I read on-line about TobyMac, a Christian musician whom I have long admired, scheduling a tour of small theatres, starting in November. When I looked at the dates, I noticed a stop in Akron, OH, which is just a couple hours away from where I live. I called the Akron Civic Theatre box office the next day. After talking to a delightful lady, I had two tickets coming my way in the US Mail. Even better, I did not have to pay a ticketmaster surcharge! In early November, my wife, Lynne, and I completed a quick trip to Akron. We found quite a bit to see in the Rubber City and I wanted to share our experiences with you.
Newark, Ohio
Our trip path was going to take us through Columbus over to our first stop at the Dawes Arboretum. It is located just north of I-70 near the town of Newark. The location began in the early 1900s as a farmstead owned by the Dawes family. Beman Dawes had a great love of trees and founded the arboretum on the grounds of his farm in 1929. His passion lives on today through an endowment set up by the family. The grounds have expanded to nearly 2000 acres. We had a delightful stroll around the grounds, starting in the Japanese Gardens and then heading through the various plantings over to the original farm house. Even though we were well into fall, we found some very beautiful views and plants. Access to the grounds is free. Allow from 1-2 hours for a quick visit or an entire afternoon to thoroughly explore all of the different areas the gardens have to share.
After the Arboretum, we drove 15 minutes north to Newark. The town is the county seat of Licking County. It is an old-fashioned Midwestern town that appears to be experiencing significant gentrification. There is a lovely town square full of businesses, including plenty of restaurants, surrounding the county buildings. We picked the Barrel and Boar for our lunch spot. They have a selection of brisket, bbq pork and chicken plus various types of sauces and a nice variety of sides. They also have plenty of craft brews on tap if you are in the mood.
Coshocton, Conshohocken, Oh My!
40 minutes further up the road toward Akron, we arrived at Historic Roscoe Village in the town of Coshocton. If you enjoy history and geography, you may notice this town’s name similarities with Conshohocken, PA. That’s because the Lenape Indians from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware migrated (research the Walking Purchase) over time from those areas into new settlements in eastern Ohio. The Lenape first settled in Newcomerstown, and later, moved to Coshocton. The English settlers referred to these Native Americans as Delaware. Hence, you will find Delaware County on an Ohio map. Unfortunately, the migrations for the Lenape continued all the way into the Oklahoma Indian Territory, where many of their descendants reside to this day.
Roscoe Village came to prominence during the development of the Ohio and Erie Canal construction in the early 1800s. The canal ran from Lake Erie, down through Akron to Portsmouth on the Ohio River. The rest of our trip to Akron, we crossed over sections of the old canal system. It’s hard to believe they were able to construct such an infrastructure project at that time. The village has been restored to the period and houses shops, restaurants and other historic re-creations. We enjoyed our time strolling around town, grabbing a coffee and window shopping.
Rubber City aka Akron, OH
In the late afternoon, we arrived in Akron and pulled up to the Courtyard by Marriott Downtown on Furnace Street. When I planned the trip, I was surprised by the lack of hotels downtown, especially with the University of Akron so close. There are very few options for downtown and, based on my research, this is the best one. If you are going to Akron and want to stay downtown, book early. The hotel is new, clean and nicely appointed with amenities. The staff was friendly and helpful. You will see the picture of the hotel on the left side of the Luigi’s picture (below left).
Once you get yourself settled, there are plenty of places to explore. Many restaurants are within walking distance and they have solid, on-line reviews. We were still full from lunch, so on the way to the show, we stopped by Akronym Brewery for a flight of locally brewed beers. Nice selection of great tasting beers and an enjoyable environment. I recommend the Trippin’ Amber Biere de Mars. The brewery won the 2018 Ohio Craft Brewers Cup – Best Northeast Ohio Brewery award. Well done. Following the show, we visited Luigi’s Restaurant for some meatballs and Italian snacks. Delizioso! I would enjoy returning there for a full meal. Very friendly service, nice sized portions and value pricing look like the order of the day. You could tell this is a popular spot for locals. In the morning, we visited the Akron Family Restaurant for breakfast on the way out of town. Traditional diner with excellent breakfast and quick, efficient service. I highly recommend.
TobyMac Concert
And, now for the show. The show was the reason we made this trip. I have listened to TobyMac for 20+ years and I thoroughly enjoy his drive, creativity, sound and message. He is top-notch in all of these categories. Even better, I was psyched to see him in a cozy setting. The Civic Theatre seats 2500 people and the views are awesome from any angle. He played at least 20 songs over an hour and 45 minutes. He and his Diverse City band had great energy and you could really feel a positive spirit in the house that night. I left there feeling awesome and so glad I made the trip.
Additional Exploration Opportunities
We had a great time on our short road trip to Akron. The city has a lot more to explore on future visits, including the Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, the Akron Zoo and the Akron Art Museum. Not far up the road is the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Brecksville. The Park is one of a few national parks in the Eastern United States. It’s beautiful trails, rivers and waterfalls traverse the Cuyahoga River valley. The park has been on my bucket list for a long time. Look for a possible blog about a visit there in the near future.