Driving Distance/Time: 60mi./ 1h 1min. (to HOF)
407mi./ 6h 39min. (to hotel)
Sights seen: Pro Football Hall of Fame, Canton, OH
Sights missed: Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial, the College Football Hall of Fame, and Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.
Ah, the Ditka! This bust in the HOF is actually for his days playing as a tight end in the NFL and not for his days coaching the Chicago Bears (and definitely not for his days with the Saints...) But Ditka is just one of many great stars honored forever in the hallowed halls of Canton for their athleticism and intestinal fortitude on the gridiron. The HOF covers the rich and extensive history of professional football in the United States, including defunct and existing teams and leagues, great stars of days past, and the changes that occurred within the game as years progressed, such as new rules and better body padding, etc... And this is primarily why we came here.
However, as you can see from the note above, we passed over a number of equally enticing and unique attractions between Youngstown and Chicago. I mean, who wouldn't want to take a train ride through lush river valley that had once in its infamous history been on fire (Cuyahoga Valley NP), stand atop a 352ft. tall monument on a small isle in the middle of Lake Erie (Perry's Victory...), see the great college football stars before they hit the pros, faltered, and got arrested for cocaine use, or even see 125ft. tall dunes not at the beach but on the edge of a lake (Indiana Dunes NL). The truth is, if we had had more time, we would have liked to have seen them all, and perhaps on your trip, you will have the time or the desire to make these side trips a part of your planning. Either way, I strongly suggest these sights as they each present a completely unique experience that you would be hard-pressed to equal.
States visited to date: 5
National Park Passport cancellations to date: 1
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