Free Saturday!

Well, I didn't expect it to be free, and it really wasn't, but there was a discount on our Saturday. This was the last weekend to go see the Great Lakes Science Center's show, Chocolate. Unknown to us, this Saturday was a visitor appreciation day, so entry into the museum was free. Everything else was still full price. So the show was a few extra bucks, and the IMAX movie was ever more bucks. We saw, "Roving Mars," which was excellent, including the running commentary by the preschool boys behind us ("we could go back and take infinity times a thousand photos now!" was one of the gems). We didn't really see much of the museum itself, running around to find the exhibit, then get in line for the movie, then roam the gift shop (oh yes, we always have to roam the gift shop).

Well, we got up late, so we got there late.

And we decided to take in another museum while we were there, the William G. Mather Steamship. It was a wonderful rainy day here in NE Ohio, did I mention that before. So, in the rain, we hiked over to the Mather (about a five minute walk). Did I also mention, because it was warm we didn't bring jackets? So here we are, about to go into a freighter and go tromping around the deck, in the rain. That sounds like we had a bad time, right? Well, our tour guide worked on the Mather, and he was willing to take us around (we were two of about five people not employed by the museum on board) before he left for the evening. Don was a hoot. He told us stories (like why it's called a windless room) and his love for the old ship really came through. I think he must have worked all over the place. He told us what was there, what had been updated and what it replaced, and what they had to do to make here a museum. I'd call Don an old salt, but he's a fresh water sailor. He talked about some of the cooks on board and how they treated the men. Don's foot was bothering him so he'd send us scrambling around the place while he talked. "See that, that's where (insert story or practical advice here)."

And when we came out from the stern at the end of the tour, the skies were bright, and clear. A beautiful late afternoon sun washed down. Down the dock, where you can look over the water at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a marriage party was having their pictures taken. Cleveland was bright and beautiful, having just scrubbed her face in the May Dew.