Willoughby, OH Outdoor Activities

A towering dome dedicated to golf practice looms over The Golf Dome’s multifaceted grounds, serving as the gravitational center of a facility dedicated to recreational golf and baseball practice. Inside the vaulted white roof, golfers stroke drives from one of 34 hitting bays at the indoor, two-tiered driving range, where distance-reading software flashes instant readouts of shot trajectory and the pain inflicted on each practice ball. The dome further facilitates climate-controlled clubbing with a putting and chipping area and Full Swing golf simulators, which allow golfers to play digital recreations of more than 30 of the world’s top courses.

Outside, a scenic, 20-foot waterfall draws players to the 18-hole miniature golf course, where contoured greens run between rocky outcrops, interrupted by water that comes into play on 14 holes. The din of sharply struck line drives echoes throughout the grounds, sonic evidence of the six adjacent batting cages, where players swing at high-arching softballs, baseballs hurled at up to 75 miles per hour, and tiny meteors raining from the sky.

Climbing indoors is nothing like traversing a vertical sea of mutated jungle-gym obstacles. Cleveland Rock Gym’s walls are covered with textured surfaces and challenging formations that will provide you with a calf-toning workout, so make sure to bring every baby whale you can find. More importantly, you’ll be in a controlled environment where you can practice moves that will put public menace Spider-Man to shame. The introduction to climbing class will introduce you to the basics of wall ascension, so you’ll be climbing through indentions, protrusions, overhangs, underhangs, and cracks in no time.

Like many minor-league baseball teams, the Captains didn't start out with their current name or even in their current state. The Columbus Indians (from Columbus, Georgia) were founded in 1991, and a year later, they became the RedStixx. It wasn't until 2003 that the franchise moved to Eastlake, Ohio, where they adopted the Captains moniker and caught their first bluegill. That same year, the newly established Captains treated Eastlake fans to a 97-win season and a trip to the South Atlantic League championship.

It was also in 2003 that the gates opened to Classic Park. The 6,150-seat facility features a grassy berm above its outfield walls and mixes nostalgic charm with modern features. Over the years, Classic Park has hosted many future big leaguers and many classic moments, including the Captains' first-ever championship season in 2010—the team's inaugural year as part of the Midwest League.

It is no secret that Cleveland native, autodidactic historian, and self-proclaimed people person Karl C. Johnson loves his city. After learning everything there is to know about the Sixth City's rich history, he decided to put his newfound knowledge to use by crafting his own distinctive tours that replace standard architectural jargon with vibrant yarns involving history, politics, and personal experiences. He leads his jaunts on segways, buses, limousines, or on foot. During segway tours, Karl gives his guests a choice in the amount of narration he performs, from moderately narrated tours that cover more ground to fully narrated tours that progress more slowly. If guests prefer to travel by bus or automobile, Karl will highlight specific areas of the city that his guests desire to see, such as Public Square or the rack where they hang the key to the city.

More than 120,000 species of trees, wildflowers, and native plants take root across The Holden Arboretum’s 3,600 acres of themed gardens and natural terrain. As birds chirp overhead and butterflies binge on nectar plants, visitors make their way across 12 gardens on guided tours or leisurely strolls. The most intrepid wanderers can spend a full day attempting to navigate more than 20 miles of trails that wind through a rhododendron garden, a mature beech-maple forest, and a waterfowl observation blind. Guides facilitate a more focused experience during forest explorations and home landscaping sessions, the latter of which demonstrate how to add a lifelike smile to topiary sculptures of the mailman. The arboretum also hosts numerous lecture series, youth programs, and special events such as Fridays in the Garden, where light refreshments accompany presentations or walks with horticultural experts.