Cleveland » Lake View Cemetary

Somehow almost forgot to post these pictures! About a week before our little trip to Cleveland, I spent a lot of time scoping out a few more places to fill our two days. I came across a site where a couple people had suggested The Lake View Cemetery. From the pictures I saw, it look pretty gorgeous and graveyard hopping has always been a special activity Corpse and I both and enjoy and share together. Going there seemed like common sense. It really was as pretty as the pictures. It was photo worthy, for sure, but since this was the last place we visited before heading home, we didn't explore a whole, whole lot. As for tombstones and whatnot,there were a lot. Hills upon hills of them. It was a big cemetery and I can see why it got such good reviews. Not to put this place down, by any means, but honestly, after going to Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philly, nothing can really compare when it comes to the variety and details of monuments and tombstones. There was one building that did stand out. It's the one with the columns out front. It was a chapel type building that had some really pretty murals and a place to roll the casket right up on up front. I would have snapped some more pictures in there, but there was actually a guy sitting in there that appeared to work there. I didn't expect that at all. I'm sure he wondered what we were up to carrying around a big old camera and I happened to be wearing my Mohnton Professional Car Club shirt which had a hearse right on the front of it. I seriously wonder what he was thinking because he didn't really say anything, he just stared. Ha ha. There was also another building, which I had to think for a second to come up with what it was called, ..the mausoleum! It was a beautiful building with a ton of windows, glass walls, and ceilings. It was quite a big building and really well kept. I think that maybe my favorite part of the whole cemetery was this room inside the mausoleum, which had all these little compartments in the wall behind glass, which had urns with plaques, statues, and pictures frames of the deceased. It was super interesting to me because I've never saw such a thing before! It was unbelievably beautiful. I didn't know this was really an option. I mean, personally, I think I'd want a tombstone but I think I'd also want to be cremated. I think it's such a neat idea to have your own space to fill with things that represent you. All my junk, so to speak, is a good representation of myself and my life. I believe strongly in capturing moments and memories, which is, I think, a big reason I even take pictures and avidly collect and save so many odds and ends. I know they're just objects but I think objects and concepts can carry on a big legacy of a person once they're gone. Anyway, I think I'm getting a bit off on the subject, but I suppose I've just grown really fond and comfortable of the idea of cremation, living above a crematory. I probably think about these things more than normal, with a crematory and Corpsey's hearse being a huge part of my life. It's really something to think about and there are so many possibilities. See, this is why I think I love graveyards. They're such calm, peaceful places, which jump start your mind and let it wander off in any direction. Anything that powerful and moving is pretty awesome in my book.

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Cleveland » Museum of Natural History » Pt. 3

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Cleveland » Museum of Natural History » Pt. 2

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Cleveland » Museum of Natural History » Pt. 1

I don't want to say that the Cleveland Museum of Natural History was the highlight of our vacation but it was definitely something I was really looking forward to checking out. I've not really been to many museums before and I'm sure there is a natural history museum or something similar in the Pittsburgh area that may be awesome as well but I saw photos of this particular museum over at The Dainty Squid blog and it looked amazing and I knew it had to have a slot on our agenda. This place was full of all kinds of things that are really intriguing to me: animals, taxidermy, outer space, collections, plants, mushrooms, mythical creatures, live animals, prehistoric creatures, skeletons, and so much more. I had an especially fun time here with Laura. It was nice to be with some one who was equally as childishly excited about all these things. I think we both kind of looked at everything and soaked it in as if we were kids amazed by these concepts for the first time. We did spend a large chunk of our first afternoon in Cleveland here. I seriously could not tell you what my favorite part of the museum was. Luckily, I was able to take photos of almost everything in the museum. Of course, I took a bunch, so I'll post a little each day.

1 Wade Oval Drive  Cleveland, OH 44106

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Instagram » Cleveland

'Just posting some Instagram photos from my iPhone from Cleveland. I haven't posted any Instagrams in a while. I really should. I'm having a nice, lazy, relaxing Sunday, so I just wanted to post a lil' quick somethin'. Today I went to Brownsville and had dinner with my family. I got to go swimming for the first time this Summer. I always forget how much I enjoy swimming. Even though, I managed to get a little sunburned, but I don't mind. The deck and the woods makes for a really peaceful environment. I've got a love/hate relationship with Sundays. They are always so pleasant and include a bunch of delicious food and sometimes it's just nice to get out of the house and out of town for a while, but at the same time, an awful countdown to Monday and the start of a work week. It is, indeed, the day of rest, though.

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Cleveland » Lake Erie

When Laura and I visited Cleveland, I had desperately tried to find a beachy type location. I know it's no real beach but there still has to be some area with sand and some wave sounds going on. I've saw pictures and I know they exist. The lake is the next best thing to the ocean, anyway. However, we had no such luck finding any place like that. I mean, we were all along the water but nothing like I had pictured. Still doesn't mean it wasn't beautiful, as you can see for yourself from the pictures. Before we headed home, I had put the address to the Lakefront Nature Preserve in my GPS. I figured there had to be some photo worthy spots there. It was a very nice, little park, but we ended up walking about a mile in the hot, hot sun to even get to the water. Which, actually, was not sandy like I hoped. It was just a lot of weeds, along a cliff, with rocks and I wont even get into the insane amount of attacking mosquitoes. I still got a lot of nice shots out over the water and of the city sky line. Plus, I got to see a lot of cool birds and I even saw a snake. I think next time I'm in the area, I'll spend a little more time researching beaches or parks or maybe more outdoorsy spots. As much as I love the city, museums, and all the little shops along the streets, I believe the location, next to the lake is one of the most gorgeous features of Cleveland.

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Cleveland » Flower Child

Again, another location suggested by Kaylah of The Dainty Squid via her Travel Bug post on the ModCloth blog.

This vintage store is called Flower Child. I actually didn't end up purchasing anything from here. It was a bit overwhelming. Every little nook and cranny was packed! Even looking back at these pictures, I'm seeing tiny details and little items that I must have missed in person. This place was seriously huge. Two floors. Lots of little rooms. I especially love how each room was set up with a different style. It was almost museum-like. You seriously felt like you may be stepping into a closet, toy room, or living room of a whole other era. I loved that about it. Like I said, though, there was so much to look at and so many different styles and options. It would be really hard to choose what to buy. Everything was tied so nicely together how it was set up. If I lived closer and had easier access to this place or a place similar, I could see it being very dangerous. I'd most definitely have to invest in something every paycheck until my house looked like one of these rooms! You could probably kill a lot of time just wandering around this store, soaking up all the details, and imagining you're in another time. This is store is most definitely on my list of places to return to!

11508 Clifton Blvd., Cleveland, OH 44102

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Cleveland » Big Fun

Another place we stopped at in Cleveland was a toy store called Big Fun. It was also one of the places Kaylah suggested on the Travel Bug post on the ModCloth Blog. I am so glad I read and saved this post because it was so helpful in finding some sweet locations! So, it was already on our agenda to visit while in town, but we sort of just came across it in route to another location. Let me tell you, this place was packed full of awesomeness and nostalgia. Just about any toy you could remember, plus more! I honestly didn't take too many photos in this store because I was pretty busy looking at all the shelves, drawers, and racks full of little treasures and trinkets. I ended up buying a few things there that I really couldn't live without and I'm sure if I would have browsed longer, I could have found a whole lot more. I definitely wish there was a store like this closer. It's the perfect little shop to kill time in with a friend. So much to look at! You could seriously find something for anyone, of any age there. It would be a great place to pick up little gifts for friends for any occasion or no occasion at all. I'm just so pumped that a place like this exists. My favorite feature: Definitely the floors being lined in old board games. Too perfect! The whole place was really bright and colorful and cluttered in all the right ways. I felt like a little kid in a toy store.. literally.

11512 Clifton Blvd. Cleveland, OH 44102

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