June 5…. Rock and Roll, man!

Another recommendation from Neal (though it was already on my list), we visited The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame today, in Cleveland OH.

Founded in 1995, the Hall showcases the history and achievements of the rock community, from its roots in the 50’s to today.

Two impressions right off the bat…. the hall heavily showcases the 50+ years of Saturday Night Live, and calls attention to the stars and budding talents that performed on SNL, and the exhibits are heavy on Wings and Paul McCartney specifically. So much so that it sometimes felt like Paul had personally sponsored much of the place. (though Google says that’s not the case). Felt like at every turn there was a picture of Beatles Paul, or soloist Paul, or Wings Paul. 😳

Party on, Wayne…

And my favorite duo, The Bluuues Brothers!

BB King, Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Motown, Muscle Shoals, San Francisco, Heavy Metal, Alternative, Grunge, Punk, and Acid, the names and places and genres are all there.

Sadly, the groups that I grew up with and that still form the basis of my musical taste were only slightly represented or even not at all.

Rush, Journey, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Foreigner, Queen, all have been inducted into the hall but had minimal or no significant exhibits or items on display. 🙁

All of them were listed in the Hall of Legends for the year of their induction but that was mostly it.

Another impression of the place…. it’s a giant maze. Very choppy, hard to follow a progression, easy to miss something or repeat an exhibit. 🫤

One of my favorite areas… the 1984 room, showcasing the artists from that year and the changes that were taking place, moving from the “old fashioned” guitar heavy sound to a more melodic and dance oriented time.

Seven floors in all, some bigger, some smaller, it just didn’t feel like it was well organized. Chuck Berry next to Taylor Swift? Old rockers and new, a mishmash of artists and styles, I just rarely clued in on a theme or progression.

And then, the top floor, the penultimate… an entire floor dedicated to…. Paul McCartney and Wings. 😢 Sorry Paul, never was a huge fan.

Moving on from the Paul-fest, Susanne found The House from A Christmas Story. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the whole movie, just bits, “you’ll shoot your eye out with that thing” and the tongue stuck to a pole, but Susy is a fan and watches it every year.

Susy took the tour and had to reenact some scenes. Iykyk. I don’t.

Across the street from the Christmas Story house was a place called Rowley Inn, featured by Guy Fieri on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, so we stopped for lunch.

Word to the wise…. just because it was on TV doesn’t make it great. 🫤. I’d give it a 3 out of 5.

On the way back to camp, we cruised past the house once-upon-a-time owned by my grandmother, and where my mom and uncle grew up. I got to tell Susanne stories of my childhood visiting my Gram. Amazing, more than thirty-five years since I was there, I still remember the exact address and didn’t have to hunt for it. 😎

And, to cap the day off, we got to experience the “joy and excitement” of navigating the Healthcare Marketplace in order to continue coverage after my CHOA insurance runs out next month. If you’ve yet to experience that system, I wish you the best and hope you never do. It was almost enough to make us consider the possibility of maybe thinking of talking about a chance of going back to work. HAHAHHHHAAAA!!! Naaah! 🤣