Rock Your Trip to Cleveland – 3 Books to Read, 4 Bed & Breakfast Inns to Visit

One of my favorite ways to see a new town is to stay in two or more inns on one trip. This gives me two completely different experiences of the town. I lived in Cleveland for more than a year, a long time ago, so for a refresh, here are the Bed and Breakfast inns I would want to visit.

 

Where To Stay

The Brownstone Inn Downtown, Cleveland 

• America’s largest elm tree, dating back to 1860, sits on the front lawn.
• The parlor contains a working Jewett and Goodman pump-organ.
• Listed as Cleveland Landmark No. 58 in the National Register of Historic Places.

Glidden House, Cleveland

• Located on the campus of Case Western Reserve University. It once housed the University’s Department of Psychology and the Law School Annex.
• The letter “G” is hand-painted on every other beam in the ceiling of the living room.
• Each suite is named after a member of the Glidden family.

The Inn at Brandywine Falls, Sagamore Hills

• Overlooks the 67-foot Brandywine Waterfall.
• The elegantly renovated barn houses two rustic suites.
• The inn offers Gourmet Cooking Seminars.

Stone Gables Bed & Breakfast, Cleveland

• The Cleveland Indians, Cavaliers, and Browns are all within two miles of the inn.
• The inn is decorated with antique furniture from Belgium, France, and the United States.
• 1,500 tulips and daffodils bloom in the back gardens each spring.

 

Outdoor Sites and Natural Attractions

Lake View Cemetery

• Final resting place of the 20^th President, James A. Garfield, and his wife, Lucretia.
• A 65-foot tall granite monument stands in honor of the family of John Davison Rockefeller.
• The Jeptha H. Wade Memorial Chapel is available for intimate wedding ceremonies.

North Chagrin Reservation

• Squire’s Castle, the original gatehouse to the property, stands as the heart of the park.
• Contains 4.17 miles of paved trails for biking and walking, 10.32 miles of bridle loop trails for horseback riding, and a 300-foot boardwalk to explore the Sanctuary Marsh.
• The Manakiki Golf Course is an 18 hole, par 72, 6641 yard course.

USS Cod Submarine Memorial

• A World War II era GATO class fleet submarine
• Cod performed the only international submarine-to-submarine rescue in history.
• The only U.S. submarine that has not had stairways and doors cut into her pressure hull for public access. Visitors use the same ladders and hatches that were used by the crew.

West Side Market

• Cleveland’s oldest publicly owned market; it started as an open air marketplace in 1840.
• The market houses more than 100 vendors.
• Veteran shoppers lead a New Shopper Tour on the last Saturday of every month.

 

Museums and Attractions

A Christmas Story House & Museum

• A Christmas Story was released on film in 1983. The house has been restored to its movie splendor.
• The museum is located directly across the street from the house.
• Props on display include Ralphie’s snowsuit and the family car.

Cleveland Museum of Art

• Gallery One boasts the largest multi-touch microtile screen in the United States.
• The Art and Fiction Book Club meets quarterly. The group explores a book through lectures, gallery talks, and discussions.
• Visitors can personalize their experience using the ArtLens app available for iPads and iPhones.

The Cleveland Orchestra

• As of the 2013-2014 season, Franz Welser-Mӧst has led the ensemble for 12 years.
• The venue collaborates with the Chicago Joffrey Ballet for performances.
• The Hall’s Norton Memorial Organ includes 6,025 pipes, the largest being 32-feet long and the smallest being seven inches.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

• Cleveland was not the only city that sought to house the museum. New York, Philadelphia, New Orleans, San Francisco, Memphis, and Chicago also submitted proposals to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation.
• Artists Chuck Berry, Billy Joel, and Ruth Brown will all in attendance when ground was broken for the museum in 1993.
• Museum highlights include John Lennon’s jacket from the cover of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Elvis Presley’s custom three-wheeled motorcycle, and an acoustic guitar played by Johnny Cash.

 

Read Before You Go

• If Today Be Sweet by Thrity Umrigar – After the death of her husband, Tehmina must choose between her life in Bombay, India and one with her son and his family in suburban Ohio.
• The Milan Jacovich series by Les Roberts – 17 mystery novels about a Cleveland private eye. The first in the series is titled Pepper Pike.
• The Sound of Us by Sarah Willis – A tender story of a lonely woman who unexpectedly becomes a foster parent to a six-year-old girl.