African Americans have helped shape Ohio’s his­tory and cul­ture through sig­nif­i­cant con­tri­bu­tions to the arts, music, pol­i­tics, human­i­tar­ian efforts and more. During Black History Month, Ohio trav­el­ers are invited to cel­e­brate the rag­time sounds of Scott Joplin and the sig­nif­i­cant con­tri­bu­tions he made in music his­tory; the strength of Angela Davis and her writ­ings that stood up to an unfair world; the iconic pho­tog­ra­phy of Gordon Parks and his relent­less moti­va­tion to cap­ture raw social and polit­i­cal issues all over the world; and the phil­an­thropic con­tri­bu­tions of Eliza Bryant, whose human­i­tar­ian work touched thousands.

The colder it is out­side, the hot­ter the deals will be inside at the the Wyndham Cleveland! Last week, the Wyndham Cleveland and PlayhouseSquare announced a unique, two-night week­end pack­age called “Snow News is Good News,” January through March 2010. The Saturday rate will be as low as the out­side temperature!

February is a busy month for Ohio as cul­tural and his­tor­i­cal cel­e­bra­tions abound. Kick off Black History Month by vis­it­ing an exhibit that explores the artis­tic and lit­er­ary con­tri­bu­tions of African Americans, or travel to Cincinnati to learn more about Ohio’s Appalachian cul­ture with excit­ing hands-on experiences.

Our fam­ily has taken numer­ous trips to Ohio over the years because there’s such a diverse and eclec­tic range of things to do. Ohio is a won­der­ful state that’s so often over­looked here in the Midwest. In 2010, there are going to be even more fun things to do and places to visit for fam­i­lies look­ing for an inex­pen­sive Midwest getaway.

January sig­ni­fies a time for New Year’s res­o­lu­tions, new begin­nings and renewal of old friend­ships and com­mit­ments. Ohio has January events that will help trav­el­ers get a good start on any of those endeav­ors. For those who have resolved to get into bet­ter shape in 2010, how about a scenic six-mile trek in south­east Ohio, a brisk walk at an out­door fes­ti­val or per­haps some ski­ing or snow­board­ing? For those who want to jump-start their cre­ative juices, there are out­stand­ing quilt, water­color paint­ing and global art exhibits to pro­vide inspi­ra­tion. If spend­ing more time with the fam­ily is a 2010 pri­or­ity, there are numer­ous oppor­tu­ni­ties for ice skat­ing, see­ing Olympic ice carvers, enjoy­ing win­ter at the zoo or learn­ing about Ohio’s ancient peoples.