CITY LIFE. OUTDOOR LIFE. GRAB LIFE RIGHT HERE!

Crisp autumn air. Leaves changing colors. Magical holiday lights. The possibilities for fall and winter fun in Summit County, OH are endless and are closer to home than you may think.

Hale Farm & Village, a living history museum highlighting 19th-century life in the Western Reserve, hosts their annual Harvest Festival in October. This event is full of the best of autumn, including wagon rides, pumpkin patches, corn mazes and a seasonal staple – apple cider! Hiking the trails of the Summit Metro Parks or the Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a great way to enjoy the beauty of the fall season. Take the family out for a hike or a bike ride to explore the wonder of nature.

Akron is home to Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, the former estate of Goodyear Tire & Rubber cofounder F.A. Seiberling. Don’t miss their Deck the Hall event, which celebrates the holiday season with one million lights decorating the estate and grounds. Wild Lights at the Akron Zoo has fun for the whole family, with dazzling light displays throughout the zoo and fun photo ops to capture special memories.

Begin your family adventure at visitakron-summit.org and check out our Visitors Guide!

Mountain Magic

ANAKEESTA MOUNTAINTOP ADVENTURE PARK GATLINBURG, TENNESSEE

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Up above the tourist-driven city of Gatlinburg is a world that feels all its own, lled with expansive mountaintop views, daring skywalks and warm Edison lights in the trees. Anakeesta Mountaintop Adventure Park sits on 70 acres and boasts opportunities for dining and shopping, a mountain coaster and a treetop walk. Just hop on the chondola — a continuous chair li that transports riders 600 feet up into the Great Smoky Mountains — or grab a seat on the Ridge Rambler bus for a trip up the mountainside.

Take the family to e Smokehouse for southern barbecue favorites like pulled pork and brisket. (Mom and dad can grab a specialty cocktail at the Bar at the Top of the World.) A erward, enjoy fresh homemade pie at Pearl’s Pie in the Sky before kicking back in one of the rocking chairs to take in the scenery of eastern Tennessee.

While the mountaintop views are breathtaking year-round, a visit at Christmastime provides a magical memory for the family under the glow of thousands of twinkling lights. e Enchanted Christmas season brings additional attractions to the mountaintop, including weekend-morning breakfasts with Santa — a personalized event in which the jolly old elf knows the names of the children who visit to share what they want for Christmas — complete with hot chocolate with all the xings and a hot breakfast of pancakes, eggs and bacon. A erward, enjoy carolers singing holiday favorites or visit in the evening for Astra Lumina, a mile-long lighted nighttime walk that tells the story of stars that fall to the Earth (available with a $15.99 addon to a regular Anakeesta ticket). At the end of the night, return to the heart of Gatlinburg in a chondola lit up in red and green for the Christmas season. 576 Parkway, Gatlinburg, Tennessee 37738, 865/325-2400, anakeesta.com — Gracie Wilson