A top ten national park in Cleveland...who knew!?

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Every Weekend edition of USA Today includes a Travel section. Recently they had a top ten national parks list. I had been to every one on the list except Cuyahoga Valley National Park just south of Cleveland, Ohio. This is the same Cuyahoga River that caught on fire in the late 1960's and led to America's recognition that something was very wrong environmentally with this country. We soon saw the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act, and the Environmental Protection Agency, all under President Nixon...another who knew...that he was an environmentalist!?

Coincidentally, I was going to Cleveland for my cousin Larry's marriage to Jenny...flying this time...no more driving across the Great Plains as I have done in 2010, 1011, 2012 and many times before that. Other than my attendance at the wedding, my list of sightseeing was pretty short...the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and that's about it. But now I promised myself that I would visit this park during my two days in Cleveland. I also called our best friends, Buz and Kathy, to see if they could meet me there...they could as it was only 90 minutes drive from their home in Pennsylvania.

When I originally booked my flight, I was escorting my Mom (aunt of the groom) to Cleveland, and after the wedding she would travel with my Aunt Minnie (mother of the groom) back to Carlisle, PA. She would spend two weeks there (where another sister Jean also lives) visiting and checking out the assisted living/nursing home facilities there. Then she would fly to North Carolina to visit Bonnie, her namesake niece, for a week and then South Carolina to visit her daughter Sue...that would be my sister if we are confused by now...for a week before returning home. Anyway, since making all these plans, my Mom's macular degeneration progressed very rapidly to blindness. Another reason for her to go was because my daughter Rosanna and son-in-law Evan were coming to visit us in Colorado for three weeks. We had learned from the Christmas disaster that having this many people in the house for this long just wouldn't work. But with my Mom's blindness I was a bit concerned how this was all going to work out. At least I would be accompanying her for the first leg to Cleveland.

12 July 2013 Friday. Linda drove Mom and me to the Colorado Springs airport in time to catch the 8 am flight that would take us via Dallas-Fort Worth (yes that infamous DFW from my previous blog) to Cleveland. This time all flights were on time, the flight attendants very nice, and the wheel chair service as desired. We reached Cleveland ten minutes early at 5 pm! After picking up the rental car, I tried to figure out how to set my GPS (let's name it Hal from 2001 Space Odessy), after a year or so having not used it. My daughter had used Hal in the meantime and screwed up all the settings. First Hal was very quiet. That was good as she also set the voice for Cartman from South Park. I'm pleased that Mom wasn't able to hear all the vulgar language. I couldn't figure out how to set the destination so went with my Mapquest printout. As I didn't know where the MapQuest instructions started from, I decided to wing it. We eventually synchronized our path with the instructions and got to the rehearsal dinner at 6:38 pm...just 8 minutes fashionably late.

Mom was nervous about meeting everyone, and even had an emotional tear or two. When I saw Aunt Minnie I realized immediately that Plan A wasn't going to work...she needed someone to help her walk, so how was she going to help my Mom around in Carlisle. Anyway, we didn't address the issue that evening, but enjoyed everyone's company. I sat at the table with Jenny's brother and sister and brother-in-law, and enjoyed getting to know that side of the family. By the time we left darkness was descending, and I had another go at the GPS. I was finally able to change the voice to a polite English woman, turn up the volume (order was very important here), enter the address of our hotel, and select the fastest route. The ever inscrutable Hal's definition of fastest included driving through the run down part of town, including the Community Based Correctional Facility, where every other car had hyped up sound systems blasting away. But for Hal we would never have found the hotel. We checked in and all they had left was the Ambassador Suite on the top floor...I'm not averse to such free upgrades. I showed Mom where everything was before turning in by 10:30 pm.

13 July 2013 Saturday. I hadn't asked for a wake up call so woke up at 9:50 am (7:50 am Mountain time). As serving of our free breakfast ended at 10:30 am we rushed to get ready, and got there on time. By 11 am I called cousin Margie, where the rest of the family was gathered prior to the wedding, to get her address, and Hal turned out to be of some benefit. We sat around talking, and decided Plan B for my Mom. She would go with my cousin Bonnie and husband Kevin to North Carolina, with the option of driving up to Carlisle so she could see Aunt Jean, should the spirit move. Bonnie would coordinate with sister Sue on that transfer. Meanwhile, Linda called from home to tell me that her Uncle George just had surgery at the Cleveland Clinic, and would I please visit him and Aunt Marianne the next morning.

By 2 pm we returned to the hotel to dress for the wedding which was scheduled for 4 pm. Mom had mislaid her "pearls," bought at Goodwill for $4, so wanted to but another string on the way. Again, Hal took us through the undesirable part of town...perhaps all of Cleveland is that way...so we never passed a Goodwill or any other store for that matter.

The venue was an exclusive club, the Shoreby Club, on the shore of Lake Erie. The wedding was held on the front lawn so the views were beautiful, although the sea breezes were a bit challenging for the ladies' hairdos. The wedding host gave Mom a wheelchair, and we proceeded to the seats, with Mom at the end of a row. She was a bit cold, so Merly, who I had known from Dalat School, but hadn't seen in 45 year, and also in a wheelchair, lent her a shawl. As people took their seats I was amazed at the number of other Dalat schoolmates and former staff members who were there. They came from all over the world...Laos, Afghanistan, Senegal...a typical Dalat School reunion within the context of another event.

The wedding was one of the most moving I have ever attended, as both Larry and Jenny had gone through divorce and had now found their true soul mates, and experienced the grace of God. I will leave the wedding and reception details to the pictures which accompany this blog.

Anyway, a great time was had by all, and we returned to the hotel by 10 pm, arranging to drop Mom off with Bonnie and Kevin at 8:30 am the next morning.

14 July 2013 Sunday. After breakfast I dropped Mom off at Bonnie and Kevin's room and said my farewells. Then I hopped a shuttle bus to the nearby Cleveland Clinic and found Uncle George in the ICU, but doing very well. We talked until the doctors arrived at 9:30 which was time for me to leave anyway.

I returned to the hotel, picked up my car, and again Hal took me by all the back roads...no difference between the fastest and most direct route settings. I arrived right at 10:30 am at the Boston Store Visitor Center where I had arranged to meet Buz and Kathy. The day was blazing hot so we took short walks along the towpath of the Ohio and Erie Canal to some locks, and then the Brandywine Falls.

Now a word about "top ten" lists of national parks. Such lists always need a modifier, such as most beautiful. I had obviously overlooked the modifier for this list, which would have included "top ten most crowded" national parks. As it is close to major population centers, and has an abundance of trails, it definitely was crowded. Modifiers that would not apply include beautiful, serene, awesome, etc. The park wouldn't qualify as a city park in Colorado or most of the West...so politics had to play some role. Walking along the towpaths of the Ohio and Erie Canal, which ran along side the Cuyahoga River, proved to be hazardous as bikes were constantly whizzing by with the warning "to your left." One rider had an accident and a ranger was cleaning the blood off her head, arms, and legs. Anyway, the O&E canal was part of a vast network of canals constructed in the early 1800's, and were shortly supplanted by railroads.

After some short, hazardous walks we proceeded to lunch to enjoy further conversation before I had to drive to the airport for my 6 pm flight home via DFW. I never did make it to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Does going to their gift shop at the airport count?

Upon arrival at DFW I learned that my flight was delayed...no surprise there (see my last blog on jinxing American Airlines)...and I wouldn't get home until after midnight. I called Linda with the news, and she returned some bad news...thunderstorms were approaching and should they go over the Waldo Canyon Fire burn scar (see my blog from last year), there would be flash floods in Ute Pass, preventing her from coming to pick me up. I might have to spend the night at an airport hotel in Colorado Springs. Upon arrival at the Springs airport I called to see whether Linda was there. She was, along with daughter Tamara, grandson Liam (sleeping), and dog Bonnie...who was beside herself with joy after two days apart. Aren't dogs wonderful! Anyway, we got home a bit after midnight...just another traveler's weekend. Did I mention I hate flying?

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Photos

Family gathering at cousin Margie and Shawn's home Saturday morning
playing the blues. Shawn played in the four member band at the reception.

Guests awaiting the wedding ceremony start
with Mom in the wheelchair in the foreground

Guests awaiting the start of the wedding
with Mom to the left

Dalat School alumni and staff at wedding
I'll let my Dalat School friends try to recognize everyone.

Kathy and Buz at a lock on the Ohio and Erie Canal
Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

A great family gathering
Sounds like a lovely wedding. Sorry to hear about the quick changes with your mother. Sounds like she is adjusting fairly well. The bride looked lovely. Interesting observations about the park. Indeed you must be correct. Ohio has some amazing state parks, sounds like this one is not their equal.