Gay Games Getaways

This month thousands of athletes and fans will descend on America's heartland to take part in the world's largest amateur sporting event held in the seemingly unlikely cities of Cleveland and Akron. Once dubbed "the mistake on the lake," today Cleveland is anything but. With a thriving arts scene, endless restaurant options and great gay nightspots in the friendliest community in the country, you'll find it tough not to fall in love with this town.

So, if you're headed out to 2014 Gay Games and can't score a ticket to one of the 36 sporting events and opening and closing ceremonies, or if you're just looking for a few non-sporting events to while away the hours, look no further. From the excitement of the fastest rollercoaster in the world to the serenity of Amish country, here are five great day trips that will make your trek a real vacation!

Cedar Point

Located in nearby Sandusky, OH, is Cedar Point, the rollercoaster capital of the world! Between the GateKeeper, the Blue Streak, the Corkscrew, the Mean Streak, the Wicked Twister and the Millennium Force, it'll take a force of nature to keep your lunch down! And that doesn't even take into account the water rides, including Soak City Waterpark, and the four great kids' areas. The $49.99 online ticket price includes a bottomless soft drink. On Fridays and Saturdays through August 16, enjoy a free beach party complete with fireworks. https://www.cedarpoint.com/

Northcoast Grapevine Tours

There's no need to go to Napa for great wines. Lake Erie shores and islands offer a wide array of vineyards to tour and taste. Just minutes from I-80 in Wakeman, OH, is Vermilion Valley Vineyards, with its distinctive tasting room and outdoor seating over the vineyards, offering wines made from labrusca grapes and other local fruits. In Vermilion, OH, Paper Moon Vineyards serves up a selection of regional and viniferous wines, as does Sandusky's Hermes Vineyards & Winery. Nearby is Firelands Winery, which has turned out bottles since 1880. For a taste of the Lake Erie wine trail, take a tour with Northcoast Grapevine Tours. http://www.northcoastgrapevinetours.com

Put-In Bay

About five miles off the shore of Ohio near Sandusky is Put-In-Bay, a charming village on South Bass Island where locals go for fishing, sunbathing, sightseeing, shopping, dining and nightlife. The new Put-In-Bay hotel facility features a Caribbean-themed swim-up bar and grill - or take things slower at Aunt Jane's Victorian Manor, in the downtown area. Tour Perry's Memorial or the underground lake in Perry's Cave. Go jet skiing or parasailing. Peruse the antique car museum or get your thrills at Adventure Bay Amusement Park. Hit the links for real at Saunders Resort, or for play at the mini-golf fave War of 18 Holes. After it all, kick back with a cold one at the legendary Roundhouse Bar. http://putinbayreservations.com

Amish Country

Has it been far too long since you've seen Intercourse? Well, Ohio has 14,000 of its own Amish folk in Geauga County, Middlefield, making it the fourth-largest Amish settlement in the world. These stellar craftsmen sell their wares in local shops and hawk baked goods and locally grown produce to make a living. You can sit down for an Amish lunch at shops like Mary Yoder's Amish Kitchen Bakery or Crossroads Country Caf�. Pick up some Swiss at Middlefield Cheese or some jam at Triple M Salvage Groceries. Try not to gawk at the horses pulling buggies, or the adorable Amish kids in their woven straw hats. http://www.tourgeauga.com/

Day Cruises

If you've got only a short time to get away, consider a daytime cruise on the Goodtime III, Cleveland's Largest Excursion Ship. It hosts two-hour narrated tours of the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie for just $17, not to mention their full line of lunch, dinner, dance and rush-hour cruises - a perfect way to unwind. From Sandusky, try the island-hopping cruise on the Good Time I. The 117-foot ferry takes 315 passengers from Sandusky around Put-In-Bay and Kelley's Island Tuesdays through Saturdays. Ahoy, gay mateys!
http://goodtimeiii.com and http://www.goodtimeboat.com