Akron

Akron has come a long way from being Tire City, once the home of Goodrich, Goodyear, Firestone and General Tires.

It surged in the 1860s as the Ohio and Erie Canal was being built, and was the source of oat bars that fueled Civil War soldiers. From there grew Quaker Oats.

The city's second boom after the canal days came shortly after the turn of the 20th century as the automotive industry kicked into high gear. All those vehicles needed tires. The population doubled between 1900 and 1910 to churn out tons of tires. You can learn about that era at the Goodyear World of Rubber, which houses Charles Goodyear's workshop, a model of a rubber plantation and other memorabilia.

A quirky place to stay is the Quaker Square Inn at The University of Akron. It's a luxury hotel with round rooms built in the former Quaker Oaks silo. A mall moved into the mill and factory and the University of Akron has claimed portions to serve as dormitories.

If your thirst for vino is acute, hop on the one of the many legs of Ohio's wine trail. The Wines and Vines Trail hugs the shores of Lake Erie, an area surprisingly hospitable to the grape, and the Canal Country Wine Trail centers in Akron.

If you're hungry, sit along the water at The Harbor Inn Seafood Restaurant, which claims to be Akron's Key West. If you're a fan of The Pretenders, go to lead singer Chrissie Hynde's Vegi Terranean restaurant that serves only organic, vegan fare. Don't worry, there are burgers on the menu.

Once you're fed and watered (or wined), hit one of the many public courses around Akron, including two municipal courses. Given four stars by Golf Digest, J.E. Good Park -- "The Park" -- is an 18-hole course with an nice mix of doglegs, slopes, undulations and trees. The nine-hole Mud Run is a great spot for a quick round through wetlands and woods. It's home to the city's First Tee program. Turkeyfoot Lake Golf Links dates back to 1925 and has 27 tree-lined holes. Chenoweth Golf Course is another well maintained course set amid thick forests.

There's much more to Akron than tires.