Cleveland Travel Blog + Tips

Hey fairies! I thought I would blog about my trip to Cleveland last weekend, and share some insider tips on things to do in this area of Ohio. I visited

Cleveland because I wanted to see my old roommate from Chicago, Lucille. Lucille and I lived together for three years and they're easily one of my closest and best friends. He has a way of understanding me and what I go through like no other. Shoutout to Lucille!

I stayed in the Bay Village neighborhood of Cleveland, which is a very family-oriented spot. Definitely good for a calm getaway, which is exactly what I was looking for. I only stayed 3 nights, but I tried to make the absolute most of it! As a true Sagittarius, the trip was planned the week of, so all of the plans were last minute, but very accomplishable!

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The first night I arrived, we went to the Lakewood neighborhood. We started out at Barrio for custom tacos and signature margaritas. We indulged in their Paloma margarita pitcher, which seemed like a big endeavor at first, but it wasn't strong at all so we quickly finished it off. The outdoor patio was the perfect place to catch up after months apart. Decently priced and overall a good atmosphere for a Friday night.

We then headed up the street to Two Bucks, which had fascinating large, lab-beaker-style, electric blue drinks. It had a very unfriendly and unsocial energy, and their drinks were so strong it tasted like rubbing alcohol. 0/10 for Two Bucks, sadly.

Never fear! We continued back down the street to the Buckeye Beer Engine, where we chose a far back table on their patio. It was quieting down at this point, probably 1AM, so it was a nice place to wind down in the summer night. We tried their pretzel bites and tater tots, both of which were the bomb dot com.

The sun rose on our Saturday, and we endeavored for a picnic and

walk in the infamous Metro Parks of Cleveland. While in Bay Village, we picked up Fragapane's Bakery and Deli for lunch. I chose a fresh cut salami and cheddar cheese sandwich warmed on their Italian sub, along with their pasta salad and a creme horn for dessert. It was a wonderful family friendly environment and the workers were so patient. Their display of bakery goods is something one can marvel at for hours. Every time I looked at it, I swore I saw a new pastry or delicacy.

Cleveland's Metro Parks are a sprawling forest and beachfront with adventures at the tips of your fingers! There are options to rent paddle boards, kayaks, etc., great trails to hike, bike, and roll on, amazing fishing opportunities, and so much more! We drove through a lot of the park and hiked back aways on a trail near a gorge with a river running through it. A family was playing in the river while others relaxed on the shore. It was an incredibly hot and humid day and we were tempted to rent paddle boards but we hadn't brought our swimsuits! The main parking lot near the boat launch was crowded, but the deeper in the park you drove, the less crowded it was. I managed to roller skate through some trails after lunch.

I was classically unsatisfied with the outfits that I packed, and since I was on vacation, I wanted to SHOP! We strayed just a 5 minute drive outside of the Metro Parks to some crystal shops. Every time I go to Cleveland, I can't leave without visiting Coven and Daystar Boutique. At Coven I purchased a beautiful selenite stick that I gifted to my boyfriend, and at Daystar I picked up some sick blue tie dye pants and a beautiful Labradorite ring. If you're into the hippie aesthetic or into crystal spirituality I definitely highly recommend these stores!

We then went to Crocker Park to find a shirt to go with my new pants. Crocker Park is located in Westlake and is an outlet mall with all of the typical suspects and a place to discover new favorites!

After heading home for a brief respite, we freshened up and headed for the roller rink! I was disappointed to find out that Mig's Pla-Mor Roller Rink was hosting a boxing event IN THE CENTER OF THEIR BEAUTIFUL WOOD FLOOR, and so they were closed for the night. We pulled up google maps, and found out that United Skates Wickliffe was less than 10 minutes drive away. I was going for what was considered their advanced session, however when I arrived, the entryway was full of children and families. I turned around, but a manager stopped me, promised me a good time and a refund if I didn't have one. I entered the rink and was instantly floored at the ability of the young skaters. They were skating in a style I wasn't too familiar with, which included spins in the air. I felt incredibly humbled by the entire experience. The manager let me know about their adult night on Sunday and invited me back for that. When I went for adult night on Sunday, everyone was incredibly friendly and wanted to learn from and teach me new things.

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After the rink, I was exhausted but Lucille and I still wanted to make the most of my time so we stopped at the cutest dive bar/bowling alley/event space/performance hall. Mahall's was a fantastic experience with exquisite drinks (as seen above). When you walk in, it feels like a hotel lobby and you have several doors to choose from (bar, bowling alley, etc.), and had a vinyl checkerboard floor and neon lights for decoration so it almost felt Alice In Wonderland-like, which was surprisingly the theme for their drink menu. I went with their Purple Haze which was a lavender gin drink and absolutely delicious.

After Mahall's we called it a night. Sunday was rainy so we had a chill day, as I have done many of the classic Cleveland attractions during past trips. It gave us an excellent opportunity to hit some thrift stores and then binge some tv shows before I hit the rink for adult night. For a rainy day I definitely recommend stopping at the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame to see some absolute classic pieces from historic moments.

The absolute craziest moment in Cleveland happened Sunday night at the roller rink! I was doing a move with some folks in the middle of the floor and when we stopped, the boy who had been skating with me said he knew me from Instagram. He went on to say that I was the reason he started skating last August, which was the biggest compliment I have ever received. JoJo, if you see this, you made my year!!

I am so grateful for my time in Cleveland, and the quality time I was able to spend with Lucille. It was a refreshing and recharging weekend, which was exactly what I needed.

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