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).
THE VIEW FROM SOKOLOWSKI'S BACK PARKING LOT
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.
MINE
DAD'S
MINE
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
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.
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.
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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