Summertime Activity List in the CLE

Last year we started the tradition of making a list of summertime activities that we would like to do as a family.   It's impossible to check ALL the items off our list, but we make one heck of an effort doing so.

In honor of the first day of summer, we hope to tackle these 20 activities in or around Cleveland:

1. Go to Edgewater Live sponsored by the Cleveland Metroparks.
2. Wade Oval Wednesdays in University Circle.
3. Hale Farm in Peninsula
4. Akron Zoo to see their amazing penguin exhibit.
5. Goodtime III.  It's a joke in our family that I've never been on this (cheesy, yes).
6. Catch an Indians game.
7. Attend a Browns practice at their Berea facility.
8. Ride the Towpath.
9. Have lunch at Szalay's Farm.  Best corn-on-the-cob!
10. Go to Put-in-Bay.
11. Go to a drive-in movie.
12. Attend the Summer Market in Avon Lake.
13. Get scoop of Honey Hut Ice Cream in honor of the Bean, who would take my husband there every summer.
14. Go to the Irish Festival.
15. Kayak in Lake Erie.
16. Go to Yoga at the Cleveland Museum of Art.
17. Attend one Cleveland Orchestra concert at Blossom.
18. Enjoy Summertime Treat Night - hotdogs, s'mores, roasted marshmallows).
19. Go to Cedar Point.
20. Attend at least one farmer's market or pick fresh fruit and vegetables at a farm.

Fun Stuff in CLE on President's Day

If you're lucky enough to have the President's Day holiday off, there's plenty of wonderful things to do in and around Cleveland. You could:

1. Go hang out at the Cleveland Aquarium. Sea Monsters - Truth or Tale is the special feature at the Cleveland Aquarium and, at just $19.95 for adults and $13.95 for kids, it's a real value.
2. Enjoy Fairytales and Frogs at the Cleveland Zoo's Rainforest.  We participated in this event 3 years ago and it was absolute fun.  Bridget dressed up as Sleeping Beauty, which was so cool. Everyone is encouraged to dress like a princess, prince or frog.  We have a Zoo Membership (best money spent!), but daily admission to the Rainforest is just $8.25 for adults and $5.25 for kids.  The Zoo is free on Mondays to Cuyahoga County residents.
3. Take in the beauty of Orchid Mania at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens. Adults are $9.50 and children 3-12 are $4.00.  There's even a chocolate-scented orchid to enjoy.  The Glasshouse has always been my favorite features of the CBG, featuring Costa Rica Rainforest and the Spiny Desert of Madagascar.
4. Medina Ice Festival for some amazing ice carving and ice wine.
5. President's Day Extravaganza at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Parents are $12.00 and kids are $6.00 for a day of fun.
6. Any of the Cleveland Metroparks Reservations for some great hiking. There's a Skunk Cabbage hike from 10-11 a.m., Little Explorers: Winter Birds from 10-11:15 a.m., as well as activities at the Brecksville Nature Center and the Rocky River Nature Center.

So no matter how you spend the day, you can never go wrong by spending it in Cleveland!

Great Little Challenge for Clevelanders

I follow the Cleveland Metroparks on Twitter (@clevemetroparks) and this week they issued a cool challenge asking followers if they have visited all the Cleveland Metroparks reservations. If not, try visiting them all in 2013, they tweeted! What a wonderful idea!

Acacia
Bedford
Big Creek
Bradley Woods
Brecksville
Brookside
Euclid Creek
Garfield Park
Hinckley
Huntington
Mill Stream
North Chagrin
Ohio & Erie Canal
Rocky River
South Chagrin
Washington (including Rivergate)
West Creek

So I challenge you, Cleveland readers, to do the same. I will take my Nike Plus Fuel Band, load up the kid and maybe the dogs, go for walks in the spectacular (yet strange) weather, get in some hiking and enjoy the wonders of the Metroparks!