🥾 Cleveland’s Best Summer Hikes

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The clock is ticking down on summer. School is coming. Temperatures are dropping into the 70s. Go take a hike before it’s the late-great outdoors. Here are six places for your summer bucket list.

Gardenview Horticultural Park: So close yet a world away from the South Park Mall. This ‘secret garden’ teems with flora and fauna -- and the spirit of Henry David Thoreau, who inspired founder Henry A. Ross.  A little-known gem. Info.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park: It’s a natural beauty, with gorgeous waterfalls and hiking trails – as well as the 12^th most popular park in the U.S. and a top place to see in the world, per Frommer’s. There are a variety of events for its 50^th anniversary. Info.

Richfield Heritage Preserve: The 336-acre less-traveled gem boasts lakes, streams, wildflowers, birds and wooded trails. The former pioneer farm, inventor's estate and fruit orchard was closed off to the public for 75 years, until 2016. Info.

Nelson-Kennedy Ledges State Park: The sparkling quartz and stunning sandstone cliffs date back to the Ice Age. Once the home of Lenape tribe, it boasts hiking trails through lush forests and a glass-bottom bridge over a deep rocky ledge 50 feet below. Info.

Headlands Beach State Park:  The longest natural beach in Ohio was a filming location for ‘Superman.’ It’s a destination for beach bums and picnickers, bird and butterfly walks and adventurers in the adjacent Headlands Dunes Nature Preserve. Info.

Holden Arboretum: One of the nation’s largest botanical gardens, it houses 3,600 acres of gardens, wooded areas and 9,400 different plants. Check out the Murch Canopy Walk and the 125-foot-high wooden beam, Kalberer Emergent Tower. Info.

Randy Kelly remembers how it used to be on West 25^th  Street.  He doesn’t want to go back.

“It was terrible and took years of hard work and private investment to turn it into an entertainment district that draws people from all over,” says Kelly, co-owner of ABC the Tavern for 39 years. “Now I’m afraid it’s going to get terrible again.”

His view echoes that of business owners and West Side Market vendors pushing back against an RTA’s 25Connects plan to remove street parking for two dedicated bus lanes. 

On Wednesday, RTA and advocates hosted a meeting to allay their fears by pointing to the parking lot behind the market. The plan is supported by bike activists, but opposed by business owners and vendors, who have launched a petition against it.

“RTA wants to speed up traffic, but we have so many pedestrians crossing the street at night,” says Kelly. “We need those parking spaces and a two-year construction project is going to send us back to the dark ages.”

More to come on this developing story.

Cleveland isn’t a tennis town. The perception goes back decades, when the city hosted a Nets – a pro tennis team that featured Bjorn Borg and Martina Navratilova and still couldn’t draw fans.

Tennis in the Land is changing perceptions. The annual tennis tournament attracted more than 83,000 fans to the city last year – and it’s back for a fifth year, Saturday through Aug. 23, at Nautica.

WTA 250 event feature 32 of the top-ranked singles players and serves as the final tune-up for players heading into the U.S. Open. Info.

Festival season hits its peak this weekend with four shebangs – all of which run through Sunday.

126th Little Italy Feast of the Assumption: A religious observance meets a street party, carnival, art fair and a food fest… a fine way to pasta time away. Through Sunday. Info.

Cleveland Pagan Pride: Drum circles, Druids and broom dances – not to mention magic, music, spells, rituals and herbs. Info.

Romanian Festival: The oldest Romanian parish in the U.S celebrates tradition with folk dancers, bands, church tours and food. Info.

Donauschwaben Sommer Oktoberfest: Break out the lederhosen, dirndls, bands, folk dancers, bratwurst and beer. Info.

Screeching Weasel: They wanted to play hardcore, but loved the Ramones and Dickies too much. In the process, it inspired countless pop-punk bands.  Tonight at House of Blues. Info.

Neil Young: The everchanging rock icon brings his Chrome Hearts to Blossom Music Center. Tonight. Info.

Discotheque Gothique: Dance in the shadows as dark wave meets Italo-disco at the Winchester. Saturday. Info.

👉 View Listing on Zillow

Few bands have managed to synthesize so many styles to create their own thing. For 30 years, the Toronto-based Sadies have mixed pop melodies with country twang, garage fire and punk attitude – all while being sharp dressers. The band has collaborated with everyone from fellow Canucks Neil Young and Nico Case to Yanks like Andre Williams, Buffy Sainte-Marie and Kurt Vile. Let’s hear it for Canadian-American cooperation! At 8 p.m. Saturday, they hit the Beachland Ballroom. Also playing: Cleveland’s Doug McKeon and the Stuntmen. Info.

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81 °F 🌡️ 71 °F | ☁️ | 20% | 💨 8 mph (≈ 7 knots)

82 °F 🌡️ 72 °F | 🌧️ | 55% | 💨 7 mph (≈ 6 knots)

82 °F 🌡️ 70 °F | ⛅ | 5% | 💨 6 mph (≈ 5 knots)

_{Please note that weather conditions can change rapidly. For the most up-to-date information, consider checking a reliable local weather service.}

Home vs. Braves, 7:40pm Friday

Home vs. Braves, 7:40pm Saturday

Home vs. Braves, 1:40pm Sunday

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