Going to Ohio

[Foiled Again]

Anyone know a decent RV park in the Akron Ohio area? I'm running up to visit relatives and will stay about a week. I did look for airstream only facilities and didn't find one in Ohio. Now doesn't that seem strange since they are manufactured IN Ohio?

Tin Lizzie

[Pahaska]

Akron is a big place and it might help to give some idea of what area of the city that you wish to visit.

On the way to the 2004 Homecoming, I towed through Akron and it still gives me the chills. There are two changes of highway in the city and I was so sandwiched in by big trucks that I couldn't see the exit signs coming up or change lanes. Thankfully, I guessed right and got through OK.

Exiting the city, I wasn't sure I was on the right highway, so I took an exit to do some map reading. I pulled into a parking lot to turn around and it was apparently the local work release headquarters. The inmates apparently thought it was their bus pulling in and I was immediately surrounded by the toughest looking bunch of 18-25 year olds that I can imagine. I was sure glad to get out of that lot in one piece.

[wingfoot321]

Where in Akron will you be visiting? north, south, east, or west?

I lived there for years and still have friends that camp in the area.

Do you value convience & distance to town or want a nice park even if a little further to drive?

[Foiled Again]

My sister lives in Highland Square, my mother is in Cuyahoga falls near Chapel Hill and my aunt lives in Wayland - midway between Ravenna and Warren. I want a quiet, clean, safe place to camp. I'll be driving all over the place.

Tin Lizzie

[airstream6666]

Originally Posted by PaulaFord

Anyone know a decent RV park in the Akron Ohio area? I'm running up to visit relatives and will stay about a week. I did look for airstream only facilities and didn't find one in Ohio. Now doesn't that seem strange since they are manufactured IN Ohio?

Tin Lizzie

Sorry, wish I could help but my campground experiences in the Akron area are not at all positive. Hopefully, someone will offer better experiences.

Why does that seem particularly strange? The employees of Airstream, from landscapers and mechanics to the president, do not even use their product. A very few of then may camp, but not with Airstreams. Several folks buy inexpensive vintage units as investments, but they don't camp. Last year. during homecoming, the president remarked that "they don't actually have time to go camping" but was proud to say that a newly-hired manager was living in an AS (in the company parking lot) while waiting to purchase a home.

Don't poo-poo this. This parking lot may be the closest to first-hand camping experience among the entire design team and managers/officers. I am not kidding. Now combine this with company focus groups who also do not camp (but who are big NASCAR and Harley Davidson fans) and, well, we can be thankful that at least there was some momentum from the years when these folks did camp.

OOPS. Just realized I was posting in the "off-topic" forum. I'm getting way too topical.

Enjoy your visit to Akron.

[ctdair]

Clays RV Park (not sure exact name) Akron Canton area. Ive camped there once. Family oriented campground some weekend special activieties. Ive been to worse and Ive been to better. Would judge Clays as acceptable,bathroom facilities could be more modern and more of them. Has indoor pool ,sauna , steam room.If yor in the area and have never visited Warthers Train Museum it is highly recommended , You wont belive the carving of the trains this man did.

http://www.warthers.com/

[Rivetedude]

Originally Posted by PaulaFord

Anyone know a decent RV park in the Akron Ohio area? I'm running up to visit relatives and will stay about a week. I did look for airstream only facilities and didn't find one in Ohio. Now doesn't that seem strange since they are manufactured IN Ohio?

Tin Lizzie

No it doesn't seem strange at all. You're "Airstream Only" parks would go out of business in Ohio. We are not a huge tourist state. If you want an Airstream only park, stay at Airstream. Quite a drive to Akron though.

Good Luck!

Ben

[Foiled Again]

Yes I've been there. It IS just amazing itsn't it? Ohio isn't a BIG tourist state, but it's chock full of smaller and very nifty little museums, attractions, etc. Akron Ohio has Stan Hywett - a Tudor Mansion built by the Seiberling family in Akron's heyday of tire building for the new auto industry - see it at Christmas if you can get a reservation.

Amish Country - to buy great quilts look for small signs, go to the end of the paved road, turn down the gravel road, turn onto the dirt road, drive up to the house and knock (but never on Sunday, they KEEP the sabbath!). Also great opportunities to watch cheese being made, to get really nice wooden furniture. Don't restrict yourself just to Holmes county, it's tourist trap heaven; you'll also find a lot in western Ohio and in the far north east - Ashtabula county, etc.

Burton - Maple syrup festival - drool. The smell of sap cooking - making maple cream candy (a kind of maple fudge you only see during February.)

Cedar Point - number one "hard ride" amusement park in the USA. Even Disney sends folks to Cedar point to train for care and safety of the hard rides. Rumor has it that there is one roller coaster so high you can see Canada on a clear day.

Cleveland - see the Rock & Roll hall of fame, the zoo and all of the museums, and the Cleveland Indians are even playing half way decently now. And hey there is some Great scenery around Lake Erie and some beautiful country.

Know what the Firelands and the Western Reserve are all about? Revolutionary War soldiers got paid LAND because the U. S. was broke.

The homes of SIX Presidents - granted not the biggies like Lincoln, but interesting characters anyway.

Southern Ohio is largely rural and quite mountainous - I enjoy the Tappan Lakes area. Scenic and a fisherman's paradise.

Oh and d'oh the Football Hall of Fame in North Canton. My uncle's company did the plumbing for the building, so I saw it before it was even finished (of course I was a rugrat and don't remember much of it at that stage).

And then there's Jackson Center - see an Airstream made. Buck a rivet!

T.L.

[Pick]

There is a large RV park East of Hartville, Ohio on the corner of 619 and RT44. Don't remember the name of it, but it is out in the country. Hartville is a neat little Amish town, big flea market there.

The Akron-Canton area up I77 is the worst part of my journey from Ohio to Florida.

[AYRSTRM2]

Hmm, sounds like a University of Michigan(tm) grad.

John

Originally Posted by airstream6666

Sorry, wish I could help but my campground experiences in the Akron area are not at all positive. Hopefully, someone will offer better experiences.

Why does that seem particularly strange? The employees of Airstream, from landscapers and mechanics to the president, do not even use their product. A very few of then may camp, but not with Airstreams. Several folks buy inexpensive vintage units as investments, but they don't camp. Last year. during homecoming, the president remarked that "they don't actually have time to go camping" but was proud to say that a newly-hired manager was living in an AS (in the company parking lot) while waiting to purchase a home.

Don't poo-poo this. This parking lot may be the closest to first-hand camping experience among the entire design team and managers/officers. I am not kidding. Now combine this with company focus groups who also do not camp (but who are big NASCAR and Harley Davidson fans) and, well, we can be thankful that at least there was some momentum from the years when these folks did camp.

OOPS. Just realized I was posting in the "off-topic" forum. I'm getting way too topical.

Enjoy your visit to Akron.

[tamis]

I live in Chardon, OH, about an hour north of Akron. Unfortunatly I haven't camped anywhere around here. (My new 'Stream is in AZ, waiting to come home.) I can think of a couple of places that I've gone by, about a half hour south, but thier names evade me. I'll do a little research and let you know what I come up with.

By the way.........the Maple Festival is in Chardon, not Burton. Got snowed out this year, first time in 75 years, 24+ inches of wet snow that weekend. (Always the weekend after Easter.)

T

[loudruff]

Sorry, we live near Cleveland/Akron, but usually camp further away than that. I looked up camping in my Ohio books.
Country Acres Campground is in Ravenna, Ohio. www.countryacrescamping.com. Haven't been there but it sounds good. Looks like it might be pricey.

West Branch State Park is just east of Ravenna. http://www.ohiodnr.com/parks/parks/westbrnc.htm

Bear Creek Resort Ranch KOA is 7 mi. south of Canton. www.bearcreek.us

Pier-Lon Park is a private park near Medina, Ohio.

Here is a link that you can log onto and explore for the areas of Ohio you might be visiting. http://www.ohioparks.net/campgrounds.htm

You are right, Ohio has a multitude of beautiful places to visit and there are many things to see and do here. I hope you will stop at a visitor's center on your way up and pick up the maps and brochures on camping and siteseeing trips.

If you get to the sw side of Cleveland and want to camp you are welcome to our courtesy parking for FREE! We are in Lorain County. It is about 25 min. from Cleveland. We are about 1 hr. drive from downtown Akron.

Larry and Lou

[wingfoot321]

PaulaFord,

Sent you a PM, thought you might have missed it.

Contained two camp grounds near your parents.

Let me know if you didn't get it.

[TwinkytheKid]

Originally Posted by airstream6666

Why does that seem particularly strange? The employees of Airstream, from landscapers and mechanics to the president, do not even use their product. A very few of then may camp, but not with Airstreams. Several folks buy inexpensive vintage units as investments, but they don't camp. Last year. during homecoming, the president remarked that "they don't actually have time to go camping" but was proud to say that a newly-hired manager was living in an AS (in the company parking lot) while waiting to purchase a home.

Many "specialty manufacturing" folks will have nothing to do with their products when in their "off time". This is because they get overloaded with it while at work. Most of my manufacturing friends couldn't be dragged back to their products with wild horses while they are off the clock. Yet they all build quality products that I heartily endorse.

[Foiled Again]

Originally Posted by wingfoot321

PaulaFord,

Sent you a PM, thought you might have missed it.

Contained two camp grounds near your parents.

Let me know if you didn't get it.

Thanks! Got it last night, when I got HOME from Akron. I'd seen Country Time on the web, but Cherokee did look better when we drove by. I'll probably stay there next time I'm in town. I ended up in an almost closed campground out on Arlington Road - close to abandoned, not well maintained, but the water was excellent for bathing, it was half empty, I got a pull through space, and all I wanted to do was shower and sleep in T.L. so it was OK.