The ever-changing urban escape known as the Cleveland Botanical Garden is minutes from downtown Cleveland in University Circle and provides a continuous source of enrichment and inspiration through its gardens, exotic glasshouse, and enchanting events. Open Tues., Thurs., Fri., Sat., 10am-5pm; Wed., 10am-9pm; Sun., noon-5pm (11030 East Boulevard; 216.721.1600)

Tip: Refresh and recharge at the Garden Café where regional and seasonal product from local farmers are used to prepare soups, salads, and sandwiches.

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Just a short walk from the Cleveland Botanical Garden is the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. The “back yard” here is a 2.2-acre outdoor gallery where you can see bald eagles, owls, deer, foxes, otters, bobcats, a coyote, and other northeast Ohio animals in enclosures designed to resemble their natural habitats. Beneath a canopy of tulip, oak, beech, and maple trees grow plants that belong to several of Ohio’s native natural communities. Open Mon.-Sat., 10am-5pm; Wed., 10am-10pm; Sun., noon-5pm. Closed most major holidays. (1 Wade Oval; 216.231.4600) 

Tip:  The Museum of Natural History is home to Ohio’s first planetarium, the Hanna Star Dome, built in 1936. 

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If you’re planning to spend time at any of the attractions in University Circle, including the Botanical Garden and Museum of Natural History, you may want to plan it around Wade Oval Wednesdays, the free outdoor summer concert series that happens at 10820 East Boulevard. The schedule of concerts can be found at www.universitycircle.org.

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Shifting from museums and outdoor concerts to stadiums and outdoor sports, a visit to one of Major League Baseball’s most attractive and affordable venues can be found at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario in the form of Progressive Field, home to the Cleveland Indians. Here, bleacher seats provide great views of the action for under $20 and easy access to the food stands. For a schedule of home games, visit http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com  (2401 Ontario Street; 216.420.42003)

Tip:  Visit the Cleveland Indians’ Heritage Park Hall of Fame area (near the bleachers) where historic greats such as Bob Feller and Larry Doby as well as recent notables such as Omar Vizquel and Kenny Lofton are honored. 

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If you like street food check out Walnut Wednesdays at Perk Plaza/Chester Commons, one of the city’s nicest green spaces found at Walnut Ave. and E. 12^th Street. There, food trucks line up and make available everything from barbecue to sushi. Live music, too. For updates, follow on Twitter at #WalnutWednesdays. If you can’t make Wednesdays, follow the trucks to Huntington Park at the corner of W. 3^rd  and Lakeside for Memorial Mondays.   

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A visit to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is always a hit, especially in the summer when the year-round Sonic Sessions Concert Series moves outdoors. Live bands perform with the Rock Hall’s iconic glass pyramid-shaped entrance and Lake Erie in the background. The concerts start at 8pm, so you may want to spend the afternoon checking out the museum’s many exhibits, including a special exhibition honoring the 2015 inductees. Open every day, 10am-5:30pm; Wed., until 9pm; Sat., until 9pm. Memorial Day through Labor Day. (1100 E. 9th Street; 888.764.ROCK)

Tip: Street parking is limited, but the E. 9^th St. Pier at $8 is a good option, you must be out by 9pm. The North Point Garage ($12) stays open until midnight. As for places to eat there are several within a half-mile, but none is in the immediate vicinity. 

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Just a short walk from the Rock Hall at the 9^th Street pier is the USS Cod museum. Unlike most other submarine museums, the Cod has never had an access door cut in the side of her hull so visitors are able to use the same vertical ladders and hatches that were used by her crew. The museum is open to the public through Sept. 30. (1089 East 9^th Street; 216.566.8770)

Tip: Be prepared to climb up and down narrow areas. Appropriate shoes are a must. And engage the volunteer tour guides; they know a lot.

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Just minutes from the Rock Hall and USS Cod, is Edgewater Park, where you can walk the beach and stick your toes in the ocean. (OK, it’s Lake Erie, but you can imagine it’s the ocean; we do. Enjoy the views of downtown Cleveland, breathtaking sunsets, and the Edgewater Live Thursday night happy hour concert series (through August 21), featuring local bands, food trucks, adult beverages, and more. Open until dusk year-round. (6500 Cleveland Memorial Shoreway; 440-331-8111)

Tip: With lake breezes and lots of open space, this is a great park for flying kites. And if you like frozen treats, Cleveland’s own Honey Hut ice cream at the Eats and Treats concession is a must.

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Animal enthusiasts will love spending a day at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Feed the giraffes at African Savanna, observe elephants at Elephant Crossing, and enjoy penguins at Penguin Shores. Family fun can be had at The Circle of Life Carousel ride, which features 64 carved animals. And if you want to explore the tropics indoors, the zoo’s Rainforest can be added to the zoo’s regular admission prices. The zoo is about 5 minutes from downtown. Open Mon.-Sun., 10am -5pm. (3900 Wildlife Way; 216.661.6500) 

Tip: If you must park far from the gate, that’s OK. Just find a convenient tram stop for a ride to the gate, but be sure to remember where you parked. There are also trams stops inside the zoo. As for where to eat, concessions and tables throughout the grounds. Perhaps you’ll want to pack a picnic. 

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Finally, some of the best shopping around can be found at Aurora Farm Premium Outlets.  Located about 30 minutes from downtown Cleveland, the beautifully landscaped grounds and New England-style structures are aesthetically pleasing and offer shoppers the opportunity to select from more than 70 designer and name-brand outlets at savings of 25 to 65 percent every day. Store include Adidas, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Brooks Brothers Factory Store, Calvin Klein, Coach, Gap Factory Store, Levi’s, Loft Outlet, Michael Kors, Nautica, Nike, The North Face, Polo Ralph Lauren, Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5^th, Tommy Hilfiger, and much more. Open Mon.-Sat., 10am-9pm; Sun., 10am-7pm. Holiday hours differ. (549 South Chillicothe Road, Aurora; 330.562.2000) 

TIP: Bring a bag filled with stale bread pieces. The ducks in the pond near the front of the complex be glad you did. In fact, they’ll probably ‘quack’ you up.