So many Americans find themselves scrambling for summer vacation ideas, even looking for adventures that are closer to home. Clevelanders are no different. Stay-cations, or staying close to home for vacations have become more popular. Cleveland has numerous places to visit, sightsee, and tour. Lakeside’s Ninth Street Pier @Voinovich Park and Ohio City are just a couple trendy spots that CLE has to explore. I will share some experiences you might not want to miss out on trying this summer!
On a recent ladies stay-cation, four of us were passengers on the Good Time III boating excursion. The Good Time III is a third generation tour boat that takes passengers onto Lake Erie, starting at the foot of Ninth Street pier, a short walk from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The boat tour company is offering entertainment cruises on Friday and Saturday nights until the end of summer. They are featuring a different local band each time it cruises Lake Erie. The Good Time III has so many scheduled times to embark on beautiful Lake Erie, you can plan to go before or after taking in a Guardians baseball game, or sightseeing at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, or Great Lakes Science Center. There are also dinner and sunset cruises.
The night that we were aboard the Good Time III we listened to live music provided by a local Cleveland band called “Old Skool” that provided music from the 90s. Taking in the sights and sounds aboard the ship allowed for an energizing and positive experience full of dancing, celebrations, and laughter. We even witnessed Old Skool’s very own talented David Sewell, also nicknamed Big Daddy, playing his guitar behind his head as he made his way off the stage to entertain passengers who were dancing.
The night’s boating excursion began with a boom, or several booms that lit up the night sky with a colorful display. We could see fireworks being lit nearby for the Juneteenth celebration, as the ship made its way around the Ninth Street pier where the Great Lakes Science Center looks out, but just inside of the break walls of Lake Erie. The ship takes a turn and rounds up the Cuyahoga River just in between the east and west banks of the flats. It does not make stops along the river for loading and unloading, however. The highest deck level of the ship affords an open cabin so that passengers may feel the lake breeze while listening to music at a softer level, and taking in the sights of Cleveland’s skyline from the lake.
We stayed at The Double Tree Hotel, which was a short walking distance from the pier, but shuttle services are provided to the Ninth Street Pier; home to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, The Great Lakes Science Center, and The Cleveland Browns First Energy Stadium.
Noble Beast Brewing Co. was a short walk from The DoubleTree Hotel offering up delectable food items and their very own draft beers. Our choices consisted of the Noble Boy, Zesty fries, a large soft Bavarian Pretzel with dips to choose from, and hand-cut kettle chips with homemade caramelized onion dip, and a Bologna Sando.
The following morning led to sightseeing in the West 25th Street area called Ohio City, home of the West Side Market. We parked our vehicles behind the West Side Market and strolled about by foot experiencing all that it had to offer. Two adjacent vendors were explored; City Roast Coffee and Tea, along with Crepes De Luxe, to grab coffees of our choosing along with crepes stuffed with whatever you choose. It was my first time watching a crepe being made and I quickly realized what an intricate process it entails. I opted for my crepe to be stuffed with sundried tomatoes, spinach, egg, cheddar, mushrooms and bacon; a sort of Mediterranean mix. It is served like a handheld in a cone-shaped cardboard box and easy to carry around. Theresa’s is a market vendor offering up desserts with numerous cannoli to choose from. With so many mouth-watering choices like the Snickers, Butterfinger, and chocolate chips, we opted for a few different smaller ones to sample.
Note: It is a good idea to take cash to use at the West Side Market. The vendors selling fresh produce will haggle while offering up better bargains than that of their vending neighbors. Also, many shops have a minimum that must be spent in order to use a credit card, or there is a surcharge fee added.
We followed the sounds of live jazz music through the West Side Market doors and onto West 25th Street where a band called Slap was playing on the Market Square Park stage. With plenty of picnic tables and seating around we were able to sit and relax to the jazz tunes while eating our West Side Market goodies. There were women and children dancing to the music, while a gentleman pushing a buggy featuring his mascot; an orange tabby cat loosely tethered.
Ohio City and Ninth Street Pier @ Lakeside are just a couple of stopping grounds to keep you feeling like a tourist in the good ole CLE. Whether you head downtown for a day, a weekend or just an overnight adventure, you are sure to be kept busy and entertained with all that the greater Cleveland area has to offer.
Stay-cations can be as entertaining or relaxing as the people you choose to spend them with, allowing varied interests to come together with one thing in mind; an adventure.
Websites To Help Plan Your Stay-cation in CLE:
https://goodtimeiii.com/city-lights-cruise/#1589845946080-976eee62-16c8
https://www.oldskoolcle.com/meet-the-band
https://www.ohiocity.org/visit
https://www.thisiscleveland.com/locations/voinovich-park
