Investigate the past at Great Lakes Brewing Co.
Three Victorian-era buildings make up the brewpub at Great Lakes Brewing Co. in Ohio City, including the Market Tavern, a favorite haunt of Eliot Ness. Legend has it Ness fired the .38-caliber bullet still lodged in the 19th-century bar here, so grab the amber lager named after the famed gangbuster and Cleveland safety director while you discuss whether the myth is true. 2516 Market Ave., Cleveland, 216-771-4404, greatlakesbrewing.com
Picnic on the Mall
This swatch of land, part of the Group Plan of 1903 designed by Chicago architect Daniel Burnham, has seen many ups and downs over the years. With its recent revitalization thanks to the renovation of the Cleveland Convention Center, the updated space with amazing views of Lake Erie is once again drawing locals to its 12.5 acres of grassy lawn for lunchtime breaks and weekend escapes.
Explore the Cleveland Museum of Art
After an eight-year, $320 million renovation and expansion, this masterpiece has gone modern with iPads to guide you through its galleries (with fun videos and tidbits to enhance certain works). In addition, the museum’s Collection Wall, a 5-by-40-foot interactive touch screen, acts like an artwork jukebox — and changes every 40 seconds — with more than 4,100 pieces from the permanent collection. 11150 East Blvd., Cleveland, 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org
Visit Balto at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History
There aren’t many canines who deserve to be called “man’s best friend” quite like Balto. The heroic husky was forced to perform in vaudeville acts and sold to a dime museum after his legendary 1925 serum run that saved an Alaskan town facing a diphtheria epidemic. But in 1927, with the help of Clevelanders, businessman George Kimble raised $2,000 to bring the pooch to Brookside Zoo. He was mounted and put on display at the museum after his death so people could continue to honor the lifesaving hound. 1 Wade Oval Drive, Cleveland, 216-231-4600, cmnh.org
Get familiar with Michael Symon
Head to B Spot, the Iron Chef’s burger joint, and eat up his love letter to our city: The Fat Doug marries a 6-ounce patty with coleslaw, pastrami, Stadium Mustard and Swiss cheese. Various locations, bspotburgers.com
Back in 1997, Lolita was called Lola, but this Symon mainstay still puts out classics such as Brussels sprouts, fried perfectly with capers, anchovies and walnuts. 900 Literary Road, Cleveland, 216-771-5652, lolitaresetaurant.com
Lola on East Fourth Street continues to push the culinary envelope nine years after opening. Snag a seat at the chef’s table overlooking the kitchen and you just might catch The Chew star in action. 2058 E. Fourth St., Cleveland, 216-621-5652, lolabistro.com
Set sail on the Goodtime III
It’s a shore sign that summer is around the corner when we spot the 1,000-passenger ship sailing along the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie. The third vessel to bear the fun-loving moniker — the original roamed our city’s waters from 1924 to 1938 — it offers a variety of trips from two-hour narrated tours to lunch and dinner cruises. 825 E. Ninth St., Cleveland, 216-861-5110, goodtimeIII.com
Tailgate before a Browns game
We bleed brown and orange in Cleveland. So on any given football Sunday, you’ll find the most devoted and revved up Browns fans packing the Muni Lot or the Pit in the wee hours of the morning. Buses, trailers, scooters — even a couch on wheels — are used to make little villages of faithful followers who grill out (don’t forget the Stadium Mustard), drink beer (Great Lakes’ Dortmunder Gold in red Solo Cups is a must) and chant their hopes and dreams for the big game (“Here we go Brownies, here we go!”). And whatever the final score, we’ll be back to do it all again before the next kickoff. Bonus: Take a selfie with the Bone Lady, the beehived, hoopskirted superfan.
Make an early morning visit to the West Side Market
It’s a rude 6 a.m. awakening but you soon forget as the more-than-a-century old landmark transports you to a place where food — in its purest form — brings diverse Clevelanders with storied pasts together. Thinner crowds mean easy conversation with vendors about how they picked jewel lettuce from a hydroponic greenhouse that morning or just pulled nut rolls — that’ll sell out in an hour — from the oven. Bonus: Take in the grand second-floor balcony view with a sweet $3 City Roast Coffee & Tea cafe mocha and savory $6 Crepes de Luxe snack. 1979 W. 25th St., Cleveland, 216-664-3387, westsidemarket.org
Bike through town
Forget about sauntering along the sidewalk to see some of downtown Cleveland’s iconic spots. Change gears and hop aboard Cleveland Bike Tours’ two-wheeled excursion across town where riders pedal past buildings and landmarks such as the Soldiers‘ and Sailors’ Monument, the Erie Street Cemetery and the Free Stamp while learning fun nuggets of trivia. clevelandbiketours.com
Get your ride on at Cedar PointDescending the 310-foot Millennium Force hill at 93 mph may seem hair-raising, but it’s so smooth you glide and even float — especially when you catch airtime on the third hill.
Loop-de-loops blur concepts of up and down as the 70 mph Maverick whips you through two inversions and a heart-pounding, 95-degree drop.
You’ll jolt from zero to 120 mph in four seconds on the Top Thrill Dragster, but it’s the split-second glance of the entire park as you’re cresting the 420-foot hill that makes it memorable.
1 Cedar Point Drive, Sandusky, 419-627-2350, cedarpoint.com
