Annual Ohio Trek

Ever since I relocated to Connecticut from Cleveland, I have returned to Ohio to visit family and friends. Since my son, Richard, was born, an objective of those visits has been as a means for Richard to get to know the paternal side of his family tree. And so this year we embarked on our annual vacation to Cleveland and Ohio.

This post will start as an overview of this year's trip. Hopefully, I will find time to create posts to add details. So you might want to check back periodically, to see.

Saturday 23 July 2011
Drove from Connecticut to Ohio. We are staying at my mom's house in Broadview Hts. We discovered that Richard is turning into a giant compared to Grandma Meg (see picture above). As soon as we arrived, Richard wanted to play ping pong. We got a couple of small pizzas from a nearby joint-meatless meatballs apparently. We wanted to watch the Indians game on TV but it was rained out.

Sunday 24 July 2011
Visited the Terminal Tower Observation deck before going to see the Indians play the Chicago White Sox.

Monday 25 July 2011
Visited two cemeteries for the graves of relatives. My dad and (maternal) grandparents are buried at the first one we visited. I hadn't been to the second one since a funeral in 1969. A third cemetery (where paternal relatives are buried) was closed. We also popped in to see the West Side Market. In the evening, we went to see another Indians game (vs. Angels).

Tuesday 26 July 2011
Went to the ClevO Zoo in the afternoon. Then, went to another Indians game in the evening. During the game, someone bumped into my car at the parking garage.

Wednesday 27 July 2011
Attended a Cleveland Indians game that began at noon! We saw a no-hitter; unfortunately, the Tribe was on the losing end. On the way home, we visited the Parma campus of Tri-C (where I had gone to school). We also went to a Salvation Army store in Strongsville hoping to find some Tribe attire but the checkout line was atrociously long.

Had our annual dinner with my mom at the Winking Lizard in Peninsula. For desert, we stopped for ice cream at the Honey Hut in Brecksville.

Thursday 28 July 2011
Drove to Columbus. On the way we stopped at Grandpa's Cheese Barn. Visited Lynn's relatives in Dublin and had a very nice lunch visit with them. Then we stopped at two stores so Richard could get some souvenirs of one of his favorite NHL teams, The Columbus Blue Jackets.

We met my sister, Tina, and had a nice supper with her at Donato's Pizza (near Ohio State). On the way back to Clevo, we made a quick stop in Mansfield so I could show Lynn & Richard where I lived and worked for a brief time after college.

The Indians were not playing today.

Friday 29 July 2011
Sort of a laid back beginning of the day: I got a haircut and had lunch with Richard (at Arby's). Then we drove with my Mom to central Ohio for a gathering at my sister's Mary Lynn "farm." The occasion was to celebrate the recent marriage of (my niece) Hannah and Dave.

Saturday 30 July 2011
Drove back to Connecticut. By the time I got back to my apartment, it was early Sunday morning.

All told, put on 1,935 miles this trip.

On Our Way Home

It's been a week since we left Connecticut. Wish we could stay - so much more I'd like to do (and I hate to have to return to work).  After nice breakfast, it was time to say goodbye and take pictures (see below). While Lynn and I packed the car, Richard engaged Aunt Carol in one last bout of ping pong.

Carol, Mom, Rick, Amy, Richard (Lynn at camera).

Richard, Rick, Lynn.

During the drive back to West Hartford (about 550 miles), we listened to the New York Yankees devastate the Baltimore Orioles. It was a nice change of pace after having the disappointment of witnessing so many losses by the Indians this week.  After I dropped Lynn and Richard off, it was another 50-some miles back to Stratford.

Wedding Reception

My niece, Hannah, got married in Nebraska earlier this summer. Her husband's family lives there.  So they came back to Ohio for a wedding reception for Hannah's side of the family.  Dave's family also came. Dave and Hannah met at Catholic Familyland.

Hannah & Dave (engagement photo).

My sister Mary's family lives about a 1.5-2 hours drive from my mom's house. They live on top of a hill. You have to go up a winding, gravel driveway. Although my Escape does not have 4-wheel drive, I have been able to get up the drive in the past without much problem. (My sister Susan's family parks at the bottom and walks up). This time it took me two tries but we made it! Didn't want to make Grandma Meg have to hike up the hill.

Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures. So if anyone has some good ones to share, please send them to me. Thanks.

In addition to Mary Lynn & Jeff's family, my mom, my family, and the "happy couple", my sister Susan and her family, my brother Kurt's family (but Kurt was out west at some sort of "green" convention or something), and my sister, Amy (from Baltimore) were there. I had a nice lengthy chat with Susan's husband, Mark.

It's a small world after all. At the party was a friend from my Newman Center days at Cleveland State. I haven't seen Cathy since her wedding. She was there with her husband, Ed. As we talked, the memories slowly started to come back and recalled that not only had I attended their wedding, the Newman Center/St. Peter's group (including me) had sung at the mass. They know Mary and Jeff from Catholic Familyland but had never made the connection (because they never knew Mary's maiden name).

Friday Breather

After yesterday's whirlwind trip to Columbus and back, we took it easy this morning. Later, we are driving to central Ohio for a wedding reception for my niece. 

I mailed a request to the County Sheriff for the correct incident report for my car "accident" at the parking garage Tuesday evening.

Richard accompanied me to Pleasant Valley Shopping Center. I wanted to get my hair cut but the barber was eating lunch (at 12:50 p.m.) and told me to come back in 20 minutes. So I went across the street to another barber. No waiting. 2 barbers. The barber who cut my hair lives on Sprague where I used to deliver the Plain Dealer. I think he moved there after I gave up the route because he didn't know several of the people I remembered. However, it was fun to hear about some of my former customers.

We also stopped at Marc's. In Connecticut, they are called XPect Discount. We browsed around and got some things for tonight's party and replenished some of the water and soda at Grandma Meg's house.

In order to tide us over until this evening, we had a small bite to eat at Arby's in the KMart plaza. Actually, we've had quite a few meals at Arby's this trip. It's not something we encounter very much in Connecticut, so it's something of a treat. Richard especially enjoys a Jamocha shake. We shared an order of curley fries.

When we got back to Grandma Meg's house, we cleaned up and got ready to go to the party.

Pizza With Tina

Since Donatos Pizza is a sponsor of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Richard was eager to eat there. Although we were still rather full from lunch, we figured we had room for a small meal.

Tina led us to a location just across the street from the Ohio State University campus. It was nice because we were practically the only ones eating there, they had a glutten-free "pizza" for Tina, and I had a very nice salad. Richard and Tina also enjoyed a game of darts (see below). It felt like we were relaxing in someone's family room/basement.

Before starting the trek back to ClevO, we stopped at Cup O Joe where Tina treated me to a cup of java for the ride home. It had turned out to be a very enjoyable visit with Tina.

Columbus, Ohio

Today (Thursday July 28, 2011) we drove to Columbus, Ohio to visit our relatives there. Lynn's Aunt Pattie and Uncle Dick live in Dublin, a Columbus suburb. On the way there, we stopped at Grandpa's Cheese Barn in Ashland, Ohio to get some fudge for them. For years, this was the only place to stop between Mansfield and Clevo.

Grandpa's Cheese Barn (Ashland, Ohio)

Aunt Pattie is the sister of Lynn's father. Uncle Dick is a West Hartford native who graduated from the same high school that Richard attends (also note the name connection). We had a nice lunch with them and were joined by their son.

Our next stop was a nearby team shop for the Columbus Blue Jackets, one of Richard's favorite NHL hockey teams (see logo and alternate below).

In a quest for the desired t-shirt, we were kindly directed to the main store located at the Nationwide Arena (see picture below), located in downtown Columbus, just around the block from the stadium for the Cleveland Indians (AAA) minor league team, the Columbus Clippers. Unfortunately, they were playing away during our visit. This store was something of a nirvana for Blue Jackets paraphanalia and we purchased some items for Richard's collection.

Home of the Columbus Blue Jackets NHL Hockey team.

My sister, Tina, met us at the store and Richard gave her some suggestions for future (birthday) gifts.  Then we went out for pizza with Blue Jackets connection (see separate post).

Unfortunately, my brother David was not available to meet us. I missed seeing him this visit since it has been over a year.

The Winking Lizard & Honey

Having supper with Grandma Meg at the Winking Lizard in Peninsula became something of a tradition for us somehow. I think it began a few years ago when we rented bikes from a place across the parking lot.  I don't think it's that great a place but it has some charm (and a lizard) and it's become a tradition. Because of his braces, Richard was unable to eat the free popcorn.

Although the weather was hot and humid, the air conditioning was so cranked up that Lynn's teeth were chattering. So she moved outside with apologies to a more tolerable environment.

On our way home, I lamented about how I had wanted to visit Honey Hut ice cream in Cleveland. But Lynn remembered that I had taken her there during one of her first trips to ClevO.

My mom announced that there was now a location in Brecksville (the home of the "Bees" - see logo at left). Since it was on our way home, we stopped in for desert. Boy, was that deliciously filling!



Brecksville, Ohio location of Honey Hut Ice Cream.



Tri-C

After high school, I began my college experience at the Western Campus of Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) in Parma, Ohio. It had just been built when I started. So I was curious to see how it has withstood the test of time (especially since Cleveland State has demolished several of the buildings that were new when I went there). I also wanted Richard and Lynn to see it.

I am pleased to report that it is in fine shape and as good or better than I remember it. We parked the car and went inside the building, starting in the Theater (for Richard). Then walked through the main area (see picture below). The Student Activities Department, where I worked, has been relocated. The pool is still there (I used to swim during my free time in order to relax).

Afterwards, we drove around trying to find a Salvation Army thrift store that Lynn and my sister, Sharon, had success with during a previous visit. After meandering around, we called and got directions from Grandma Meg. It is at the end of Sprague Road at Pearl Road in Strongsville. We found several Indians t-shirts but the checkout line was atrociously long. Lynn gave up after waiting about 5 minutes without any movement.

No Hitter!

Today's Indians game started a few minutes after noon. After yesterday's "accident" in the parking garage and the increased cost of parking there during the day, we parked in a different lot. We parked by the bus station (see picture below) and had a nice walk to the stadium.

For today's game, Richard & I sat (again) in the Upper Reserved section in order to be out of the sun (and heat). At first we were right behind home plate (like Monday) but moved to the third base side to get into the shade (see picture below). Lynn found a place in her usual spot (in the lower right field area).

The Indians lost 3-1. We did not realize it was a no-hitter until the announcement at the end of the game. The Tribe scored an unearned run in the first inning.







No Lightning

Yes, it's true: Lightning does not strike twice in the same place. This evening's baseball game between the Cleveland Indians and the Los Angeles Angels demonstrated that.

Yesterday, the Indians came back in the 9th inning with a walkoff winning hit by their 2nd baseman. Today was almost a repeat. The Indians again trailed 2-1 in the 9th inning, had bases loaded with two outs and Jason Kipnis was at bat. Talk about deja vu. Alas, it was not to be. You can't win them all.

Tonight, Lynn took care of getting the tickets (see picture above) while I parked the car (crazy traffic due to Brittany Spears concert at the Q. Price increase to $20). She got some sort of special deal that got us seats underneath where we sat on Sunday and included "loaded" value for refreshments.

When we got back to the car after the game, we found a note on the windshield. Someone had scraped the front passenger side while trying to park. They left their contact info with the building security (in this case, Cuyahoga County Sheriff Department). To make a long story shorter, they stonewalled sharing the info, gave us the wrong incident report, took over two weeks to mail the correct report, and then redacted the person's phone number. It is a good thing that the damage to the car was slight.

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.

Indians vs. White Sox

Richard has become a big fan of the Cleveland Indians. He watches just about every game on TV. And so one of his objectives for this year's trip was to see as many Indians games as we could.

Today's game was courtesy of my sister, Carol. She has access to seats and thoughtfully and kindly obtained tickets for us. It was a real treat to sit in these seats, located in right field.

We were excited to be there. I parked in a parking garage just down the street (900 Prospect?) next to the old "New York Spaghetti House" (now closed and vacant). $10. A short 2 block walk to the stadium.

We got into ClevO early so we could visit the Terminal Tower Observation deck. The weather was sunny and hot (and a bit hazy).

Unfortunately, the Indians did not prevail and lost 4-2. After the game, we lolled around the stadium (they were setting up a concert on the field) and visited the gift shop. Richard added a Chris Perez t-shirt to his Tribe wardrobe.

Rick, Richard, Lynn (L to R).

Richard & Lynn.

Terminal Tower Observation Deck

The Terminal Tower is the focal point of Cleveland. At one time, it was the tallest building in ClevO. When I was a kid, I remember going to visit the observation deck while I was in Cub Scouts. But for years, the observation deck has been closed. Last year, though, it was reopened to the public on weekends. We missed visiting it last year, so this year I was determined to experience it. Since we arrived on Saturday and will be leaving next Saturday, Sunday is our only chance. Richard accompanied me while Lynn remained at the ground level (she is not fond of heights, elevators, etc.). As your can see from the picture at the right, the observation deck is pretty near the top of the tower. Tickets (see below) cost $5.

 I think we got there about 12:15 p.m. and didn't have to wait. You can buy tickets on line (internet) but we took a chance and bought at the door. There was a surprising number of people there so we had to wait our turn to look out the windows (see pictures below). A couple of guys were selling books about ClevO and the Tower. Despite Richard's advice, I was overcome by nostaglia and bought several. (He was not disappionted by the book about the now defunct Euclid Beach amusement park).

In order to get to the Indians game on time, we had to limit our time in the Tower. Instead of returning via Euclid Avenue, we walked along Prospect. Lots of reconstruction occuring and I was a bit frustrated that I could not remember which storefront had housed Record Rendezvous. I think the building is still standing but it's vacant. "All things must pass away..."

Interior view of Terminal Tower Observation Deck.

Key Tower (note Burke Airport in background).

View looking SE toward Progressive Field & "The Q."

Dalmations

Today marked the culmination of Richard's summer technical theater experience with the Summer Learning program in West Hartford. One of his school chums had called him up at the end of June and invited him to help out. So he and his buddy pretty much did the technical theater support for this production.  Richard was billed as "Master Electrician" in the program. The production was divided into two sessions: 4, 5, and 6th grades; and middle school (grades 6-9).  Richard and his friend were sort of like volunteers but are to reportedly receive a small honorarium.  He'll have a break for our annual trip to Ohio and at the beginning of August he'll be involved with a program at Hartford Stage (more on that to come).

ART's Birthday

Today is the anniversary of my Dad's birth. He would have been 82 years old but he died 15 years ago.  He's singing with the angels. Happy Birthday Dad.

An Historical Saturday

My "weekends" with Richard typically occur on Saturdays because his roller hockey games are usually on Saturday morning. After he showers, we usually have lunch (today it was Arby's) and then do something or go somewhere.

This Saturday (July 16, 2011) we again took advantage of a free pass from the library and visited the Connecticut Historical Society.  It is housed in an old mansion (see picture above).

We started with the exhibit on "Inn & Tavern Signs" (see sample above). There were about 40-50 signs on the wall in a big auditorium. They had a nice guide of several pages with a short description of each sign (see picture below-Richard is holding the guide). This helped keep us focused and interested as we matched the signs on the wall to our laminated guide. If one is interested, they have a detailed book for purchase.

Then we went upstairs and saw "Dining with a Society of American Collectors: Their View of the Past." The exhibit consisted of a fancy dining room with several place settings of various antiques. Following their guide to the settings, we discovered an error: 2 serving utensils were switched. We brought it to the attention of the docent who confirmed our observation.

The largest exhibit is called "Making Connecticut." We spent the most time with this one. It is sort of a history of Connecticut from the indian tribes (in the 1500s) through to the present day. There was so much to see that we will have to go back.

We only had time to quickly walk through another exhibit of contemporary paintings and artwork: "Echoes from Across the Ocean - From the Caribbean to Connecticut: Works by Stanwyck Cromwell." It had many colorful and surreal images.

After a quick browse through their gift shop, we went back to Lynn's apartment to visit with her aunt, Sr. Pat, who was on her way back to Bridgeport from her annual retreat in Maine. She is a member of the Daughters of the Holy Spirit, a 300 year-old international Roman Catholic Religious Congregation of women, founded in a small town in Brittany, France in 1706.

Since there was still daylight, Richard and I bopped down the road to play some mini-golf at Farmington Miniature Golf (& Ice Cream Parlor). The sun was very hot and the place was crowded. There was a slow group in front of us that made the wait seem even longer, especially for Richard.

One interesting aspect of the mini-golf was that someone had parked two old milk delivery trucks in the parking lot (see picture above with Richard).  A. C. Petersen Farms is a local "dairy" with a restaurant close by to Lynn's apartment.

Oh, did I mention who won the golf match? Richard beat me again, this time by four strokes (see below).

On the way home, we stopped at our favorite Chinese Restaurant, Black Bamboo, and got some take out food which we ate while watching the Cleveland Indians game on TV at Lynn's apartment. The Tribe lost to the Baltimore Orioles 6-5. The Indians scored 3 in the top of the 9th inning but couldn't quite get the win.

Sonic Drive-In

On our way home from mini-golf, we decided to stop off in Wallingford, CT to try the new Sonic Drive-In for supper. I was not impressed. The food is your usual fast-food menu or diner (i.e., heart attack friendly). You can pick up at the drive-thru or park in one of the bays and order from your car (see pictures below).

I had a burger and Richard had fried shrimp or something. We had to wait a long time for the food to be delivered. The servers are on roller skates. We were hoping for an attractive girl but got a guy instead. Very dangerous backing out to leave - I was afraid I might hit one of the servers skating around the lot. I wanted to try an ice cream for desert but after waiting for about 5 minutes, no one answered our call, we we left and went home. Maybe we would've enjoyed it more if they showed a movie.