We began our trip in Cleveland with a visit to downtown. We started by driving over the Hope Memorial Bridge to the Westside Market. The Hope Memorial Bridge was completed in 1932 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Pairs of statues titled the “Guardians of Traffic” stand on pylons at each end of the viaduct, symbolizing progress in transportation.
The Westside Market is the oldest public market in Cleveland with over 100 vendors offering meats, seafood, fruits, vegetables, and amazing bakeries (we speak from personal experience…hehe).
Nearby were great restaurants and cute shops.
I met this furry rooster when we checked out a glass blowing art studio near the Westside Market. He was actually quite sweet and liked having his neck scratched.
We also checked out the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This is a great museum that everyone who likes rock music should visit. The museum does a really nice job of putting together all the different genres that influenced rock from the early days. Here is some of what we saw:
If you listen to SiriusXM, then you know they broadcast from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame…here, Joel is saying hi to Rachael Steel in the booth.
Later that day we joined Joel’s cousin, Caroline, to watch a football game at her daughter’s high school. It was so much fun to see a game on a fall night. Go Lions!
The next day Caroline and her whole family joined us as we explored several park sites around the area. First up, the Holden Arboretum. This place has a cool feature…a suspension bridge that sits about 60 feet up in the tree tops. There were also some beautiful gardens.
We all had a great time playing in the treetops.
Then we went to the James A. Garfield National Historic Site. Garfield was our 20th president and died about six and half months after he took office. He was the first sitting member of Congress to be elected to the presidency, and remains the only sitting House member to gain the White House. At the 1880 Republican National Convention, delegates chose Garfield–who had not sought the White House–as a compromise presidential candidate on the 36th ballot. (Pretty much, they couldn’t agree on anyone else and picked Garfield as their 36th choice.)
After watching a brief movie in the Visitor Center about his life and time as president, we took a tour of his home.
According to the National Park Service, Garfield acquired this home in 1876 to accommodate his large family. Four years after Garfield’s assassination in September 1881, the Memorial Library wing was added by Mrs. Garfield and her family, creating the nation’s first Presidential Library.
This tiny room is listed as the first Presidential Library in the US. by the National Park System. Garfield’s wife preserved all the documents from his presidency and presidential campaign after he died. The documents are now in the Library of Congress but the room remains.
Our final park of the day was Cuyahoga Valley National Park (our 160th National Park site!)
We decided to do a short hike to the brandywine falls. It was an easy hike along this wooden pathway.
The views were pretty and, again, we all seemed to have a good time. (Or we were just laughing trying to all fit in to the selfie 😂)
Such a great day hanging out with family.
I like those cow-hide boots especially, among everything else.
What a great family reunion! Joel and his cousin look so much alike! Thank you for the photos from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to President Garfield’s home.