Consider taking to the outdoors next time you visit Akron. At Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, the home of F.A. Seiberling, co-founder of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, you can stroll through the walled English Garden and along walkways that are a blend of manicured plants and natural wonder. A tour of the mansion highlights the belongings of Seiberling and his wife Gertrude (714 N. Portage Path, 330/836-5533).
Another tribute to the industrialist is the F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm Visitors Center. As part of the Summit County Metro Parks system, it has a 100-acre arboretum with hiking trails, ponds and tall-grass prairie (1828 Smith Rd., 330/865-8065).
Blend history and the outdoors by touring the Mustill Store and House in Cascade Locks Park (57 W. North St., Cascade Locks Park, 330/374-5625). Here is a slice of the 1850s when the Ohio and Erie Canal system was booming.
The Akron Zoo adds animals, including red pandas, to the outdoor scene. The zoo hosts a Senior Safari in June and a Pajama Party in July (500 Edgewood Ave., 330/375-2550).
To add adventure to outdoor wanderings, visit the Cuyahoga Valley National Park’s Happy Days Visitor Center (500 W. Streetsboro Rd., Peninsula, 330/650-4636) and be sure to take the trail that heads toward Virginia Kendall Ledges Park. With trails that range from easy to rugged, this is a place to hike, bike or picnic. The vintage Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad (1630 W Mills St., Peninsula, 330/657-2000, 800/468-4070) takes trekkers to Hale Farm & Village, an 1800s living-history museum (2686 Oak Hill Rd., Bath, 330/666-3711).
To mix entertainment with evening air, take in a performance at Blossom Music Center (1145 W. Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, 330/923-0560). This outdoor amphitheater is the summer home of the Cleveland Orchestra and also boasts a wide range of pop and rock performances.