"National Plan For Vacation" Day Provides Ideal Opportunity To Organize Vacation and Staycation Idea

CLEVELAND (Jan. 23, 2019) – Designated to encourage people to select and plan their vacation days for the year at the start of the year, National Plan for Vacation Day will be celebrated on January 29. According to the U.S. Travel Association’s “Project: Time Off” initiative, Ohioans had more than 21 million unused vacation days in 2017*. To help Clevelanders get a head start on supplementing their out-of-town vacations in 2019 with long-weekend staycations in the region, Destination Cleveland offers a variety of ideas for adventures throughout the year in Northeast Ohio. Residents can mark their calendars, and potentially take a staycation, during “Be a Tourist in Your Hometown” weekend from March 20-24. This special weekend will give residents the opportunity to explore Cleveland and get to know their hometown better through a variety of experiences, discounts and special events. Or they can encourage their family and friends to take a vacation to Cleveland this summer during “Visit Me in CLE” weekend from June 21-23.

(Re)Discover Downtown

• If residents haven’t been Downtown recently, taking a day off is a perfect way to reacquaint themselves with well-known landmarks, learn about the city’s history and explore the new developments. Locals can start the day with an architecture and public art walking tour using Destination Cleveland’s Walk CLE map. A stop for food and drinks at one of the establishments in Flats East Bank should make the list, or when the temperatures warm up, paddleboating or kayaking at North Coast Harbor with rental at the Rock and Dock Marina will offer fantastic views of the cityscape. For a night on the town, Clevelanders can add to their Downtown itinerary with a show at Playhouse Square, a game at The Q or Progressive Field or drinks on East 4^th Street. Too tired to make the drive home? Residents can make it a weekend getaway with an overnight stay at a Downtown hotel.    
  • Rock and Dock Marina: 1020 E 9^th St., Cleveland (behind Rock & Roll Hall of Fame)
  • Flats East Bank: 1055 Old River Road, Cleveland
  • Playhouse Square: 1501 Euclid Ave., Cleveland
  • Quicken Loans Arena: 1 Center Court, Cleveland
  • Progressive Field: 2401 Ontario St., Cleveland

• Residents can spend a day (or two) touring the University Circle neighborhood, which is the most concentrated square mile of arts and culture institutions in the country. By purchasing the CirclePass, Clevelanders can learn about the region’s history, gaze at works of art and walk through gorgeous gardens at University Circle’s signature attractions at a discounted rate. The CirclePass provides access to Cleveland History Center, Cleveland Botanical Garden and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. And, of course, the Cleveland Museum of Art is always free. Museum-goers can even hop on the CircleLink Shuttle to travel to each venue.
• Cleveland History Center: 10825 East Blvd., Cleveland
• Cleveland Botanical Garden: 11030 East Blvd., Cleveland
• Cleveland Museum of Natural History: 1 Wade Oval Drive, Cleveland
• Cleveland Museum of Art: 11150 East Blvd., Cleveland

• Cleveland’s culinary scene showcases the region’s different ethnicities, and residents can take a trip around the world through these diverse dining options. Clevelanders can start the day at the West Side Market, stopping at stands like Crepes de Luxe, Maha’s Falafel and Pierogi Palace. Then (if their stomachs aren’t already full) they can venture out to the neighborhoods for more. For Creole and Cajun-inspired dishes from the Big Easy, residents can go to Bourbon Street Barrel Room in Tremont; for Ethiopian cuisine, locals can check out Zoma on Lee Road; for pho and pad thai, AsiaTown in the St. Clair-Superior neighborhood has more than a dozen restaurants to choose from; and for lasagna and spaghetti and meatballs, Little Italy is a must.
  • West Side Market: 1979 W 25^th St., Cleveland
  • Bourbon Street Barrel Room: 2393 Professor Ave., Cleveland
  • Zoma: 2240 Lee Road, Cleveland
  • AsiaTown: For list of restaurants, please visit www.stclairsuperior.org
  • Little Italy: For list of restaurants, please visit www.clevelandlittleitaly.com

• During the spring and summer months, residents can take a day to refresh and renew themselves by exploring the great outdoors. One option is taking a zipline adventure at Common Ground Canopy Tours. Just a 45-minute drive from Downtown Cleveland, Common Ground Canopy Tours offers a two-and-a-half-hour trip through the trees of the Vermillion River Valley. This outdoor experience combines seven zip lines, including an 850-foot zip over the Vermillion River, 13 platforms and three aerial bridges. Or locals can head over to Holden Arboretum for a day of roaming through the gardens. Located 30 minutes east of Downtown, Clevelanders can walk through the arboretum’s Butterfly Garden and Wildflower Garden, hike above the trees along the Murch Canopy Walk and climb the Kalberer Emergent Tower.
  • Common Ground Canopy Tours: 1420 Baird Road, Oberlin
  • Holden Arboretum: 9500 Sperry Road, Kirtland

• If residents and their friends are taking the same day off, what better way to spend time together than with some friendly competitions. Golf enthusiasts can hit the green for a day at one of the eight courses located throughout the Cleveland Metroparks. The golf courses vary from a sporting par three at Shawnee Hills to championship layouts at Manakki and Sleepy Hollow. To get their pulses racing, locals can get behind the wheel of an electric go-kart at BOSS Pro-Karting. Residents can compete in style with official racing suits and gloves and speed around the twists and turns of the track to see who the ultimate go-kart driver is. Locals can also jump into some fun at Sky Zone, Cleveland’s indoor trampoline park. From SkySlam basketball to ultimate volleyball and dodgeball, they sky’s the limit for an afternoon of activities.
  • Cleveland Metroparks Golf Courses: For the list of golf courses, please visit www.clevelandmetroparks.com/golf
  • BOSS Pro-Karting: 18301 Brookpark Road, Cleveland
  • Sky Zone: 31500 Viking Parkway, Westlake

• For those looking to take a day trip, but not wanting to drive too far, Canton is just an hour from Downtown Cleveland. Residents can spend the day looking through the exhibits at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. From the Hall of Fame Gallery, which houses the bronze bust of each enshrinee, to the Super Bowl Gallery to the interactive Call-the-Play Theater, the Hall of Fame is sure to be a touchdown with guests of all ages. For the adults looking for a break from the hustle and bustle, Gervasi Vineyard offers tours of its winery, shopping at The Marketplace and dining at three different on-site restaurants. Residents can even book their own weekend getaway at one of Gervasi’s Villa Suites.   
  • Pro Football Hall of Fame: 2121 George Halas Drive, N.W., Canton
  • Gervasi Vineyard: 1700 55^th St., N.E., Canton

• Residents can set their sights on a scenic staycation on the Lake Erie Shores & Islands. For a day of thrills, residents can hop on the 71 rides, including 18 roller coasters, at Cedar Point; or they can make a splash at Cedar Point Shores water park (or do both and spend the night at Hotel Breakers at Cedar Point). For a laid back long weekend in the summertime, residents can take the Jet Express ferry to Put-in-Bay or Kelleys Island. Golfing, kayaking, fishing and winery and brewery stops are just a few of the activities that guests can partake in during their time on the islands.
  • Cedar Point: One Cedar Point Drive, Sandusky
  • Jet Express docks for ferry service to Put-in-Bay and Kelleys Island: 101 W Shoreline Drive, Sandusky; 49 Jackson St., Port Clinton

• Located an hour outside of Downtown Cleveland, Geneva and Geneva-on-the-Lake offer options for an escape to Lake Erie’s east side. Guests can spend time touring Ohio’s wine country with stops at wineries like Ferrante Winery and M Cellars; participate in outdoor adventures at Lake Erie Canopy Tours or boating on Lake Erie; enjoy a round of golf at Geneva-on-the-Lake golf course; or get some R&R at The Lakehouse Inn, which has its own on-site spa, or The Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake.
  • Ferrante Winery: 5585 State Route 307, Geneva
  • M Cellars: 6193 S. River Road West, Geneva
  • The Lakehouse Inn, 5653 Lake Road, Geneva-on-the-Lake
  • The Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake: 4888 North Broadway, Geneva-on-the-Lake

For more staycation ideas or to learn more about new attractions and activities or Destination Cleveland, please visit thisiscleveland.com, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to our channels on YouTube and Pinterest.
 
DON’T FORGET: Destination Cleveland’s Concierge Team is also available to help residents and their visiting family and friends explore the region. Contact our team through email at cleconcierge@destinationcle.org, live chat at thisiscleveland.com or stop in the Cleveland Visitors Center (334 Euclid Ave., Cleveland) Mon. – Sat., 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. to plan your adventure.