More fireworks! I'll pretty much go anywhere it seems if they promise to show me loud exploding balls of light. That explains why I took a trip down ole memory lane with Gina and my rents to go watch fireworks on beautiful Atwood Lake... in the middle of what felt like Alaska in January! And if Alaska is somehow warm in January... I'm stupid but you get my point. It was freeeeezing! The day started out decently temperaturized which is par for this summer's shitty weather so far. At least it wasn't raining. After Gina got home from work and we went to pick up my rental's new dryer from North Canton, we met at my parent's place, condensed cars, and headed down the twisty road to Atwood.
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Here's ole sour patch face and grumpy Bahama cat enjoying the 45 degree temps with the wind out on the lake. I complain but it wasn't that bad after you wrapped up in towels to keep warm. It was also great to spend time with my parents and reminisce about the days of my youth when I ruled over the one person kingdom which was Atwood. Luckily for me Gina didn't mind hearing most of the stories again... or she just didn't pay attention to me when I told them to her the first time. Either way they made the trip around the lake go pretty fast.
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The fireworks were not as great as I remember them unfortunately but it didn't make the night any less fun. I guess I've been spoiled by Lakewood's display that will (if you let it) knock your socks off. We got a great spot... if the fireworks were wear they were in 1994. They changed the location on us! We could still see them but we were much less willing to navigate the lake once it got dark in order to get a better view. Boats have like 3 tiny dirty lights on the and are almost impossible to see once the sun goes down. Remember that young adventurous kids...
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Gina's cousin Kerry's birthday was Saturday! She's the same age as us (you're welcome) and was looking for a fun night out and about in our little slice of Cleve-town. Of course Gina and I used this opportunity to A) do knew things and B) eat new things. So to accomplish both of those and get the most bang for all of our bucks, we made reservations for Lago on the East Bank of the Flats in the new E&Y Tower. Oh and for the gift we finally... FINALLY made it over to Tremont's own Lilly Homemade Chocolates. Foodies, this is going to be right up your alley.
People who don't even know where Tremont is know what Lilly's is and they can hardly get the praise out of their mouths without drifting into a drooling daydream. Needless to say I was ready to be amazed and to gain an uncontrollable 6-8 lbs. The first thing you notice when you walk in is that the place is packed full of craft beer and interesting looking chocolates. They really made it easy to pair the 2 and put together a box of delicious goodies. The staff was super helpful and willing to walk us newb's through the whole process. We got a variety box for Kerry and a chocolate bar for us with 2 bottles of paired beers. Spoiler alert... they were amazing and the beer matched and complimented the flavors perfectly! Lilly's deserves all the hype and more. This is definitely my new gift spot.
The East Bank is currently under construction building phase 2 of their project. We went from the parking lot right to the new E&Y Tower where the hotel and restaurants are located. The outdoor patio is the 1st thing you see and it's quite impressive! There are multiple seating options for groups of all sizes and there's even fireplace seating for these shitty cool Cleveland summer nights. We decided to eat inside but the front of Lago is pretty opened up.
The meals are quite pricey so be prepared but the food is definitely worth it. The portions are large and the seafood centric menu is quite diverse. The steak I got came out on a cutting board and was the size of a 2 year old child! It was delicious and obviously filling. The lobster gnocchis were excellent as well. The dessert was the 4 gold star winner of the night though. The tiramisu is smooth and the perfect combo of sweet and coffee flavors. It was by far the best I've ever had!
The kicker to this area was the clientele. It was a late 20's and early 30's paradise. Most everyone was dressed nicely and very good looking. Guys and girls. It is certainly a place to take a group of friends but if you're looking to head out for a singles night on the town, this is the place to get dinner! Of course I was already with the 2 prettiest girls in the place so all you guys will have to settle for 3rd place.
The end of our whirlwind 4th of July weekend involved us eating chocolate, drinking beer, and relaxing in front of the TV... but before that we went to the Indian's game with my parents! It was the father's day gift I got my dad last month. That morning they actually made awesome time and didn't get lost once!... So they got here about 2 hours early while Gina and I were trying to get the house in order. We pointed them in the direction of Press to go get some brunch and quickly got ready.
So my dad is certainly not a fan of Cleveland as many who read the paper and don't live here wouldn't be so walking the flats to the Jake was completely out of the question. Now I can understand that a desolate, under developed, and almost forgotten area like the Flats we walk through to get to the Jake would seem like a great place to catch a bullet but during the day it's more of the Scooby Doo ghost town that Mike Polk talks about in the 2nd Cleveland Tourism video on YouTube. Irregardless, we drove... but I made him pay for it.
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The day went from overcast and jacket worthy to beautiful and sunny at about the 3rd inning. We had pretty amazing seats courtesy of work and got to enjoy an Indian's win. I never realized how much I like watching a game with my Dad. He and I talk and watch the perfect amount to make a game go fast while still getting to enjoy it. The time flew by and before I knew it or got bored... it was 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th. It's been awhile since I went to a ball game with my either of my parents so it was great to do it again. Hopefully this is the 1st of many more to come. It's actually the first of 3 trips I'm making to the Jake for Indian's games this week. It sorta just worked out that way but I'm a super fan this week! Go Tribe!
On the way back to the car I decided to show off Cleveland a bit and walked my parents and Gina past the new GE Chandelier. I really think everyone should see it once in their life because it is such an awesome sight to behold. That whole Playhouse Square area is really impressive and other than a few street level vacancies, is almost a complete and total urban neighborhood and something that the other up and coming areas downtown should model themselves after. Transportation, residential, business, entertainment, walk-ability, trendy, and touristy all at the same time. Quite an impressive feat!
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