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Get on the Road: 3 Fun Day Trips to Discover Near Akron, OH

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A GMC Terrain is just the vehicle you need to take your family and friends on fun day trips to discover exciting attractions close to Akron, OH. With enough space for all the gear, plenty of legroom, and a bunch of high-tech features, hitting the road is part of the fun.

1. Castle Noel

At Castle Noel, it's always Christmas, all year round. Just over 22 miles away in Medina, Mark Claus, the owner of this fantastic and fun castle, claims it is America's largest indoor Christmas entertainment attraction. He might very well be right with all the wonderful things to see and do. To add the magic of Christmas to the festivities, it snows inside the castle, you can go on a sled ride, and there is a 25-foot animated Christmas tree.

Castle Noel boasts the world's most extensive privately owned collection of famous Hollywood Christmas movie props and costumes. There are amazing animated New York Christmas and Canadian window displays worth millions and thousands of vintage toys from the 50s to the 80s.

Address and Hours

Castle Noel is at 260 S. Court Street in Medina. Please visit the Castle Noel website for information on reservations and hours.

2. West Branch State Park

Just down the road in Ravenna, a short 24-mile drive from Akron is one of the most popular state parks in Ohio. The massive 5,379-acre West Branch State Park and the huge 2,650-acre Michael J. Kirwan Reservoir offer loads of fun outdoor activities. Explore the park on 20 miles of hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian trails, play disc golf on the challenging 18-hole course, and sunbathe on the 700-foot swimming beach.

Wet your hook in the lake to catch large and smallmouth bass, bluegill, walleye, muskellunge, crappie, and catfish, rent a boat from the marina, and camp out in your RV or tent at the campground at a site with full hookups close to restrooms with hot showers.

Address and Hours

West Branch State Park is at 5570 Esworthy Road in Ravenna and is open daily for day visitors from dawn to dusk.

3. The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

Take a 37-mile drive to Cleveland and spend the day at  Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, one of the oldest in the country. See animals from around the world and North America's largest collection of primates. The animal enclosures are tucked away in a beautiful botanical garden, and the zoo offers guided golf cart tours of the exhibits and the gardens.

You can also go on one of the fascinating behind-the-scenes tours to explore areas rarely seen by the public, get closer to the animals, and learn about the zoo's wildlife conservation efforts.

Address and Hours

The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is at 3900 Wildlife Way in Cleveland and is open between April and October from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from November to March between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Let the fun begin right here in Akron. Stop at Toth Buick GMC today and test drive the new 2022 GMC Terrain, the ultimate SUV to explore Ohio's highways and byways.

Image via Pixabay

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