Touch down in Akron Monday, August 06, 2007

Kids hang out Aug. 6 in front of an abandoned building at the corner of Perkins and N Union St. in Akron, Ohio.

I'm on location in Akron, Ohio, this week.

It was an early start this morning--Christian (the art director for this project) picked me up from my apartment at 4:20 for our flight.

The trip itself was uneventful. We made a brief stop in Chicago for lunch, and continued on to Akron.

After securing a rental vehicle and checking into our hotel, we decided to wander around downtown to see what there was to see in Akron.

Like Portland, the temperature was in the mid-80s today. But it's humid. It reminded me what summers in Southern Ontario were like, and what I like about living in the West.

First impressions of Akron: I get the feeling that Akron was a hopping place in the 1950s. Like wherever it was Marty went in Back to the Future. But a lot of the downtown area hasn't really gone anywhere since. There is some really cool architecture around the University of Akron. But also a lot of vacant lots and boarded-up buildings.

Mike stands outside Pizza Pan on E Market St. in Akron, Ohio, Aug. 6. He says the pizza there is pretty good. Probably the best in town.