Cleveland – The Marathon and the Speak Easy
Now that spring had sprung in Michigan there is just one thing to do…ROADTRIP! Let’s face it, folks, after being cooped up for the winter everyone is dying to get out and stretch their legs. And of course, there just isn’t anything like Cleveland in the spring – especially when there is a Marathon to run AND you found out that you’re staying on top of a Speak Easy. Join us for some Ohio based shenanigans as The Travel Oracle hits the road!
Day 1 – Getting there and Getting Ready!
Thank GOD our friends wanted to carpool and that the driver has a hybrid! In fact, I don’t remember us stopping for gas during the entire trip. No one needed any tissues and there wasn’t any weeping or gnashing of teeth. Cleveland is just over 200 miles away and the drive took about 4 hours.
Where we ate & drank – Since driving can make you thirsty, we thought it would be a good idea to stop for a craft brew at Immigrant Son Brewing on the way!
I’m really into Vermont style IPA lately so I choose “Pump School”. I also had a fantastic Caesar salad. Stephen branched out from his usual selection to enjoy a “Sunshine on Our Faces” Berliner Weisse and an “ISB Bennie” that was made on fried Hungarian Bread.
Honestly after all the travel we’ve been doing and the exercise I HAVEN’T been doing, I should have opted for a toothpick and some water!
The Speak Easy
Where we stayed – After parking our car in a nearby garage, we walked to the address provided by our host. We were a bit mystified when we discovered that the address was for the Society Lounge.
It turned out that our AirBNB was over the Speak Easy and as an added bonus, getting to it required the use of several codes and keys! I half expected a little window to open and that we would need to say “I’m here to see the Blind Pig.”
Walking into the tiny, dark foyer, did not prepare us for the beautiful, spacious apartment we got to use for the weekend.
The Marathon
What we did next – Since our place was right downtown, we were able to walk every where including the Expo. We got to see some stunning monuments along the way like the Soldiers and Sailors Monument and the Fountain of Eternal Life.
After a quick photo op, the gang went back to the room to rest and to get ready for the next morning.
Where we ate and drank – 6pm seemed like a good time for some last minute “carb loading” so we dashed over to the House of Blues, which was just across from our Speak Easy.
There we enjoyed some southern food and Stephen was able to get a cool glass of his favorite wine, a Sauvignon Blanc, by Kim Crawford.
If you haven’t been, The House of Blues is one of my favorite places to visit in any big city. Not only do they have a concert venue, every inch of their walls are decorated with “raw art”. Here are some examples we thought you’d enjoy:
The dessert options at HOB didn’t really “hit” us, so we walked back and ordered delivery from Insomnia Cookies.
We enjoyed our hot out-of-the-oven cookies with cups of coffee before an early bedtime.
Day 2 – The Marathon and the Pub Crawl
The runners gathered together on 4th Ave around 6am to begin their walk to start line. Nothing like a little stroll before a 26.2 Mile run!!
All the runners did well which was surprising considering the temperature dropped and it rained for hours! I personally think it has something to do with their exceptional pacer! (Insert shameless plug here.) After everyone showered, changed and fought off hypothermia, it was time to celebrate with some craft beer and pizza!
Stop 1 – The Corner Alley
Stop 2 – Pizza 216
Stop 3 – Flannery’s Pub
Day 3 – The Voyage Home
I was up and working before 6am. Surprisingly, I wasn’t alone. One of our marathon friends couldn’t sleep because she was achy. So she surfed the net while I cooked the books.
After the other runners got up, they did an impromptu walking tour of downtown Cleveland.
Our last stop before heading back home was Harry Buffalo for lunch. I think the craft beer and pizza tour got the best of us as we all ordered salads and soda!
Join us next time when The Travel Oracle hits the road to Ann Arbor, MI!
