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Cleveland is not on my bucket list of places to go.

I've lived in Baltimore almost my whole life. And despite its problems, I love the city. But Cleveland was a complete unknown to me until I forced my daughter to consider attending Case Western Reserve University for nursing school. (Why I did is a story in itself and leads me to believe without any doubt in Divine Providence.) We went to visit, and we both fell in love with Cleveland immediately. On the drive back to Baltimore she changed her mind about where she wanted to attend school and decided to attend Case, both because of the school itself and because of the city. She just graduated this past May, and my wife and I are going to really miss visiting Cleveland so frequently. It's a GREAT city! There really is a lot to offer there. Cleveland has its problems, sure, but there's so much going for the city that I'm sure it'll rebound. In any case, my wife and I, along with her sister and brother-in-law, intend to go there periodically so we can visit some of the great museums and attractions. Here are just a few:

The Zoo - They're zoo is absolutely first-rate!
Severance Hall and the Cleveland Orchestra
The Cleveland Museum of Art
The Botanical Gardens
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Tower City
The Cleveland Indians (beautiful stadium!) - I say this as a lifelong Orioles fan
Little Italy
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Museum of Contemporary Art
Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights
The Cleveland Browns Stadium - As a Ravens fan, I still can acknowledge a worthy stadium of my competitor's.
Martin Luther King Drive - Don't knock it until you've seen it! It's truly beautiful and inspiring.
A Christmas Story House - the house in the film. Definitely worth the time and money to visit!

I don't know about other universities in Cleveland, but Case Western Reserve University is fantastic. It is the "MIT of the Midwest". The nursing education my daughter got really can't be surpassed. In her freshman year, she told us in amazement "It's considered cool here to study." If you know anyone who's looking into colleges and universities, you should definitely consider Case Western Reserve. I highly recommend it.

As far as healthcare goes... they've definitely got it going on! The Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals are among the best in the world, and so they attract patients from all over the world. And I say this as someone who has worked at Johns Hopkins Hospital for over 25 years.

And I love the architecture. It really reminds me of our nation's greatest history.

Cleveland is a great city, even if it is going through a rough time. If it weren't for the weather and the fact that my family is all in the Baltimore/Washington area, I'd definitely consider moving there.

I'm thrilled Cleveland landed the RNC convention, and even if the direct economic benefit is minimal, I hope it does a lot to restore the pride that Clevelanders should have in their city.

For your own benefit, you should consider putting Cleveland on your bucket list.