Hyatt offered us a late checkout of 2:00 p.m., which allowed us to leave our bikes in the room while we did one last cool thing before leaving town. We'd secured tickets to visit the Terminal Tower Observation Deck, on the 42nd floor of the second tallest building in Cleveland.
Terminal Tower
Tower lobby
Terminal Tower Observation Deck
The observation deck is only open a few hours a week, and you must buy tickets in advance. Here's how to do it. The views are totally worth the $5 and having to interact with the surly security guard where you check in.
Cuyahoga River
Cuyahoga River emptying into Lake Erie
Lake Erie, Cleveland Browns Stadium, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Tallest building in Cleveland, Key Tower
Cleveland Public Square
The weather was pretty ominous this morning, but the Terminal Tower Observation Deck didn't open until noon, so that's when we went. We were hoping to get out of town without getting rained on, but nope. At least we got our views from the tower and got back to the hotel before it began.
Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument
Tom and friends
By the time we hopped on our bikes to leave, it was raining pretty good. There was nothing to do but put on our ponchos and go. We still got soaked, but only from the knees down. Just five miles south of downtown, we rode right out of the rain, and the trail was bone dry. Lake effect! We stopped at a Five Guys for lunch just south of the rain and were dry by the time we left.
Leaving the rain behind
Cattail marsh
Brecksville-Northfield Bridge and Station Road Bridge
Today's fourth day of riding was a 24-mile reverse course of yesterday's route back to our car at Boston Mill Visitor Center. Since a ranger had warned us of vehicle break-ins, we were a little nervous, but thankfully, everything was just as we'd left it. After loading the bikes, we drove an hour south to Bolivar.
Lodging: Sleep Inn, Bolivar, OH. Very comfortable, which is good because this seems to be the only hotel in this little town.
The town may be small, but it has brewpubs! Lockport Brewery was just our style. We each had a delicious Nashville hot chicken sandwich, and the Munich Dunkel and Oktoberfest were right on point. The music was grooving too – King Gizzard and the Wizard Lizard. What's not to like?
Munich Dunkel
Retro styling