Springtime weekend getaways for Clevelanders

Yes, Cleveland is vibrant and beautiful in the spring. The daffodils spread throughout the parks, baseball season has begun, and the summer festival season kicks off in mid-May with the Hessler Street Fair in University Circle. Still, it's enjoyable to get away from the city, at least for the weekend. Here are some ideas for that spring weekend jaunt.

Geneva on the Lake
800-862-9948
VisitGenevaOnTheLake.com

Located along the shores of Lake Erie, about an hourlong drive from downtown Cleveland, Geneva on the Lake combines the charm of a classic 1950s resort with the ever-changing, verdant beauty of Ashtabula County. There's plenty to do in this small town. Geneva State Park offers miles of hiking and biking trails, a marina, an uncrowded sand beach, and a new lodge with lake-view guest rooms and two restaurants. In town, you'll find a plethora of antique shops, a boardwalk with carnival games and food, two wineries (including the scenic Lakehouse Inn and Winery), and Eddie's Grill, a Northeast Ohio favorite known for its chili dogs and fries.

Stay at the Geneva State Park Lodge, rent the lake-view apartment at the Lakehouse Inn or rent one of dozens of independently owned cottages.

Hocking Hills
866-644-6727
HockingHills.com

If you crave green spaces and scenic vistas, head to Hocking Hills in southeast Ohio. Located about two and a half hours south of Cleveland, the area boasts dramatic rock formations and caves (including the popular Old Man's Cave), a natural lake with a sand beach (Lake Logan), a state park with cottages and a lodge, and miles and miles of hiking trails. Outdoor enthusiasts will also find canoeing, kayaking, rock climbing and horseback riding.

Toledo's Old West End
419-244-5676
ToledoOldWestEnd.com

Toledo, located about 90 minutes west of Cleveland, was America's "glass capital." The city founded Libbey Glass, Owens Corning fiberglass and Owens-Illinois Inc. Toledo is known for its historic and lovely art glass as well as for supplying much of the glass used in the auto industry. Relive the city's golden age by touring Toledo's Old West End neighborhood, home to the largest collection of Victorian, Edwardian, and arts and crafts homes east of the Mississippi. Spend the night at the Mansion View Inn, a restored Victorian home that's now a four-room bed-and-breakfast inn. During the day, visit the Toledo Museum of Art down the street. Admission is free, and the museum's well-regarded glass collection includes thousands of glass objects from ancient to modern times.

Put-in-Bay
419-285-2832
VisitPutInBay.com

The Lake Erie islands are the place to be on summer weekends, but the crowds can sometimes be overwhelming. Beat the throng by visiting Put-in-Bay during the spring. Take the half-hour ferry ride from Catawba Point or Point Clinton and spend the day exploring the marina, the collection of antique shops, the island's winery and the popular bars, including The Round House Bar, which has been serving beer for more than 130 years. The island also offers cottages, several bed-and-breakfast inns, and the lake-view Put-in-Bay Resort & Conference Center.

Malabar Farm State Park
419-892-2784
MalabarFarm.org

Before green living was trendy, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Louis Bromfield was working his sustainable farm near Mansfield. Malabar Farm, which he purchased in 1938, is now a state park and a working farm that continues Bromfield's legacy of organic farming. Visitors can tour the author's 32-room home (where Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart were married), enjoy the many hiking trails, dine in the park's restaurant, and see how a variety of food products, such as honey and maple sugar, are harvested. Overnight accommodations include a 19-room hostel, cabins and campsites. Malabar Farm is located about one hour's drive southwest of Cleveland. Admission to the park is free.