Three Rivers Wine Trail- Coshocton County, Ohio

Three Rivers Wine Trail

Coshocton County, Ohio

April 2015

As is tradition, the girls assembled for an afternoon of wine tasting to celebrate Di’s birthday.  I’d done a little research into wineries we hadn’t visited before and decided on Coshocton County’s Three Rivers Wine Trail, less than an hour south of Canton.  I asked Joanna, who usually does not attend winery events because she supposedly doesn’t like wine, to be our Designated Driver.  Jan offered her van and seven of us piled in for a spring Saturday afternoon of wine tasting. 

Our first stop was Yellow Butterfly Winery, a converted barn in picturesque farm country.  We all made our selections at the Tasting Bar, each trying various sweet fruit wines- except Joanna because she was the DD. I took a sip of raspberry wine and asked Joanna if she’d like to try it.  She downed the whole glass the same way I’d knock back a shot of tequila.  I raised an eyebrow but continued on with my other selections.  So did Joanna.  Our ‘DD’ managed to finish quite a few sips of wine at the very first winery we visited.

Jan drove us to our next location.  Rainbow Hills Winery is located even deeper into Coshocton County countryside.  Jansportation (what I like to call Jan’s minivan) barreled down dirt roads, took on the steep inclines of one-lane passes and kicked up a cloud of dust as we made our way down the winery’s long driveway.  We walked into the cozy Tasting Room with a roaring fire and immediately felt comfortable.  The owner told us all about the property, the B&B on site, summertime BBQ parties while we sampled various wines. 

Our last destination was Raven’s Glenn Winery.  By this time Megan was telling Joanna to lay off the booze, we were all hungry and the restaurant had a long wait.  We decided to wrap up the evening at a Mexican restaurant and head home.  Jan drove the whole time, Joanna got pretty drunk and, as always, we all had a blast on our winery adventure.  

Sister Trip- Tour de Donut

Sister Trip- Tour de Donut
Arcanum & Dayton, Ohio
September 5-7, 2014

The Tour de Donut is one of my most anticipated events of the year!  We build a weekend around the occasion, visiting attractions in the Dayton area when not participating in the bike race/donut-eating contest. 

Last year Megan and I were late to pick up our race packets and almost missed out- this year we decided to pick up out bibs early on Friday afternoon.  When we arrived at the Arcanum Field House there was already a buzz of excitement in the crowd of fellow bike-riders.  We picked up our info, T-shirts and a list of nearby restaurants, deciding to dine at Pitsburg Pizza Grill just four miles away- we were famished.  We were not disappointed.  The pizza shop is a no-frills local spot with sparse décor, old booths and a bathroom door that was very hard to close but the service was friendly, the food was scrumptious and it was obviously a local favorite.  We loved it- we wolfed down quite a meal, carbing up for the race and all. 

Wegerzyn Gardens was our next stop, chosen mostly because it was on the way between the pizza place and our hotel.  But as soon as we stepped into the gardens we were amazed by the beauty of our surroundings.  Each garden has a different theme and we spent the evening exploring, captivated by the vibrant colors of the English Garden, taking in the tranquility of the succulent garden and wandering along the wooded paths that weaved between the garden plots.  From there we headed to our hotel to get some rest before the race.

We’ve done the Tour de Donut a few times now and have developed a strategy to optimize our performance.  No, it isn’t training heavily for the event.  We take a very relaxed approach to the whole thing. Instead of taking off with the pack when the starting gun goes off, we hang back for a while letting the crowd stretch out a little and cross the starting line about 15 minutes after everyone else.  As we were mounting our bikes to get our late start to the race, an older gentleman said ‘Are you two girls good and ready?’ We replied ‘We have a strategy!’ and set off.  It took just a few minutes before we were zooming past other participants in the 16-mile Mini Donut division of the race and we spent the rest of our ride focused on overtaking as many riders as possible.  About halfway through, the older gentleman we met at the starting line zoomed past us and commented that our strategy was working.  Megan and I enjoyed the ride through beautiful Ohio farmland at a good pace and ended up placing 11^th (Megan) and 12^th out of just over 120 women in our age group!

That afternoon we went to the Aullwood Audubon Center & Farm- I was pleased to find out they were currently hosting a quilt exhibit and was totally inspired by many of the amazing textile masterpieces.  We both relaxed in the bird observation area which had a huge picture window looking out to several bird feeders catering to many varieties of birds, including chickadees and hummingbirds.  Raptors were housed in an area a little further back.  We explored a few of the paths surrounding the center and followed one all the way to the Farm just about a mile away.  What a fun time!  I witnessed two pigs try to fit through one small barn door and get lodged in which was pretty funny.  They also had a huge vegetable garden, a culinary herb garden, horses, turkeys and goats- I love goats!  It was a crazy chill educational afternoon. 

At some point that weekend we’d gotten a crepe craving and, amazingly enough, Dayton has a crepe place in what has to be about the fanciest shopping center I’ve ever seen in Ohio.  That Crepe Place is one of many restaurants in The Greene Town Center in Beavercreek, Ohio- a multiuse complex that combines luxury living accommodations with high-end shopping and many dining options.  We parked on the outskirts of the commercial community and walked the few blocks past condos and retail stores to score two delicious crepes- one Bananas Foster and another Classic Parisian with butter and sugar.  They were worth the drive across town.

Our hotel, the Drury Inn and Suites Dayton North, hosts a happy hour each evening so we were able to enjoy a couple margaritas, glasses of wine and some snacks before settling in to relax after our full day.  We pulled chairs over to the window and enjoyed the view of the city in the distance as we relaxed for night.  As always, the Tour de Donut and the activities we use to fill up our weekend were a blast- we’re already looking forward to next year!

Girls' Trip- Geneva-on-the-Lake

Girls' Trip- Geneva-on-the-Lake
May 30- June 1, 2014
Geneva, Ohio

The first time I drove through Geneva-on-the-Lake was on a cold February afternoon but even with the piles of snow and most of the businesses closed for the season, I was struck by the atmosphere of the area.  The main strip reminded me of Key West with gift shops, arcades, bars and food stands mixed with clothing boutiques, wineries and a few upscale restaurants. Only an hour away, it was the perfect location for a girls' trip at the start of the summer.

Jan, Di and I drove together, arriving at Abigail's Cottages in the late afternoon.  Pulling up, it appears to be a small complex of cottages right on the main strip.  But just one step through the gate and the entire place opens to a huge grassy area surrounded by quaint cottages, all with breathtaking views of Lake Erie. There's a lower lakefront sundeck that offers a huge fire pit and a whole lot of places to sit, relax and watch the sunset.  Rocky steps lead straight out into the lake but in late May the water was still quite chilly.  Halfway up the hill, a gazebo perched on the hillside overlooks the lake, as well. That lakefront patio became our group's main hangout for the weekend.

Joanna, Megan and Tera arrived a few hours later after taking the 'scenic route' famished and demanding dinner. Luckily, there was a pizza place right across the street and we enjoyed a quick bite around the picnic table outside.  The cottage was perfect for a group of our size- Di, Jan and Megan all had rooms of their own, Tera slept on a couch and Joanna and I shared a room with 3 beds.  There were two bathrooms, one with a claw foot tub.  I don't know why- I'm not usually a bath-taker but for some reason whenever I see a claw foot tub I start to think I might enjoy it.

After dinner and watching the sunset we all set out to explore the strip a little.  Our first stop was a bar with dueling pianos and $4 shots of Patron.  After taking in a few awesome piano renditions of songs like 'Nuttin but a G-Thang' and 'Brick House', we moved up the strip to an arcade to play some ski-ball.  Now let me say that my Grampy was a ski-ball champion and that must be in our blood because I tore it up at ski-ball, too. I converted all my tickets into temporary tattoos and continued up the strip.  We found a cute little shop called Harmony Jade which offered just about all the hippie chick clothes a girl could want. Not to miss a hippie dress shopportunity,I dug through everything until I found a bright purple dress with a colorful tribal print to make my own.  We stopped for ice cream on our way back to the cottage and made wine floats.

The next morning we woke up, made breakfast and then headed down to the sundeck for a few Sun Salutations beside the water- what an invigorating way to start the day.  We drove to Geneva State Park and walked along the shore, following the coast away from the main beach to more secluded parts.  Then we jogged to the other end, crawled along the rocks and looked for sea glass before we strolled back to the car.  Megan and Tera went to do water slides while the rest of us stayed back to relax by the water after lunch.  Let me just say that I have a long track record of getting moderately to severely banged up on waterslides so when Tera returned with a harrowing tale of her own waterslide related incident, I was glad I'd chosen to relax on the sundeck.  In the late afternoon, most of us headed up the strip to play mini golf (I got a hole-in-one on the 18th hole!) and bumper boats while Di and Jan stayed back to grill up steaks and prepare a delicious dinner.

Now, I take all the blame for making a Tiramisu Trifle with so much homemade amaretto that it might have put us in an alcohol-induced slumber but shortly after consuming dessert and several bottles of wine, we all kinda headed up to bed early.  We woke up the next morning and took one last walk up the strip before packing up and moving out.

Geneva-on-the-Lake was a fantastic Girls' Trip destination- just a short drive away, the excellent location of our cottage enabled us walk almost everywhere we wanted to go but also provided a wonderful area to just relax if we wanted.  Gathering on the sun deck for morning yoga or evening chilling was the highlight of my trip and I'm looking forward to visiting again!

Coal Mines, Castles & Quilts- Alliance, Ohio

Ohio Day Trip
Coal Mines, Castles & Quilts
Alliance, Ohio
May 2014

I grew up about 25 minutes south of Alliance and never considered the college town to have many tourist attractions.  But when I started an extended project in the area and began looking for things to do during lunch and after work, I quickly learned that there’s quite a bit to do in the Alliance area.

 

I drive through Atwater, Ohio on my way to Alliance from Akron every morning and stopped to read the Historical Marker describing the events surrounding the Atwater Coal Company Mine Disaster of 1872.   When the entrance to the mine caught fire those who were able to jump through the flames sustained serious burns but survive.  Those that were trapped inside, including a 9-year old boy, 9 men and a mule, died.  This disaster led to Ohio being the 2^nd state in the nation to pass laws protecting miners.

Mount Union College expanded into the University of Mount Union in 2010 and has added quite a bit of housing and buildings to the campus in recent years.  A sign outside Beeghly Hall on State Street advertised a free exhibit of art quilts by Jean Evans, a nationally recognized artist.  As I love needle arts, I was thrilled to spend my lunch hour browsing the display of quilts.  I found quite bit of inspiration for my own projects in her work.

Another lunch hour was spent touring Glamorgan Castle ($5 donation/pp).  Once the home of Col. William Henry Morgan, it is now the administrative offices of the Alliance City Schools. Although much of it is converted into office space, many original or restored features remain to remind us of what a grand building and estate it once was- the stained-glass dome, the ornately carved woodwork of the library, the jovial sayings painted onto the beer cellar walls.  It was a sight to see everything done with such attention to detail. 

There are so many other attractions I hope to visit while in the Alliance area- the Troll Hole Museum, Beech Creek Botanical Garden & Nature Preserve, the Feline Historical Museum- the list goes on and on so I’ll check back in to update when do.  

Update:  I was able to visit the Feline Historical Museum one afternoon.  This FREE attraction offers just about everything you'd ever want to know about cats from their history- revered in Egypt, blamed for the Plague in Europe, grown to be loved internationally.  This exhibit features cats in advertisement, entertainment and other cultures.  

Day Trips to See Orchids

Day Trips to See Orchids
Phipps Conservatory and the Cleveland Botanical Gardens
Winter 2014

We had a long, cold winter!  I enjoy winter activities so I usually make the most of a snowy season but even I was getting the winter time blues brought on by the bleak weather.  However, my friends and I came up with a way to get out of the freezing temperatures and escape to a tropical climate if only for a few hours.  The Cleveland Botanical Gardens in Cleveland, Ohio and Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh, PA both hosted orchid displays during the winter months.

My friend Scooter (from Pennsylvania) and I decided to meet up at Phipps Conservatory ($15/pp- free parking along street) in Pittsburgh on a Friday evening to take in their Orchids & Bonsai Show.  Phipps has several large connected glasshouses with various themes like the Palm Court or the Tropical Room with many varieties of orchids placed along the walkways.  There was also a room displaying bonsai trees in various shapes and sizes.  Because we were there after dark, many of the greenhouses were dim, lighted with simple strings of white twinkle lights and illuminated paths and walkways.  The whole display was stunning.  The heat and humidity of the India Room was especially invigorating for me.  Scooter and I made our way along the garden walkway through all the rooms, pointing out our favorite orchids, plants and trees. 

We headed over to the Thunderbird Café next to see a band called Cello Fury.  The place was packed!  We ended up sharing a veggie quesadilla and talking the whole night.  Luckily we were stationed in front of a telecast of the stage so we could at least see the band on screen.

The next weekend Meg, Neil, Holly, Red and I headed to Cleveland Botanical Garden’s ($11/pp, $9 parking in deck) Orchid Mania show.  Cleveland’s glasshouse is smaller than Phipps but it seemed as if they packed just as many orchids into a smaller amount of space- there were orchids everywhere I looked.  So many different varieties and vibrant colors were displayed that I literally took 100+ pictures.  The warm mist and sunlight of the rainforest room felt energizing and the butterflies that filled the air were a delight.  What a lovely way to get out of the cold for an afternoon!

We headed to lunch at Melt in Cleveland Heights on our way home and enjoyed huge gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and hangover fries.  Both excursions were the perfect ways to get out of the frigid winter and recharge with friends for a few hours.  

Canton Classic Car Museum

Ohio Day Trip
Canton Classic Car Museum
Canton, Ohio
November 10, 2013

I was excited to visit the Canton Classic Car Museum ($7.50/pp) when I thought it was just cars.I was thrilled when we walked in and saw all the movie memorabilia, pop cultural artifacts, antique toys, local history- pretty much everything a person would need to evoke a nostalgic feeling of the way things were way back when.

Neil, Megan and I spent a chilly Sunday afternoon exploring the museum.  The building used to be an old car dealership and although it is not huge, it does house quite a bit of neat stuff- one could spend hours taking everything in.  I spotted a Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, a PeeWee Herman doll and an RCA Dog display.  Neil loved all the antique neon signs. Megan pointed out every Lincoln automobile and emblem she saw.  There really is something of interest for every person of any age. 

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!

Weekend in Hocking Hills- FoamFest and Other Festivities

Weekend in Hocking Hills- Foam Fest and Other Festivities
Hocking Hills Region, Ohio
June 28-30, 2013

Who wouldn’t want to run a 5k mud run with giant inflatable obstacles filled with foam? My sisters Joanna and Megan and I were excited for our latest 5k based on this ridiculous premise to just get a little muddy, maybe bloody and definitely crazy for the morning.  We rented a cabin, grabbed some friends and planned a whole weekend around it.

We all met up at Megan & Neil’s on Friday afternoon.  Jo and I took her Jeep and Meg, Neil, Red and Holly rode down separately.  Joanna and I decided to take scenic byways the whole way down and actually used a road atlas with the route highlighted by green dots rather than GPS our way.  We had a great time.  We passed through charming little towns, stopped at cute shops and even saw a waterfall on our way.  It was worth every minute to get off the highway and follow back roads to our destination.

When everyone arrived we settled into the Hemlock Log Cabin, our usual place when we visit Hocking Hills and then headed out to explore a little.  We hiked all around Old Man’s Cave area, following Grandma Gatewood’s Trail, past the Devil’s Bathtub to the Upper Falls and the Gorge Overlook Trail crossing the A-frame Bridge and headed down to Old Man’s Cave.  Although it was a rainy day, it was still comfortable and beautiful, especially when beams of sunlight would peek through the clouds and trees.  After spending some time in that area, the group split up- most of the gang went to Cedar Falls and Ash Cave while Joanna and I went back to finish up dinner.  After dinner we spent time in the hot tub and sitting around the fire.

Holly decided to come to Foam Fest with us and watch, acting as our own personal professional photographer while Neil and Red headed down to Hocking College to play some disc golf.  The Foam Fest 5k took place in Kaeppner’s Woods, the same location of our very first Warrior Dash so Jo and I had some concept of what was in store- a course with a lot of hills!  We all took water guns and I had a lot of fun shooting random participants I deemed worthy- like someone with an inflatable doll as part of their costume or the photo bomber right behind us. 

As we lined up we heard the MC warning us ‘Do NOT inhale the foam!’  Okay- easier said than done.  We lined up, got ready and were off running through a big pile of foam covering the starting line. We got to the first inflatable obstacle, a bouncie house filled with foam- I ended up rolling backwards out of a pit of froth and fizz.  We continued around the course climbing over walls, up cargo nets, through mud pits, across inner tubes floating in water occasionally encountering an inflatable like a giant slip-n-slide filled with foam.  One of the most anticipated inflatable obstacles was the 50-foot SuperSlide.  Alas, by the time we got to there it had sustained damage and we could not ride it.  Huge bummer- the SuperSlide is why I paid to do this race!  Still, we had a fun time and watching us convinced Holly that she would like to do a mud run sometime soon!

After lunch, Jo, Meg, Neil and I headed to Hocking Hills Canopy Tours while Red and Holly went hiking and hung around the cabin.  As we pulled into the park, it started to lightning and all the tours were put on hold for a while but things got under way again as soon as the weather passed.  I had already done the traditional tour and opted to just do the SuperZip while they did the full tour.  I just have to say that the Super Zip rocks!  After you don the harness, you have the option of climbing the tower by way of many flights of steps or by hanging rope bridges.  I chose the bridges and I am glad I did- it was really a spectacular experience making my way though the canopy, stopping to look down and around, climbing higher and higher into the trees and up the tower.  At the top they ask if you’d prefer to ride in a sitting position or flying like Superman.  I almost always pick Superman!  When they release you, you fly approximately a quarter mile at speeds up to 50mph through the woods and over a river- it really is a breathtaking experience and one that I wanted to do over and over.  Luckily they said I could pay $10 for each ride after the 3/$55 deal I had paid for and that’s just what I did.  When I met back up with the group we all rode the SuperZip together- while they enjoyed the traditional tour they said the SuperZip was the highlight of the trip!

The driver of one of the all-terrain vehicles that transported us around the complex gave me directions to the liquor store so after dinner that night, Red, Holly and I made an alcohol run, trying to beat the clock and get there before 9:pm.  We arrived at 8:59 and found out they were open until 10:00- wahooo!  We filled up on Crown and Tequila and headed back to the cabin to relax for the night.  We spent a little time playing pool, sat in the hot tub as a group, went on a late night hike and wrapped up the evening around a blazing fire.   

The next day I went on an early morning walk, taking pictures of the area, chickens on a farm down the road and flowers growing in either shoulder.  Before we left Jo and I did one more skid around the circular driveway, a pastime that’s absurdly unnecessary and fun, then made our way back toward home.  It was a full weekend and every minute of it was a total blast!