Cleveland, Ohio, Family Vacation

Miles of green space, innovative attractions, and pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods make Cleveland an instant family favorite destination. It's a fan's town -- baseball lovers will plan their journey around the Cleveland Indians' home schedule, music enthusiasts will spend days at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and food aficionados will be impressed by local favorites like Presti's. It will only take a few hours in this city on Lake Erie's southern shore before everyone in the family is chanting "Cleveland rocks!"

Summer and fall are the peak tourist months, when the weather is pleasant and a host of outdoor activities and festivals (from Parade the Circle to Little Italy's Feast of Assumption) entice locals and tourists alike to celebrate the city's cultural offerings. Seasonal events like the annual Christmas Story House convention in November may make off-season travel less or more attractive, depending on your family's interests.

A lakefront city, Cleveland has four distinct seasons. Expect cold, snowy weather November through March, with temperatures ranging from the low 30s to the low 50s. Spring weather (in the low 60s to low 70s) usually appears in April. By June the true summer weather arrives, complete with plenty of sunshine and sometimes muggy heat away from the water (in the low to mid 80s). September ushers in dry, comfortable weather (mid 60s to mid 70s) to accompany the changing leaves before winter sets in again.

Domestic and international flights land at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE), a 13-mile (20 minute) drive to the heart of downtown. Rental car agencies, buses, and taxis are readily available for ground transport, or take advantage of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority's (RTA) Red Line, which costs only $1.75 for the quick ride to downtown and the Tower City Center. At the intersection of three major interstates (I-77, I-71, and I-90) many families elect to drive to Cleveland; both Amtrak and Greyhound Bus Lines also service the city's downtown core.

In 2008, Cleveland ranked as the fourteenth most walkable city in the nation by WalkScore.com, a reflection of the fact that getting around downtown on foot is exceedingly simple. When little ones tire, hop on the free trolley for a quick ride to any of the numerous stops in the downtown area. Two trolley routes circumvent the area, with the E line serving Euclid Avenue, the warehouse district on West 9th Street, the entertainment district on East 4th Street, and the theaters in Playhouse Square. The B line circles Superior and Lakeside avenues between East 12th Street and the warehouse district. The E line runs from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. weekdays, while the B line runs 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays. Each line runs with a 10 minute service interval, so you'll never wait long for quick, easy, and free downtown transportation. The so-called Health Line is a good solution for getting from downtown to University Circle; the environmentally-friendly bus runs along a four-mile stretch of Euclid Avenue.

• Cleveland International Film Festival (March)
• Parade the Circle (June)
• Great American Rib Cook-Off (Memorial Day weekend)
• Ingenuity Fest (July)
• AST Dew Tour (July)
• Professional Football Hall of Fame Festival (late July-early August)
• Little Italy Feast of the Assumption (August)
• Burning River Fest (August)
• Cleveland National Air Show (Labor Day weekend)
• Winterfest (Thanksgiving weekend)

The best spot to get tips and information on where to stay, eat, and shop and what to see and do in Cleveland and the surrounding areas is the official website of the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Cleveland. You can also get a sense of what's new in the city and what might appeal to older children at www.coolcleveland.com. Sign up for the free newsletter ahead of your visit and you'll be well versed on concerts and activities happening across the city.

Many of the websites for venues in Cleveland offer coupons and discount deals for families. Positively Cleveland offers the Cleveland Plus Pass, which gives visitors discounted access (of at least 30 percent) to ten of the city's most popular attractions. Passes can be purchased for two, three, or five-day periods; participating venues include Cleveland Botanical Gardens, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Lake Metroparks Farmpark, and more. The pass also entitles holders to discounts at gift shops and cafés at popular stops. Prices range from $14.95 (two days) to $34.95 (five days) for kids ages 2 to 12, and from $24.95 (two days) to $49.95 (five days) for adults ages 13 to 59. Senior passes are also available.

• Life Savers candies were invented by Cleveland chocolate manufacturer Clarence A. Crane. Crane started in the chocolate business but found his greatest success with the introduction of Crane's Peppermint Life Savers in 1892.
• Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1933 while they attended Cleveland's Glenville High School.
• Chef Boyardee was a Clevelander. Local restaurateur Hector Boiardi's spaghetti dinners were a hit in the 1920s, and by 1928 his dine-in and carry-out operations were in such demand he required factory production. The products were soon sold in stores across the country under the phonetic spelling of his name, Chef Boy-ar-dee.
• Cleveland is located within 500 miles of 43 percent of the U.S. population.