Road Trips - Restaurants - Reading

© Stuart Pearl 2014 - Click on Image to Enlarge

"Ghostly Rhodo" on exhibit at the Erie Art Museum

Cleveland is well known for its wonderful museums and generous support of the arts.  However if you take a day trip along the north coast and beyond, you'll discover many other fine institutions as well as some beautiful parks.  Typically you can find a nice restaurant to complete the journey.

The Beaches of Presque Isle

East of Lyndhurst is Erie Pennsylvania which is about a 90 minute drive from our home. Every year the Erie Art Museum presents its Spring Art Show, a juried competition that accepts work from around America.  This season my black and white photograph "Ghostly Rhodo" was accepted for the exhibit.  Receiving an honorable mention it is one of 100 works displayed in this show from 86 different artists.  The exhibit runs through July 20, 2014. 

Before returning to Cleveland Jeanne and I like to drive through Presque Isle State Park with its dunes and tree lined shore.  The lake winds make it a great place for kite enthusiasts to show off their latest flying designs and banners.   We usually end our Erie trip with a great perch dinner at Joe Roots Grill , 2826 W. 8th St. in Erie.

Jeanne and I had never really spent any time in Erie until I began submitting work to the museum.  Now we drive there at least twice year.  Who says the arts don't encourage tourism and boost the local economy?

"Guardians Illuminated" on exhibit at Butler

The Butler Institute of American Art is a wonderful museum located adjacent to Youngstown State University in that city.  As much as I enjoy spending entire days in the Cleveland Museum of Art, you can see Butler's exhibits in a couple of hours with minimal walking.  It features great examples of American art that will give you a good sense of our history simply by walking its galleries. 

My photograph "Guardians Illuminated" was just accepted to the 78th Midyear juried exhibition and will hang in that show from July 27 - September 7, 2014.

Cinderella Bridge - Millcreek Metropark

Once you've finished visiting the Butler Jeanne and I strongly recommend a side trip to The Millcreek Metroparks.  It features miles of scenic wooded roads and trails, a modern visitor center with formal garden, café and a small gallery.  The park also has a small lake for recreational boating.  All of this is just a few miles from the museum. 

A favorite stop in Millcreek is the "Cinderella" Bridge which was built in 1895 to connect the east and west sides of the park.  It has also been called the Silver Bridge, Walt Disney Bridge and Castle Bridge over the years. 

Youngstown's Millcreek Visitor Center is not far from Davidson's Restaurant .  We typically make  it our meal stop before jumping on the interstate for our return to Cleveland.  They offer good pizza as well as other tasty menu items.

"Wade Lagoon at the CMA" on display at Beachwood Public Library

The Cuyahoga County Public Library has consistently been named one of the best library systems in the country.  In 2013 it lent more items per person than any other large system in the U.S.  They are also strong promoters of culture and arts. 

The Beachwood branch is currently showing the photo exhibit "Capturing Sense of Place in Cleveland." My friend Don Iannone and I assembled this collection of images to show our impressions of the city and the people who work there.  The show closes on Friday June 6.