When I was laid off in June, a friend suggested that I take a vacation before looking for a new a job. He suggested that I go drink Mai Tais on a beach in Thailand, but, since the quickest flight to Thailand is 24 hours one way, I opted for non-alcoholic beer on the shores of Lake Erie instead.

I had taken a quick trip to Cleveland several years ago before the pandemic, and I had wanted to go back and visit a couple of things I had skipped the first time around. Nataliya wanted to go back to Michigan, but we settled on Cleveland since we only had a couple days off before I started my new job.

On the way north, we stopped for lunch at the Brown Bag Deli in Columbus. Both our sandwiches and the cranberry apple salad were delicious with generous portions. The salad had tons of dried cranberries with crisp juicy apple slices. I had Leroy’s Smokin’ Sandwich with pastrami, smoked ham, smoked cheddar, sauerkraut, and 1000 island dressing on grilled rye. Nataliya had the Molly’s Favorite with turkey, sundried tomato pesto, mozzarella, and spinach.

Before checking in at our AirBnB rental, we explored the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Originally designated a national recreation area in 1974, the area was later redesignated as a national park in 2000, despite complaints that area did not meet the standards for such status. Unfortunately, I tend to agree; although the Cuyahoga Valley is very pretty, it isn’t even in the same league as Mammoth Cave, Death Valley, or the Grand Canyon. It would be perfectly adequate as a state or local park. Nevertheless, it does have a lot of history and offers lots of hiking opportunities.

The park contains a section of the old Ohio and Erie Canal, which stretched from the Ohio River to Lake Erie. The canal was built during the 1820s and 1830s, but only operated until 1861 when it was surpassed by the railroad. After the 1860s, the canal decayed due to neglect and flooding. The canal is the “backbone” of the national park and nearly 20 miles of the original towpath, where horses pulled barges along the banks, have been restored as a hiking trail.

The Blue Hen Falls trail was our first destination which was a 2.5-mile round trip. The path was moderately difficult since we climbed and descended several hundred steps. In addition, the trail crosses a road and approaches the interstate as well, which brings a lot of traffic noise. However, the falls were very quiet and calm, although the final descent to the falls was very steep and muddy.

A park ranger suggested several other destinations and we stopped at the Everett Covered Bridge next. Originally built in the 1870s, the reconstructed bridge is the only one remaining in the area. A flood destroyed the bridge a century later in 1975, but it was rebuilt in 1986. There are some trails nearby as well as the small village of Everett. It was a cute location, but we only stayed for a few minutes to wander and take a couple pictures.

We made one more stop before calling it quits for the day – Beaver Marsh, which encompasses the old Lock #26 from the Ohio and Erie Canal. After the canal was abandoned, nature began to reclaim the wetlands. Beavers built a system of dams that reflooded the area and volunteers cleaned up garbage that had been dumped there, including car parts and bed springs. We didn’t see any beavers while we were visiting, but we did spot a turtle and a Great Blue Heron!

There are a number of other attractions and good trails in Cuyahoga Valley, but it was time to head out for our Airbnb. However, one notable feature that I’d like to try on our next trip is the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad! Built in 1880, the railroad went into decline, but was renewed in 1972 as a non-profit venture. The railroad operates diesel-electric and steam trains on 26 miles of track. The group hosts various special events including Christmas rides, a dinner train, craft beer excursions, and murder mysteries. I bet the train offers a great foliage tour in the autumn!

We finally arrived at our Airbnb rental, which was located above the Rowley Inn – a bar and grill in the Tremont neighborhood. I was a little skeptical at first since I still have trouble sleeping and was a little worried about noise filtering up to the apartment. However, Nataliya thought it was an ideal location since it’s across the street from the Christmas Story house from the iconic 1983 movie. The house was renovated in 2004 and became a tourist attraction with daily tours and rooms to rent overnight. However, Nataliya was content with a picture in front of the iconic house and a quick trip to the gift shop where she posed with the famous Leg Lamp. The Bumpus family home is right next door too.

We carried our bags upstairs to our rental and settled in. Some noise did filter up into the apartment from the restaurant but only in the living room where there were several air vents that connect directly with the bar downstairs. In addition, the restaurant closed at 11 p.m. and opened at 7 a.m. so there weren’t any late-night parties downstairs.

Day 2: Art Museum & Downtown

I had visited the Cleveland Museum of Art on my previous trip and was eager to go back again since I didn’t even see half the collection last time! We visited several exhibits, including the Native American artifacts and a recently restored collection of tapestries. The tapestry exhibit included a video about how Belgian specialists cleaned and restored the textiles which was very interesting. The set of four tapestries depicts the early modern life during the four seasons: spring (gardening and fishing), summer (grain harvesting), autumn (wine making), and winter (ice skating). This set of tapestries are notable since it is one of only four copies known to include silk threads wrapped in silver and gold. This means the patron who commissioned the tapestries was very wealthy. The tapestries might have been woven in Paris during the 1600s based on a Flemish design created in the 1535. The tapestries were donated to the museum in 1952.

The cafeteria was also impressive, and Nataliya and I both ordered sushi roll boxes. Again, we only saw a portion of the collection and we could easily spend several days there exploring it all!

The historic Cleveland Arcade was our last stop of the day. Built in 1890, the arcade’s design was influenced by a Milanese gallery. It reminded me of the Musee d’Orsay in Paris with all its steel and glass, hence the nickname “Cleveland’s Crystal Palace.” Over the decades, it fell into disrepair as the downtown district began to crumble. But the Arcade was the first building in Cleveland to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Threatened with demolition, the Arcade was saved after a massive $60 million restoration project in 2001. Now a large part of the Arcade has been converted into a Hyatt Regency Hotel so you rent the old storefronts overnight. When we arrived late in the afternoon, most of the other businesses were closed but we did grab a bite to eat at Pizza 216.

Then we strolled around downtown a bit more, which was much cleaner and more vibrant than downtown Cincinnati usually is (except for festivals and other events). We immediately discovered another historic arcade right across the street (5^th Street Arcades). It’s comprised of two separate arcades, the Colonial Arcade (built 1898) and Euclid Arcade (built 1911), which were connected in 2000. Although smaller and less famous, the 5^th Street Arcades were also very beautiful and had a greater diversity of tenants, including numerous shops and restaurants.

Our final stop for the night was the Soldiers and Sailors monument which honors veterans from the Civil War. Built in 1894, the monument was restored in 2008, and in 2019 the names of black soldiers were added to the monument after being initially excluded. There is a small exhibit space inside of the monument, but it was closed when we visited. 

Day 3: Put-in-Bay

We started our morning with breakfast at the Terrapin Bakery, only two blocks from the Rowley Inn. The bakery has a great selection of pastries and several large and tasty breakfast sandwiches. That gave us the fuel we needed for a full day of adventure at Put-in-Bay. This popular tourist destination is located on South Bass Island in Lake Erie, which is about an hour and 15 minutes west of Cleveland. The ferry provides inexpensive and frequent service to the island.

I had first visited the island about 30 years ago on a school field trip to northern Ohio, but I haven’t been back in more than 25 years. You can rent a golf cart or bicycle to get around the island, but Nataliya insisted on walking. It’s feasible, but I certainly exceeded my daily step count goal! We stopped for lunch at Joe’s Bar which only offers basic bar food, such as burgers and hotdogs.

We strolled along Put-in-Bays boardwalk but weren’t interested in any of the restaurants or gift shops. However, I looked forward to returning to the monument to Commodore Oliver Perry’s victory over the British fleet in the War of 1812. I had first visited more than about 25 years ago and was pleasantly surprised to find a visitor’s center had been built in the interim. The facility features lots of historic artifacts as well as a scale model reproduction of the battle.

However, the main attraction is the immense (352 feet tall) Doric column monument to honor Perry’s victory and also pay tribute to the lasting peace between Britain, Canada, and the USA since the war. The monument is the tallest Doric column in the world and was built in 1915. It features an observation deck ($10 fee), but neither I nor Nataliya felt like making use of it.

We made one last stop at Dairy by the Docks after taking the ferry back to the mainland. This unassuming ice cream stand served the largest, most decadent bowls of ice cream we’ve ever had! We easily shared one dish between us.

Day 4: Waterfront & Parma

We had a few more stops to make on our way out of town, including one of my highest priority attractions that I had overlooked several years ago: the USS Cod, a WWII submarine turned museum ship! The USS Cod conducted seven combat patrols in the Pacific Ocean between 1943-45 and sank 12 Japanese ships. The Cod also was the only submarine to rescue the crew of another submarine during WWII when the Dutch submersible O-19 ran aground on a reef in 1945.

After WWII, the USS Cod became a training ship on the Great Lakes and then volunteers took over when the ship was finally deactivated. It was designated a historic landmark and became a museum ship in 1976. The ship underwent extensive repairs in 2021 at a cost of $1.4 million, which was well worth it!

For being nearly 80 years old, the ship was in excellent conditions after the renovations. Nataliya and I explored nearly every nook and cranny on the ship, which features an interesting audio tour. I even sat in the deck gunner’s position! The volunteers were also very informative and helpful. I highly recommend a visit, even if you’re not a history buff like me ($12 fee)!

Afterwards, we strolled the lakefront promenade. The weather was perfect, and the lake was beautiful, if a little windy.

Our last stop in the Ukrainian stronghold of suburban Parma was particularly important for Nataliya since the war against Russia had been underway for 3 months by this point. Due to chain migration, Parma became home to more than 35,000 Ukrainians in the 1970s. The USSR had long restricted emigration but eventually allowed people to travel more freely after signing the Helsinki Accords in 1975.

Parma is still home to thousands of Ukrainians who own many small businesses in the area. There are several Ukrainian churches, and the community has hosted numerous fundraisers in recent months to support their distant homeland. We picked up some comfort food at the Lviv International Food Store, and then got some schnitzel and chebureki at Mama Marie’s Ukrainian Kitchen. The interior is decorated with lots of colorful sunflower decorations (the national flower of Ukraine) as well as images of dancers in traditional Ukrainian garb. We ate the delicious fried foods at a local park before finally heading towards home.

Overall, it was a lot of fun and very relaxing. Just what I needed after being laid off, but a lot cheaper and faster than Thailand!