Akron, Ohio is the birthplace of AA. This is where Bob Smith and Bill Wilson first met, devising their program that has helped millions of people worldwide. In this guide to sober Akron, I’ll share my favorite of the AA pilgrimage trail sites, plus a few fun things that have nothing to do with alcohol.

Visit Dr. Bob’s Home

But first, the crown jewel of sober Akron: Dr. Bob’s Home. It officially became a National Historic Landmark in 1985, 35 years after his death. The house is set up to look like it did in 1935, when AA was born.

You can tour the house from the basement, which showcases Dr. Bob’s love of cars, to the upper bedrooms, where Bob and his wife Anne took in struggling drunks who were trying to get sober. The library has a fantastic collection of spiritual books and you can buy souvenirs for your sober friends in the gift shop.

See where Dr. Bob and Bill W. first met

When Bill W. was five months sober, his work brought him to Akron. But his business venture was a bust. He wanted to drink. So he did what successful AA members still do today: he started calling people. He had a list of Oxford Group members in the Akron area. Nobody was home except Henrietta Sieberling, the last person on the list.

Henrietta was part of the Oxford Group’s alcoholic squad, which was devoted helping troubled drinkers. She was friends with Dr. Bob.and knew of his (mostly) secret drinking. When she answered the call from Bill W., she thought hmm, maybe these guys could help each other. So she pressured them to meet at the gate lodge of her family estate. You can see the room where the historic meeting took place.

Attend the Meeting Number One in sober Akron

The original AA meetings happened in Dr. Bob’s house. But once the headcount topped 80, they had to find a bigger spot. First it was King School. Later the meeting moved to its current home at King Community Learning Center. It’s an open meeting, so anybody with an interest in AA can attend on Wednesday nights from eight to nine.

The stage is impressive, with a podium, balloons, an American flag and big color portraits of Dr. Bob and Anne, framed by dark blue curtains. The back of the room, alongside the literature, features historic artifacts like Dr. Bob’s Bible, framed handwritten notes from Dr. Bob and Bill W., and a brick from the original King School.

Pay your respects at Dr. Bob’s grave

Okay, only cemetery fiends like me will put this on the fun list. But it is a meaningful experience. You can sit and contemplate sobriety beside the gray granite stone honoring Dr. Bob and Anne.

Stay in a rubber baron’s house

I stayed at the O’Neil House B&B, a gorgeous property within walking distance of Dr. Bob’s home. Built in the 1930s, it offers historically restored suites and formal gardens. I chose the sleigh bed suite, which has a large bedroom, a good sized sitting room, and a bathroom with a big tub.

Paddle the Cuyahoga River

One of my favorite things to do in Akron was to paddle the Cuyahoga Rivers. I rented a kayak from Burning River Adventures at the Waterworks Park in Cuyahoga Falls, a short Uber ride from Akron. They shuttled me up to a put-in point, then I paddled 4.5 miles back to the start.

In September, the river was ridiculously shallow and I got stuck a few times and had to shimmy my butt to dislodge my kayak. As my shuttle driver Rob told me, “If your kayak tips over, just stand up.” It was a super relaxing paddle with lots of little fish, Canada geese, herons hunting for prey, ducks cruising around, and turtles sunning on branches. Nobody else was on the river and I went a full hour without seeing any people or even buildings.

Lounge on Freud’s couch

In theory, I like museums. But usually when I’m in one I long to go outside. So I was surprised to be so enthralled by the Cummings Center for the History of Psychology that I stayed there for 2.5 hours! When I visited, there was a special exhibit about women in asylums.

The museum also covered two of the most famous experiments which are covered in every intro to psych course: the Stanford Prison Experiment and the Milgram shock tests. But both were displayed in an interactive way that gave me new insights. Visitors can sit in front of a shock delivery machine while listening to experimenters insist that YOU MUST SHOCK THE SUBJECT OR YOU WILL RUIN OUR EXPERIMENT! Most people complied.

I watched a recorded debriefing session with one participant who absolutely refused to shock a subject who was screaming for him to stop. (The “subjects” were only pretending to be shocked, but the people delivering the shocks didn’t know that. The shockers were the real subjects.) The man told the experimenters to go to hell. “Take your check back,” he said. “I’m not doing it.” I watched the clip twice and videoed it so I can rewatch it when I need to grow a backbone.

Take a scenic train ride

Want to see Cuyahoga National Park from the window of a vintage train? The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad takes you on a two-hour ride into the park. You can pick from several classes of service. I went for the fancy lounge, which was one of the old California Zephyr cars. Our car had its own guide, Trainman Tom, who pointed out Akron landmarks and told us about the park’s biodiversity.

Check out Akron’s food hall

The Northside Marketplace opened in 2018 as a small business incubator. Now more than 100 local businesses have shops and restaurants inside. I got a vegan BLT and an oat milk cappuccino at NOMZ. They even make their own coconut bacon. Conveniently located near the scenic railway station, so stop by for lunch after your ride.

Eat some good vibes

Most of my trip to Akron focused on history and nature. Irie Jamaican Kitchen, a brightly painted fast casual restaurant which blasted reggae music, was a lively counterpoint.

I bought a delicious vegan bowl containing healthy ingredients like chick peas, vegetables and sweet potatoes.