Today I embarked on an adventure and was rewarded with a Bird's eye view of one of my favorite places, Cleveland, Ohio. My parents were born and raised here in 'the Land' (CLE) and so was I. So the love of the city has been burned inside my soul. Dad was forever telling us stories about the city and its history. He would tell us tales about how it was "when we were kids." So my love of Cleveland grew deep at an early age.
In a classic "dad style" fashion here is one of my "when I was a kid stories".
When I was a kid, Mom and Dad would pack us up, drive to the rapid station and we would hop on the train which took us into this magical station. The train bumped along the track and over the river, and then, without any warning, the sunlight was snuffed out and our eyes had to adjust to the pitch black. Dad pulled me closer in the seat and whispered, "We are going into the bowels of the building." It was dark and spooky as the train rolled to a stop and the doors opened. He directed us through the turnstile gates and then we had to climb the stairs. All the while he was telling us creepy stories and we walked. He made up stories of all the creepy things that could be lurking in the shadows. It made us giggle and laugh, so we didn't complain about our legs aching from all the stairs we had to climb. As we wound our way through the halls, Dad stopped us and pointed up this long ramp. "Run for the light." Dad said, "The creepies can't get you in the sunshine!" We squinted and saw a sliver of illumination and began to run. We ran and hollered our way up that long tunnel, our laughter and shrills echoing the whole way. The sunlight glowed brighter and brighter as we ran toward the amazing gleaming gold doors. My brother got there first and pushed through the doors, with my sister and I hot on his heels. We all tumbled into the sunshine, cheering that the creepies, indeed, did not get us.
We turned to wait for our parents as we were breathless and happy. We gazed around and saw cool displays in the windows. It was magical. The hustle and bustle on the street, people walking, a saxophone guy playing, the smell of the buses whirring by. Everyone seemed to be in a hurry, but we just stood and soaked it all in. Mom and Dad caught up and ushered us across the street, to the safety of the square, we sat down on one of the benches in the shadow of the massive tower to eat our packed lunch and that is when I saw the big ol tower in all it's glory. Up close and right in my face. It was that big ol' tower dad talked about, the big ol' tower that we had just emerged from. The big ol' tower that was the center of our beloved city. It was massive!! It was tall, and this little girl was in awe.
We ate our lunch and enjoyed the day. Time seemed to stand still that afternoon and I'm sure Dad told us a "when I was a kid" story or two. We dreamed and gazed at the tower and talked about how cool it would be to adventure way up there and look out. We dreamed of what it would be like to be a "big wig", who was fancy and was lucky enough to work in the tower. My sister grabbed my hand and pointed out the tiny windows waaaaaaaaaaay up toward the tippy top. "Suz look, there is an observation deck up there. Wouldn't it be cool to go up there and check it out?" I grabbed her hand a wee bit tighter and said, "Oh Kath, someday let's go up there, wear fancy hats and shoes and live like the big-wigs.". Well, that little girl dream has been hiding in my heart for all these years, and today, 50-some-odd years later, I DID explore that observation deck, and man oh man is it COOL!! I admit, I did not wear the fancy hat or shoes, but it was a tempting thought. ;)
Now here is your chance to not only see this cool observation deck but to grab a virtual smiley as well. You will need to buy a ticket and follow the simple directions. Click here for ----> Ticket Info <------ Finding the way in is straightforward, but you will need the code from your ticket to gain access, and BE ON TIME! I arrived 10 minutes early and the security guard told me to return AT the posted time on my ticket. (Ahh, it adds to the the difficulty rating)
Please note that the hours for the observation deck are limited to 12 pm to 3:30 pm on Saturday and Sunday during the Spring and Summer, and some holidays. The small window also increases the difficulty.
Parking can be found on the street (if you are lucky enough to find a meter) or paid parking is available under Tower City. Be advised there is a QR code you can scan near the exit of Tower City to pay through your phone.
The other option is to take the rapid transit to Tower City and walk up through the bowels of the building. Be careful though, the old whispers of "dad stories" may fill your head as you make your way up and out of the train tunnel. *wink*
To claim your smile please answer the following:
Go inside the Gold front doors. You will find yourself in the Portico (main lobby) of the Terminal Tower. In this area, you will find some interesting signs about the history of the Terminal Tower. Please, take the time to read the signs and answer the following questions: (This step can be completed before or after exploring the observation deck.)
1. Find the old historic Track 19 Track 20 sign. - How long would a train take to get from Cleveland to Fremont?
2. Find the mailbox. What color is it and what does it say along the top?
3. Find the "Murals" history sign. (Historic Element #1). - Who painted the murals? -- What other famous murals did he also paint? Take time to study the murals, they are fascinating!!
The following answers can be found from the observation deck.
1. Looking out the window to the North. How many red "keys" can you see? (look closely- up and down)
2. How many radiators are in the entire area? Be sure to look on both sides of the elevator.
3. How many total round ceiling lights are found NORTH of the elevator?
4. This is the magic right here. Look at the floor. What tiles are vital to playing this crazy geocaching game? If you are a geocacher, you WILL know what portion of the floor I am referring to. Take a PHOTO of yourself standing on that spot and after you send your answers to me post the photo with your found-it log.
Without the photo, you can NOT claim the smile. The reason for this virtual is for you to experience the uniqueness of the find. It is not just another number or stat. So please remember to grab the photo and post it. It is proof you were there. Group photos will be accepted, but only those IN the photo may log the find.
I hope you enjoy the Bird's eye view of the great city of Cleveland.
Placed on June 1st, 2024 in honor of my dear friend Paul. (Coldone)
He would have loved the adventure and the view.
Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.