CLEVELAND, OHIO
While one of the great things about Cleveland is the view over the waterways of Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River, for any music fan it has to be a visit to the city's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which overlooks the lake.
It has the world's largest collection of rock and roll artefacts including those of Elvis Presley, David Bowie, the Rolling Stones and the Beatles (The Beatles: Get Back to Let It Be exhibit runs until March 2023). This year's inductees – to be acclaimed at a ceremony in November – include Lionel Richie and Dolly Parton.
North Coast Harbor, home of the museum, also features the Great Lakes Science Center, which focuses on the natural environment in the Great Lakes region, and a number of other maritime-themed attractions. And at Oasis Marinas in the harbour visitors can rent pedal boats, stand-up paddleboards and kayaks and then head out on to the lake for amazing view of the city's skyline. There are also miles and miles of beautiful, lakefront beaches and a vibrant theatre district.
Once polluted by industrial waste but now all cleaned up, the twisting, turning Cuyahoga River was recently voted by USA Today readers as one of the ten best urban kayaking spots in the USA and also offers rowing, jet-skiing and river cruising. Along both the river and lake are restaurants offering fresh seafood and craft breweries.
GETTING THERE: There are no direct flights to Cleveland from Heathrow but United (united.com), via Newark or Chicago; JetBlue (jetblue.com), via Boston; and American Airlines (aa.com), via Chicago or Philadelphia, all fly there.
THE TWISTING, TURNING CUYAHOGA RIVER WAS RECENTLY VOTED BY USA TODAY READERS AS ONE OF THE TEN BEST URBAN KAYAKING SPOTS IN THE USA AND ALSO OFFERS ROWING, JET-SKIING AND RIVER CRUISING.