Ashtabula, OH
Eastern gateway to Ohio's Lake Erie wine country. Ashtabula County has 18+ wineries and Ohio's longest covered-bridge corridor (16 covered bridges along the Grand River and Ashtabula River — visible from low altitude). Ashtabula Harbor Lighthouse and the Ashtabula River Railroad Bridge add maritime character. The Underground Railroad ran through here — one of the closest northern points to slavery before Lake Erie crossings to Canada.
Ashtabula County and far northeast Ohio along Lake Erie host one of America's oldest grape-growing regions — Concord, Niagara, and increasingly vinifera grapes thrive in the lake-moderated climate. 18+ wineries in the immediate area along with the famous Ashtabula County Covered Bridges (16 covered bridges, more than any Ohio county). From the air, vineyards march in neat rows across the lake plain. Ferrante Winery, Debonné Vineyards, and South River Vineyard anchor the wine trail.
Just southeast of the Lost Nation field spreads one of the largest arboreta in the country. The Holden Arboretum covers 3,600 acres of forest, wetland, and cultivated garden in Kirtland, with more than twenty miles of trails and some 9,400 kinds of woody plants. Two signature features reward anyone who likes a view from above: the Murch Canopy Walk, a 500-foot elevated loop sixty-five feet up in the treetops, and the Kalberer Family Emergent Tower, a 120-foot wooden tower from which, on a clear day, you can see all the way to Lake Erie. Opened in 1931, it anchors Holden Forests & Gardens, among the largest public-garden organizations in the US.
The actual house used as the Parker family home in "A Christmas Story" (1983) — preserved in Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood as a museum, complete with the leg lamp in the front window. Renovated to match the film's interiors exactly. The Christmas Story Museum across the street has original props including Ralphie's Red Ryder BB gun, the bunny suit, and Randy's snowsuit. A pilgrimage for fans. Cleveland is only 10 minutes from KBKL — this is an easy add to a Cleveland day.
One of the most spectacular GA approaches in the Midwest — Burke Lakefront sits literally on the edge of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (an I.M. Pei design from 1995) sits right at the waterfront, the Browns Stadium next door, and the Terminal Tower (1930) and Key Tower anchor the skyline. The Cuyahoga River winds through the Flats neighborhood. Approach over the lake with the city rising in front of you. The Cleveland National Air Show takes place at KBKL each Labor Day weekend.