Road Trip: All Aboard in Toledo

Stay

On the waterfront, book a stay at Renaissance Toledo Downtown Hotel (marriott.com/en-us/hotels/tolgp-renaissance-toledo-downtown-hotel/overview) with its rooftop bar and views. The historic Scottwood Inn (scottwoodinn.com) bed and breakfast has an outdoor pool and theater room. Numerous national hotel brands, including Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn, also are available in greater Toledo.

Dine

Enjoy a fresh catch at Real Seafood Co. (realseafoodcorestaurant.com) on Main Street or Webber’s Waterfront Restaurant (webbersrestaurant.com). Have a taste for Mexican cuisine? El Vaquero on Main Street serves up authentic fare. Maumee Bay Brewing Co. (mbaybrew.com) is in the historic Oliver House with Toledo’s Buckeye Beer and all-American eats.

Play 

Imagination Station (imaginationstationtoledo.org) offers hands-on discovery, including an exhibit called Game Changers. “It’s about the evolution of gaming, so you can look at the classic arcade games you grew up with and see on the storyboard how it was developed, all the way up to present-day video games,” says spokesperson Amy Mohr.  

Kids can burn energy on the trampolines, climbing walls and go-karts at Urban Air Adventure Park (urbanair.com). Toledo Zoo & Aquarium (toledozoo.org) is home to more than 10,000 animals and 720 species. The National Museum of the Great Lakes (nmgl.org) has 40 hands-on exhibits and artifacts. Take to the water on a Scallywags Pirate Adventure (scallywagspirateadventures.com) and choose your cruise: Wobbly Happy Hour or a family-friendly Pirate Adventure Show.