[Chewy734]

Yesterday I went with some friends to check out the observation deck atop Terminal Tower in downtown Cleveland. They reopened it earlier this year, after closing it since 9/11, and after they completed all of the historical renovations. The observation deck provided us with a 360 degree view of our city. Since it was a clear day, we were able to see about 30 miles in any direction!

Before going up the elevators to floor 42, we looked around Tower City because it was packed due to the holiday season. There were many shoppers looking for their last minute gifts, lines of kids getting their pictures taken with Santa, and holiday spirit was in the air.











This gingerbread house was modeled after the original one from the movie A Christmas Story, which is located only about a mile away.







We finally took the speedy elevators to the observation deck. Since it was obviously an indoor area and the weather in the area has been horrible for the past few weeks, many of the windows were quite dirty. The photos below are some of the best shots I was able to take with very little glare, since it was also very sunny.















Afterwards, we decided to check out the now nationally-famous frozen lighthouse. *Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my telephoto lens, so closeups of the lighthouse won't be seen here, but I took some awesome photos showing the extent of ice everywhere around here.

















Can anyone guess what this is (below)?



This photo reminds me of I Am Legend.



All of us finally made it towards the end of the pier, where there was a vacant U.S. Coast Guard station. They still raise the flag every day there.





My friend here was in awe of this building. It looked like a gingerbread house encased in a thick 6" layer of ice!



In fact, the whole area around this end of the pier looked like we were on some other planet. I had not seen so much ice in my entire life!















It was like a beach made up of snow and ice.





Thanks for looking!

[Mani59]

Those shots of the frozen water look amazing, especially this shot:



I watched the video that BBC News here in the UK put on their site of the lighthouse and you are very lucky to have actually gone there to see it!

It must be a spacetacular to see it close up!

Fab pics too

[Chewy734]

Originally Posted by E90_330i

Those shots of the frozen water look amazing, especially this shot:



I watched the video that BBC News here in the UK put on their site of the lighthouse and you are very lucky to have actually gone there to see it!

It must be a spacetacular to see it close up!

Fab pics too

Thanks man. Yeah, it was pretty cool to see in person. Sadly it took us about 20 minutes just to walk to the end of the pier because it was so slippery! I'm anxious to revisit that place in the summer just to see how it looks in good weather.

[Garduna]

those are some fantastic pictures!

[hipnotic]

very nice shots

[remmib]

Cool shots.

[Chewy734]

Thanks guys... hopefully I can make it out there again before the end of this year. Next time I'll remember to take my telephoto so I can get get better shots of the frozen lighthouse that was pretty far away.

[longtran@ltbmw]

nice pics.

[darkcloud]

I've been wanting to make it to the observation deck since they reopened it. Looks pretty cool. Athough I guess I've been as high since I've been to a few law firms that are on the 40+ floors of the Key building.

I also always loved how things freeze over by the lake. Check out the little park on the north marginal between E. 55th and MLK Dr. They get some crazy ice formations that I'll check out while driving past. The seagulls fly real low over the highway there during the winter as well. Pretty cool when you see one burst into feathers when it's just a little too low and the top of a semi clips it. It's like a scene from the crazy bird movies. driving down then highway then you go through what seems like a tunnel of white birds and prolly hundreds of them. When the little cove freezes over then you'll see hundreds just chillin sitting on the ice.

[Chewy734]

Originally Posted by longtran@ltbmw

nice pics.

Thanks Long... I'm sure you're jealous that you're not here to enjoy this awesome weather.

Originally Posted by darkcloud

I've been wanting to make it to the observation deck since they reopened it. Looks pretty cool. Athough I guess I've been as high since I've been to a few law firms that are on the 40+ floors of the Key building.

I also always loved how things freeze over by the lake. Check out the little park on the north marginal between E. 55th and MLK Dr. They get some crazy ice formations that I'll check out while driving past. The seagulls fly real low over the highway there during the winter as well. Pretty cool when you see one burst into feathers when it's just a little too low and the top of a semi clips it. It's like a scene from the crazy bird movies. driving down then highway then you go through what seems like a tunnel of white birds and prolly hundreds of them. When the little cove freezes over then you'll see hundreds just chillin sitting on the ice.

You missed it if you haven't seen it yet. I think Sunday was the last day they had it open for the public "this year". I wasn't sure if they meant it was closed for like 10 days or so, or if they meant for the winter.

I'll have to check out that park you mentioned sometime. We held our cars and coffee events near there, and we saw a lot of birds (especially seagulls) every time we went.

Are you a lawyer? What part of Cleveland do you live in?

[darkcloud]

Originally Posted by Chewy734

Thanks Long... I'm sure you're jealous that you're not here to enjoy this awesome weather.



You missed it if you haven't seen it yet. I think Sunday was the last day they had it open for the public "this year". I wasn't sure if they meant it was closed for like 10 days or so, or if they meant for the winter.

I'll have to check out that park you mentioned sometime. We held our cars and coffee events near there, and we saw a lot of birds (especially seagulls) every time we went.

Are you a lawyer? What part of Cleveland do you live in?

I'm not a lawyer but I do work for a law firm. I do document control, court running, service and what not.

I live in Seven Hills.

[Chewy734]

Originally Posted by darkcloud

I'm not a lawyer but I do work for a law firm. I do document control, court running, service and what not.

I live in Seven Hills.

That's cool... it's a shame you got rid of your 325. How do you like your Jetta? I had an '06 Jetta (but sedan). Nice car, but nothing like my Bimmer.

[darkcloud]

Originally Posted by Chewy734

That's cool... it's a shame you got rid of your 325. How do you like your Jetta? I had an '06 Jetta (but sedan). Nice car, but nothing like my Bimmer.

Yea, I miss the 325 a lot actually. But the jetta wagen is pretty nice. The 2.0T is/can be a beast pretty easily and for not too much money. It's an interim car though. We needed something bigger(dog) and more versatile(home projects) that the 325 couldn't do. It was was also a compromise. Get a loaded 328 wagen and pay off the house in 10-15 years or get the cheaper jetta wagen and pay off the house in 3-5 years. The latter was the much smarter decision. And the jetta isn't that bad. The SEL wagen that we got has nearly all the options I would have gotten on the e91 328 minus zsp but it's give and take.

With the house paid off I could jump to a 535 wagen or who knows what crazy stuff will be out in the next couple years.

What side of town are you on? I'm pretty sure I've seen your car parked on Cedar by the Clinic. My butt puckered for you as that side of cedar gets shitty in a hurry.

[Chewy734]

Originally Posted by darkcloud

Yea, I miss the 325 a lot actually. But the jetta wagen is pretty nice. The 2.0T is/can be a beast pretty easily and for not too much money. It's an interim car though. We needed something bigger(dog) and more versatile(home projects) that the 325 couldn't do. It was was also a compromise. Get a loaded 328 wagen and pay off the house in 10-15 years or get the cheaper jetta wagen and pay off the house in 3-5 years. The latter was the much smarter decision. And the jetta isn't that bad. The SEL wagen that we got has nearly all the options I would have gotten on the e91 328 minus zsp but it's give and take.

With the house paid off I could jump to a 535 wagen or who knows what crazy stuff will be out in the next couple years.

What side of town are you on? I'm pretty sure I've seen your car parked on Cedar by the Clinic. My butt puckered for you as that side of cedar gets shitty in a hurry.

Yeah, that was a smart decision on your part. The Jetta is a good car, and a nice house is a better investment than a car.

I actually live downtown right next to the House of Blues on Euclid. But, I do work at the Clinic, so you prolly see my car parked on the road many times. Yeah, I worry sometimes too, but there's enough traffic there as well as cops that frequent that area. You're right, it's uber-ghetto right around there, and I wish the Clinic would just buy out and raze those crappy crack-infested houses.

[darkcloud]

Originally Posted by Chewy734

Yeah, that was a smart decision on your part. The Jetta is a good car, and a nice house is a better investment than a car.

I actually live downtown right next to the House of Blues on Euclid. But, I do work at the Clinic, so you prolly see my car parked on the road many times. Yeah, I worry sometimes too, but there's enough traffic there as well as cops that frequent that area. You're right, it's uber-ghetto right around there, and I wish the Clinic would just buy out and raze those crappy crack-infested houses.

cool. my cousins friend lives right in one of those apartments on euclid. if you haven't and i would assume you have go eat at greenhouse for happy hour. their burger and wings on the HH menu are downright awesome. the beef carpacio is great as well.

I knew that had to be your car. you've done some nice mods. very clean and classy yet mean looking.

I'm sure the clinic will do something eventually as that's the only way they have left to expand and now that the Euclid project is done their just biding their time. are you a doctor at the clinic?

[Chewy734]

Originally Posted by darkcloud

cool. my cousins friend lives right in one of those apartments on euclid. if you haven't and i would assume you have go eat at greenhouse for happy hour. their burger and wings on the HH menu are downright awesome. the beef carpacio is great as well.

I knew that had to be your car. you've done some nice mods. very clean and classy yet mean looking.

I'm sure the clinic will do something eventually as that's the only way they have left to expand and now that the Euclid project is done their just biding their time. are you a doctor at the clinic?

That's cool... Yeah, I've been to Greenhouse. They are pretty cool. There's actually a lot of good restaurants nearby on E 4th... Pickwick, Lola, Chinato, Chocolate Bar, etc. The bowling alley is fun too (although their food outright sucks, imo).

Thanks man... yeah, I'm hoping that the Clinic expands in that direction. I'm actually a grad student at Case, but my lab is in the Clinic. So, I spend all my time at Lerner Research working on my stuff.

[darkcloud]

Originally Posted by Chewy734

That's cool... Yeah, I've been to Greenhouse. They are pretty cool. There's actually a lot of good restaurants nearby on E 4th... Pickwick, Lola, Chinato, Chocolate Bar, etc. The bowling alley is fun too (although their food outright sucks, imo).

Thanks man... yeah, I'm hoping that the Clinic expands in that direction. I'm actually a grad student at Case, but my lab is in the Clinic. So, I spend all my time at Lerner Research working on my stuff.

I know a guy that works for the Clinic doing some sort of heart research. He's not a doctor though. but he does get to go into the operating room and remove the heart after the patient dies if their signed up for his program.

[Chewy734]

Originally Posted by darkcloud

I know a guy that works for the Clinic doing some sort of heart research. He's not a doctor though. but he does get to go into the operating room and remove the heart after the patient dies if their signed up for his program.

That's cool, yet slightly morbid. My office actually overlooks the morgue though, but I can't really complain since I have a window.

[TL]

[BillLee]

that's some pretty crazy stuff. i don't think we'll see that kind of stuff here in houston. lol

[Chewy734]

Originally Posted by TL

Thanks!

Originally Posted by BillLee

that's some pretty crazy stuff. i don't think we'll see that kind of stuff here in houston. lol

Yeah, I was surprised too. If we ever see that stuff down in Houston, then hell has frozen over.

[Chewy734]

Well, I didn't mean to bump an old thread, but since I visited the frozen lighthouse last winter, I really wanted to visit it in the summer to see how different it looked... and boy was it different!

Here are the photos I took yesterday:





































Thanks for looking!