Cleveland

Cedar Point opened for the 2012 season on May 12. There are several new additions this year. Among them is the new Fast Lane admission, a higher admission ticket that lets you beat the long lines for popular attractions. (A good idea, perhaps, if you only have one day this year to spend at the park. However, the Fast Lane admission is just one way to beat the lines at Cedar Point.) Also new this season is Luminosity, a nighttime show debuting June 8; Dinosaurs Alive!, a new attraction, located on Adventure Island, that features 50 animatronic, life-like dinosaurs; and Dragster H2O, a new racing slide at Soak City, the Cedar Point water park.

For more about Cedar Point, see:

• Cedar Point Visitors Guide
• Cedar Point Discounts
• Cedar Point Roller Coasters

It's almost beach time! Escape to one of the scenic and sandy beaches along Lake Erie this summer. From the mile-long Headlands Beach, just outside of Mentor, to the sandy resort strip along the Cedar Point Peninsula, Lake Erie has a number of affordable waterfront spots.

Particularly convenient is Edgewater Park (pictured at left), just west of downtown. Not only does it have 900 feet of white sand, it offers one of the city's best views of the downtown Cleveland skyline.


^{(Photo Courtesy of Ohio Dept of Travel and Tourism.)}

Ohio has more than 70 Indian mounds, burial sites of the Adena and Hopewell tribes--the "mound builders"--who inhabited central and southern Ohio from roughly 3000 BC until the 16th century.

Many of these sites are open to the public, including the dramatic and fascinating Serpent Mound (pictured above). Some even have museums and visitors centers accompanying them. Visiting Ohio's Indian mounds makes an interesting and educational summer weekend sidetrip from Cleveland.

^{(US Gov't Photo)}

The Cleveland Browns have announced their 2012 schedule. It includes match-ups with the San Diego Chargers, New York Giants, and Buffalo Bills as well as contests against division rivals Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Baltimore. See the entire 2012 Cleveland Browns Schedule.

^{(photo of Cleveland Browns Stadium © 2006 S. Mitchell; licensed to About, Inc.)}

Earth Day, founded in 1970, is Sunday, April 22. This grass roots holiday celebrates the planet's natural wonders and promotes education on ecology and ways to improve and preserve the environment. In Cleveland, there are several Earth Day celebrations:

• April 22 - Earth Day Story Time - The Learned Owl Book Shop in Hudson - 2pm
• April 22 - Lake Farm Park - 10am to 4pm
• April 22 - Earthfest 2012 at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo - 10am to 5pm

Learn more about Earth Day:

• Earth Day FAQs from the About.com Guide to Forestry
• Ten Ideas for Green Living from the About.com Guide to Landscaping
• The History of Earth Day at the US EPA Site
• The Earthday Network

^{(Photo of spring in Slavic Village 2006 © 2006 S. Mitchell; Licensed to About, Inc.)}

The walleye is Northeast Ohio's favorite fish. The medium-sized, freshwater darling spawns in early spring in the rivers and streams that feed into Lake Erie. Now that summer's almost here and the weather has warmed up, most of the walleye have made their way to the deep waters of Lake Erie.

That's not to say that you can't catch walleye this time of year. Plenty of fishing charters make half-day and full-day fishing excursions from marinas all over the shoreline.

What to do with that sweet, tender walleye that you catch? Below are a few ideas:

• Grilled walleye
• Oven baked Lake Erie walleye
• Mustard-broiled Lake Erie walleye
• Potato-crusted walleye

^{(photo courtesy of the ONDR)}

Residents can fish Lake Erie or the many rivers and streams in the state on May 5 and May 6 for FREE (without having to get a license) in 2012. Non-residents and those wishing to fish the rest of the season will still need to obtain an Ohio fishing license.

^{(Photo courtesy of Ohio Dept of Travel and Tourism)}

The 2012 Cleveland Indian's home opener is Thursday, April 5, and lots of festivities are planned. The game starts at 305pm, but the Progressive Field gates open at 1pm so that visitors can participate in all the opening festivities.

Changes for 2012 include a new Kids Clubhouse on the mezzanine level, the Wind Turbine which will help power the ballpark, and new Food Network-inspired food items, including Buffalo chicken macaroni and cheese and the Cleveland hot dog with pulled pork, BBQ sauce and cole slaw.

Go Tribe!

For more about the Tribe, see:

• A Fan's Guide to Progressive Field
• Cleveland Indians Apparel
• Cleveland Sports Bars
• Restaurants near Progressive Field

^{(Photo © istockphoto)}

Thursday marks the end of the Lenten season and the beginning of the celebration of Easter for thousands of Cleveland area Christians. Easter, the cornerstone of the Christian faith, celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ over 2000 years ago.

Thursday is "Maundy Thursday," the day of the Last Supper, when Jesus and his twelve apostles sat down to their Passover feast and he said goodbye to his friends and followers. Later that evening he was betrayed by Judas, arrested, and tried. Most area churches have Thursday evening communion services to mark this event.

"Good Friday" marks the day that Jesus was killed. Most area churches have solemn services throughout the day.

Easter Sunday is a joyous occasion. The celebration of the promise of Christ: that life is eternal.

I've always been fascinated by the different ethnic traditions surrounding the Easter Holiday. My Scotch-Irish grandmother always baked hot-cross buns (pictured below) for Easter, the cross signifying Jesus' cross. My German grandmother started early and made pickled eggs and beets, the eggs a widely used symbol of rebirth.

Until recently, I lived in Cleveland's Slavic Village area, a neighborhood steeped in Polish traditions. One of the most charming of these is the blessing of the baskets at St. Stanislaus church the Saturday before Easter. Called a swieconka basket, it is filled with the food to be used for Easter breakfast. Each basket is different, but the basics include fine linen (symbolizing the shroud of Jesus), eggs, a single candle (representing Jesus as the "light of the world"), ham or fresh kielbasa, loaves of fresh bread (Jesus' body as in the communion service), and an evergreen garland (symbolizing everlasting life.)

For more information on Easter:

• From the About Guide to Catholicism:
  What is Easter?
• From the About Guide to German:
  Easter Customs in German-Speaking Europe
• From the About Guide to Italian:
  Easter in Italy

^{(Photos © istockphoto)}

The I-X Indoor Amusement Park, held each spring in Cleveland's I-X Center, is 20 acres of indoor fun for the whole family. There are dozens of rides (including the permanent indoor ferris wheel), live entertainment, fair food, and special events and celebrity appearances. The 2012 dates are March 23 to April 15.

Admission is $24 for adults and and $21 for those under 48". Discounted ($21) tickets are available at Marc's Stores and AAA outlets.

^{(photo courtesy of the I-X Indoor Amusement Park.)}