahoga Valley National Park and about 25 minutes from Akron. It is a lovely y spot with great scenery and you can get to the falls by a scenic boardwalk located below. To get closer to the falls you can take the steps that have been built into the side of the gorge. The Brandywine Gorge stretches for more than a mile and the pools here are the breeding grounds for indigenous salamanders in the spring.

The John S. Knight Center in downtown Akron is the place for a wide range of concerts and shows. It has hosted many well-known names and has played host to dance recitals, classical concerts and pop music shows.

The Stan Hywet Hall and Garden is the former home of F.A. Seiberling, the co-founder of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. The house was built in the Tudor Revival style and has 65 rooms. There are 20 acres of grassy lawn, a conservatory, and flower gardens. There is a play garden for children with interactive garden displays such as a Splash Fountain. You can take a tour of the house and the grounds or choose to tour on your own.

Hale Farm and Village is located outside of Akron proper, in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The farm was the former home of Jonathan Hale, a local farmer. It is now on the National Register of Historic Places. The house dates from 1825. You can come to visit and learn about how people lived in the 1800s in this rural farming community.

Toledo on the Maumee River

Toledo is located at the western tip of Lake Erie. The city sits on the banks of the Maumee River. It has a rich history in the Miami and Erie Canal System.

The Toledo Zoo is over a century old and offers evolving exhibits. There are over 9,000 animals among them elephants, camels, gorillas, and otters. Among the top popular exhibits are the Aquarium, Primate Forest, Tembo Trail, Arctic Encounter, and the Africa exhibit. The zoo also has an aerial adventure course, a merry-go-round, and train rides.

The Toledo Museum of Art consists of six buildings and has over 50 galleries. Collections include Greek, Asian, Egyptian, and African artwork. There are medieval, modern, and contemporary pieces of art. One of the highlights here is the Glass Pavilion. Outside the gardens are lovely and have sculptures.

The Fifth Third Field is the place to see a Mud Hens night baseball game. The Mud Hens are a Triple-A minor league baseball team. The stadium has dining options from hot dogs to steak. Most of the home games end with fireworks, lighting up the downtown riverfront. Don’t forget to explore Hensville, the new entertainment district next to the stadium.

Imagination Station in downtown Toledo is a family-friendly science center. There are over 250 interactive exhibits. The Extreme Science Theater offers live experiments. After your visit, you can relax at the Atomic Café.

At the Toledo Botanical Garden, you can walk through over 60 acres of gardens with different plant and flower collections. There are amazing sculptures and places to sit in the shade. The Garden of Discovery Trail has interactive stations.

Visit Tony Packo’s Café the café made famous in the hit TV show MASH in the 1970s. It was actor Jamie Farr, playing Corporal Maxwell Kinger who mentioned the café in some episodes. Farr was a Toledo native and promoted the famous Tony Packo’s Hungarian hot dogs. Upon the wall, you can see the faces of the well-known and hot dog buns signed by actor Burt Reynolds back in 1972. It is not just a place to eat but a kind of museum as well.

It is worth taking a tour of the Toledo Lighthouse. Small group tours head out by boat from the Toledo Harbor Lighthouse Preservation Society on the marina at Maumee Bay State Park. To see the inside of the lighthouse you have to climb on a rung ladder with 76 steps that will take you to the top of the tower. The lighthouse's history dates back to the 1800s.

The National Museum of the Great Lakes will tell you about the history of the Great Lakes with hundreds of artifacts. All through the museum, you’ll find interactive exhibits. Among the highlights is the century-old Col. James Schoonmaker ship open for self-guided tours. Outside you can enjoy the maritime park on the Maumee River.

Metroparks offers visitors hiking, birding, camping, fishing, and mountain biking. Metroparks Toledo includes 19 parks with the most popular being Wildwood Preserve.

Oak Openings Preserve is the largest and has dunes, wildlife, plant habitats, and a 12-mile mountain bike trail.

Providence Metropark offers a unique way to travel on the canal. The Canal Experience lets you get out onto the water. The Volunteer Canal Boat tells you how these boats carried people and products between Toledo and Cincinnati. You can see part of the Miami and Erie Canal towpath, a gristmill, and one of the last working canal locks. Staff dressed in period costumes tell you about canal life in the 19th century. You can enjoy the trails and picnic areas in the park.