Cleveland Rocks! All good things.

All good things must come to an end and Declan Mescall (Travelbiz Features Editor) had to hang up his rock & roll boots and say goodbye to Cleveland Ohio.

Our FAM Trip Day 3, our final day, began with a group photo at the iconic Cleveland script sign in downtown at East 9th Street Pier with the city’s skyline in the background. We then visited the nearby must-see and very interesting Great Lakes Science Centre which includes the NASA Glenn Visitors Centre and has numerous interactive hands-on exhibits for engaging and entertaining adults and children alike. We got a sneak preview of a coming soon exhibition named Dinosaurs of the Sahara where you can get up-close and personal with replicas of some of these life-sized creatures. A minutes’ walk brings you to what most of us considered as the highlight of our time in Cleveland, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, whose Mission is “ born from the collision of rhythm & blues, country, and gospel, rock & roll is a spirit that is inclusive and ever-changing. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame celebrates the sound of youth culture and honours the artists whose music connects us all”. Spread over 7 floors of exciting exhibits, films and of course music booming from wall to wall, it boasts a vast collection of unique artefacts and archival materials. This museum of modern music culture documents the history of rock music and the artists who have influenced its development including Elvis, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones Jimi Hendrix, U2 and many others. After lunch at the Great Lakes Brewing Company, we had some fun making our own candles at the Cleveland Candle Company before touring the West Side Market and ending with a delicious ice cream in the famous Mitchell’s Ice Cream Kitchen & Shop.

Hotel accommodation for our 3-night stay was the Drury Plaza Hotel Downtown Cleveland. The hotel’s complimentary amenities include breakfast buffet, fitness centre, pool & whirlpool, internet service, self-service laundry and “Evening Kickback” every evening from 5.30 to 7pm with hot food and beverages.

Sadly, it was then time for us to leave Cleveland and head to CLE Hopkins Airport for our Aer Lingus direct flight EI 86 which landed in Dublin 30 minutes ahead of schedule. Ewan Barr (Aer Lingus Airports Director North America) was on hand at CLE to smooth our passage through the airport.

A big thank you goes to Jenny Rafter (Aer Lingus), Yolanda Fletcher and Emily Lauer (both Destination Cleveland) for hosting the travel trade group and Travelbiz on this inaugural Aer Lingus flight FAM trip to Cleveland, Ohio and we wish them every success with this new route.

Cleveland Rocks.