Sites of
Interest Continued
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Lorain Harbor
Known as the “Jewel of the Port,” Lorain’s lighthouse was built in
1917 and serves as a local maritime icon. Standing at the end of a
mile-long breakwall, it was built of poured concrete and steel to
withstand fierce Lake Erie storms. It anchors an active harbor.
Parks on either side of the Black River offer views of the port,
piles of ore and the lighthouse. Constructed by the Lorain Port
Authority, the Industrial Heritage Pavilion at the new Black River
Landing is a place where eventually every active ship built by
Lorain’s American Shipbuilding can be tracked in “real-time” and its
progress watched…a place where the smelting of iron and the creation
of steel can be felt through the heat of a blast furnace…a place
where a visitor can follow the path of iron ore into taconite,
across the Great Lakes into the steel mill, into ingots, bars, and
other shapes; then watch as these are used to create automobiles and
other consumer products. 440-204-2273
www.lorainportauthority.com
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Cuyahoga Valley National Park - Take a ride upon the Cuyahoga Valley
Scenic Railroad. Visit the Canal Visitor Center, containing
exhibits illustrating 12,000 years of history in the valley,
including the history of the Ohio & Erie Canal. Another visitors
center features a boat-building museum featuring exhibits relating
to canal boat-building. Begun in 1825, the first 38-mile section of
the Ohio & Erie Canal connected Cleveland to Akron by 1827. The
395-foot rise from Lake Erie to the Portage Summit in Akron required
44 lift locks. In 1832, the entire 308-mile canal to the Ohio River
at Portsmouth opened and shortened the trip across Ohio to four
days. Within one year of the canal’s opening to Akron the amount of
wheat shipped through Cleveland increased from 1,000 to 250,000
bushels. Ohio quickly grew in population and wealth, going from near
bankruptcy in 1819 to the third most prosperous state in two
decades. Contact:
www.nps.gov/cuva
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Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland - This world-class
museum encourages people of all ages to discover the natural world.
Curators care for over a million specimens in the fields of
anthropology, archaeology, astronomy, botany, geology, paleontology,
zoology and wildlife biology. These are used for scientific research
and are the basis for interpretive exhibits and educational programs
offered to the public. Since 1920, the Museum has served as an
outstanding resource for public education and environmental
conservation. Contact:
www.cmnh.org
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Rocky River Reservation - Rocky River Reservation follows the
Rocky River from Lakeview to Berea Falls. Massive shale cliffs rise
above the willows, sycamores and cottonwoods, and many trails wind
through the valley's deep floodplain forests, meadows and
wildflowers. Wildlife is common in the valley and visitors can
expect to see numerous bird species and some common Ohio mammals
year-round, including the white-tailed deer. Visit Rocky River
Nature Center to learn more. The Rocky River Valley was settled
early in this area's history and reflects many of the sights common
to the first settlers. Frostville Museum, an affiliate of Cleveland
Metroparks, illustrates how the 1800s settlers lived and worked in
the Rocky River Valley. Located on Valley Parkway in North Olmsted,
the Rocky River Nature Center offers a look at the past, with
stories of time and movement, both geological and human.
www.clevelandmetroparks.com
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Penitentiary Glen Nature and Wildlife Centers, Kirtland - Operated
by the Lake MetroParks, the Penitentiary Glen Reservation offers
nearly 400 acres of field, forest, wetlands, and gorge protect
beautiful and fragile plants and animals. Picnic at the sheltered
pavilion and listen to the sounds of nature. Explore the Nature
Center with its many interactive exhibits. Hike the scenic trails to
the marsh, the gorge overlook, or miniature steam powered trains.
Each year, nearly 2,000 injured or orphaned animals receive first
aid and rehabilitation at the park’s Wildlife Center. Many
eventually resume their life in the wild. Patients include
backyard wildlife, such as rabbits and songbirds, and endangered
species such as the peregrine falcon and bald eagle. Those that
cannot be returned to the wild may become our permanent animals
ambassadors and can be viewed on the Center's grounds.
Contact:
www.lakemetroparks.com
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Historic Kirtland - The Mormon Odyssey began in Palmyra, New York in
the mid-1820s, when Joseph Smith had a vision that laid out to him
the principals of a new religion. He published his visions in 1830
as “The Book of Mormon.” Smith soon attracted followers to this
faith and a party was sent west to find the site of the “New
Jerusalem.” He and his followers soon established a presence in
Kirtland, Ohio, and Smith moved his followers there in 1831. Sites
include the Kirtland Temple, Whitney Store, Historic Kirtland, the
John Johnson Home and Fairport. Contact: Lake County
Visitors Bureau 1-800-368-5253
www.lakevisit.com
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James A. Garfield National Historical Site
8095 Mentor Ave.,
Mentor 44060 (440) 255-8722 . Tour the home of our 20th
President and discover its Victorian splendor. Almost every piece of
furniture you’ll see in the house is an original Garfield family
piece. The Visitor Center features scenes from Garfield’s career as
a politician, including his inauguration, his nomination at the
Republican Convention, and his death after an assassin shot him.
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Covered Bridges of Ashtabula County - There once were more than 60
covered bridges crossing the rivers of this northeast Ohio county.
Today, 12 historic bridges remain and four more have been built. A
self-guided tour brochure is available through the Ashtabula County
Convention and Visitors Bureau. Each October, a festival celebrates
the bridges with guided tours.
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Ashtabula Harbor - The Great Lakes Marine and U.S. Coast Guard
Museum is located in Ashtabula. Explore this extensive collection of
photographs and models, including an operational model of a Hulett
ore loader, a pilothouse, and a sole survivor of a shipwreck.
440-964-6847
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Visit the Hubbard
House Museum in historic Ashtabula Harbor. Known as the “Mother
Hubbard’s Cupboard” in the secret code of the Underground Railroad,
this home was a final stop for slaves heading to Canada.
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Conneaut Township
Park, Conneaut - Located along the port of Conneaut, this area
includes a sand beach and wildlife observation deck overlooking a
shoreline marshland.
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Lake Erie Wineries - Currently, there are least 27 wineries around
the Lake Erie area that produce more than 150 varieties of wine,
making it the “Lake Erie Grape Belt,” and giving the area a national
reputation for excellence. A sampling of the wineries include: Old
Firehouse Winery (Geneva on the Lake), Johlin Century Winery
(Toledo), Chalet Debonne (Madison), Firelands Winery (Sandusky), Mon
Ami Winery (Port Clinton), John Christ Winery (Avon Lake),
Klingshirn Winery (Avon Lake), and Buccia Vineyards (Conneaut). A
Wings and Wine passport wine tour starts this fall, and features
specially labeled wine bottles with birds to celebrate the
connection between this bountiful industry and nature.
www.ohiowines.org
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Lighthouses - Lighthouses help tell the story of Lake Erie’s
maritime heritage. Sixteen lighthouses can be found today along
Ohio’s Lake Erie shoreline.
Additional Information on the Lighthouses of the Erie Coast
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