All About Akron

Last Sunday's newspaper included a special section of local favorites. Being new to the area, Niels and I were happy for the recommendations. For those planning a summer trip to our neck of the woods, here are some of our picks:

DINING:

• Best Ice Cream or Custard: Stricklands (Sadly, we are deprived of Culvers here)
• Best Sauerkraut Balls: Anthe's, 4315 Manchester Road, New Franklin. (Nope, we haven't tried Akron's official food either!)
• Best Chinese Food: House of Hunan
• Best Indian Food: Raj Mahal
• Best Thai Food: Pad Thai
• Best Coffee: Nervous Dog (This is for you, DK!)
  

Other Recommended Eats:

• 356th Fighter Club
• Carousel Dinner Theatre
• Rockne's

BEST MUSEUMS FOR KIDS:

• Inventors Hall of Fame
• Great Lakes Science Center
• Museum of Natural History
• McKinley Museum
• Cleveland Children's Museum
• Akron Art Museum
• Akron Zoo
• Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
• Hale Farm & Village

MORE AKRON/CANTON ATTRACTIONS:

• Classic Car Museum
• Cuyahoga Riverboat Trips
• Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad
• Five Oaks Historic Home
• Fort Laurens State Memorial
• Glamorgan Castle
• Hower House
• MAPS Air Museum
• National First Ladies Library
• Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Schnoenbrunn Villiage
• Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens
• Water Works
• Zoar Village

BOOKSTORES:

• Berean
• Blue Heron Book Store
• The Bookseller
• Borders
• Learned Owl

AKRON FUN FACTS:

• Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in Akron in 1935
• Akron is home to the Firestone Country Club, at which the PGA TOUR's Bridgestone Invitational is annually played
• In 1869, B.F. Goodrich began the first rubber company to settle in Akron. (Goodyear is still based in Akron)
• For a time in 1920s, Akron was the fastest-growing city in the country. Among the factory workers in the early 1920s was a young Clark Gable.
• Famous Akronians

AKRON FIRSTS:

• First balloon tire
• First automobile tires made in the United States
• First rubber-wound golf ball
• First breakfast cereal
• First artificial fish bait
• First cotton-covered rubber fire hose
• First U.S. toy company
• First synthetic rubber tire
• First commercial tubeless tire
• First graded school system in U.S.
• First automobile police patrol wagon
• First long distance electric railway in world
• First U.S. space suits
• First trans-active science museum (National Inventors Hall of Fame)
• First meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous.
• First Champion of the NFL - 1920 (Akron Professionals)
• First zepplin built in the United States

More to do in Akron