For reasons we can't quite figure out, Cleveland gets a bad wrap--but we loved it. There's something about this rust belt city that felt more authentic - and much less whitewashed - than so many other cities we've toured on our yearlong adventure. From Sokolowski's University Inn, the oldest family owned restaurant in Cleveland, to the Mark Mothersbaugh retrospective at the Museum of Contemporary Art, we had blast exploring the North Coast and it's many underrated features.

By the time we left the museum two hours later, we felt as though we’d emerged from a cryptic fever-dream. To regain our bearings and decompress, we headed for Cleveland’s Tremont district — one of the oldest in the city and historically populated by German immigrants — and pulled off at Hoopples, the first down-home bar we could find. We ordered a few PBRs and headed for the backyard, where a local “swamp pop” band called Cats on Holiday were tuning up. We drank our beers and watched a dozen tipsy middle-aged men and women groove to the music.

Check out the full story for USA TODAY Travel here:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/2016/12/03/cleveland/94807032/