Hike Through History
This summer, put a little spring in your step by discovering the treasures Ohio’s rock ’n’ roll city holds. Through September 18, the Take a Hike! program gives locals and out-of-towners alike the chance to explore unforgettable aspects of Cleveland through four free guided walking tours of popular hot spots.

“We started Take a Hike! three years ago to educate people about the great history of our city,” says program manager Kelly Lange, “and share plans for its future.”

Since then, more than 5,000 tourists have congregated for the one-and-a-half-hour-long strolls, which take place weekend mornings and evenings during the week: On Sundays, see Settler’s Landing, the way city founder Moses Cleaveland did, when he set up camp in 1796.

PlayhouseSquare, the country’s second-largest performing arts center, takes center stage on Tuesdays. Cleveland’s rich heritage as a hardware- and garment-manufacturing hub is showcased every Thursday, while one of the city’s most magnificent architectural gems, the 121-year-old Arcade, is the subject of the Saturday sojourn.

During every hike, streets come alive with a colorful cast of Cleveland luminaries from the past, portrayed by local actors.

Lange is thrilled with the comments she’s received from participants so far. Her favorites came from two native Clevelanders — one woman in her 30s, and the other in her 60s. Each wrote to say that although they’ve lived in the city their entire lives, they never knew all it had to offer until they, well, took a hike.

Visitors from around the state and throughout the U.S., as well as Canada, England and Germany, have made it a point to take the tours, often going out to dine with their new friends at the conclusion of the walk.

Lange takes her role as goodwill ambassador seriously.

“People who don’t live around here can go back to their family and friends and tell them that Cleveland is fantastic,” she says, “so they will want to come for a visit, too.”  — Linda Feagler

For more information, visit historicgateway.org or call 216/771-1994.


Petal to Pedal
Coasting down the Greater Miami River Bike Trail toward Milford, cyclists take pleasure in the pastoral ambiance that surrounds them: the sparkling Little Miami River, as well as the bright shocks of butterfly weed and wood lilies that flank the path.

And this summer, trail riders are noticing what promises to be a new seasonal favorite: bikes as garden art. More than 36 cycles are on display for Bikes in Bloom, a public-art project in which bicycles, tricycles and Big Wheels, adorned with flowers and plants, have been placed at points of interest in downtown Milford and Miami Township.

Mary Anne Crowley, the Greater Milford Events & Arts Council co-chair, points to the naturescape as inspiration for the display.

“After witnessing Bikes in Bloom in New York, we wanted to bring the event here where the bike trails are such an integral part of our community,” explains Crowley. “It just made sense that the idea would manifest itself in this way.”

Artists have clearly put their creative know-how to work: A combination of artificial and live silk flowers, blooming vines and vibrant annuals make this the ultimate in recycling. Visitors are invited to cast a People’s Choice ballot for their favorite bike by July 23. — Laura Beans

For more information, visit gmeac.org.

Tourism honor
The word “zenith,” noted Gregg Mervis, vice president and COO of the Akron/Summit Convention & Visitors Bureau, means the “top.” And with that, he introduced the bureau’s 10th annual Zenith Awards honoring the best of the best in the Akron/Summit County region’s travel and tourism industry.

The program, held last month at the John S. Knight Center in downtown Akron, recognized numerous honorees. Receiving the chairman’s award from CVB Chairman Gregory R. Bean was Lute Harmon Sr., chairman of Great Lakes Publishing.

Harmon was honored for promoting and encouraging travel and tourism throughout the region and the state through Great Lakes Publishing magazines, including Ohio Magazine, Cleveland Magazine and Inside Business.

In accepting the award, Harmon turned the tables on the tourism officials in attendance, including State Tourism Director Amir Eylon.

“It is I who want to thank you,” Harmon said to the gathering. “I want to thank you because you get it. You understand the huge importance of the hospitality industry on our state. You understand its economic impact as well as its impact on how we are viewed around the country.”

Harmon credited Susan Hamo, president of the Akron/Summit Convention & Visitors Bureau, for being the first person to teach him about the industry’s significance shortly after Great Lakes Publishing acquired Ohio Magazine in 2000.

“She’s very convincing,” he said. “And she was certainly right. I am honored by the award but, more important, I am grateful that you have inspired me and accepted me into your fold.”