Cleveland Rocks!

9th and Euclid Ave

Or so they want you to believe.  Desperately.  I don't know, maybe it does.  But if so it's in a quiet sort of way.

The streets are always this empty

396,815 people call Cleveland home.  That's way down from it's high point in 1950 of almost 1 million. The city is clean and well organized.  The public transportation, while, at times confusing to us as outsiders, has been very reliable (with one exception) and very cheap.  So where are all the Clevelanders?  I don't know but I think I have stumbled upon a clue.  Everywhere Jeff and I have gone, outside of the hospital, we have been the only couple.  Cleveland is a land of single people.  We saw one couple on the bus to the mall, asian tourists, and one one couple today coming home from the Rock and Roll Museum.

So, people of Cleveland, a little of advise from Seattle: Get out of your homes.  Go downtown, dance at a club, drink at the bars, don't be afraid to be a little Sleepless and meet someone.  Fall in love and have more Clevelanders.  Your city rocks, fill it with happy people.

Okay, I digressed a bit but it's been eating at me how few people we see out and about everyday.

Building in Public Square

We took the bus all the way to Public Square today and walked to the Rock and Roll Museum.  The wind was howling.  It just did not let up, and it was so cold it made your ears burn and your head ache.  The Browns were playing a football game today so we actually saw a number of people.  Everyone one of whom was wearing brown and orange.  Jeff and I felt rather conspicuous.  (once the game was over the city completely emptied out again)

View of the stadium from one of the parks downtown.  The Mall I think they called it.

Cleveland Browns Stadium

The Mall, which I think is the name of a park we stopped at, as a great Veterans Memorial.

The names of service men going back to the Civil War who were killed in duty.  Across the street from the park this building caught my eye.

We finally arrived at the Museum, and got our first glimpse of Lake Erie.  The waves were breaking over the sea wall. (is it still called a sea wall if it's in a lake?)

We finally see the lake

Jeff is about to get blown over by the wind

Special exhibit on floors 5 and 6

The museum was worth the price of admission.  If you go be sure to visit the upper floors that's where I finally felt like I was getting my money's worth.  The main exhibit downstairs is wonderful.  Full of artifacts and stories about the history of Rock and Roll and the people who made that history.  Upstairs this more nuts and bolts kind of things.  Like the story of Les Paul, with tons of photos and some of his early guitars.

I am often times miffed at The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for who they choose to induct each year.  There seems to be a decided lack of rockers recently.  Case in point, Bon Jovi, Neil Diamond and The Beastie Boys were nominees for 2011.  Neil Diamond won.  The mind reels.

Jeff found his car

And I found mine

The weather only got worse as we were inside

It started to pour as we walked back to the bus.  I stupidly told Jeff that at least Ohio doesn't have hurricanes.  The wind obviously took this as a challenge because no soon were the words out of my mouth when a huge gust of wind hit that almost knocked us both face first onto the side walk

I sopped in the rain to take this picture

Jeff, completely soaked and glad to be undercover at the bus stop

This last photo is just for Adam (Addy) and Ashley.

Addy's Restaurant