Happy Friday all! I had an incredible long weekend over the holiday and did all sorts of fun, slightly different things, and so I decided to share them on the blog today. If you live in, or are visiting Northeast Ohio, you can find all these things here! If you don’t live here or plan to visit anytime soon, use these as ideas for things to find in your own city!
Get on the Water: I had my first kayaking experience some years ago, and I absolutely love it! I haven’t made the move to buying my own kayak, mainly because it feels like a lot of work to load it on top of my car, carry it down, etc. etc. when I only use it about 2-3 times per year tops. There are a lot of spots to kayak in Northeast Ohio - 41 North Kayak Adventures, River Cruiser Kayaking, Paddle the River to name a few. But my absolute favorite is Great Lakes Watersports in Downtown Cleveland. Great Lakes Watersports is my favorite for a few reasons:
You don’t need a reservation to kayak - it’s walk-up so you can kayak whenever the mood strikes you (weather depending, of course)
You can choose to kayak down the river or in the lake - they are both different experiences, and are equally delightful
Incredible views of the city.
Bonus, it’s a Black-owned outdoor business in the city! You can watch a quick video of my recent kayaking experience here.
Kayaks at Great Lakes Water sports
Take a Walk: When was the last time you took advantage of the green space in or around your city? If it’s been a minute, this is a great time to reconnect and explore a spot you haven’t explored before. The Cleveland Metroparks have greatly expanded their offerings this year, opening two new park sections in the city, both very close to downtown Cleveland. Check out my video from the Whiskey Island Trail here and the Red Line Green Way here.
View walking up to the Coast Guard Station on the Whiskey Island trail in Cleveland
Add a little sweetness with an ice cream tour: You can do this over a few weekends (it’s a lot of sugar) and tour all the small business ice cream in your neighborhood or your city. My personal favorites are Mason’s Creamery, Honey Hut (Joe Biden stopped here) and Mitchell’s ice cream, and I’m excited to try Remixx Ice Cream that opened this year. This is only a handful of the amazing ice cream options in Cleveland, and I’m excited to discover and try more!
Ice cream in front of the ice cream mural at Mason’s Creamery in the Ohio City neighborhood of Cleveland
Create your own wine tasting: Visit your local wine shop and create your own wine tasting. You can stick to one category of wine or even one region - have fun with it! Or you can even try a wine flight if your local wine shop offers it. I’m a big fan of Flight Cleveland and their wide (but budget conscious) selection!
Create your own rosé flight with the selection at Flight Cleveland
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Visit a summer market: There’s no shortage of summer markets, but the one I’m looking forward to the most is one that I’ve never been to before - the Summer Market. Imagine a selection of vintage vendors, artists, growers and foodies, set on the water, and you’ve got the Summer Market. This year’s event will take place on July 23rd and 24th at the Black River Landing at 421 Black River Lane in Lorain, Ohio - more details on the event here, and make sure you’re following the Summer Market on Instagram for sneak previews!
Summer Market in Lorain, Ohio - July 23rd & 24th 2021
No matter what you choose, I hope you have the opportunity to try something different this month! And who knows, maybe I will even see you while you’re on your adventure!