Botanical Gardens & Towpath Trail

We spent yesterday, Friday May 21st, enjoying nature and the outdoors experiences Cleveland has to offer. First, we took a trip to the Cleveland Botanical Gardens, located in University Circle at 11030 East Boulevard. Founded in 1930 as the Garden Center of Cleveland, the Botanical Gardens are a community treasure where guests can experience over 20 different specialty gardens and year-round biomes. Special Garden events include WinterShow, Orchid Mania, and weekly Gourmets in the garden during the summer. On our trip to the Botanical Gardens, we visited the Eleanor Armstrong Smith Glasshouse, which immensed us in two very distinct landscapes- the Spiny Desert of Madagascar and the Lush Rainforest of Costa Rica. We saw over 350 species of exotic plants and over 50 types of butterflies, birds, insects, reptiles, and amphibians. We even got to see a colossal strangler fig and an "upside down" baobab tree! Then, we visited the Japanese Garden, the C.K. Patrick Perennial Border, the Katherine Philipp Geis Terrace, the Mary Ann Sears Swetland Rose Garden, and the Woodland Garden. We didn't have time to see them all, but there were still a handful of other gardens available for public viewing! We took about 200 pictures, and you'll want to too, so be sure to bring a camera! The 10 acres of the Gardens serve more than just pure entertainment purposes, as they are also a tool for education. They are a trusted resource in the study of environmental conservation, plant-based health and nutrition, plant science, and more. Visiting hours are Tuesday-Saturday 10am to 5pm, and Sunday 12pm to 5pm. (They are closed Mondays). Admission is $7.50 for adults, but during the summer it is only $5 after 5pm on Wednesdays! Find more information about the Gardens and plan your visit by visiting their website http://www.cbgarden.org/.

Next, we grabbed a quick lunch in University Circle and headed downtown for some exercise! The Towpath Trail, constructed 175 years ago as part of the Ohio & Erie Canal, was originally a simple dirt path used to lead animals towing canal boats. After the Establishment of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in 1974, the Towpath, along with numerous other trails, become a part of one large shared use trail. Now, more than a million people walk/run this trail each year. The Towpath Trail stetches from the industrial center of downtown Cleveland all the way through the valley and into downtown Akron, with picnic areas, restrooms, and train access points along the way. The trail's surface is wide, flat, tightly packed limestone, allowing its visitors to walk, run, bike, and more! There is also a Towpath Marathon for any serious runners. The Towpath is open 24 hours, so you can even explore it at night! The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, also known as CVSR, provides a Bikes Aboard! service, which allows you to bike the trail one way and take a train back for only $2. Train schedules can be found at the official CVSR website http://www.cvsr.com/.
We decided to bike the trail so as to see the most we could of the park. We strapped our four bikes to our bike rack, and headed downtown to the start of the Towpath Trail. It was overcast yesterday with a nice breeze, which made our long ride comfortable and easy. The park is very green, and being outdoors all afternoon was refreshing for us all. We really loved the Towpath experience, and want to visit it again soon to try walking and or running it. It is free and open all hours, so the Towpath Trail is a great place to visit if you have no plans!

Coventry

Yesterday (Thursday, May 20th), we spent the afternoon and evening at one of Cleveland's hottest spots for young people, the area most refer to as simply "Coventry". This is the strip of Coventry between Euclid Avenue and Mayfield Road which feautures all sorts of shops, restaurants, coffee joints, bars, clubs, a video store, a grocery store, a convience store, and countless other services. It is a hip, edgy neighborhood full of character where there is always something to do. For shoppers, Coventry offers stores like American Apparel, Clothing Brigade, The Above Boutique, Sunshine Too, Passport to Peru, and Heart & Sole Sneaker Boutique. Coventry has countless places to grab a bite to eat. From casual quick spots like Jimmy John's (subs), Guy's Pizza, Que Tal?, Tommy's (which is vegetarian!), the Inn on Coventry (for Breakfast), Dave's Cosmic Subs, and Chipotle, to slightly more formal restaurants like Pacific East (Japanese cuisine), Mint Cafe (delicious but inexpensive Thai food), Tree Country Bistro, BD's Mongolian Barbeque (pick your own food and watch it be prepared on the grill in front of you!), the Winking Lizard (celebrated for its cheap eats and wide variety of beers), and Hunan Coventry (Chinese cuisine), there is something for everyone. And for dessert, there is always Strickland's Frozen Custard. Looking for a delicious cup of coffee or a quick pastry? Relax in the cozy but sophisticated atmosphere at Phoenix Coffee. For anyone hoping for a movie night, you can pick up a video at VidStar, which has not only the most recent, popular films, but also countless oldies that you'd be hard-pressed to find in your regular Blockbuster. Collectible toys and candies can be found at the retro toy store Big Fun, and if you are looking for LPs, posters and paraphenalia, all are availible at Record Revolution. You can also find cheap cds, video games and movies at CD/Game exchange. There is Coventry Cats (with literally anything you could need for your cat), City Buddha, a collection of funky, Indonesian jewelry, decorations and more, and Mac's Backs, one of the Cleveland's best independent book stores, where you can periodically catch a poetry reading! Artists, (even mere aspiring ones) should check out Utrecht Art, an art supply store with all kinds of arts supplies and materials from well known brands. Late-nighters chould visit bars like Paninis, McNulty's, Bodega, Geppetto's Johnny Malloys, City & East (the hookah bar) and La Cave du Vin. Looking for a night of music? The Grog Shop features both local and well known bands of all sorts, from alternative music to rap, and concerts here are very inexpensive! The B-Side Lounge is a dance club/bar that can be a fun spot to sit and have a drink, dance the night away, or, on Thursdays, embarrass yourself at Karaoke Night! While most nights are only 21 and up after 9pm, teens can hang out here earlier in the eveneing, or on the several nights of the month designated 18 and up! These specific events can be found on the calendar on the official B-Side website. Other services include hair salons like the Laura Lee Salon, O'Grady's Dry Cleaners, Coventry Shoe & Leather, Huntington Bank, and a tattoo parlour! During the summer, Coventry hosts a variety of street festivals and farmers' markets; Stop by and witness street performers and arts and crafts vendors, and join the crowd as they dance their way down the street! Visit the Coventry Village website at http://www.coventryvillage.org/.
After an afternoon of shopping at our favorite stores, including American Apparel, City Buddha, Passport to Peru and Brigade, we grabbed a bite to eat at Pacific East, where each of us enjoyed various sushi rolls, ginger and seaweed salads, edamame and more! Next, we stopped by City & East, Coventry's well known hookah bar. After a few hours of music and laughter, the warm weather encouraged us to stroll up and down the streets of coventry, and we met several other friends at Phoenix Coffee, where we all grabbed different coffee drinks. Exhausted from our busy day, we decided to call it a night around midnight, but Covetry was still going strong, with people filling the streets and the bars, all having a good time. We will definitely be going back soon!

West Side Market & Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

This morning we woke up super early (for us anyway) and wound our down Cedar Hill, down Carnegie, and across the Hope Memorial Bridge, finally arriving at the corner of West 25 and Lorain, the location of the well known market in downtown Cleveland called the West Side Market. It is Cleveland's oldest public market and dates all the way back to 1840! The West Side Market is home to over 100 different vendors of extremely diverse backgrounds. Here, you can find just about any kind of food you could possibly want. From all kinds of fruits, including exotic ones like the "cactus pear" and "star fruit", to every vegetable and herb imaginable, the market is a great place to pick up fresh produce! But you can also find a wide array of meats, seafood, cheeses, pastries, coffees, sauces, candies, flowers, nuts, and pre-made meals to satisfy any need or craving. The West Side Market is open Mondays and Wednesdays from 7am to 4pm, and Fridays and Saturdays from 7am to 6pm, so shopping here is an easy outing to work into your schedule! At the market, the four of us each picked up some fruits and veggies for our homes, as well as a few sweets whose aromas we found to be simply irresistible. You can visit the West Side Market website by going to http://www.westsidemarket.org/.
After several hours of perusing the rows of different food stands, we put our bags in the car and headed for one of Cleveland's landmarks,, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation was established in New York City over 25 years ago by music industry leaders to celebrate both the music and the musicians that have changed the world. In 1995, the Rock Hall opened in downtown Cleveland as a place to educate the public on the history of the world's most influential musicians and the music they have made.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is located at 1100 Rock and Roll Boulevard in downtown Cleveland. Admission for greater Cleveland residents costs only 18$, so be sure to bring an ID. The Rock Hall is open every day from 10am to 5 30pm, and stays open during the summer until 9pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays! The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame features many different exhibits and events. Exhibits include "From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: the Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen", "Great Music. No Limits. Celebrating 35 Years of Austin City Limits", "MOTOWN: The Sound of Young America", "2010 Inductees", the "U2 3D Film", "Treasures from the Vault", "Right Here, Right Now", the "Hall of Fame Inductee Gallery", "The Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll", and a whole lot more! Our favorite was the exhibit on Bruce Springsteen, but they are all very interesting and a lot of fun! There are also many different events at the Rock Hall, all of which can be found at the official Rock Hall website http://rockhall.com/. Upcoming events include "Rock and Roll Night School: Rock and Roll and the Vietnam War" on May 26th, "Cleveland Rocks! Gibson Guitar Auction" June 3rd, and the "Bruce Springsteen Weekend" June 4th-6th! And some of the events are free! The Rock Hall also has a souvenir shop where members receive 10% off. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with its fantastic architecture, magnificent view of the Lake, celebratory exhibits, and frequent exciting events is an absolute must-see. We had a fantastic time, and we are sure that anyone, music lover or not, will too!

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

Monday May 17th

Today the four of us spent the day at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo! Admission is free for certain county residents every Monday from 10am to 5pm, so be sure to pick a Monday to visit the zoo! And be sure to bring photo ID to prove county residency. Maps are distributed upon entrance, which feature an animal directory so you can navigate your way around the zoo and see all your favorite animals! The map also includes dining and shopping options, general information, dates of special events (Twilight at the Zoo- the "wildest party of the summer" is August 6th!), coming attractions (the African Elephant Crossing will be opening in 2011), and "zoo hot spots!". These hot spots include Professor Wylde's Live Animal Show, Meet the Keeper, Seal & Sea Lion Demonstration, A-MAZE-ing Ambhibians Maze, and more! We ventured into this maze, and it is definitely worth your time! Times for all the other hot spots are listed in the map.

We planned out our day to make sure we got an opportunity to see all of our favorite animals. First, we visited Monkey Island and the maze, then the rhinos, the rising waters safari camp, and the center for zoological medicine. Next, we headed toward the African Savanna and saw the zebras, giraffes, birds, lions, and the butterfly exhibit "FLUTTER!" Then we headed under the Free Flight Falls bridge and entered the Northern Trek. Here, we saw Wolf Wilderness, seals, sea lions, tigers, reindeer, black and brown bears, and our favorite of the day, the polar bears! After a quick lunch at the food court, which offers a variety of options including McDonald's, Pizza Hut, The Roaring Lion Cafe, and Quiznos Subs, we ventured over to Waterfowl Lake. This area of the zoo is home to the pink flamingos and numerous exotic birds. Also found here is the exhibit "DINOSAURS!" After Ben & Jerry's ice cream at Wade Hall, the Primate, Cat & Aquatics area was next on our list. We saw the cheetahs, gorillas, fish, sharks and turtles and took tons of pictures! We descended the deckwalk into the Australian Adventure and saw the koalas, kangaroos and wallabies. ALso here is the New Guinea singing dogs, Lorikeet Lane Aviary, Yagga Tree, the Ballarat Theatre, the Boomerang Railway, and camel rides! On our way out of the park, we stopped at the gift shop, which offers lots of different souvenirs, from t-shirts to stuffed animals. Despite the hazy Cleveland weather, we had a fantastic day at the zoo!

"Bowl Your Brains Out"

Friday May 14th, the four of us drove a short distance to the Solon Freeway Lanes with a few friends for a night of 'mexican madness' themed, all-you-can-bowl bowling! For only $6 each, we bowled as many games as we wanted (we only got through 5) for four hour straight! Though most of us got mostly gutter balls (cough Rachel cough), there were a few, specifically Mary, who were pro bowlers! She got 7 strikes and a handful of spares! It was a great atmosphere and quite crowded! For so cheap, the Solon Freeway Lanes is your best bet for a night of fun, inexpensive adventures at the bowling lanes.

Watch Party

Thursday, May 13

As the Cleveland Cavaliers prepared to take on the Boston Celtics in game 6 of the series, we all took our seats at the Quicken Loans Arena with hundreds of other loyal Cavs fans to watch the away game on the big screen. The rapid took us to Tower City which led us to the Q located on Huron and East 4th Street. Unfortunately, although it was a close game, the Cavs lost 94-85 ending their time in the playoffs. However, the watch party was full of excitement with performances by the scream team, cavalier girls, and even moondog. PNC hosted the event and offered up several cash prizes. Even though the game didn't go our way, the watch party is definetly a great place to view the game with fans surrounding you. Not to mention admission is free, theres great food, fun music, and a huge screen that is definetly larger than your t.v. at home. Watch parties are seasonal and therefore won't pick up again until playoffs 2011. But be sure to catch a game then.

OMNIMAX & Science Center

Wednesday, May 12

Today, we went to the Great Lakes Science Center in downtown Cleveland located at 601 Erieside Ave. Once we arrived, we spent the morning touring the NASA Glenn visitor center and the BioMedTech Gallery. For anyone interested in space technology or travels the NASA center is for you! The BioMedTech Gallery was an eye opening presentation of recent developments in medical technology and engineering with a goal to improve public health. Throughout the morning we had been hearing constant chatter of the so called "indoor tornado", "shadow room", and "bridge of fire". So, we decided to check it out. We headed to the science phenomena floor. The indoor tornado simulated a raging cyclone which left us all windswept and speechless. The electricity in the bridge of fire left our hair standing while the shadow room froze our shadows to the wall... so weird!
Around 1 pm we took our seats in the OMNIMAX theater's showing of Sea Monsters which explored the prehistoric story of gigantic North American sea monsters. The final showing is May 28 so be sure to catch it soon. All in all, the day was a success! And we learned a thing or two about science.