Cleveland! The city I swore I would never go to again. I went for the first time around 2005. It was rainy and cloudy. I found nothing interesting to eat. I found nothing really interesting to do. I frankly didn't understand why people even live there. I was convinced that the sun never shines there. And it probably doesn't most times. But, fast forward to 2020. The pandemic is happening. Travel is limited. Other countries have closed their borders. ALL of my international trips are cancelled. I figured why not give Cleveland another shot. But, this time, I didn't throw caution to the wind thinking that food and fun would find me. I had to do some research before I got there to make sure I maximize my time and experience.

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The first thing I found out is that The Christmas Story House is right in Cleveland. I had no idea. I watch that movie every Christmas at least once. And I've been watching that movie for years. I had to see this house.  I was surprised that the house is in a regular liveable neighborhood next to houses that look very similar. And it's not a movie set. It's a real house that has since been updated since the movie debuted in 1983. They give tours of the house too. The tour guide was pretty good in giving the background and the inside scoop of the movie. Only 15% of the movie was shot at this location. And only the scenes shot through the windows or doors are the ones in the movie. Nothing was filmed inside the house, according to the tour guide.  The leg lamp inside the house is a replica because none of the originals can be located. The snow in the movie was made from firefighter foam, soap suds and mashed potato flakes.  A vacuum was used to suck the character's tongue to the pole. And three original Red Rider BB guns, out of six, still remain. Here is a tip. Don't go to the restaurant across the street that they recommend. It's a neighborhood staple but the food is subpar.
 

As I said before, I found nothing interesting to eat in Cleveland before. Nothing. But, this time, I found that Cleveland may not be that bad when it comes to food. First stop was Slyman's for a cornbeef sandwich. I've tasted it once before and it wasn't bad. I thought Slyman's would be far better since it's so well known. It was about the same as the one I had gotten before. Nothing special about it. I think cornbeef is a bit salty. So it isn't my favorite food to eat but it's pretty good. Next up was Insomnia Cookies. I had never heard of it before. Now, I know it's a chain cookie place because I have since been to the one in Baltimore too. Can't go wrong with a fresh soft baked cookie. They were extremely decadent and sweet. I could only eat two a day, which I thought was pushing it. I have a major sweet tooth on any day of the week. And those more than satisfy it. I went to Sweet Moses Soda Fountain and Treat Shop for an ice cream sundae. I went on a different day from Insomnia Cookies because I probably would have gone into a diabetic coma had I eaten both within 24 hours. I picked Sweet Moses because it had vegan ice cream options. The place was cute. It had an authentic old school ice cream parlor look and feel. They make the ice cream in house. Because of the pandemic, we could not sit at the wooden booths inside. But, we did get to sit at a table outside. The neighborhood was quaint and quiet. It was peaceful. I got the vegan dark chocolate ice cream with some basic toppings. Hot fudge, caramel, pecans, whipped cream and a cherry. The sundae was good but the environment was better. It was the first time that I noticed the sun shining in Cleveland. The breeze was blowing. Just a few people walking by. I thoroughly enjoyed just sitting out there and appreciating the atmosphere.