DAYS 48-49: Tanawanga NY to Cleveland OH

Tanawanga (Niagara/Buffalo Area) to Erie PA: 14.5 mph; 85.3 miles; 5:52 hours

Erie PA to Cleveland OH: 102.02 miles; 7:10 hours

Lake Erie
Leaving Buffalo, you have one last lock - use it. If you travel the outside route you will use twice the fuel to end up at the same place - Lake Erie and the currents are strong and churning. It's a long run, Buffalo to Erie, PA, and takes the entire day. Once you see the change in water color, you won’t care how long it takes - it’s the most beautiful jewel green (if that makes any sense). I want to reproduce it and paint.

Erie, PA: ANCHORAGE: 

We dropped anchor at Presque Isle State Park, it’s quiet, calm, peaceful and a great place to kayak or paddle board after the long run. There’s a slow fuel dock with pump-out, sort of. We ended up heading across the bay to Perry’s Landing fuel dock (they open at 8:00am). If you want restaurants, Perry’s would be the place to stop and stay - lots to do over there.

WHY THE LONG RUN? 

We were trying to get to Cleveland and Put-In Bay. Those are places we want to actively explore. Otherwise, we would have referred to the Looper’s Companion Guide for shorter stop overs. If you collect seaglass, plan on the short stops. Lake Erie is a well traveled shipping route with glass factories to the west in Wisconsin - good chance of finding some gems. We had to make a decision, so opted for the longer runs.

Cleveland, OH

Oasis Marinas at North Coast Harbor is not mentioned in the AGLCA books but needs to be added. It’s not too pricey at $2.25/ft including: electric, water, showers/bathrooms, no fuel or pump-out. Reservations, at this time, can only be made through the app Snag-A-Slip. The reason we picked this marina was for its location; it's directly downtown and steps away from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the FirstEnergy Stadium (the Brown’s). 

SIDE NOTE ABOUT FUEL IN CLEVELAND: When you are leaving this area, you will pass Edgewater Marina, great staff and service. 

FUN NOTE: The FirstEnergy Stadium had a free Open House for the Browns’ practice day. We had choices to make and needed to pick two out of three: the free game, Hall of Fame, and/or the West Side Market on 25th Street. We picked the Hall of fame and the Market. But hey! Good to see the Brown and Orange parade of fans!

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: WOW at $35.00/ticket, it's a steal! The museum really starts when you approach the campus. The outside courtyard is set up for a last minute concert with stage, food trucks, picnic tables, benches, and music playing. The details set the mood for what you are about to experience. Tickets are sold online (preferred) or when you get in the door at a self-serving station. As a ‘ticket’, you'll receive a concert wristband. Once inside, turn left for coffee and snacks and you’re in for a treat; just be sure to order a small because food and drinks are allowed in the common areas but prohibited in the exhibits. 

We started our tour downstairs and did all 6 floors - totally worth it! So much thought was put into the design, displays, and oral histories. They have changing exhibits and the coolest “hands-on” floor where you can try a few instruments with incredible sound - some real talent in Cleveland! It was so much fun! It will take you a good 3 hours to explore the Hall. 

West Side Market: We took an Uber and it was worth the effort because they have all the foods we love. The Market has been in business since 1912 with over 100 vendors selling meats, seafood, cheeses, produce, specialty items, breads and desserts. The market has remained with the same design since the beginning and some of the original family names continue to this day.

I was overwhelmed and needed to step away to organize my thoughts before I pushed my way to the front of the counter and placed an order - baklava. 

PRIMARY SOURCES: 

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame used enhanced candid snapshots as part of the background design for wall space. I’m still thinking about them; out of the millions of snapshots taken, how did the curators select those photographs? What was it about the pictures that stood out from all the rest? And what about the items on display, how did they decide which items would best present a visual history about the artist and decade? There must be warehouses of items still in storage for future displays.

I also wonder about a picture I saw at the market. It was a random photo, circa 1920, of people four or five deep at the counter purchasing meats; but, all the women were at one counter and the men were at another - why? Why were they separate?