I’m back! It feels like I have not posted in weeks and I apologize for that. We finally left Michigan last Wednesday night after a rather hectic day and lots of indecisiveness. My mother-in-law was trying to talk us into staying one more day. The dear woman. But to her disappointment, we said our good-byes to the family and headed south down the I-75. Ohio was our first base and we lived here for a couple of years so we wanted to see the opposite side of the state (eastern) and veered toward Cleveland. We found a little city campground in Stow, OH which is conveniently located for visiting the area.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Ka-ih-ogh-ha is what the natives called it, crooked. The Cuyahoga River winds through the valley making this region lush in vegetation and excellent for agriculture. Our trip into the national park was not only a wonderful place to enjoy nature, but also educational. In 1827, the historic Ohio and Erie Canals were dug along side the Cuyahoga and ran from Cleveland to Akron launching commercial development and enabling farmers to ship their produce to eastern markets. The canals replaced the Cuyahoga as the main source of transportation; however, the river was imperative to operation of the canals.
Flooding in 1913 closed the canals for good and the railroad took over as primary transportation. Today, you can walk the Towpath Trail (named for the path the mules took to tow the boats down the canal) alongside the old canals. Because of the historic significance of the area, the citizens joined forces to save the greenspace and historic buildings. In 1974, Congress added it to the national park system. You can visit old farms and homesteads, ride the scenic railroad through the park, hike or enjoy concerts at the Blossom Music Center.
The Ledge
Hall of Fames
We made a trip to Cleveland to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and another to Canton to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. At the R & R HOF, we covered three floors of memorabilia and learned more about the musicians that, not only began the genre, but those musicians and genres that were an early influence of rock. The roots are in jazz, blues, soul, bluegrass, and gospel. We could stop and hear recordings from artists like Billie Holiday or Wanda Jackson or Howlin’ Wolf. Another display focuses on the cities that shaped R & R through the decades like Detroit, London or San Francisco. There were exhibits to honor the big names such as Elvis and the Beetles. Oh course, there was the hall listing of all the inductees. I snapped a photo of 2017 which is the year I attended the induction ceremony for my favorite band, Journey!
At the Pro Football HOF, we learned more about the founding history of the sport and those instrumental in developing the sport as a professional game. One exhibit featured trading cards. Cigarette companies began making the cards and placing them in packs of cigarettes as a promotional technique. The HOF has an unbelievable collection of the most rare and valuable cards produced. Two floors of memorabilia from great players and years gone by. If you are a lover of the game, it is a collection worth seeing. In the inductee exhibit, busts of each inductee are displayed throughout the room. I was most excited when I came to the year 2000 and saw three San Francisco 49ers (my fave) were inducted: Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott and Dave Wilcox! (pictures to come)
Submarine U.S.S Cod
Back in Cleveland, we visited the Submarine U.S.S. Cod Memorial. We toured the 312 foot fleet sub that was launched in March 1943 and joined the fight in the Pacific. She sank 46 vessels to include a Japanese destroyer. She was decommissioned after the war until 1951, recommissioned and entered the Korean War where she sank an aircraft carrier. She is also credited with saving 55 Dutch submariners in 1945 in what is the only international sub-to-sub rescue in history. She also served as a training vessel for several years before being sent to the scrap yard in 1971. Luckily, she was saved and restored and has been on display in Cleveland in ’76. WWII history always intrigues me and it was an honor to tour this national historic landmark.
Cool. I love the blog. Wes
Thank you!
Sounds and looks like a super trip.
You do remember that you have met Dave Wilcox and his wife? The boys went to school with you and your brother.
I always look forward to all the pictures that you provide. I’m hoping someday that your dad and I can visit a few of these places.
Yes, I remember meeting Dave. And I certainly remember going to school with Josh. Justin was a couple of years younger still, so I wasn’t ever around him. He is doing very well now as he coaches in the NCAA.