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Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Photo by Stu Marks

The Buffalo News Life

By Nick Mattera

SPECIAL TO THE NEWS

CANTON, Ohio—Tourists may flock to Canton, Ohio, to see the impressive collections in football’s Hall of Fame, but the Midwestern hospitality they find there will leave them wanting more.

Great food, natural beauty and impressive historical sights make the small city of Canton a vacation gem for the whole family.

A perfect getaway to the greater Canton region includes three stops:

First, the breathtaking beauty of Cuyahoga Valley National Park makes you feel far from civilization.

Second, visit the Mecca of football fans, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, where new additions have made it relevant for fans of all ages.

The third stop is a place where visitors can find out more about the lives of our nation’s first ladies, at the First Ladies National Historic Site.

Cuyahoga Valley Park

Unexpected is the only word to define Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Its pure, untouched beauty seems out of place just several miles outside of Cleveland’s city limits and 30 minutes from Canton. With 33,000 acres of parkland and pristine wilderness, it is one of the country’s newest national parks, established in 2000. There are year-round attractions—golf courses and ski slopes, concerts and hiking trails—making it a wonder waiting to be explored.

The Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail spans 20 miles of marshes and wetlands winding their way along the Ohio Canal. Beavers and white-tailed deer might make appearances throughout a hike along the waterway, but before starting out, visit the Canal Visitor Center to get a list of recommended hikes and to check out the historical videos and exhibits.

If hiking isn’t your interest, hop on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, where you can sit back and relax as the park’s beauty passes by you. The train makes seven stops within the park and runs year-round.

The 1 1/2-mile Brandywine Gorge trail is the park’s most visited attraction, culminating at the breathtaking Brandywine Falls, which plummets 60 feet into the gorge. It is best viewed from above, but a wooden path also winds into the gorge.

After visiting the falls, drive to the Ledges Overlook. This is a perfect spot at dusk, as the sun slips behind tall oaks and sandstone cliffs rise from Brandywine Creek below.

The football hall

The NFL’s Pro Football Hall of Fame has put together a collection of football memorabilia that will stir up memories in fans of all ages and give them goosebumps in the process.

Enter the main lobby and take a trip back in time to the early days of professional football, when helmets were made of leather and the players were out there only for the love of the game. The American Professional Football Association was founded in Canton, and the brief but successful history of the team that played there is encased in the lobby. A life-size bronze statue of Jim Thorpe, one of the best players of his era, dominates the main walkway.

Visitors then follow a chronological journey through football’s greatest moments and best players. The days of the American Football League and National Football League, between 1960 and 1969, are recalled along with legendary players such as Joe Namath, Jim Brown and Johnny Unitas with memorabilia from the players and teams.

A tunnel connects the original building to a more recent addition, containing the Hall of Busts—bronzes of the players who have been inducted and enshrined in their sport’s Hall of Fame. (Seven players, coaches or contributors are added each year during a ceremony in early August.) An interactive feature lets fans search the Hall of Famers, learn about their careers, view stats and watch video highlights.

The Hall of Fame doesn’t want to be a musty museum, and its newest exhibits will appeal to fans of all ages. The Lamar Hunt Super Bowl Gallery contains interactive video booths to view highlights and memorable plays from every Super Bowl ever played.

The Moments, Memories and Mementos gallery features the museum’s most valuable collection of game memorabilia. The most captivating plays from the previous season can be viewed in surround sound and high definition in the NFL Films gallery. Many of the greatest moments and record breaking players are featured in this section: Steve Christie’s shoe that kicked the Buffalo Bills’ game-winning field goal from the “greatest comeback in NFL history,” the jersey New England Patriot quarterback Tom Brady wore when he set the NFL single-season touchdown record, and many others.

And there is space for fans to get some hands-on experience. You can try to throw footballs through a set of targets, challenge other visitors to a test of NFL trivia, even play EA Sports Madden Football against fans from all over the country.

For the ladies

The First Ladies Historic Site encompasses two buildings in downtown Canton and, in a unique way, sheds light on the accomplishments and lives of the first ladies of the United States.

The First Ladies Library was established as an archive to present the contributions our first ladies have made, from Martha Washington to Laura Bush. Exhibits change with new acquisitions.

Exhibits currently being featured at the museum include: The Artistry of America’s First Ladies, with poetry written by Jacqueline Kennedy, the dancing career of Betty Ford and Ellen Wilson’s oil paintings; and Caring Hearts: Health of a Nation, featuring red dresses worn by seven first ladies, including Hillary Clinton, Nancy Reagan and Laura Bush. This moving exhibit has been featured at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Ronald Reagan Library.

If you go:

Cuyahoga Valley National Park, 15610 Vaughn Road, Brecksville, is open every day, although some areas close at dusk. Admission is free.

Boston Store Visitor Center, 1548 Boston Mills Road, east of Riverview Road, Peninsula, has displays of canal-boat building in the valley, open 10 a. m. to 4 p. m. daily in the summer; limited hours the rest of the year.

Canal Visitor Center, 7104 Canal Road, intersection of Canal and Hillside Roads, Valley View, has exhibits on life along the canal and human history in the valley; open daily year-round, 10 a. m. to 4 p. m.; closed Jan. 1, Thanksgiving Day and Dec. 25.

For more information: On the Web, www.nps.gov/CUVA, or call (216) 524 1497.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame, 2121 George Halas Drive, Canton, is open daily from 9 a. m. to 8 p. m. Admission is $18 for adults, $15 for seniors, $12 for children 6 and older.

The 2009 Pro Football Enshrinement Ceremony is Saturday and will include Buffalo Bills’ great Bruce Smith and team owner Ralph Wilson.

The Timken Grand Parade is at 8 a. m.; Enshrinement Celebration Fan Party, 3 p. m.; Class of 2009 Enshrinement, 7 p. m.; and the Hall of Fame Game between the Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans is at 8 p. m.

For more information: Call (330) 452-0243, or on the Web, www.profootballhof.com.

The National First Ladies Historic Site, 205 Market Ave. South, Canton, is open Tuesdays through Sundays through Aug. 31; Tuesdays through Saturdays the rest of the year. Admission is $7 for adults; $6 for seniors; $5 for children under 18.

For more information: Call (330) 452-0876; on the Web, www.nps.gov/fila.

Directions: From Buffalo, take Interstate 90 West to Interstate 77 South; use Exit 107A for the Hall of Fame.

More information: Canton Tourism www.cantontourism.com; Ohio Tourism, ohio.gov/tourism.