I felt like because of the fourth falling on a Tuesday this was the longest, most fabulous holiday week with all kinds of adventures that did not include fireworks weirdly. Sorry! Also this might be one of the longest write ups but I just have so much to share.
The weekend before the 4th was on the quieter side. We celebrated the official opening night at The Club at Lost Nation Sports Park on Friday. They have new owners who have done some renovations to the restaurant and made some menu changes. We have tried a couple of the menu items and so far one of my go to items is the bacon cheddar tater kegs. These are fabulous! We otherwise spent the weekend at home with the fur babies grilling out.
Monday turned into an adventure day, which random adventures are some of my favorite days. My friend and I tried Farmer in the Deli in Chesterland, OH, which was another new place for me. They have a deli area that carries Boar’s Head meats and cheeses and then they have some dry goods and produce. There are a couple tables in the back of the deli to eat at or a couple outside the restaurant entrance. We tried the Italian, which had Capocollo, Pepperoni, Salami, Provolone, mild peppers on an Italian roll and the Turkey, which you can pick from a couple different turkey options, your choice of cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion on your choice of bread. Both sandwiches were excellent. All of the ingredients was so fresh including the bread. We also tried a small container of Mac salad, which was also excellent. I didn’t even know this place existed and I am so happy that we found it.
We then checked out Bremec Garden Center on 306 in Chesterland. This garden center is huge. They had all kinds of perennials and annuals, waterfalls, and decor. I found all kinds of stuff for my yard one day.
We finished up our Monday adventures with a trip to Penitentiary Glenn in Kirtland, OH. I hadn’t been here since I was a kid and was really glad we stopped. It is a free park with multiple trails, a nature center and play area for the kids. We walked through the Nature Center and the Wildlife Center. They have various types of birds and animals that have been rescued and cannot be released back out into the wild. You can walk around the nature area, which they have done a great job at giving these animals a place to call home and live out the rest of their lives.
We walked a couple of the trails even though it was a little hot. We came across one of the smaller waterfalls and one of the ponds. I enjoy hiking and it was a great day of getting some exercise in.
4th of July we relaxed at home with the fur babies and stopped at Biggies Custard in Mentor on the Lake, OH to grab some ice cream. My go to lately has been the strawberry cheesecake sundae and we got the pup a pup cup. She was in heaven. Like I said no fireworks sadly but we just weren’t up to it.
I spent Wednesday at my favorite place, the beach. I typically go to Fairport since it is run by the Metroparks and they do a really good job of keeping the beach clean. It was a beautiful, relaxing morning and early afternoon.
I then had lunch with my mom and a friend at Tavern 6 in Kirtland, OH. For those that have been following me since the beginning you already know I love this restaurant. Their patio is beautiful, and the food is consistent. I will say I always get the same meal, a chicken sandwich with spicy mayo and a side of Mac and cheese. When something is good it’s so hard to change it up. I have tried other items and everything has been good but this meal just hits the spot for me. They were able to make me a mocktail even though it wasn’t on the menu and it was really good as well.
Smash burger 
Friday night was date night at Crowley’s in Eastlake, OH. This is the new Irish-Croatian dive bar across the street from the Captain’s Stadium. It’s a great place to stop for food before or after the ball game. They are known to be the bar to watch soccer games at and for their smash burgers, which I’m obsessed with. This night we also tried the fried bologna sandwich and the special, the cevape gyro as well as the smash burger. I can’t say enough good things about their food and that smash burger. Everything we tried was fabulous. My suggestion just go try it!!!
I couldn’t believe how quickly the weekend came and went. Saturday I stopped at Lakeshore Coffee Co. in Mentor, OH for breakfast. They partner with Leolo Hospitality who supplies their breakfast bowls and burritos. They have a board with specials that change with the season. When I was there they had a blueberry mocha latte that I tried and it was probably one of my favorite coffees. It was too sweet and I really enjoyed the flavor.
We finished our weekend off with the Wonderstruck festival at Lakeland Community College. They did a wonderful job with this festival. There were 3 stages throughout the area, a bunch of food options, beer and drink vendors and some tents with some vendors selling items. This was a two day festival that went Saturday and Sunday with the first artist coming on around 1 or 2. They provided wrists bands for the day or weekend so that people can go in and out as need. The parking was $25.00 and was simple and easy. The day we were there some of the bigger artists we saw were Echosmith, Runaway June, Chris Lane, Flo Rida, and Walker Hayes. There were multiple other artists and bands through out the day.
This whole week was filled with relaxation and adventures. The rest of July was equally as busy and I can’t wait to share the rest of our adventures.