From Treetops to Tailgates: Two Sides of Cleveland

On a recent visit to Cleveland, we found ourselves enjoying two experiences that could hardly have been more different. One involved a leisurely stroll through gardens and forest canopy, with little more than the breeze and other visitors to interrupt the quiet. The other involved thousands of people dressed in orange and brown, thumping music, elaborate tailgate setups, and a football stadium full of noise.

Together, a visit to Holden Arboretum and a Cleveland Browns game made for a good reminder that there's more than one way to get to know northeast Ohio.

A Green Escape at Holden Arboretum

The drive east from Cleveland to Holden Arboretum is a gradual change of scenery. City streets give way to suburbs, then smaller roads bordered by fields and wooded properties. By the time we arrived in Kirtland, it felt as though we'd left the city well behind.

The weather was gorgeous, and apparently plenty of other people had the same idea. The parking lot was busy with families unloading strollers, wagons, and everything else needed for an afternoon outdoors.

Holden covers roughly 3,500 acres of gardens, trails, and woodlands, with more than 20 miles of trails to explore. We had neither the time nor the ambition to tackle a serious hike, so we adopted a simpler strategy: wander toward whatever caught our attention.

It didn't take long for something to do exactly that.

Bob Moss and the Skeleton Grove

Standing among the greenery was a towering skeleton with a shaggy head of living plants, an artist's palette, and a paintbrush poised in front of a canvas. This was Bob Moss, a nicely executed nod to a certain soft-spoken television painter and one of the characters in Holden's seasonal Skeleton Grove.

Each skeleton had its own personality and backstory, and we followed the display for a while, comparing the creations and debating our favorites. It's a playful addition to what might otherwise be a fairly traditional garden visit. The Skeleton Grove exhibit is seasonal, so it's worth checking dates if this is part of the attraction for you.

Beyond the skeletons, the grounds were still lush and green. Only a few trees had begun to show the warmer colors that would soon spread through the woods. We passed ponds and garden beds without feeling particularly obligated to follow a planned route.

Into the Trees on the Murch Canopy Walk

Eventually, a sign for the Murch Canopy Walk caught our eye. We followed the path to a series of suspended bridges stretching across a wooded ravine.

The walkway runs about 500 feet and reaches as high as 65 feet above the forest floor. Instead of looking up at the canopy from a trail, we were moving through it, close to branches and leaves and looking down toward the shaded ground below.

There are signs instructing visitors not to bounce or rock the bridges. Naturally, the temptation to add a little spring to a step or two was difficult to ignore. Even without any encouragement, the bridges have enough movement to make the crossing feel different from an ordinary woodland trail.

Partway along, we spotted another of Holden's signature attractions rising above the trees: the Kalberer Emergent Tower.

Two Hundred and Two Steps to the View

The tower stands 120 feet tall, with 202 stairs leading to an observation platform above the canopy. It's a decent climb, though there are places to pause along the way. From the top, the reward is a broad, 360-degree view of the surrounding forest and, on clear days, a glimpse of Lake Erie in the distance.

A volunteer stationed at the top happily took a group photo for us. We also chatted about the approaching fall color season. He offered our friends a practical bit of local advice: come on a weekday if possible once the leaves reach their peak, when the crowds can be considerable.

We eventually made our way back down and wandered toward the visitor center. While the others stopped for water before our drive back to town, I stepped out behind the building for one last look at the water gardens. A wooden footbridge crossed between planted ponds, with lily pads, rocks, and a fountain adding to the scene. It was a peaceful finish to an afternoon that had involved surprisingly little planning.

A Very Different Cleveland: Browns Game Day

It takes a special kind of loyalty to be a Cleveland Browns fan. We were about to see that loyalty on full display.

Before the game, I decided that blending in required at least a little effort. A sporting-goods store in the mostly vacant Tower City shopping mall happened to be going out of business, which made it a convenient place to pick up a Browns T-shirt and hat. Properly outfitted, we joined the stream of fans moving through Tower City and heading downhill toward the lakefront.

As we walked, the crowds grew thicker and the volume steadily increased. We made our first detour into the tailgating scene beneath the bridge along Summit Avenue, where a friend hoped to track down a cousin. We worked our way through the crush of people, music, and parked vehicles, but the cousin remained elusive.

Next came the larger party at the Municipal Lot, better known as the Muni Lot, along the highway east of the stadium. This was tailgating on a scale we don't encounter every weekend. Vehicles were covered in Browns colors, buses sported oversized football helmets, flags waved above the crowds, and music competed with conversations on every side.

There were plenty of people who had clearly put much more preparation into their game-day setup than we had into our entire weekend. We walked roughly halfway into the sprawling gathering before deciding we'd seen enough of the party and ought to get to the actual football game.

From the Tailgate to Huntington Bank Field

The Browns play at Huntington Bank Field, right on Cleveland's Lake Erie waterfront. Our seats were in the upper deck, but the high vantage point offered a clear view of the field, the opposite stands, and the downtown skyline rising behind them.

Before kickoff, a huge American flag covered part of the field while the crowd filled in around us. The change in atmosphere from Holden Arboretum could hardly have been more complete.

We'll spare the play-by-play. The Browns won, and after an afternoon spent among their enthusiastic supporters, that felt like a fitting bonus. Even without the victory, though, the experience of being swept up in a Cleveland game day would have been worthwhile.

Travel Tips for Both Experiences

• Allow time for Holden. A couple of hours is enough to enjoy the gardens, Canopy Walk, and tower at a relaxed pace, but hikers could easily spend much longer. Check current hours, admission, and trail updates before going; the tower and Canopy Walk are included with regular admission but can close for weather or maintenance.
• Plan around the season and your mobility. Skeleton Grove is a fall attraction, and peak foliage brings crowds. The Canopy Walk offers some wheelchair access, while the tower requires climbing 202 stairs. Holden provides accessibility information for planning the visit.
• Use transit for Browns games when practical. We joined the crowd at Tower City and walked to the stadium. The Greater Cleveland RTA also operates Waterfront Line service for Browns home games and select events, but schedules vary.
• Give game day extra time. Tailgating crowds and road restrictions can slow the approach to the stadium. Review the Browns' game-day guide, including current parking, entry, and clear-bag policies, before heading out.

The Contrast Was the Point

These two outings didn't have much in common beyond their proximity to Cleveland. At Holden Arboretum, we could follow a path simply because it looked interesting, then linger over a view or a quiet pond. On game day, we gave ourselves over to the crowd, the noise, and a local sports tradition that clearly means a great deal to its fans.

Both were enjoyable in entirely different ways. And taken together, they gave us a broader picture of Cleveland than either experience could have offered on its own.