Cleveland and Detroit

Who knew? Cleveland rocks! And not just because the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is here. Perhaps because we’re too coast centric, we didn’t know the city has a beautiful downtown, a huge network of parks, lots of theater, and a terrific food scene.

If the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame somehow reminds you of Paris, it’s because I. M. Pei, the same architect who designed the Louvre’s glass pyramid annex, also designed this building. It’s already too small to encompass all it’s meant to share, so an addition is being built.
You can indulge your inner rock star in the garage section of the Hall of Fame. That’s Joel–still rocking after all these years.
The Pink Floyd Wall is recreated here, with quotes from the artist.
The Hall of Fame was loaded with artifacts from the stars–costumes, guitars and other instruments, hand written music with notes and lots more. This exhibit is from today’s queen of pop, Taylor Swift.

We got to visit another famous, historic food market–can there be too many foodie visits in a trip? This indoor, European-style West Side Market has been around for more than a century and some of the stalls have been run by the same family for nearly as long. Our guide Susan knew the vendors well and we tasted all kinds of delights, from kielbasa and saurkraut sandwiches to mini cannolis to locally made cheese and jerky to almond hummus. Foodie heaven!

Narrin, above, is an example of the multi generation market. Days after she gave birth to her daughters she was at her stall, nursing in between customers. Today her daughters work with her, selling her sauces and condiments, including her own brand.
We had a glass of Irene’s homemade buttermilk as well as a delicious yogurt and fruit treat. Fun fact–seasoning buttermilk with salt and pepper really does bring out the flavor.

We discovered that in the heart of Cleveland’s downtown is one of the nation’s largest urban farms, the five-acre Ohio City Farm, supported by program membership and wholesale restaurant partners. How did such a large piece of the downtown area come to be dedicated to farming? Water erosion from the Cuyahoga River has made the land too unstable for building. So fortunately it’s now a community resource.

The century old Heinen’s grocery chain, still run by the family, took over this palace-like abandoned bank building and, partnering with the city, restored it and made it a beautiful downtown grocery and destination.

We walked through a high end grocery display, thinking, yes, very nice, but not so unique. Then this–a stunning glass domed rotunda, flooded with light and surrounded by gorgeous beaux art features.
The 13 murals under the glass dome depict the founding the of new world. The famous local artist Francis Millet painted them not long before he perished on the Titanic.

Cleveland boasts the largest outdoor chandelier in North America. It’s the 44-foot high crystal GE Chandelier, installed 10 years ago to be the centerpiece of the city’s revitalized theater district.

Cleveland’s Public Square is a 5-acre plaza in the heart of the downtown. Below the view looks across the square to the hundred year old Terminal Tower, the city’s signature skyscaper.

This monument to the thousands of local men who died in the civil war is another landmark in the square. Cleveland was a center for the underground railroad for escaped slaves.

The Arcade Cleveland, built in 1890, was America’s first indoor shopping center. It was known as Cleveland’s crystal palace. It’s beautifully restored and now managed by a Hyatt Hotel.

The Cleveland Fountain of Eternal Life was built as a peace statue, representing man rising from the flames and reaching up toward peace. It sits at the top of the Cleveland Mall, a huge landscaped public park reaching down to the lake.

Our next day in Detroit was about spending time with family. It was a great way to visit. We let our cousins, Marlene and Cliff know we were coming into town and they came down to the waterfront to have lunch with us. It was the perfect afternoon.

At the Renaissance center where we met them, we spent some time before lunch at the General Motors modern and vintage car collection.

Thanks for a beautiful visit, Marlene and Cliff. Now it’s time to reboard the Octantis.

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