Couples looking for fun in Akron don't have to be content with dinner and a movie. A wide variety of theatres, plus natural attractions and sporting venues await visitors.
Whether you like to shop or museum hop or are looking for a romantic restaurant and getaway, you can find it in Akron.
Start with a visit to Akron's most unique museum, Inventure Place, which doubles as the National Inventors Hall of Fame. There, couples can make music with water, pick up hammer and nails to make their own inventions, or just ogle at the history and read the amazing stories of some of the world's many incredible inventions. Other museums worth a visit: Akron Museum of Art and the incredible restored estate at Stan Hywet Hall.
Stop for lunch""or to shop""at the West Point Market. Wines and cheeses, chocolates and unique edible creations will whet your appetite. Eat at the market's café or just pick up some good grub to pack a picnic basket, because Akron offers many good spots for a couple to curl up on a blanket and nibble.
It's hard to pick the most romantic spot for a picnic in Akron, but two come to mind quickly: First, Gorge Metropark, once a full-fledged amusement park, now a natural attraction and one that also offers skating (in the wintertime) and great hiking; and second, Brandywine Falls, in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, with its roaring waterfall and several picnic tables and trails to meander. Both parks offer gorgeous scenery, year-round. Or, plan your picnic with the "˜pops' at Blossom Music Center, an outdoor theatre that hosts the Akron Symphony Orchestra and other venues throughout the summer. On many summer nights, patrons can bring their own picnics to eat, and enjoy the music, on the lawn.
If you like winter activities, Akron's downtown ice-skating rink is a good bet, as is Brandywine/Boston Mills ski resort just north of the city limits. Couples who golf should plan more than one round in the area. While Firestone Country Club is open to members only, many local courses are both challenging and reasonably priced. Adventure-seekers will love the rock gym at Appalachian Outfitters, while those just looking for an upscale gym should hit Cuyahoga Falls' recently opened Natatorium, where one-day passes are available for a reasonable fee.
Time your visit right (for December 31st) and you can enjoy Akron's premier holiday celebration, "First Night." Several of Akron's signature buildings and organizations host interactive displays and entertainment during the evening. More than 20,000 First Night party-goers enjoy shows courtesy of Ohio Ballet, E.J. Thomas Hall, children's choirs, and art studios, before the grand finale, a fireworks show in the city's lovely little baseball field, Canal Park.
Speaking of fun, sports enthusiasts should plan to visit Canal Park for an Akron Aeros game. The team's gorgeous, close-to-the-action setting makes the game more appealing""and the farm team's between-innings antics get lots of chuckles from everyone, whether they're baseball fans or not.
In the spring and summer, be sure to head to Lock 3 for some live music on the waterfront, or pedal along the towpath bike trail that extends for miles, both north and south of Akron's downtown.
If you like to travel back in time, drive a few miles southwest to Canal Fulton, where you can bike the Old Muskingum Trail and rent a canoe to enjoy a serene river ride, or hop aboard the restored canal boat, Helena III. Shop the quaint stores like "The Toys Time Forgot" and several old-time candy and ice cream shops.
If you like to travel from winery to winery, while Akron is hardly Napa Valley, it does boast several nice vineyards. Two of the best: the winery at Wolf Creek, and Viking Vineyards. Both serve the wines they sell by the bottle and by the glass, and both feature live music acts on weekends, plus special dinners and parties.
The best shopping for souvenir seekers is found at Don Drumm Studio downtown, where one-of-a-kind local artworks are on display and on sale. The best in mall shopping is at Summit Mall. A smaller mall, Chapel Hill, will satisfy all but the most shopaholic of visitors, plus, at Chapel Hill mall, visitors can ride a real carousel, inside.
