A Few Days in Western Ohio

A Few Days in Western Ohio
Toledo, Dayton & Cincinnati, Ohio
September 4-8, 2013

It never fails that if I have some big event going on over the weekend I will surely have a major project to complete for work that week.  And so it was the week before my sister Megan and I were to travel to Dayton and Cincinnati for a Girl’s Weekend.  Luckily, the shift I had for a three-day afterhours project enabled me to enjoy a little of Toledo, Ohio during the day.  I decided to visit a few of Toledo’s free attractions: the Toledo Botanical Garden and the Toledo Museum of Art.  I had a wonderful time at each.  My favorite section of the Botanical Garden was the herb garden with its savory and sweet-smelling plants, interesting water feature and intimate touches like a sundial and ivy-covered arch but each section was gorgeous.  I found couples picnicking, families wandering around the pond, single souls lounging in the shade garden.  I quite enjoyed my afternoon stroll around the property.

The Toledo Museum of Art boasts that it is one of the top museums in the country and I believe it.  As soon as I pulled into the parking lot, I was impressed with the solar panels that provide shade covering for cars, and as it turns out, combined with more solar panels on the roof of the museum, provides enough energy for the museum to be entirely off the power grid!  They allow non-flash photography of their diverse collection and feature a sculpture garden outside and a separate glass museum across the street. This museum is world class, in my opinion.

I arrived home from my business trip to immediately pack up for weekend.  Megan and I were heading to the Dayton area to participate in the Tour de Donut in Arcanum, Ohio.  I’d biked the full 32-mile Tour de Donut with Joanna last year; this year Megan and I completed the 16-mile course.  But, we did not just finish it.  Even though we got there late and started several minutes after everyone else, we rode like the wind and placed very well for a couple of recreational riders with comfort bikes- 13th and 14th out of 120 women in the race, 41st and 42nd overall!  What an exhilarating feeling! 

After the race, Megan and I headed out to the National Museum of the United States Air Force, a free attraction with a whole lot of wow-factor.  I expected to see some planes and hoped to see some helicopters.  I did not think we’d see huge hangers full of thousands of airplanes and other flying devices from time periods ranging from World War I through the Cold War and Space Program.  I could spend days trying to take it all in! 

On Sunday Megan and I headed south to Cincinnati for another much-anticipated event- trapeze class at the Cincinnati Circus Company ($45/person)!  We had a little time to kill before the class so we did a walking tour of Eden Park, striking grounds overlooking the Ohio River.  Then it was time to fly.  Our class ranged from girls about the age of 5 all the way up through a dad who was probably in his early 40s.  We didn’t spend more than a few minutes for quick briefing on safety and some procedures before were lined up to climb the ladder and try our first flight!  Really, climbing the ladder is the scariest part of the whole thing.  Everyone from the main instructor on the ground, to the people up on the platform were encouraging and supportive.  After a simple initial first flight, we were able to try different tricks as we felt comfortable.  Neither Megan nor I got our backflip dismounts but I’m sure we’ll be great at it the next time!  Two of the 9-year-olds were able to achieve transfer catches!  I had a fun time just falling to the net, then forward flipping out of it and onto the ground.  Taking the trapeze class with the Cincinnati Circus Company was the highlight of the entire weekend! 

What a crazy week!  Everything from strolling through tranquil gardens and taking in fine art to competing in a cycling race/donut-eating contest and dangling from trapeze while floating through the air- a crazy week full of amazing experiences!

Update:  In 2014, I spent several months on another project in Toledo and was able to spend even more time exploring the Art Museum, Botanical Garden and many of the area Metroparks. One of my favorite attractions was the Toledo Zoo which had the Penguin Beach Exhibit. Everyone knows I LOVE penguins!