Zoo

The first part of today (Tuesday July 26, 2011) we spent at the ClevO Zoo. I had thought about trying to visit the Columbus Zoo (later this week) but Lynn thought it would be best to stick with ClevO. We visited the ClevO Zoo a few years ago. So it was interesting to see what had changed.

Today was brutally hot, in the 90s and sunny (I felt sorry for the polar bear). It was so hot, I even bought a cherry  "Iceee" (they usually result in a stomach ache - no different this time) that Richard and I shared.

We started out with the elephants. They are big (and kind of smelly). What else can I say?

One of my favorites is the Australian Adventure area. The air conditioning in the Homestead house was heavenly. We enjoyed riding the little train that encircles the area. And I think the (Yagga) tree house is really neat (reminds of Swiss Family Robinson)(see picture below).

Yagga Tree

The Uphill Deck Walk (sort of like a boardwalk built into the side of a hill) was nice because it was in the shade. After a quick lunch, we spent a lot of interesting time in the Primate, Cat & Aquatics Building. Lots of fish, sharks, gorillas, monkeys, etc. Because it was sort of dark inside, it reminded me of a fun house at an amusement park.

One of the changes from our previous visit was the condition of the Fulton Road bridge. Last time it looked like it was ready to collapse. It has been renovated and looks great. 

At the Northern Trek, Lynn and Richard were fascinated with the exhibit and demonstration at the Seal & Sea Lion exhibit. Boy, did that pool look inviting.

How tall is Richard!?

We took a tram back to the entrance and then went to Monkey Island but it was closed for cleaning. We paused for a while in the air conditioned gift shop but didn't find anything to buy. Last time, we bought Richard some bongo drums which he played the entire drive back to Connecticut (it seemed).

Rick, Richard, & Lynn at the Zoo.

As we walked back to our car, we got someone to snap a picture of us (see above). Then we returned to Grandma Meg's house to get ready for this evening's Indians game.

A Dramatic Win

Cell phone picture from our seats in upper deck.

This evening's game is the 2nd of our visit. Like yesterday, we parked in 900 garage. Tonight, the Tribe is playing the Angels.

Lynn likes to sit in lower section and has a spot that she likes. Richard and I sat in the upper deck seats that we actually paid for (see ticket below). I liked this spot because we could see the entire field (see picture above) and our view was not obstructed by the person in front of us.

The Indians won in dramatic fashion. They were losing 2-1 but tied it up in the 9th inning and then loaded the bases. Jason Kipnis, a rookie, 2nd basemen (from the Columbus AAA team) was batting ZERO (0.000) but singled in the winning run for his first major league hit and rbi. What an exciting victory!

Grave Concerns

Our objective today (Monday July 25th) was to visit the graves of our relatives. This is part of my overall objective at cementing family heritage.  Holy Cross Cemetery in Cleveland is where my father and maternal grandparents are buried (along with an infant cousin or two). My mom was going to accompany us but the temperature outside was in the 90s and very humid. So she decided to stay home and and try to rest and keep cool.

I also wanted to vist the grave of my father's god father, Uncle Frank. My mom told me that both sets of her grandparents are also buried at the same cemetery, St. Mary's Cemetery on West 41st Street. In my research this morning, I discovered that the office at Holy Cross has the records for St. Mary's.

For some reason, I have trouble finding my Dad's grave. We were walking up & down the rows in the hot sun looking for his stone. Just as we were about to give up, I found it. Turns out I had parked the car almost directly in front of it but the grass had slightly obscured the last name. After clearing away the encroaching grass and saying a prayer, we proceeded to my grandparents grave. Finding that was a bit easier but we also did some land scaping with our hands. I think my father would've been pleased we got our hands dirty.

We stopped in to the office and they very kindly gave us the details on the graves at St. Mary's, down to the exact plots.  This cemetery is located in an old neighborhood that is home to many poor immigrants.  The picture of the cemetery I had in my mind was surprisingly accurate. We quickly found the Uncle Frank's stone and said a prayer. Then we found plots for both of my maternal great grandparents, took pictures of each, said a prayer and got out of there.

We wanted to stop at the Monroe Street Cemetery but it was locked up because the Gatehouse is falling apart. I have paternal relatives buried there. Since we visited this cemetery during a previous visit, we decided it would not risk going inside the fence.

Rick (standing on mezzanine) - interior of West Side Market.

Being in the area, we stopped in to check out the West Side Market. I'm pretty sure that both my paternal and maternal ancestors worked here. Lynn was not impressed with the meaty aroma and food safety practices she observed. We decided not to buy anything here. But the architecture is fantastic and if you like these kinds of markets, this is the place.

We then hurried home to check on my mom and to get ready to go to this evening's Indians game.