When we think of the "Coast," we think of the vibrant West Coast or the historic East Coast of the United States bounded by the vast Pacific and AtlanticOceans respectively. But, there are two other major geographial boundaries -- the Southern border with Mexico and the Northern border with Canada. In Ohio, Lake Erie (one of the five "Greats") separates the United States from Canada with Cleveland, OHsituated along its shores.For many years, this natural water divide spawned the destination marketing slogan "Cleveland on the North Coast."

Having grown up in the area until I made my "escape" at the age of 19, for years my response to the question "Where are you from?" had been "I'm originally from Cleveland." Without skipping a beat I would add, "It's a good place to be FROM."

Once a major manufacturing and industrial area, the Cuyahoga River (that winds through Cleveland and bleeds into Lake Erie) was lined by factories that dumped their waste and chemicals into it. In the industrial heyday, the river was bright orange in color and so extremely polluted that it actually caught on fire in 1969! For many years, Cleveland suffered as the butt of jokes. But now, the infamous event (that ultimately helped to spur the environmental movement) is proudly memorialized on the label of the Great Lakes Brewing Company's "Burning River" beer.

When the idea for a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame first came about,Cleveland leaders enthusiastically lobbied for it citing the fact that Cleveland's legendary DJ Alan Freed popularized the term "Rock and Roll" with his pioneering radio show and ground-breaking early rock and roll concerts. On May 5, 1986,Clevelandwas officially selected as the site for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum which put Cleveland back on the map and was the beginning of its renaissance wthat is now in full bloom.

Since then, the city's self-esteem has grown and its civic pride is reflected in its CVB destination marketing slogan, "Positively Cleveland." The Greater Cleveland area has much to offer both residents and visitors alike. With factories all but extinct, the industrial graveyard of "The Flats" has been renovated into an evolving metropolis of museums, restaurants, entertainment and residential areas on the low-lying banks of the Cuyahoga river. Cleveland also has a thriving and sophsticated food and wine scene as well. Taste Cleveland Food Tours is the city's source for food tours, culinary events, pub crawls, and corporate team building that brings together history, architecture and cuisine in a variety of different venues and historic neighborhoods.

On a recent trip to the area to visit friends and family for our 33rd Annual Cousins' Picnic, I took time to play tourist and discovered a myriad of new activities to enjoy with my brother.

At the Great Lakes Science Center, we watched "Tornado Alley"(a documentary movie about storm chasers) on the giant Omnimax curved screen with surround sound and dizzying affects ("Oh, Auntie 'Em, Auntie 'Em, where WERE you!?!").

We also saw the 12,800-pound Skylab 3 Apollo Command Module (on-loan from the Smith Smithsonian Institute) in the adjoining NASA Glenn Visitor Center. The fully intact capsule (burnt to a crisp on the bottom) was used in 1973 to take three astronauts to the Skylab Space Station and return them to Earth 60 days later - a real piece of space history.Talk about close quarters!

The same afternoon, we went from the space age back in time to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park- one of the newest national parks (thanks to then President Bill Clinton) - located between Cleveland and Akron in Sagamore Hills, Ohio. The Cuyahoga Valley area has a rich 12,000 year history of human occupation.

Brandywine Falls, a natural wonder and one of the most popular attractions in the national park, played a major roleiinthe history of the Forgotten Village of Brandywine.

Originally owned by the Wallace family, in 1814 Brandywine Falls with its 60+ foot drop was used to power a sawmill and later a distillery, woolen and grist mill until about 1855 when the fortunes of Brandywine Village dried up due to the expansion of Akron and Cleveland as major cities.. A home that had been built in 1848 for James and Adeline Wallace is today the luxuriously renovated Inn at Brandywine Falls. This quaint Bed and Breakfast overlooking the falls is on the National Register of Historic Places. Furnished with antiques from Ohio's early days, the inn has six rooms for visitors, well-appointed private baths and modern amenities including free wireless internet service.

Later in the evening, I experienced my first harness horse racing at Northfield Park in Northfield, Ohio. Constructed in 1957, Northfield Park is the only remaining commercial harness track in Northeast Ohio. In 1934, the track was originally known as Sportsman Park and intended as a greyhound track. Along with ownership, the focus changed to midget car racing. After 20 years as a successful car racing facility, Sportsman Park was demolished to make way for what would eventually become one of the nation's premier harness racing tracks - Northfield Park.

Recently, I watched Eat, Pray, Love starring Julia Roberts at the Sundance Kabuki Theatre in San Francisco's Japantown on Post Street at Fillmore. Adapted from the true-life memoir of author Elizabeth Gilbert, at its core, this movie is an international travelogue. Three destinations are metaphors for the movie's title: EAT (Italy), PRAY (India), LOVE (Bali, Indonesia).

To mirror the year-long journey of self-discovery taken by Gilbert, travelers and fans of the book and film now have a choice of a wide range of exclusive tour packages (suddenly all the rage) of this must-have trio of travel experiences, to follow in her footsteps.

Eat Pray Love Journey packages may include:
♦ Italy - Six days to enjoy as much pasta and pizza as possible; including cooking class, pasta making course and tour of the Eternal City.

♦ India - An eight day journey of reflection includes stops at the magnificent Taj Mahal, amazing Akshardham Temple and sacred Sarnath, where Buddha first taught the Dharma.

♦ Indonesia - Five days of basking on Bali's beaches and pampering your senses at life rejuvenating spas before dancing under the stars at trendy nightclubs to find love.

Having read the book, a New York Times Paperback Nonfiction Bestseller for over 182 weeks, I anticipated the big screen adaptation and wondered whether Gilbert's insightful story-telling and self-deprecating humor would be adequately portrayed by Julia Roberts. In my opinion, neither Roberts nor the screenplay were able to convey the emotional depth of Gilbert's personal epiphanies while on her jetset quest.  Read the book!

I especially felt this was true of her experiences in India. While the scenes displayed her discomfort while attempting to sit still and meditate, it lost the opportunity to capture the essence of her spiritual epiphany when Lord Ganesha, the Remover of Obstacles, made an appearance as a result of her devotional efforts.  Special effects please!

Bordering on kitsch, the movie's visual imagery and vignettes of life abroad can, however, serve to whet the appetite and wake the travel bug for newbies. The movie is also a catalyst to decompress 20+ years of time and reincarnate long-buried memories into a new life for veterans who have traveled to these destinations in the distant past. This certainly happened.for me.

Although I have not written a best-selling book of my own me-moirs, I blazed a personal trail well before Gilbert's -- except in reverse order and over a longer priod of time. 
 
PRAY (India):  Long before it came of age as a capitol of technology and a customer service center of the world, I traveled to India in 1976 to search my soul, perform seva (service) and savor India's sublime spices while staying at an ashram in the Northern Punjab. Did I find enlightenment? Although I tried and experienced some flashes of inspiration, let's say I still must carry a flashlight while walking my personal path on this earth.

LOVE (Indonesia):  In 1991, while I did not find Mr. Right (like Liz with her real-life husband, Felipe), I did fall in love with Bali. Beyond the endless beaches, resorts, tourist shops and nightclubs, there is Ubud with its terraced rice paddies and exquisite delicate Balinese artistry. This cultural oasis in the highlands cradles the true heart and soul of Balinese heritage and mystique.

EAT (Italy):  In 2010, rather than traveling to Italy to hedonistically indulge in authentic Italian fare (as portrayed in the EAT portion of Eat, Pray, Love), I found nearby Tony's Pizza Napoletana at 1570 Stockton Street in San Francisco's Northbeach (Little Italy). Tony Gemignani, proprietor of Tony's Pizza, is a nine (9) time champion of the World Pizza Cup held in Naples. He introduced one of the first coal-fire ovens on the West Coast in the Fall of 2009. Tony's signature Margherita Pizza is just one of many gourmet creations on his menu that includes mouth watering pastas and Italian dinners all made with authentic ingredients imported from Napoli. 

The enlightenment at the end of this story's tunnel is a simple one: while it would be an amazing adventure, one does not always need to traverse the world to find the meaning of life or to EAT, PRAY and LOVE.  As so many of us have already discovered, nirvana can be found in the aromas and taste sensations while savoring a piece of heaven disguised as a freshly baked slice of steaming pizza right in your own neighborhood. And, although she didn't know it at the time, Julia Roberts had all the ingredients she ever needed to find the answers way back in 1988 when she starred in MYSTIC PIZZA.   

For more information, visit:  www.tonyspizzanapoletana.com and the Restaurant Photo Gallery. And, for more about EAT, PRAY, LOVE and author, Elizabeth Gilbert, visit elizabethgilbert.com.