CLEVELAND — Cleveland offers plenty of activities, restaurants to eat and entertainment venues to check out as part of a Northeast Ohio "staycation" destination amid rising gas prices.
Her senior year, Haley Greathouse was voted most likely to never come back.
"I said I was never going to live here after high school," said Greathouse.
Years later, Greathouse has done a complete 180 when it comes to her hometown.
"I have loved being part of the growth and seeing it all happen around me," said Greathouse.
Greathouse shares her newfound love and appreciation of our city through The Cleveland Bucket List.
"All of our direction kind of comes from what Clevelanders and visitors are looking for which has been awesome," said Greathouse.
Traffic on her website is expected to spike in the coming months, as high gas prices prompt some to tap the brakes on road trip plans for fun a little closer to home.
"Doing a staycation, I think in Cleveland, this is a great summer to do so," said Greathouse.
Among the suggestions slated to show up on The Cleveland Bucket List this summer: Dinner and drinks outside.
"Cleveland has so many great patios, especially down in the Flats. Collision Bend is one of our favorites," said Greathouse.
Also, there will be a reminder to feed your appetite for great architecture.
"Take a tour and learn about the history of Downtown," said Greathouse.
And while we may be known for our craft brews, our coffee scene continues to percolate.
"All of the coffee shops in Cleveland are super approachable, so even if you're not super big into coffee, you don't know what you should try, they're really willing to help you and get you into coffee too," said Greathouse.
You'll need that caffeine pick-me-up if you try to tackle even a fraction of what The Land has to offer.
"We've got a little something for everyone here. It's going to be a really exciting summer travel season here in Cleveland," said Jen Brasdovich, Destination Cleveland.
Destination Cleveland wants to make sure those sticking close to home have a chance to tempt their taste buds.
“Clevelanders can travel the world without ever leaving the land. We just launched our international restaurant passport," said Brasdovich.
You can get a deal at 17 restaurants across the city, all of them specialize in cuisine from different cultures.
The passport will help bring in much needed revenue following the pandemic, as the pain at the pump continues.
"We'll be keeping a close eye on how things shift with the gas prices, but I think either way it's going to be a positive for us. For the last two summers, we've taken a big hit here in Cleveland," said Brasdovich.
Scrapping a road trip for a staycation shouldn't be viewed as a negative, according to Greathouse.
She said it's a great time, especially for those who live in the burbs, to connect with Cleveland on a deeper level beyond just attending an event in the city.
"You walk into the concert venue, you walk into the stadium and you don't really experience everything going on Downtown," said Greathouse.
If you're looking for even more unique places to explore around the area, check out our own list of the 100 Hidden Gems of Cleveland and Northeast Ohio.
