1.) Monday, September 15th    -  Arrival Day

Today is a day to get checked in to the hotel and renew old acquaintances.

2.) Tuesday, September 16th  - $35 - 12:00 NOON - Departure to Downtown Cleveland - USS Cod (SS 224) and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  As a separate excursion, after returning to the hotel to freshen up, at 5:30 PM our bus ($5) will take us to the historic Little Italy section of Cleveland for a four course Italian dinner at PRIMO VINO ($25 per person not including alcohol - pay at the restaurant).

Our trip to the Cleveland waterfront will be short.  There we will board the USS Cod (SS 224).   On July 21, 1942 her keel was laid at the Electric Boat Co., Groton, Connecticut.  Cod was launched on March 21, 1943 and was placed in commission on June 21, 1943  Cod is credited with sinking more than 12 enemy vessels totaling more than 37,000 tons, and damaging another 36,000 tons of enemy shipping.  All seven of her war patrols were considered successful and Cod was awarded seven battle stars.  Cod was decommissioned in 1954 and placed in reserve.  In 1959 she was towed through the newly opened St. Lawrence Seaway to serve as a naval reserve training vessel in Cleveland, Ohio.   In 1971, no longer useful as a training ship, Cod was stricken from the register of Navy ships.  A handful of Clevelanders formed the Cleveland Coordinating Committee to Save Cod, Inc., to preserve her as a memorial on the city's lakefront.  In January, 1976, the Navy gave guardianship of the submarine to the group.  Cod began her career as a floating memorial in May of 1976 when she opened for public tours and quickly established herself as a popular tourist attraction.  In 1986, the U.S. Department of the Interior designated Cod a National Historic Landmark.  

It was on Cod's seventh and final war patrol that she would carve a unique niche for herself for performing the only international submarine-to-submarine rescue in history. On the morning of July 8, 1945 Cod arrived at Ladd Reef in the South China Sea to aid the Dutch Submarine O-19 which had grounded on the coral outcropping.  After two days of attempts at pulling O-19 free, the captains of both vessels agreed that there was no hope of freeing the Dutch sub from the grip of the reef.  After removing the 56 Dutch sailors to safety, Cod destroyed the O-19 with two scuttling charges, two torpedoes, and 16 rounds from Cod's 5-inch deck gun.  The Cod was home to 153 men for the two and a half-day run to the recently liberated Subic Bay naval base.  On that patrol Motor Machinist Mate Norm Jensen was assigned to film option pictures of submarine operations at war.  His video of that rescue shows the predicament the Dutch submarine was in, the crew rescue and subsequent destruction of the sub.

Today, Cod is one of the finest restored submarines on display and is the only U.S. submarine that has not had stairways and doors cut into her pressure hull for public access.  Visitors to this proud ship use the same vertical ladders and hatches that were used by her crew.  Cleveland can claim partial credit as Cod's birthplace, since the submarine's five massive diesel engines were built by General Motors' Cleveland Diesel plant on Cleveland's west side.  Cod's engines actually run and will be started for our tour.  In addition, her 5" deck gun will be fired!

After the Cod we will visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on the shore of Lake Erie. />  The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation was created on April 20, 1983, by Atlantic Records founder and chairman Ahmet Ertegun.  The Foundation began inducting artists in 1986, but the Hall of Fame still had no home.  The search committee considered several cities, including Memphis (home of Sun Studios and Stax Records), Detroit (home of Motown Records), Cincinnati (home of King Records), New York City, and Cleveland.  Cleveland lobbied to be chosen, citing that WJW disc jockey Alan Freed both coined the term "rock and roll" and heavily promoted the new genre, and that Cleveland was the location of Freed's Moondog Coronation Ball – the first major rock and roll concert.  Civic leaders in Cleveland pledged $65 million in public money to fund the construction.  A petition drive was signed by 600,000 fans favoring Cleveland over Memphis, and Cleveland ranked first in a 1986 USA Today poll asking where the Hall of Fame should be located.  On May 5, 1986, the Hall of Fame Foundation chose Cleveland as the permanent home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

  The groundbreaking ceremony took place on June 7, 1993. Pete Townshend, Chuck Berry, Billy Joel, Sam Phillips, Ruth Brown, Sam Moore of Sam and Dave, Carl Gardner of the Coasters and Dave Pirner of Soul Asylumall appeared at the groundbreaking.  The museum dedicated on September 1, 1995, with the ribbon being cut by an ensemble that included Yoko Ono and Little Richard, among others, before a crowd of more than 10,000 people.  The following night an all-star concert was held at the stadium.  It featured Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan, Al Green, Jerry Lee Lewis, Aretha Franklin, Bruce Springsteen, Iggy Pop, John Fogerty, John Mellencamp and many others. Designed by I.M. Pei, the building rises above the shores of Lake Erie.  It is a combination of bold geometric forms and dynamic cantilevered spaces that are anchored by a 162-foot tower.  The tower supports a dual-triangular-shaped glass "tent" that extends (at its base) onto a 65,000-square-foot plaza which provides a main entry façade.  .The building houses more than 55,000 square feet of exhibition space, as well as administrative offices, a store, and a café.

The current featured exhibit is "The Rolling Stones - 50 Years of Satisfaction"  While this is the featured exhibit, the hall contains countless incredible exhibits of rock and roll stars from the earliest roots of rock to current performers.  The Rolling Stones may or may not be the featured exhibit when we visit next September.

After this exciting day, as a separate excursion, we will journey ($5 for our bus) to Cleveland's "Little Italy" where we will enjoy a four course Italian dinner at PRIMO VINO one of Cleveland's most inviting Italian grottos.  Our authentic Italian dinner will include three appetizers, salad, three main entrees, and three desserts served family style.  The music and atmosphere will take you back to the old country.  Pasta and wine will remind you of the enchantment of Napoli.  Enjoy your evening in Italy right here in the USA.  ($25 per person includes dinner, coffee and soft drinks. Alcoholic beverages, tax and tip will be added to the check which you will pay at the restaurant. ). (Note: This restaurant is located down one flight of stairs.)

3.) Wednesday, September 17th  -  $45  - 12:30 PM - Departure to Canton, OH - Pro Football Hall of Fame or/and the National First Ladies Museum
Note: Those who wish to see both will have a reduced time at the NFL Hall of Fame and should sign up for the first (1:30 PM) First Ladies tour which is limited to 15 participants (first come first serve).  Everyone else should chose either the NFL Hall of Fame or the National First Ladies Museum. NOTE: The First Ladies Museum tour is Sold out.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League (NFL).  The hall opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter enshrines.

Since opening in 1963, the Pro Football Hall of Fame has grown in both size and stature.  The building was expanded in 1971, 1978 and 1995, and completed major exhibit gallery renovations in 2003, 2008, and 2009.  Together, these improvements have transformed the original 19,000 square-foot Hall of Fame museum into an exciting internationally recognized institution and travel destination.  Currently, the Hall of Fame is undergoing the largest expansion and renovation in its history.  The "Future 50" Expansion & Renovation Project has expanded the museum to 118,000 square feet.  The two-year, $27 million project will be completed by the summer of 2013 after a major renovation to 38,000 square feet of museum space is finished.

Perhaps the most emotional stop during a tour of the museum is the Hall of Fame Gallery which houses the bronze bust of each enshrinee.  Completion of the renovated gallery occurred in 2003 and now offers visitors the opportunity to learn about each member of the Hall through touch screen kiosks that include bios, photos, and video on the inductees.

The Pro Football Adventure Room examines the many other pro leagues that have challenged the NFL since its founding in 1920.

The Moments, Memories & Mementos Gallery focuses on the achievements made by the members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  High-tech video, audio, and lighting help bring the treasured artifacts to life in dynamic fashion. The Pro Football Today Gallery examines contemporary themes in the NFL. This area is filled with mementos from recent history-making performances.

The Lamar Hunt Super Bowl Gallery recaps every Super Bowl played to date.  Interactive kiosks and rare artifacts bring the Super Bowl to life.  The newest gallery in the Hall of Fame is also home to the Super Bowl Theater, an incredible presentation of a NFL Films production.

As visitors leave the exhibit level of the Hall and return to the ground floor, they enter into an interactive area that includes a Teletrivia game, Call-the-Play-Theater, an all-new Madden EA Sports video game display and other exhibits such as a display devoted to officiating.

NOTE: THIS TOUR IS SOLD OUT

The National First Ladies' Library established as part of the National Park Service on October 2000.  The site consists of the Ida Saxton McKinley House, the family home of President and First Lady William and Ida McKinley and the former City National Bank Building which serves as the Library's Education and Research Center.

William McKinley (January 29, 1843 – September 14, 1901) was the 25th President of the United States, serving from March 4, 1897, until his assassination in September 1901, six months into his second term.  McKinley led the nation to victory in the Spanish–American War.

Before becoming part of the National Park Service the Saxton McKinley House in Canton celebrated its national debut as the home of the National First Ladies’ Library with a dedication ceremony and Victorian Gala in June, l998 with Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter.  Known as the Grand Lady of Market Avenue, the Saxton McKinley House breathes new life as the first ever facility dedicated to documenting the lives and accomplishments of America’s 41 first ladies and other important American women in history.