The Ultimate Road Trip: THE SILVER SNAIL : A solo woman's full-time RV adventure
THE ULTIMATE AMERICAN ROAD TRIP
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Cleveland, OH

Cleveland's got it. It's got it all, actually. If I didn't grow up here, I might actually consider making it a homebase. True, there's a coarse, unpolished underside - but what city doesn't have that? Cleveland's loaded with character and personality, and spending time here in the summer has made all the difference for me. With Cuyahoga Valley National Park, the Emerald Necklace of Metroparks, and Lake Erie, the city is surrounded by awesome outdoor beauty and recreation. The downtown region is rich with diverse culture, interesting neighborhoods, great bars and restaurants and everything a city could ask for. So what's with the low self-esteem, Cleveland? And everybody else - what's with the stupid mistake-on-the-lake jokes still? Move on everybody - this place rocks!

MY POLISH CLEVELAND
My Cleveland is a Polish Cleveland - polka parties, pierogis, kielbasa, accordians, catholic schools, jak sie masz (how are you), nazdrowia (cheers), rudolph's czerwony nose. Oh yes, I have memories...and on this visit lots of them came back to me with surprising feel-good vibes. It was the food that did it. My dad, Pat and I were all looking forward to enjoying Melt's famed grilled cheese wonders, but when we got there the wait was two-and-a-half-hours long. Yes, really. Of course that is ridiculous, but apparently it's normal for the place. So we left and Dad suggested we go to Sokolowski's and boy, oh boy.....they have some of the best Polish cooking around. It's full name is Sokolowski's University Inn and it is on the edge of Tremont. It's cafeteria-style dining, so you wait in line and tell the nice people behind the counter what you would like. Everything is fresh, homemade, and oh so smacznego (delicious).

Cleveland downtown skyline
THE VIEW FROM SOKOLOWSKI'S BACK PARKING LOT

Sokolowskis University Inn

Then there's Siedem Roz (Seven Roses), a Polish restaurant in Slavic Village, where I grew up. Slavic Village has changed dramatically since I lived here. What once was a tight community of European immigrant families is now a mix of old and new struggling to find its place. It can be a tough neighborhood, but Siedem Roz's Polish buffet is outstanding. Dad and I went there after a great day photographing the Cleveland Botanical Gardens.

CLEVELAND BOTANICAL GARDENS
If you think you might like being in a lush green rainforest surrounded by brightly colored butterflies and exotic birds frolicking gently around you, this is your place. I'd never been here before and it is a photographer's dream. Ever since I saw my dad's gorgeous photograph of ferns, I've wanted to visit. So we had a great father-daughter photo day, and we both walked away with some pretty good shots.

Cleveland Botanical Gardens
MINE

Cleveland Botanical Gardens
DAD'S

CLEVELAND BOTANICAL GARDENS
MINE

CLEVELAND BOTANICAL GARDENS
DAD'S

BURNING RIVER ULTRA 100
My father enjoys photographing people as well, so when Pat's son Jerry participated in the torturous Burning River Ultra 100, a 100-mile endurance run, he was there from the very start. Well before sunrise, crazy people like Jerry don a headlamp and start running the mostly wooded trail all day, with volunteers and comfort stations strategically placed to help them endure all 100 miles. Running all day means they literally run for 18-24 continuous hours. Dad followed along, planting himself at each comfort station to capture images as the runners came through. See his beautiful photos here: www.bpieniakphoto.com

Bogdan Pieniak
DADDY-O

WET FLOORBOARD
I had driven through some torrential downpours on the way to Cleveland, and after a few days of settling in, it occured to me that maybe I should check the floorboard for any wetness. Sure enough - under the bed, the edge of the floor was wet. I pulled up the linoleum to discover the entire floor wet beneath it. I considered pulling up the linoleum that was visible in the living area, but thought that might create a bigger repair job, so I didn't. This discovery made me sick to my stomach. I've heard horror stories of floors rotting out and I've tried very hard to ensure mine stayed dry. I was pretty confident this was from driving in the torrential rain, but I just didn't know the extent of my troubles, and I wouldn't know until I got to Airstream. My list of repairs was starting to get uncomfortably long and I couldn't wait to have my trailer in proper working order again.

airstream water damage

TOWPATH
When I visit Cleveland, I stay in Pat's driveway (thanks, Pat!), which is on the edge of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Brecksville Metropark Reservation and the Towpath Trail. The Towpath is great for Harley and me, because it's one of Cleveland's best places to walk with nature. It's a twenty-mile trail that follows the old Ohio-Erie Canal system. Some of it is paved, some of it is gravel, and all of it is interesting and beautiful. But it was very hot and humid during my visit (90s), so it wasn't very pleasant spending too much time outside. Despite the fact that neither Harley nor I are made for such heat, humidity, and direct sunshine, we still managed to enjoy some outside time and appreciate this finer side of Cleveland. Peyote, of course, didn't know the difference, since she spent her days happily lounging in our air-conditioned nest.

Ohio Towpath Trail

Ohio Towpath Trail
Peyote the cat

FRIENDS
I metup with long-time friend Danny and his girlfriend Lindsey at the Prosperity Social Club in Tremont. I love the name of that place - Prosperity Social Club - and it's one of my favorite places in Cleveland. An original 1938 barroom, it has a neighborly good vibe, beautiful wood bar, and a selection of fine microbrews. It was really great to finally meet Lindsey and the three of us eventually worked our way to the Lava Lounge. It has a more interesting food and cocktail menu and can be another fun place to hang out in Tremont, but when the DJ is spinning, it's way too loud in there and impossible to talk. If it's a called a lounge, I wish they would play lounge music.

Later in the week, we met up again at the Sunset Grille on Whiskey Island (really a peninsula) on the shore of Lake Erie. There was a lively band playing and another old high school friend showed up - BobG. I hadn't seen BobG for almost 20 years and I don't often think about my high school years, so wow, it brought back some fun memories. He took me for a downtown ride on his Honda Nighthawk 750 and I found myself wishing I had gone to prom with him : )

 

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All images and words © Sharon Pieniak
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