My grandparents live about 90 minutes away from my parents. They’re old and getting sick of driving up here, and my dad is now also old and getting sick of driving down there. So I took a look at Google Maps and found that the intersection of I-77 and Rt. 30 in Canton is smack dab between them and would be a good place to meet up.
But I have little to no experience with that area of Canton, other than whizzing by on the freeway. I don’t know where they could meet up.
What would be a good restaurant for a bunch of old folks to eat at? Any flea markets out there or parks? Whimsical shopping? I know Belden Village is out that way but that’s the last place they’d want to visit.
Well, there’s the Football Hall of Fame, of course, and if you want to go a little farther south there’s Warther’sMuseum, always impressive. You won’t be too far from the Hartville Flea Market, which is a little bit farther north on 77 at the Massillon Road exit.
The folks might like theFirst Ladies’ National Historic Site and the William McKinley Presidential Library and Museum, which includes a planetarium.
Right at the airport exit there’s Harry London Candy, which gives a factory tour and where you can buy some primo BUCKEYES!
And here’sa whole lot more.
As for food, Belden Village Mall is unavoidable but near the mall is Papa Bear’s, a really fine family pizza-and-pasta restaurant (you’re looking for the one on Dressler Road). And really, check out Tim’s Tavern for some fine fish. It doesn’t look like much, but you will not be disappointed. The Geisen Haus (no web site?) at 6955 Promway Ave. N.W. (pretty much parallel to 77) has decent German food. And there’s always 356 Fighter Group Restaurant, the World War II-themed place at the airport (near Harry London!). Kinda gimmicky, but fun.
If you’re in the mood for dinner, the Amish Door is about 40 minutes west of there on old Route 30, but you’d probably be the one doing the driving.
And I second Sigmagirl’s recommendation of the Geisen Haus near I-77 and the 356th up by Akron-Canton airport.
Good suggestions so far, thanks.
My grandparents live in Sugarcreek and my parents live in Macedonia. There’s plenty to do in both cities if one couple wants to drive the 90 minutes it takes. But they don’t.
I chose the 77/30 “intersection” because that’s exactly inbetween them. Hartville is out because it’s much closer to my folks than my grandparents. Wooster is out because it’s much closer to my grandparents than my parents.
I forgot about the 365th, that would be very suitable for this group. Also that Website Sigmagirl linked to is a great reference. I’ll pass it along to my mom.
There are antique shows/flea markets pretty regularly at the Stark County Fairgrounds during the summer, I think. Watch the paper. Maybe once a month or so. $2-$3 admission and you can walk around for a while and look at stuff. It’s right there at the exchange, back behind the Hall of Fame.