Long Weekend Getaways

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Looking to take a road trip? Getting tired of Cleveland and want to see what else is out there? There are many great destinations to choose from for a long weekend getaway. Here are some great ideas, courtesy of Cleveland Magazine:

Hollander's, Ann Arbor, Mich.

2 hours, 30 minutes

The cast-iron letterpress from he 1920s looks intimidating — it can give you a good pinch if you're not careful. But our instructor, Tom Hollander, leads us through the procedure: First ink the plate, which spreads color onto rollers, then position the paper carefully before drawing down the tall handle on the left, pressing the inked image onto the page. Voila! I have a beautifully inked image — a work of art.

Hollander's, in Ann Arbor, Mich., is the place to go for materials and classes related to book and paper art. It all began with Annette Hollander, one of the early supporters of the U.S. book art movement in the 1960s. Inheriting his mother's love for the craft, Tom began the business with his wife, Cindy, in their home then opened a little shop in Ann Arbor's Kerrytown district in 1991.

Today, Hollander's carries one of the largest collections of international decorative papers: Think Egyptian papyrus, Japanese silk-screen and Florentine prints embossed with powdered gold. Workshops cover a wide range and include bookbinding, calligraphy and encaustic (melted wax) painting. Recently, Hollander's added a culinary shop and kitchen with chef-led demonstrations and hands-on workshops such as wine and food pairing.

Classes are small, usually six to 12 students, and range from a few hours to several days, with prices starting around $30. The website has a full list and details. // Manya Kaczkowski

Hollander's, 410 N. Fourth Ave., Ann Arbor, Mich., 734-741-7531, hollanders.com

Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, N.Y.

3 hours, 15 minutes

Well into fall, my husband and I take a Saturday morning stroll up Elmwood Avenue to the Bidwell Farmers Market. On the way, we grab a cup of coffee at Caffe Aroma and window-shop at the boutiques and galleries that line this main drag of Elmwood Village.

The village is one of Buffalo's busiest, prettiest neighborhoods. Frederick Law Olmsted, famous partly for designing New York City's Central Park, planned the parkway system, and streets are lined with landscaped Queen Anne, Italianate, Victorian and French Second-Empire homes (plus a Frank Lloyd Wright residence). Buffalo's burgeoning reputation as a gardening mecca is reflected in the many lushly landscaped, colorful Elmwood yards. The area is so appealing it was included in the American Planning Association's 2007 "10 Great Neighborhoods in America."

After lunch at Bistro Europa, a tiny, farm-to-table treat, my husband and I find there's also plenty of beauty inside approximately 200 businesses along about two miles of Elmwood Avenue. While I'm picking up a gift of artisan chocolates, I can't resist Chow Chocolat's handmade chocolate croissants. My throw pillows from Reimagine, owned by young go-getters Hayley Carrow and Cortney Morrison-Taylor, are perfectly representative of their mix of vintage furniture, original artwork and funky accessories. I linger at ShoeFly, where my husband and I both find chic shoes we can't get at the mall. Without a visit to the verve-filled neighborhood anchor, you haven't really shopped Elmwood. // Jana Eisenberg

Find a shopping map at elmwoodvillage.org.

Read more at Cleveland Magazine