Cleveland

Sunday 10th & Monday 11th July

Drama before we even left our hotel in Columbus. Fire alert sounded . We all had to evacuate. Two fire trucks turned up filled with firemen (unfortunately none looked anything like those on my fireman’s calendar). Anyhow, it was a false alarm. Someone had managed to set off their smoke alarm - something to do with steam from the shower and a hairdryer!!! Not sure how that worked.

We took the afternoon bus to Cleveland. Found a hotel on the main street only about half a km from the bus station (always a bonus). This is the theatre district and other than the theatre goers the place was deserted. Oh well, it is Sunday night! The only place open to eat was Subway so that was dinner, in the room. Lucky we had a bottle of wine with us and the hotel had an ice machine for a quick cool down job.

The following morning we explored the town. The USS Cod submarine tour was the first on the agenda - Mike's agenda actually!! I got about a third of the way through and turned back. A bit too claustrophobic for me. I waited for Mike at the top and thought that he was never going to emerge. He was down in the sub for what seemed like hours. Others came and went and still he didn't emerge. I was about to send out a search party when his head popped up out of the hatch. As expected he had taken his time to read everything, listened to all the commentary and explored every nook and cranny of the sub. I cannot imagine how people could spend weeks or months in such a confined space. No submarine travel for me....EVER.

After a busy day walking around town we decided on a Mexican salad for dinner thinking it would be the healthy way to go. Well it was....sort of. It came with "the lot".....Lettuce, rice (two types), meat (a choice of four.....or a bit of each), beans (black ones and white ones) salsa, cheese, hot sauce... So much for healthy......and the portions were HUGE. But it was very nice! Trouble is afterwards we both felt like blimps.

I decided a big walk would be the only cure. Mike was not very enthusiastic - I had to drag him most of the way.

We headed up the opposite end of the street we were staying on, Euclid St. The streets here go for miles. To give you an idea of how long - the cross street we stayed near was 17th Street and we walked up to 55th Street. From what I could see on the map Euclid St went up to at least 123rd Street before continuing on under another name.

Exhausted now.....but still feeling blimpish. Tomorrow heading to Buffalo for a few "chill out' days.....and some shopping before heading to Niagara Falls.

Photos not loading today. Internet is a bit slow. Will try again later as there are some good photos of the submarine.