Where did you go on holiday, Steve?
I was feeling like I needed to get out of town for a few days,
so I took a couple of days of holiday before the Victoria Day long
weekend and drove to Cleveland. It's an easy day's drive from
Toronto (about six hours if you get stuck in a rush hour at one end or
the other; less if you don't).
Chronology
Sorry, folks; I didn't keep a diary on this trip.
What to See
In no particular order:
- The Indians: They
have a nice ballpark. Of course, most games are sold out, but it's
not difficult to find scalpers.
- U.S.S. Cod: This is an
old World War II submarine that's moored on the lakeshore and has been
turned into a museum. Cool, but not great if you're claustrophobic.
- Steamship William G. Mather Museum: Just down the
lakeshore from the Cod is an old Great Lakes freighter which has also
been turned into a museum.
- Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame: Also on the lakeshore. This is a must. The AAA
guidebook says to allow 3 hours minimum. Forget that. If you have
any interest whatsoever in rock and roll, you'll spend a whole day
here, so wear comfortable shoes. Don't bother bringing a camera,
though - they're not permitted.
- NASA Lewis Visitor
Centre: If you're into space exploration, you'll want to plan
to spend about an hour here.
- The Flats: This is an area along the Cuyahoga River, just
upstream of where it empties into Lake Erie. Formerly an industrial
wasteland or something like that, it's been turned into an
entertainment district. Lots of bars, pubs, clubs, and other fun
things to do (including a Hooters, which is of course a must on one's
travel itinerary 8-). It's hard to believe that this is the very same
river that caught fire a few decades ago.
- Cuyahoga Valley Scenic
Railroad: OK, I like trains. I try to find them every time I
go on holiday. This one's a diesel (too bad) but it's still a nice
addition to a trip. They offer several different itineraries along a
line that follows the Cuyahoga River between Cleveland and Akron.
Akron is about half an hour down the road from Cleveland, and I
made a side trip one day to visit the following places.
- Goodyear World of Rubber: I couldn't resist an oddball
museum like this. It's actually inside Goodyear's headquarters. When
you walk in the front door, you're greeted not by a security guard,
but by an officer of the Goodyear Police. Unfortunately, I didn't
think to ask the following question until after I'd left and it was
too late: "Do Goodyear Police use rubber bullets?" If you ever visit
this place, please do me a favour - ask them, and then let me know the
answer.
- Inventure Place: It's
pretty cool. It's a combination of a museum dealing with inventors
and inventions, and a hands-on play area for young would-be inventors.
- Quaker Square: It's supposed to be a trendy boutique
place. OK, I suppose it is. I thought it was boring.