Two Wheels with a Charge Day 7
Akron to Cleveland: going to the big city
Six decades back, this kid in the back of Plymouth glimpsed Cleveland for the first time. My small world was sixty miles away on the outskirts of Alliance. Today, that skyline will welcome me on my bike after countless visits to work and play. Cleveland's familiar yet changing skyline still holds a magic that never disappoints.
Today I will reach the finish line of the Ohio to Erie Trail at Edgewater Park. That celebratory moment will be part of a larger tour of the city. Eleven years ago, I created a scenic city bike tour. It became a club favorite twice-a-year ride. Greg, my friend and touring partner today, built on that tour over the years. He will lead and guide us through the streets and trails in Cleveland.
I bid farewell to Berrodin Bed and Breakfast and cycled a fast downhill to the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail in the Merriman Valley. Greg was waiting at the Botzum trailhead at the foot of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The trail was in excellent condition, much better than yesterday’s southern towpath.
The early morning stillness at the Beaver Marsh was magical. It was well before the crowds of the weekend rush. I remember this area being a junkyard in my college years as I passed it on the way to a Cleveland Crusaders game at the Richfield Coliseum. Beavers dammed the canal and reclaimed it after the national park took possession. The marsh’s long wooden boardwalk is a favorite of park visitors.
I skipped breakfast at the B&B as I did on the other days of this tour. An old favorite of mine during my bike rides and winter hikes on the county and national park’s trails was on my mind. Greg and I exited the towpath at Lock 29 and headed into Peninsula and Fishers restaurant. It did not disappoint.
It was time to head on to Boston (not Massachusetts). For years, the highlight of this crossroads was the Boston Store on the towpath that housed a gift shop and canal exhibits. Today, the National Park Service built a large Cuyahoga Valley National Park visitor's center just across the river via a short walk. I highly recommend a visit to give you a larger view of the park beyond the trail.
A path leads you from the towpath to the center’s front door and Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad station. Unfortunately, the train is running a limited route between Peninsula and Akron this summer. It stops here when the track is open north to Rockside Road. This is a good starting or ending point for a bike and ride excursion on the towpath.
Heading north, the published closures at Station Road were open today, Sunday. Signs south of Brecksville indicated that the trail could be closed Monday through Friday. Work appears to be done south of Station Road with the northern work being completed on one of the two forks of the trail. It was a smooth ride through this area with a rehabilitated limestone surface.
The trail opens to a wide valley as it leaves the national park and enters Cleveland Metroparks. The Metroparks segment is one of the nicest sections of the trail. I did not expect that on my first visit years ago. The trail and surrounding land were the site of John D. Rockefeller’s first Standard Oil refinery. Today, it is a haven of nature as the trail meanders along the river with no evidence of its industrial past.
I entered urban Cleveland on a decided bike path behind Steelyard Commons. The big box retail center’s name was derived from its past as the site of the LTV Steel Mill. It was time for my first climb out of the Cleveland Flats, the name given to this industrial valley along the Cuyahoga River.
Greg took the lead as we left the Ohio to Erie Trail route and headed west on Abbey Avenue to a script Cleveland sign, the first of four we would visit. Next up was crossing the Hope Memorial Bridge anchored by the towering Art Deco guardians of transportation to Progressive Field, home of the Guardians, and Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, home of the Cavaliers.
The traffic was light cycling through Cleveland Public Square to the lake. Cleveland Browns Stadium welcomed us to Lake Erie with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame next on our radar. It was time for the second photo-op at the script Cleveland sign in Voinovich Park with a dramatic Cleveland skyline backdrop.
It was time to return to the Cleveland Flats, a vibrant riverfront entertainment district at the foot of downtown. It was a short cycle to the end of the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail at Wendy Park and the former Cleveland Coast Guard Station at the end of the trail at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River on Lake Erie.
We returned to the Ohio to Erie Trail route to Edgewater Park and a visit to the third script Cleveland sign of the day. I officially earned my 326 Club badge of honor cycling the Ohio to Erie Trail from the Ohio River to Lake Erie. More adventure was to come today as the tour of Cleveland continued.
It was a winding trail of near westside back streets as we cycled to the Red Line Greenway. This greenway follows the city’s rapid transit train line to downtown, It was a fast downhill return to the Cleveland Flats and our fourth and final script Cleveland sign photo at The Foundry.
It was past lunchtime and time for our final climb out of the Cleveland Flats to Tremont and The Southside, my must-visit Tremont restaurant. Sunday brunch was on the menu at The Southside. After a salad and a spicy dirty bloody Mary, we headed to our overnight a few blocks away.
Our Airbnb was a block from Lincoln Park in a cozy house tucked away in the trendy neighborhood. A late dinner was on our agenda after an afternoon’s rest. We opted for The Prosperity Social Club which faced the west side of Lincoln Park. It was new to me and a pleasant surprise. This neighborhood bar’s menu included Hungarian and Polish dishes common with Cleveland’s Eastern European past.
The look and feel of the bar, booths, tables, beer signs, and friendly people took me back to my youth. My father and his family ran a bar in a Hungarian and Romanian neighborhood that resembled Prosperity Social Club. My Hungarian stuffed cabbage dinner made those memories much more vibrant.
Tomorrow we ride back to Greg’s house in Akron on the towpath for an easier pickup by my husband to shuttle me home to Mount Vernon. How fast this week passed!
The big city was as exciting through the eyes of a seventy-year-old as it was through the eyes of a five-year-old Tom. – Tom Bilcze
Today’s miles: 55
Tour miles: 366
Awesome!!! I have only visited two of the Cleveland Script signs. I will search for the others!!!
Great tour Tom, I might have to add it to my list!