Beyond the Presidential Suite

Imagine how it must feel, after living a life of luxury and having everything the heart desires for a while, to return to normal life.

Welcome to the Holiday Inn, Covington, Kentucky (that’s the establishment tucked behind the BP station) 

We hot footed it out of Columbus this morning, before the Pride parade got going and jammed the city solid.  Out onto the open road through the empty Ohio countryside, we passed by the barn with the “chew tobacco” advertisement and headed for Cincinnati.

We stopped in Springfield, to visit a particular house.  Can you guess why?

It was another of Frank Lloyd Wright’s works, set in a fairly built up area and didn’t open till 11.  It being just 10.15 am right now, we had a while to wait, so we mooched around and took a few photos before deciding that, really, we weren’t that bothered about going inside!  After the spectacular Darwin Martin House in Buffalo, this seemed like small fry…so we jumped back in the car and went on our merry way.

In the meantime, I’d been working on my knitting and completed the cowl I began following our stop at Webs, sometime ago.

Back on the road once more, we planned a stop in Lebanon (the town, not the country)

It had been noted in our guidebook as a small, historic town with an interesting walk around the central area.  Sounded like our kind of thing.

Sure enough, car parked and out on the street, the sun was shining and we were happy to spend a while wandering about the small town.  Though the AAA guide suggested acquiring a map from the local tourist office, none was available, prompting Mary to utter the phrase of the day: “Well, we’ll just have to Lewis and Clark it”.

There were indeed plenty of historic places to see and to visit.

Though we drew the line at historic hardware stores.

There were much more interesting locations across the street, after all.

We didn’t think the notice in the public loos said a great deal for the regular users of this facility, though.

But then, the notice on the vending machine didn’t say much for the City of Lebanon, for that matter, did it?

Still, we liked the Farmers Market poster!

and we rather liked the Green Country Market, too.

They sold many useful things!

Onward then, to Cincy. 

It was early afternoon and perhaps there was time for a quick visit to JoAnns and/or a Michaels?  Sure enough, there they were next door to one another so in I went.  Thankfully, my Hero came into Michaels to join me – actually, to rescue me, for there in the store, a bird was flying about.   Those who know me will know that is enough to send me into a tailspin; in fact, had he not come in when he did, I’d have had to ask someone to help me leave.  No purchases made, then, even though I did have 50% off coupons in my bag.

Cincinatti was soon on the horizon like the Emerald City and we were hopeful that we’d find our way to the Underground Railroad Museum without too much difficulty.

Our satnav was working overtime but seemed to be on track.

We hadn’t reckoned on a ball game taking place right next to the museum however.  Nor on the hundreds and thousands of Reds supporters going to the match.

It wasn’t easy but we made it.  An underground car park was the answer and we got there just in time – ten minutes later and it would have been full.

Almost the first thing we saw was a pair of huge quilts by Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson made from sections of textile art which incorporated mudcloth and three dimensional components.  I appreciated the smaller “handling cloth” for closer inspection.

After such an exuberant opening, the remainder of the exhibits told a rather more sobering story.  Many of the historical details made for uncomfortable reading – I hadn’t realised, for instance, that all black people were regarded as slaves at one point. 

Here was Frederick Douglass, whom we’d “met” earlier in our travels and close by was his friend and associate, Susan B Anthony.

The film narrated by Oprah Winfrey told a desperate tale of the steps a slave had to make on their way to freedom and the bravery and risks taken by those who supported them.

Actually, I found it pretty hard going and was somewhat relieved to come across a temporary exhibit of quilts depicting significant events, characters and issues from black history.

Knowing rather less about the subject than I did about the medium, I chose my favourites based on the design and overall impact rather than the stories they told, and this one by Carolyn Crump was the first exhibit and got us off to a great start.  Three dimensional and exquisitely made, I felt it told the story of the journey very well indeed,

I preferred the less representational designs; those where the message had been considered and worked into the design rather than depicted literally, and this work by Arlene Kweli Jones was one which caught my eye for the strong graphic image and clever use of fabric.  It’s entitled “Repatriation”.

This clever quilt by April Shipp depicts Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Toms Cabin.  Another three dimensional beauty, the design cleverly told the story and was a favourite with us all.

Sadly, I didn’t get a good enough photograph of the information relating to maker of this quilt, telling the story of the organisation of the railroad porters union.  I felt the most successful quilts didn’t need a whole lot of narrative to explain them and that this one in particular worked really well.  My favourite?!

I took so many photographs and felt that there were too many stunning exhibits to share here, but other visitors to the show have shared their reactions here and here, so I’ll leave it there.

No, I’ll finish on a positive note, shall I?

The Ascension by Linda Gray needs no explanation and was a beautifully stitched and pieced hanging depicting one of the most recent events in black history.

As we left the quilt exhibit, we could sense the museum closing around us.  We went into the shop to make a couple of small purchases before working out how to cross the river and make our way to our hotel on the other side – in Kentucky.  Yessss!   (State #36 for me)

Looking for somewhere to eat this evening, we rejected the Big Boy Diner.

We passed right by the wedding party having their photos taken.

I sympathised with the bridesmaid whose shoes were pinching.

We settled instead on Wertheim’s German restaurant and ordered Hefeweissen and Schnitzel.  It was a far from successful choice but writing the Trip Advisor review proved quite cathartic

Bangkok Peanut or Yazoo Sue?

There is a theme to this post, from Columbus, Ohio.

Ice cream.  Having sampled a couple of flavours last evening, we were keen to add to the collection today, so to speak.

First, though, we decided to leave the car in the garage today and travel by bus: Free Public Bus in fact.  It stopped right outside our hotel and did a circuit of the city.  To begin with, we were going to head south, to the Topiary Garden.

We’d read of this before we came here, both in guidebooks and in a magazine article which included a list of must-sees for a weekend in Columbus. 

It wasn’t long before we got a clue of the tout ensemble.

Helpfully, there was a reproduction of the original picture too, so we could compare.

So there you are.  Off you go.  Compare!

The excitement was all too much, so spotting a kind of Shake Shack as we crossed Columbus Commons, then noticing it was an outpost of Jenis we just had to join the queue.  Buckeye and Salty Caramel for me this time!

Delicious.

Our next stop on the bus was German Village, just south of the city centre.  Settled by Germans in the first half of the 19th century, most of the village had fallen into disrepair until a man with vision had begun the restoration and preservation of the area from the 1960s onwards.

Now, the houses are charming; this one in particular had a beautiful verandah with comfortable cushions which matched the flowers in the planters perfectly.

There was also a fantastic bookshop, which filled the whole of this building – and that really is, the WHOLE of the building.  There was room after room to explore and just as I feared I was never going to find my way out again I spotted I was in the self help department and the book facing me on the shelf was “Paint your way out of a corner” !

This title amused me rather.

Thumbing through this book, I came across a page about John Fluevog and thought immediately of our friend Nadine in Montreal.  She’s not been too well lately, so we sent warm thoughts through the ether.

Back on the bus then and into the city centre for a walk along the river.

It was lunchtime, so people from the neighbouring offices were out enjoying the fresh air along by the River Scioto, where restoration was underway to create a pleasant new riverside walk.

As we walked along the pathway, we spotted something.

The middle seat of each group of three was a swing!  Needless to say, these were very popular and as we reached the next group, inevitably someone was settled on it, swinging. 

But I wanted to sit on a swing!

It took some time but eventually we found an empty one and you know what happened next?

Photo shoot and fifteen minutes of gentle swinging in the breeze, feeling relaxed and wondering if anyone was going to bring us a nice, cool drink?

They didn’t.  But it was fun!

As we caught the bus back, someone was hoisting his bike on the front – this is a great service!  We spotted Whit’s Custards just as we got off, though: a Root beer float and a vanilla malt, please – well, maybe we’ll return to Jenis for dessert this evening?!

Sure enough, we finished the day in the same way as last evening – I chose Salty Caramel and Yazoo Sue with Rosemary and Bar Nuts tonight.

Jenis, we look forward to the next time!

From the Presidential Suite

We joke from time to time about our stay in Rapid City, where we checked into the Hampton Garden Inn so late that the only room left was the “Presidential Suite”.  This evening, checking into the Hampton Inn, Columbus, we made our way to our room and found the nameplate “Presidential Suite” by the door!  Lo and behold, our suite is e-n-o-r-m-o-u-s and we could have a party in the shower!  But what gives the game away is that Mary’s room is immediately beneath ours and, guess what?  There’s a nameplate by her door that states “Presidential Suite” as well.  I suppose “Vice President Suite”  wouldn’t give the right impression   Still, it’s good to know that when the Obamas are in town, the Hampton Inn is ready and waiting for them.

We set out from Cleveland heading for Columbus this morning, driving through endless suburbs and wondering when, if ever, we were going to reach the open green Ohio landscape we imagined.

Eventually, there it was, but it took some finding and it didn’t last long.  Once again, we stuck with the ordinary roads, keeping off the interstate and looking for interest in the small towns and villages along the way.  We drove through more Amish communities, past a few Mennonite homes with bible passages by the front gate and bonneted women tending the vegetable patch.

But we were never far away from industry and of course, there’s a fair bit of agribusiness to support all those farms too.  That bit wasn’t so pretty.

So we focused on the parts we liked!

Soon we were in Central Ohio, right bang slap in the middle when we passed through Centerburg, in fact.  Not far to Columbus now, and a rather different destination than we’d usually include on a road trip.  But recently, I’ve been a woman on a mission – to buy a new sewing machine – and I had some research I wanted to do.

Beth’s Creative Stitchery is the kind of place I wish was just down the road from me at home.  Sadly, it isn’t, so arriving unannounced this afternoon, how lucky I was that not only was the machine right there in the store, but Sharon was also there, ready and able to answer all my questions.  I was able to sit and try the machine, to explore the controls and to ask as many questions as I could think of.

Oh my goodness, I wanted to pack it up and bring it home with me!  Sadly, I’ll have to wait; to save up even and make one or two decisions once I’m home.  I wish I could bring Sharon home too, though!

With a couple of hours left this afternoon, there was time to squeeze in a visit to the Ohio Statehouse, downtown Columbus.  We found a parking space in the underground car park and took the lift straight up to the basement entrance.

A series of lifts and staircases made what ought to have been a simple self guided tour very challenging!

Still, we saw the Senate House – nothing happening there this afternoon, sadly.

The House of Representatives was quiet too.

I wonder which Congressman chooses to have a model of Superman on his desk?  This was the only personal item in the room- every other desk was identical, impersonal.

The public areas were elegant if sparsely furnished, with virtually no artwork on the walls at all beyond a couple of large oil paintings in the lobby.

The dome featured a stained glass roundel identical to that in the museum.  There was also something strange about that dome which was only revealed later.

That same stained glass panel is here – about six feet in diameter, it was hard to imagine that small central dot so high above us featured all that detail!

Even stranger was, as we drove past on our way to the hotel, we saw that there was no dome at all!  Isn’t that odd?

This evening, we’ve been out to supper and enjoyed two Columbus recommendations: Betty’s and Jenis Splendid Ice Cream.  All three of us are sitting here feeling utterly stuffed!

It’s only Rock’n’Roll (but I like it)

Our plan for today was simple: visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Though we had an appointment at 4pm on our schedule, we were feeling relaxed about the rest of the day.  Just as well, because once we’d stepped inside and heard the music, we didn’t want to go anywhere else!

There has been a mixed response to our decision to visit Cleveland on our Road Trip, but mostly, it’s been a slightly mystified “but why?”  Well, if anyone needs a reason, then let it be “The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”! It’s all part of a major lakefront redevelopment – the Science Center and a huge stadium project is right next door.

Anyway, with tickets purchased and guides in hand, we couldn’t wait to get started.

The first displays told the story of how rock and roll grew out of humble beginnings.  There were mementos of early blues and gospel singers, rockabilly and bluegrass, each one accompanied by a video presentation with soundtrack coming from overhead speakers.  Just as our toes began tapping and we were getting into the groove, a horde of small children from a summer camp descended on the place and the general hubbub and noise was enough to make listening impossible.

We let them steam on through and then resumed our visit.

By this time we were getting into familiar territory – for dare I say, till this point, it was all before my time?  But now we were talking – Beatles, Herman’s Hermits and The Hollies – oh yes, we knew all the words!

The story continued, through Motown, Flower Power, Punk, Rap and Heavy Metal.  A few items stood out like these handwritten lyrics to The Boxer (one of the tunes which always plays in my head when I’m in New York City) but really, there were so many small things to see, to wonder about and to prompt lots of memories.

And all the time, the music was playing and we were humming, singing and loving it all, because it was aimed at people just like us; our vintage, in fact.

I mean, David Bowie?  Look at that suit from 1972!   Nicely shaped, eh?

I’d feared the Motown stars would not feature here, since Detroit has a Hall of Fame too, but thankfully, there they were, the Supremes.  The mannequins were perfectly posed and couldn’t really have been mistaken for anyone else, don’t you agree? 

At the end of this section, sure enough, there he was.  The one all those little kids had been looking for – though I’m not sure any of them would have spotted him – or his glove.

Right here was a huge screen, playing live concert performances and we happily stopped and listened for a while – James Taylor is on screen here, singing Fire and Rain – and one after another memorable performance followed, making it very difficult indeed to move on.

But just around the corner was The Beatles exhibit…and the Rolling Stones…and we simply had to stop and listen to them too.  I loved the Beatles in particular and we happened upon that show at just the right spot – halfway through “With the Beatles” LP and I was sucked right back into the 1960s.

So it went.  Into a theatre to watch clips from 50 years of American Bandstand, which wasn’t at all familiar to us but which featured people like Aha, ABBA, Bryan Adams, Lionel Richie, The Righteous Brothers, Joni Mitchell and – ermmm – Sheena Easton?!  Around the corner was another theatre with clips of all the Hall of Fame inductees – Martha and the Vandellas, the Mamas and the Papas, Queen, Earth Wind and Fire, Donna Summer, Pink Floyd, Blondie…and so many others.

We could have stayed and watched it all over again.  We loved every minute!

With all of that wonderful music going around and around in our heads, we returned downtown buzzing!  Our goal was the central tower in the group of skyscrapers there, which my Hero identified as Terminal Tower – formerly Cleveland Union Terminal; the former railroad station.

Sadly, trains no longer arrive and depart from this marvellous building. 

There are shops, restaurants and an hotel where the platforms used to be.

Though there’s still the odd reminder of former glories.

The ceiling is magnificent, too.

In the middle of Public Square, right outside Terminal Tower, is the Soldiers and Sailors Monument - a memorial to veterans of the Civil War  – very grand, it is, too.  We were on our way to one of the other grand buildings in the group on Superior Avenue: Mary had secured us an appointment for a tour of the Cleveland Public Library.

The Cleveland Public Library is quite an awe-inspiring building both inside and out.  Inside, the carpets reflect the pattern and colour of the ceiling and there are murals and reading desks in keeping with the architecture.

The painted ceiling in the entrance hall was finely painted in a rather delicate design, too.  This was in stark contrast to the decor and architecture in the newer, modern extension though:

Our visit had been a cool respite from the heat and humidity which had been building outside.  Thankfully, we had only a couple of blocks to walk to our hotel and we hoped the rain would hold off long enough for us to get back in the dry.

I couldn’t resist taking a couple of pictures of Tom Otterness’ figures, though.

Remember them from the NYC Subway, too?

We did manage to get back in the dry, though when we stepped outside to go for dinner, there were heavy spots of rain falling.  With our raingear in the car, parked some distance away, I returned to the reception desk to ask if, by any chance, they had an umbrella I could borrow.  Sadly, the one which had been there was already gone, but Liz, the receptionist offered me her own umbrella to use.  I turned to the chap standing behind me in the queue and remarked that this was really beyond the call of duty and incredibly generous of her.

“You’re in the Mid-West”, he said.

Indeed, and how pleased we are to be here, too.

Rich and varied days

One of the joys of a road trip!

We left Buffalo this morning, bidding the City Hall farewell and taking the chance to snap a last picture with the light in a better direction than previously.  Isn’t it magnificent?

We left the city on our favourite US20, heading out through the suburbs and out along the Lake Erie shore.

Our first stop was one of those places which we’ve read about and yet, had no idea what to expect.  The Kazoo Company in Eden, NY has been making them since they were invented and our visit was fun and also rather interesting.  It’s a small place with maybe 15 – 20 employees, mostly people with some learning disability, as the two women who run the gift shop explained.

Half an hour later, having watched the process of manufacture, learned a little of the history and how to play the kazoo, we left with our purchases (Oh yes!) and continued on our way.

Feel free to report this driver who was on his phone for the several miles he was in front of us, texting or facetiming, but certainly not concentrating fully on his driving.  He was one of several drivers we noticed today; thankfully spotting them in time to keep well out of their way.

The wide open dairy farming landscape changed as we headed west, into the wine growing region of NY state.  We passed acres of vineyards and small wineries offering tastings.  No, we weren’t tempted – we had too far to travel.

Our next stop was Jamestown; a clue to the main reason for our stopping here is in the picture above (though I am too young to recognise it, too )

It was the birthplace and home of Lucille Ball and the town has many references to her as well as a small museum and visitor centre, which we enjoyed.  It’s here where the annual Lucille Ball Comedy Fest takes place and where annual conventions involve hordes of lookie likies.

In taking a photograph of the mural way down the street, I also captured the Erie Railroad bridge for my Hero – though I think he found better images on the internet (hardly surprising).

Onward then, through Chataqua County, home to the Chataqua adult education movement, which, I learned, was a system of travelling lecturers, bringing knowledge and performance to people living in rural America in the late 19th and early 20th century. 

We crossed the state line and drove into Pennsylvania, past signs alerting us to Amish buggies on the road, though there were none to be seen today.

A little further, our next stop appeared on the signpost.  We had Conneaut on our map, and knowing it to be just inside Ohio, I got my camera at the ready to snatch a shot of the sign.

I know.

The White Turkey Drive In was our reason for stopping.  Thankfully, not too busy, we pulled up and stepped out onto Ohio ground for the first time – kerching!!  My 35th state, I believe?

Someone’s Root Beer Float was a little larger than he imagined, but was declared one of the best!

With the afternoon half gone, we took the Interstate for the last part of our journey to make it to Cleveland in reasonable time.  Another grand city awaits our exploration and we have plans for tomorrow which include a similarly rich variety of experiences to look forward to.

I’m also thankful to report that I found a note on our bed when we arrived.