Excursions
For a Half Day
Kent State University Museum: Located on the picturesque campus of Ohio’s Kent State University, about 30 minutes’ drive east of Cleveland, the Kent State University Museum (tel: (330) 672 3450; website: www.kent.edu/museum) is an unusual institution, which houses an astounding collection of costumes and decorative arts from the 18th century to the present day. Opened to the public in 1985, its collection now includes almost 20,000 items of costume and 200,000 pieces of glass, as well as fine furniture, textiles and paintings. The museum is open Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 1000-1645, Thursday 1000-2045 and Sunday 1200-1645; admission costs US$5. Transport by car is recommended via Highway 271 to 480 to 43.
For a Whole Day
Cedar Point Amusement Park: Cedar Point (tel: (419) 627 2350; website: www.cedarpoint.com) began life in the middle of the 19th century as a bathhouse resort on a peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. Soon after, rides were introduced and in the intervening years it has grown into one of the largest ride parks in the USA. Of its 68 rides, the most recent is the Wicked Twister, ‘the world’s tallest and fastest "double-twisting" impulse roller coaster’, which brings the total number of rollercoasters to 15 at this famous park. Millennium Force, the world’s first rollercoaster to offer a single drop of 91m (300ft) is another favourite. Although the park features many other rides – it has the most steel rollercoasters of any single park –making it a popular destination for coaster aficionados the world over. Other facilities include a water park and water ride, an IMAX cinema, a marine mammal complex and a mile-long beach.
Cedar Point is located 98km (61 miles) west of Cleveland and is accessible by car via Highway 6 or Highway 2. A Greyhound bus service is operated to the town of Sandusky, which is itself worth a visit for its attractive rural setting and Downtown square. Cedar Point is open from May to September and admission is US$42.
Kelleys Island: Located in Lake Erie about 19km (12 miles) north of Sandusky, Kelleys Island (tel: (419) 746 2360; website: www.kelleysisland.com) is the largest freshwater American island in Lake Erie and a tranquil day out of the city. Attractions include Inscription Rock State Memorial, a limestone rock with pictographs of men and animals carved 300-400 years ago; three hiking trails, sandy beaches and a picturesque and historic Downtown. Kelley’s Island is also very popular with bird-watchers due to the large number of migrating birds that visit it. The island is accessible by ferry from Marblehead via Highway 163 (total journey time – two hours). It is possible to bring a car onto Kelley’s Island, although foot, bicycle or golf cart is strongly encouraged.
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Excursions