Driving from Boston to Sandusky, a few questions (Cleveland, Lorain: appointed, how much)

[lrfox]

Hi,

Towards the end of July, I'm driving with a small group of friends/family from Boston to Sandusky (Cedar Point). We're making a short road trip out of it by taking 4 days (2 on either side of the stay in Sandusky) for travel and 2 days at the park. We're going to be coming into Cleveland on I-90 and it appears the fastest way to continue through the area is on I-90, but I'm not sure that's what we want to do.

I was thinking of getting off of I-90 and heading through downtown Cleveland and continuing West on Route 6/GAR Highway along the lakefront. I'm POSITIVE this will be slower, but I'm thinking it will be a bit more scenic and we can take in a bit more of the area this way.

I guess my questions are:
1)Given that we have the time and want to take in a slightly more scenic route, would you recommend Route 6 along the lake shore? If not, what should we do? I don't care if it's not exactly pristine and there are some gritty spots, I love than and it's part of the attraction for me.

2) What should we do for brief (an hour or two) stops in Cleveland and along the rest of the route (route 6 or a better route if you know one)? Any good restaurants? I've heard that there is a strong Eastern European presence in the area... are there any places we should check out or try for some authentic food?

Looking forward to seeing Cleveland and the lake shore of Ohio. Thanks ahead of time!

[vicket]

You may want to jump off 90 and travel 6 for a while...but keep in mind you will have STOPLIGHTS galore. Rt 6 in most places is residential. Add an hour and a half on your time if you go from Cleveland to Sandusky that way.
The lake is pretty to see on that route, but you can't see it the whole way due to houses, etc. I am guessing you might want to see the lake from the stadium to about Rocky River or Bay Village. (Some beautiful homes along the way, too.) Thoughout Lorain County, there are fewer scenic areas and more "gritty" areas. (Not unsafe or ugly so much as a poorer area.) Then about Huron it gets more of a "boat culture" if you know what I mean. More cabins and marinas.
If it was me, I would probably get off in the Cleveland area, see some sights and then get back on I90. When you get to Elyria, keep right to take the Rt. 2 split to Sandusky. (Keep in mind you don't want to get back on I90 in Elyria. If you end up taking 90 it will put you on the turnpike which is faster, but NOTHING to look at.) Then take Rt 2 to the Rye Beach Road exit for Cedar Point. That runs you along the Lake on a scenic road with cool beach houses. It also won't add any time to your trip.

[jam40jeff]

I agree with vicket. A good route would probably be to take the Shoreway through downtown and exit at Clifton. Then take either Clifton or Edgewater Drive (if you want check out Cliff Drive on the map and loop around that before taking Edgewater Drive) for a very scenic drive up to the Gold Coast in Lakewood. Then take Clifton across the River and exit onto Detroit Rd. Take Detroit Rd. back to I-90 and then take SR2 when it breaks off. From there, follow vicket's directions to Rye Beach Rd., etc.

As far as a place to eat, I would suggest either a place in Ohio City (such as Heck's at W. 30th and Bridge or The Harp at W. 45th and Detroit). Those are both right off the Shoreway. Also, there are a few nice restuarants in downtown Rocky River. To get there, you'd turn left onto Detroit Rd. when you exit Clifton and backtrack about 1/4 or 1/2 mile to the west. Just before Detroit Rd. crosses the river, downtown Rocky River is on the old road veering to the left down the hill.

A more Easter European and ethnic option would be Sokolowksi's on University Rd. at W. 11th St. However, they are only open for dinner on Friday and Saturday (lunch every day), and this would be a little further off of your route, although you could also stop and see the West Side Market on your way back to the shoreway (which I highly recommend, IMO it blows away Quincy Market, but again is only open Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday). There are many other options if none of those interest you, those are just some ideas off the top of my head that wouldn't be much out of your way.

[lrfox]

Thanks for the responses and detailed routes. I have no problem with going a little out of the way. A friend mentioned West Side Market to me a while back and I'll need to go. I don't doubt it blows away Quincy Market... the place is pretty and the architecture is nice, but it's a glorified outdoor shopping mall; from what I hear, West Side is the real deal. was Sokolowksi's featured on Anthony Bourdain, No Reservations on the Travel Channel? The name sounds familiar. I may have to check it out of the timing is right (and I'm in the are for lunch time).

So it seems like the best thing to do is take RT/Clifton into Downtown Cleveland and hit up a few attractions from there. Afterwards, head through Lakewood and jump back on 90 until 2 splits off again and follow that to the Rye Beach Rd. exit and follow that. Sounds great. Thanks a lot for your advice!

[jam40jeff]

I had heard people compare Quincy to WSM, so when I went to Boston I was quite disappointed. WSM is the real deal and worth checking out if that interests you. Yes, Sokolowski's is the same place that was featured, it has been around a long time and is pretty well known (Martha Stewart and Bill Clinton have eaten there recently).

Just to clarify on the route, I would suggest taking I-90 to the Shoreway and exiting at W. 28th St. to go south into Ohio City, and explore from there. If you want to check out downtown as well, you can exit at E. 9th St. If you want a nice drive on the east side, exit at E. 140th St., go north, then turn left on Lake Shore Blvd. You will instantly go from a rough urban neighborhood into Bratenahl, the wealthiest community around Cleveland. Just follow Lake Shore Blvd. back to I-90 at the Lake Shore/MLK exit and continue east on I-90 to downtown Cleveland/Shoreway. Clifton is west of Cleveland, where the Shoreway ends. I would suggest Edgewater Drive (and especially checking out Cliff Drive) as an alternative to Clifton, however, as it will be more scenic.

I don't know how much extra time you have, but there are some nice stretches where you drive right on the edge of the lake east of Geneva on SR 531 as well. You could check out a winery and take a scenic detour along the lake for 10 or 15 miles around there if you have an extra hour or two.

[BelieveInCleve]

I agree with a lot that jam40jeff said.

You could get off 90 at Waterloo/E 140th and take it N right up to Lakeshore and take that through Bratenahl then get right back on 90 at MLK. You could take an earlier exit off say at E 156th or E 185th, but theres really not much more except some grit. Lakeshore is more scenic, and a lot of nice houses in that area with some views of the lake.

Then I would say take 90 and either get off downtown to see some things there, or stay straight to go on 2 and get off on W 28th if you want to go to the Westside Market (which I would highly recommend). After that you could get right back on 2 and either turn onto Lake or Edgewater (which is right on the lake). It depends on how long you want to stay on 6 or on the lake. I would say stay on at least for Lakewood. You could take it the entire way there (but it would be a lot longer), or you could get on 2 earlier say Detroit rd. or Columbia rd. Its your choice but there are some decent views of the lake and housing in Lorain County, Im not sure if it would be worth your time though.

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by lrfox

Thanks for the responses and detailed routes. I have no problem with going a little out of the way. A friend mentioned West Side Market to me a while back and I'll need to go. I don't doubt it blows away Quincy Market... the place is pretty and the architecture is nice, but it's a glorified outdoor shopping mall; from what I hear, West Side is the real deal. was Sokolowksi's featured on Anthony Bourdain, No Reservations on the Travel Channel? The name sounds familiar. I may have to check it out of the timing is right (and I'm in the are for lunch time).

I have been to both Quincy Market and to the West Side Market and they are two COMPLETELY different markets. Quincy Market has some phenomenal prepared foods and is more of a place to pick up a meal.

The West Side Market is more a market that sells fresh meats and vegetables. The meats range from just decent to very good. The bakeries are pretty decent but much higher thna other local bakeries for similar product. The prepared food - other than a sausage stand or two - is pretty much non-existent.

The produce is a real mixed bag. Some of it is first quality; most of it is surplus. What I mean by surplus is the "left-overs" from the wholesalers in Cleveland - the stuff they cannot sell to groceries and institutions. It is acceptable produce BUT you have to use it in 2-3 days before it turns. It is not a bad deal as the prices are pretty low (on the surplus items).

What is very disappointing about the WSM is that there are NO farmers at the market, even during the season.

Personally, I would skip the WSM and head up to the EASTERN MARKET in Detroit which is a 90 minutes from Sandusky. They have about 50% farmers and a heck of a lot of great wholesalers.

Detroit Eastern Market - Detroit Eastern Market

For the record, I have run kitchens in most of the midwestern cities and am a stickler on produce and meats.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by jlawrence01

I have been to both Quincy Market and to the West Side Market and they are two COMPLETELY different markets. Quincy Market has some phenomenal prepared foods and is more of a place to pick up a meal.

Personally, I would skip the WSM and head up to the EASTERN MARKET in Detroit which is a 90 minutes from Sandusky. They have about 50% farmers and a heck of a lot of great wholesalers.

That's what I've heard. I never considered Quincy Market a real market... certainly not a produce market, anyway (there are many temporary produce markets in the area). It's wonderful for some non-traditional fast food or snacks, but not fresh produce. WSM is attractive to me in that regard so I think that I may have to make it a stop in my tour of Cleveland. It is unfortunate that farmers aren't represented there though.

The reason for this is because I've actually been to Detroit's Eastern Market. It's phenominal. I am a big fan of Detroit... I think the town gets a terrible rap but despite the troubles, it has a lot going for it. The Eastern Market was a great experience and had I not already been, I'd absolutely want to go... in fact, now that I'm thinking, if we have time maybe I may make the trip again. It's a tempting thought. You really wouldn't suggest the West Side Market? I can't see skipping it since we'll already be in town.

Thanks again for all of the suggestions. I've got a bunch of things to think about, but thankfully a lot of time to make decisions.

Cle440, I think what we end up doing will depend on how much time we spend in town (Cleveland) before we head out again towards Sandusky. If we have enough time, I am happy with taking the most scenic route possible. Not that it's a telling source, but google maps makes the edgewater route look really nice.

To be honest, I'm considering driving out towards Cleveland without making many stops and spending a night and part of the following day instead of just an afternoon pass-through. Judging by all of the options we have in Cleveland, it's making more sense to spend a night there. I'll have to run it by everyone, but I'm hoping to spend some more time there.

[buckeye1]

Once you get past Lakewood on Rt 6, there really aren't that many traffic lights in Rocky River/Bay Village/Avon Lake to slow you down. Maybe 3-5 lights in each suburb, but it's not like you're stopping every block for a light because most of the streets are residential and dead end into Rt. 6. Lorain has a few more lights, but after that, it's smooth sailing into Vermilion's downtown, then open road past a few cottage communities all the way to Huron. Lorain has a lighthouse, and Vermilion has a cute downtown area. Only bad thing is the speed limits are mostly 35 until you pass Lorain where it opens up to 50. I would guesstimate no more than 2 hours for the trip from Cleveland to Cedar Point.

[jam40jeff]

I definitely think you would want to check out the West Side Market. Other than being a historic and beautiful building, it is a great market. Sure, there are good produce stands and bad ones, but produce is just a small part of the market as a whole. I think it'd be a shame to go right by it and not stop in.