Staycation: The Grand Resort in Warren, Ohio
Looking to get away without going far? Consider The Grand Resort in Warren, Ohio — located just outside Youngstown and about an hour northwest of Pittsburgh.
It has something for most everyone: fine dining to pub fare, golf, swimming and an array of spa services. The resort is popular for weekend getaways from the Pittsburgh and Cleveland areas as well as a destination for weddings, conferences, reunions and more.
Formerly known as the Avalon Inn & Country Club, the hotel features more than 130 rooms, including a spacious presidential suite. Pets are allowed.
Full spa and salon services and massages are available at the Warren location, as well as at Avalon at Buhl Park, located in Hermitage, Pa.
Hit the links
Pete Dye, the legendary golf course architect, designed the 18-hole course across the street from the Warren hotel. The highly rated course is challenging, with its water features and sand traps, but also fun to play. The Warren location also features an indoor golf center. If you visit in the winter or when the weather is bad, you can still golf 50 top courses around the world on high-quality simulators.
The resort also has three other 18-hole golf courses in Hermitage, New Castle and Vienna, Ohio.
Wine & dine
The Grand Resort is known for its wine collection. Gatsby’s and the Lobby Bar in Warren share a wine list with more than 300 options, ranging from California and the West Coast to France, Italy and the best of Europe. Four different wine lists are featured at the other properties. In all, the Grand Resort has 18 restaurants and bars – ranging from casual to fine dining options, such as The Chophouse, a New York-style steakhouse on the main property.
Splash & play
Each of the resort properties features an outdoor pool. In addition, the main location in Warren has an indoor Olympic pool as well as The Grand Resort Roman Bath and Sunbathing Decks.
Other recreational activities include tennis (21 indoor and outdoor courts), racquetball, pickleball, bocce and fully outfitted fitness centers. The Warren location also has a rec room with arcade games, billiards and more.
The resort offers a full array of children’s activities, including winter and summer camps, poolside movies and holiday parties. Child care options also are available.
Other things to do
The area has a variety of other attractions, whether you or others in your party are into history, horse racing or home renovations.
1899 Mahoning Ave. NW, Warren, OH 44483
The street address and museum are an homage to the Packard brothers, who grew up in Warren and started their car manufacturing business there in 1899. The company incorporated in 1900 as the Ohio Automobile Co. and then as the Packard Motor Car Co. in 1902. It moved to Detroit in 1903 and merged with the Studebaker Corp. in 1954. The last Packard was made in 1958.
The museum’s permanent collection features more than 30 cars built from 1900 to 1956, including a 1927 Sterling Knight — the last car built in Warren.
National McKinley Birthplace Memorial
40 N. Main St., Niles, OH 44446
William McKinley was born in Niles and eventually became the 25th president of the United States. The 232-foot by 136-foot marble monument with its Classical Greek architecture, features 28 columns, a statue of McKinley and bronze busts of other notable locals in a court of honor. The building houses the McKinley Memorial Library, the McKinley Museum and an auditorium. His birthplace home, which also is a research center, is a couple of blocks away at 40 S. Main St.
More sites to visit can be found at ExploreTrumbullCounty.com/things-to-do.
DIY
If you are working on a few projects around the house, this trip might be of help there, too.
3813 Youngstown Road SE, Warren, OH 44484
Open since 2009, this warehouse offers deep discounts on high-quality building materials — with a rotating inventory of doors, flooring, tile, sinks, cabinets, vanities and more. Membership is free and gets you another 20% off purchases.
Kraftmaid Outlet
3418 Elm Road NE, Warren, OH 44483
The building is nondescript and rundown looking. But inside a couple dozen times a year, Masco Cabinetry’s factory in Middlefield, Ohio, offers Kraftmaid cabinets and vanities for 60% to 70% below retail price. (Doorless cabinets are often $5.) These are mostly returned and overage products. The next sale is Jan. 11. Plan to get there before 7 a.m. if you go. The experience can be confusing and is fast paced. Several sites offer tips on how to navigate the madness, and the savings can certainly be worth it.
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