No longer do you need to journey south on I-77 for Ohio’s premier drive-up burger and milkshake joint since 1934. In January, the ’50s-style diner roller-skated into University Heights, near John Carroll University, with its eighth location. A modernized building with an all-glass front gives fanatics their first peek inside. And while we hate to watch the poor burger waiters sprint, we love our curbside Galley Boys and malts served at break-neck speeds. 14510 Cedar Road, University Heights, 216-350-7776, swensonsdriveins.com
A Brand New Bite: Shake Shack
While the New York City phenomenon has more than 100 locations worldwide, its June opening in the new Pinecrest shopping center marks Ohio’s first taste of what began as a Madison Square Park food stand. “Start with the Shack Burger, crinkle cut fries and a shake,” says general manager Dustin Dykstra. “You’ll do what I did when I tried it 12 years ago — fall in love.” 311 Park Ave., Suite 121, Orange Village, 440-600-8690, shakeshack.com
For the Adrenaline Junkie: Cedar Point
Like a music lover rediscovering vinyl, Cedar Point revived the soul-satisfying feeling of wood with Steel Vengeance, a new Western-themed, steel-on-wood hybrid coaster built from the Mean Streak’s frame. With a 90-degree initial drop, the 205-foot-high coaster hits speeds of 74 mph and flips you upside down four times, but stays buttery-smooth on its steel rails. “It has the most airtime — that feeling of weightlessness — of any roller coaster on the planet,” says director of communications Tony Clark. 1 Cedar Point Drive, Sandusky, 419-627-2350, cedarpoint.com
A Fresh Place To Play: Play: CLE
If you’re looking for a different type of thrill, this 25,000-square-foot indoor playground in Avon makes you feel like a competitor on American Ninja Warrior. With ropes courses, zip lines, climbing walls, parkour courses and more, this two-level adventure park is as exhilarating for kids as it is for grown-ups who never really grew up. 38525 Chester Road, Avon, 440-695-3565, playcle.com
For a Wild Time: Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
Fall in love with your favorite zoo again by exploring the new Asian Highlands exhibit where you can meet snow leopards, red pandas and some lesser-known furry friends, such as the takin, which resembles an antelope. “We’re a very Africa-centric zoo,” says executive director Chris Kuhar. “For the first time in a while, folks in Ohio can see Asian species in an environment that allows them to climb and show some really cool behavior.” 3900 Wildlife Way, Cleveland, 216-661-6500, clevelandmetroparks.com/zoo
Out of Thin Air: Lake Erie Canopy Tours
Go treetop flying through Geneva State Park at the Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake’s 60-foot-high aerial park. The self-guided adventure course offers 30 rope and obstacle challenges of varying skill levels, plus a network of sky bridges along the Lake Erie shore you can zoom through at speeds of up to 30 mph. 4888 N. Broadway, Geneva-on-the-Lake, 866-601-1973, lakeeriecanopytours.com
For the Rock Star: Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame
If you’ve seen Pink Floyd’s wall and Johnny Cash’s tour bus, flip the channel from The Ed Sullivan Show to MTV in the Rock Hall’s new Stay Tuned: Rock on TV exhibit, which charts the tube’s role in rock history. “Rock ‘n’ roll really came into the American consciousness through television,” says Karen Herman, vice president of collections and curatorial affairs. “Rock ‘n’ roll’s visual components and the fashion skyrocketed it into the American consciousness.” 1100 E. Ninth St., Cleveland, 216-781-7625, rockhall.com
After Party Arrival: Marble Room
After the Rock Hall’s glitz transforms you into Keith Richards, turn the decadence to 11 in the lavish former National City Bank lobby or in one of its massive vaults that serves as a private dining room. Tune in to the raw tuna poke bowl, drop out with a bottle of wine from among 400 vintages and let the Saturday night saxophone player soothe your soul. 623 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, 216-523-7000, marbleroomcle.com
