Winter weather has kept many of us cooped up indoors the past several months, but with temperatures expected to top 70 degrees this week, you might be hoping for an excuse to get outside.
You’re in luck: Today, April 5, is National Walking Day. Whether you’re looking to enjoy some fresh spring air on your lunch break or want to get your blood pumping in between classes, you can check out these three places to take a walk near Case Western Reserve University.
1. Saunter along the paths of Cleveland Botanical Garden.
Cleveland Botanical Garden is just a 4-minute walk from Case Western Reserve. The garden campus offers something for everyone, whether you’re a budding plant-lover or a deep-rooted botanist—including a Madagascar Glasshouse, a Perennial Garden and a Woodland Garden. Admission is free for students. Stop by between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, or noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.
2. Explore the Cleveland Cultural Gardens.
The Cleveland Cultural Gardens are one of Northeast Ohio’s oldest and most beautiful treasures. Some 35 dedicated gardens—designed and cultivated by distinct cultural or nationality groups—adorn the drive along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and East Boulevard in Rockefeller Park, just steps away from CWRU. Depicted in the gardens are some of the poets, philosophers, peacemakers, composers, scientists and others who have contributed to world culture. The gardens are open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day of the week.
3. Stroll through the Nord Family Greenway.
At approximately six football fields long, the Nord Family Greenway includes a swath of walkways, stairs, picnic terraces and quaint views. Various tree species can be found throughout the park, as more than 150 mature trees were preserved during construction and 275 new trees were planted. The greenway connects Case Western Reserve’s Tinkham Veale University Center to the Milton and Tamar Maltz Performing Arts Center and is always open to the public.