The Cure To Boredom Fall/Winter 2016-2017

Adventure To Do List Fall/Winter 2016-17

It has been a while since I have done a 'Cure to Boredom List' (aka bucket list). I have been in the habit of just saying yes to new things without actually writing anything down. I have also referenced my old lists for things I have yet to cross off. I have since crossed off few things from my combined lists like taking a food tour out of town. I have taken two, one with Cincinnati Food Tours and if I can count The Christmas Cookie Tour of Inns in Amish Country. What? Aren't cookies food? Lol. I took a very short trip to Canton, Ohio, though I didn't get to do anything on my Canton To Do List, it counts.

The cold seasons are always harder to make things happen. I want to try to get out and do things but I also hate to be cold. Winter is a boring season and some of us get a little depressed, so this year I really want to find as much to do as possible. I will share some of it with you as it happens. Follow me on instagram @krisofohio.

1. Have Dinner on the Cincinnati Dinner Train
2. Take a photography workshop or class
3. Go Snow-tubing
4. Visit Clifton Mill
5. Try Cupping
6. Finish the Columbus Ale Trail
7.Start a food blog.
8.Grow garlic
9.Take a winter hike.
10. Learn to brew a batch of beer.


What are your plans for the fall/winter season?

Until next time,
 
Kris,

Another Year, Another Chance

 

Friday I celebrated my 34th birthday. Like most people I used the day for reflection and an excuse to overeat and  party with friends. Well, really that was my weekend. I didn't do any crazy partying but I drank and ate like a queen per my girlfriend Gayima's suggestion. I smiled a lot, I counted my blessings and I took note of those who were around for my day and weekend. 

I remember the things I cared about in my twenties. I loved to go to the club and sometimes I drank until I was sick. I planned my outfits days, sometimes weeks, in advance and I went to all of the big parties. Now, in my mid-thirties I love a low key situation. Partying to me means visiting a winery, brewery or having dinner and being loud with friends. In my thirties I have started traditions like taking a food tour on or around my birthday. This was the fourth birthday that I've taken a food tour with Columbus Food Adventures. Food tours have become one of my favorite activities. I wish twenty year old me discovered food tours long ago. I wish twenty year old me discovered many things before now. I wish I discovered travel so that I would not feel like I was playing catch up now. There are many things I would do differently knowing the things I know now.

 There are also just as many things that I am glad I did. I am glad I went off to Los Angles after high school to go to FIDM even if I only stayed a year.  I can say I lived on the West Coast. I was on the show Change of Heart, where I fell in love with Venice Beach and Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles. I got my first and only tattoo on that date at a parlor on Venice Beach. I saw a lot of movies before they came out those days participating in test audiences. I shopped Rodeo Drive and Melrose Ave. I met amazing people and some that I wanted to strangle. 

I am glad I took a year off then transferred to The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. Everything happens for a reason because I got to spend time with my dad before his untimely death. We went to concerts together, traveled and had arguments. I feel blessed to have been able to argue with my dad just as much as the fun. I would trade so many things to have an  argument with my dad again. 

I am glad that in my late twenties and early thirties, I really started to explore Ohio. My local travels have really opened my eyes to the world. Local travel has created a thirst in me to explore the world. So my hopes are to make that happen while in my thirties. As long as I have another day, week or year, I plan to live my life exploring, learning and sharing. Each day or year is another chance to do something inspiring. Each minute, day or year I am blessed with another chance to work on being happy.

Grateful & Blessed

Kris,

Photos from my weekend

For more photos find me on instagram @krisofohio!

Whistles, Popcorn & Ice Cream

During the summer, finding things to do during the week can sometimes be tricky. The weekends are much easier with festivals, fairs and interesting events. After the normal places like parks, museums and libraries have been exhausted, what is left? Well, Ohio has many amazing businesses with interesting stories and accolades. Some of these businesses offer factory tours or history tours with delicious treats or cool souvenirs at the end.

Last year my nephew and I enjoyed the Anthony Thomas Factory tour. It was quick, informative and cheap. We were given a free chocolate Buckeye at the end and the modestly priced tickets doubled as vouchers that could be applied toward goodies to take home. Of course we took full advantage.

This year my goal was to make this summer with my nephew mostly about new experiences. So the last two weeks we started our adventures touring a few Ohio businesses that we had not before. The thing is, of three businesses visited, we only got one real tour. Here is the breakdown of our experiences.

The American Whistle Corporation

I can't say that this is the most exciting tour unless you have some kind of affinity for whistles but this is an important company not just to Ohio but to the United States. The company is the ONLY company in the United States that produces metal whistles. The competition is all overseas. They create whistles for the Columbus Police department, and bigger police departments like NYPD. They are even responsible for the whistles used in the Super Bowl. 

For $4 you are walked through the process of creating a whistle. The tour guide takes you from machine to machine, explaining how the machine works and holding up the product for each part of the process. If it's hot outside, expect it to be pretty hot in the factory as well. They also have a rule of no photography in the factory. At the end of the tour you are given a company whistle. At the giftshop you can buy accessories like lanyards or the gold whistle like the ones Super Bowl officials and referees receive as gifts.

Al's Delicious Popcorn 

Founded by a man named Al who has since passed away. Family friends took over the brand and have been running the business and developing new flavors ever since. 

At Al's, the tour is more like watching a video, then tasting a bunch of their 60+
popcorn flavors. You don't get to go behind the scenes; they show you the process and go over some of the company history through the video. We stopped being terribly disappointed after we started tasting popcorn. The guide selected several flavors for the group to taste and then allowed us to pick extra flavors to try. There didn't seem to be a cut off. We probably could have tasted everything if we wanted to. Flavors we tasted included, Bubble Gum, Root beer, Jellybean, Pizza, Mango and Columbus Mix (a mix of vanilla butternut and white cheddar). They offer small $1.25 and $1.50 bags if you want to continue your tasting at home. Which we did. Our favorites were kosher dill and butter pecan.

Graeter's Ice Cream 

The Graeter's have been making ice cream
 since 1868. The fourth generation is still very much involved in the business. They pride themselves with producing the ice cream as they did in the beginning, in a French pot. This process produces a denser ice cream whereas newer ways to produce ice cream allows more air in the cream.

If you have the 15 person minimum that gets you a personal tour guide, this guided tour is probably worth checking out. Otherwise, going to this location when you have a Graeter's up the street from you is kind of a waste in my opinion. The production has been shipped off to Cincinnati so the tour doesn't include getting to see anything being produced. It is just a hallway where a video can be viewed, you can read historical facts, view production photos and get a close up of old equipment. It's kind of cool if you are in the area but I can't say it's destination worthy. My nephew and I stopped in after our tour at Al's Delicious Popcorn. I would recommend visiting them both while in the area. Who can't appreciate popcorn and ice cream in the same day?

If you are interested in these tours and need more information, clink on the business name links.

Until next time,
Be blessed! Be free! Be adventurous!
Kris, 

Hello 2015!

photos: Amish Country, Beyonce & Jay souvenir book, my first pumpkin pie, Earth Wind & Fire concert, Christmas Cookie Tour of Inns, my nephew in the Ohio Village, my black and white cookies, The Lion King Broadway Play Bill, Me and Dr. Breakfast after the Columbus Food Adventure Breakfast Tour

I had an incredible 2014! I started this blog. I went to quite a few concerts. I saw Cher, Cyndi Lauper, K Michelle, 2 Chainz ,Beyonce, Jay-Z, Earth Wind & Fire and Aretha Franklin. I was introduced to a group called Foreign Exchange, when a friend invited me to their concert last spring. I realize my list is an odd combination of artists but I love music. I spent the summer exploring Columbus with my eleven year old nephew. We treated our city as if we were tourists and visited the normal places like COSI and the statehouse and not so known places like Krema Nut Company. I tried some new things like canoeing. I discovered the North American Pawpaw and tasted pawpaw dishes at the Ohio Pawpaw Festival. I introduced my sister to Ohio Amish Country.  Then I returned to Amish Country in December for The Christmas Cookie Tour of Inns. I traveled to several Ohio cities that I had not been like Portsmouth, Frazeysburg and Kingston. I got a free Columbus Food Aventures tour which I used to have Breakfast with Nick, one of my favorite local bloggers. I participated in a Room Escape Adventure where I was locked in a room with a zombie with just an hour to escape. My group made it out with just under two minutes to spare.  I saw the Lion King Broadway Musical and the Cirque du Soleil Michael Jackson show. I learned how to make pumpkin pie, paella and New York style black and white cookies. It was a busy year, I can't even name all the shows I saw, new restaurants or recipes I tried, things I did and places I visited.

I hope to do so much more in this year. I want to facilitate the expansion of my business and travel more. I want to organize my closet and the rest of my life. I want to also inspire you and the people around me. I know I am one blogger in a sea of more established bloggers so thank you for your time and interests. Thank you for being a part of my journey!

Be blessed Be free! Be adventurous!

Kris,

Holiday Overload! The Must See Holiday Displays in Columbus of 2014

Yay! It's almost Christmas! For the last three years, I have gone out in search of free light displays.  I have tried to research light displays online to no avail.  There are always forums of people asking where the best residential light displays are around town with little to go on. The last two years I have visited the same two houses, so I sought out leads last week on social media. This year I lucked out with a few new finds. 

These displays are beautiful or beautifully tacky. They are the kind of displays that take months to create and rack up hundreds of dollars in energy bills but we love the way they make us feel when we look at them. They evoke precious memories of our childhood when things were simpler and exciting. They remind us of the days when some of us believed in magic. 

On Christmas Eve, after Christmas dinner or after you see the new Christmas movie release you've been waiting on; take a drive around the Columbus area to check out these cool displays. After all, this is something we only get to see once a year. 

1. All American Christmas 

This house is in my neighborhood, so I have visited this house for three years. This is one of my favorite displays because the design is always well thought out  and executed. It is the cleanest light display of the bunch. It changes a little every year. This year my neighbor added a lit American flag. Since I did not get any close up details, the second photo is a photo of what he did two years ago for a comparison. I loved the gift wrap windows that year.

Find it on the west side of Columbus on Richardson between Eakin and Mound.

Richardson December 2014

December 2012

2. The Christmas Melting Pot

This is another house I have visited the last three years. I call it the 'Christmas Melting Pot' because there is a little of everything in this display. The lawn is covered in wooden cut outs, wire figures and so on. I love this display because it is soooo over the top. I have never been by for any other holidays but I hear this house goes all out for more than just Christmas. There is also a house on the street to the right of this one that almost made my list. It is beautifully decorated but just not crazy enough for me.

Find this house in Upper Arlington off Riverside Dr. on Guilford Rd/Cambridge

Guilford Rd/ Cambridge 2014

details: Santas in the windows and hanging from the house

3. Land of Lights

This residence is new to me this year.  It was one of the leads I got on social media. It is on a large piece of property not too far from where I live. I am surprised I had not been until now since they have been creating this display for many years. The tradition of their holiday decorating has been passed down to the second generation. The display which spans over the property starting from a very long driveway includes 50,500 lights.  It was impossible for me to get the entire display in one photo. Even two wasn't enough. You are going  to have to check it out for yourselves. Don't be intimidated by the long driveway. They expect you to pull in.

Find this home on the west side of Columbus on Valley View Dr. off Hague. It is across from the YMCA.

Valley View Dr/ Hague December 2014

Details: figures are spread out all over the property December 2014

 4. The Musical Toy Box

This is the first year I visited this home. I am not a fan of blow up figures but this home became my second favorite. Not only is it colorful and fun but there is music. While you take in the colorful blinking lights and all of the blow-up  figures including a red M&M, Christmas songs permeate the air. I wanted to sit in front of this house forever.

Find this home on Santa Maria Drive in Grove City off La Rosa Dr.

Santa Maria Dr. December 2014

details: Lit arches to the garage that blink December 2014

I hope this post will help those of you looking for lights in Columbus this year. For my readers in other cities, you may want to check out the Tacky Light Tour site. There isn't much there for my area but there are locations for so many other cities. Thank you Stephanie for all of the great leads! I had such a great time looking at these homes. They were better than anything I expected.

Those of you who have anymore lights I need to check out in the Columbus area, please feel free to share. If I visit them I will add them to the blog and give you a shout out!

Until next time

Be blessed! Be Free! Be Adventurous!

Kris,

Count Down to BDay 2014

Every year I get to see a Birthday is a blessing,I embrace getting older. I believe it is a gift and a privilege. We don't all get the same amount of time and the next day is never promised. With that said, I choose to treat each Birthday as a holiday. The main day is the most important but I plan small celebrations or activities throughout the month. My birthday is October 30th and I will be thirty-three this year. This Thursday I am not certain what I will be doing but if I wake up that morning I will be grateful. If I am blessed to see the weekend, I will continue the celebration. For now, I want to share with you some of the things I have been up to this month as part of my celebration.


Hakuna Matata

I have wanted to see The Lion King on Broadway for as long as it has existed. People who'd seen it before me told me about the beautiful costumes and how I would really love and appreciate it because I am an artist and designer. When I heard it was coming to Columbus, I knew I had to go see it. I told my mom that I wanted tickets for my birthday and the rest is history. I saw the show two weeks ago with my nephew. I was overwhelmed by the presentation. It was so intense and visually stunning. It was far more than I anticipated even after the feedback I got from those who attended previously. I was overwhelmed by the colorful cast and the positive homage to the continent in which the story takes place, Africa. I also really appreciated how the production managed to use so much of the beautiful and historic Ohio Theatre. There were characters in the balconies and walking down the aisles. I am a fan!! I will see it again in the future.The production leaves Columbus November 9th. There are still tickets left for the Columbus presentations. If you can't make it before then, they return to Ohio next year on March 31, at the Aronoff Center for the Arts in Cincinnati. For the rest of the tour stops visit The Lion King website.

Breakfast With Nick

Saturday morning I spent 3.5 hours with Dr.Breakfast. Nick Dekker is a Columbus, Ohio blogger and author of both the blog and book titled 'Breakfast with Nick'. I have been following his blog for some time now and recently purchased his book after first checking it out at the library. So when I learned that Dr. Breakfast and Columbus Food Adventures were teaming up for a Breakfast Tour, I was elated. The first tour was October 18th and filled up faster than I could get signed up. CFA has a passport program that rewards loyal customers with a free tour after collecting four stamps from purchased tours.I got my passports mailed out in time to be the last participant on the second tour. By then, the kinks had been worked out and I am sure the pressure was greatly reduced for Nick. He was very informative and by far the friendliest guide I have had during a CFA tour. Obviously, they are all friendly, after all, this was my fifth tour.

I have done a tour at the end of October for the last three years. Last year I did two. I have done the German Village and Short North walking tours, the Dessert Tour and the Taco Truck tour but this was by far my favorite tour. There is something very special about getting a tour of great breakfast spots by Dr. Breakfast himself. I admit, I am a fan. The tour gives his readers the opportunity to actually break bread with the man himself. He is easy going and makes it very comfortable to ask questions. He comes across believable and trustworthy. His choices in stops were brilliant, offering variety and food selections that were rare and special. For the brunch lovers, we got to indulge in two small plates; a chicken and waffle along with a mini pancake with maple pulled pork. At the same spot we also got a small Bloody Mary that we whipped up ourselves from the Bloody Mary bar. Ethyl and Tank, the brunch spot was the only place I had not been. Some of the other stops included Buckeye Donuts where we got to sample various donuts and listened to owner Jimmy's stories of famous patrons such as music legend, The Ol'So Fabulous Prince. Other offerings from the five tour stops were a 'Buckeye Pancake', a pancake with chocolate and peanut butter, a gravy covered piece of work called a 'Gut Buster', a Latin dish with chorizo and tortillas and a  'Doughssant'. The Doughssant, also known to some as the Cronut has been offered through the Auddino family in Columbus/Hillard for twenty years. You can find the 'Doughssant' at Auddino's Bakery & Cafe. I left the tour feeling full but not uncomfortable. I had to follow the tour with a long walk through the Short North.

The Zombie Escape

Occasionally I come across an activity in the city that blows my mind. I was browsing Experience Columbus when I found Room Escape Adventures and the 'Trapped in a Room with a Zombie' show. Lately all we have heard from doctors is how we need to pay more attention to our brain. It has been suggested to maintain a healthy brain and memory that our brain needs exercise.  This show is definitely a good way to do that. You are locked in a room for an hour with a zombie chained to a piece of furniture. You are forced to think through riddles and look for clues all while the zombie is trying to get you. The chain is released a foot every five minutes, so the zombie is getting closer and closer to you as time goes on. Teamwork is very necessary whether you know the people you are working with or not. Of all the cities where this company operates the show which includes big cities like: Los Angeles, New York and Atlanta, only 32% of the groups participating have won. Luckily we were among that percentile, escaping with just under two minutes left of the hour. 

I found the show to be amusing and challenging. I was able to offer some assistance during the game but found myself stuck many times. At the end the host will answer any questions you have and give you a run down of the highlights of your game. He announces a MVP and the people who helped the game along. I was happy to hear my name in the credits even though I knew what I'd done. Everyone loves a pat on the back.  This was something unique and interesting to do. They have been doing this show since February of this year but if you are looking for something fun to do for Halloween, there are still tickets left. However, there is no rush, you can also schedule for a show up until December. Should you go, look for my group photo. If you beat the game, you are added to the 'Wall of Fame'.

image courtesy of savvycities.com

The older I get, the less I want things. I have come to value experiences more. This year I have made sure to do things that I have always wanted to do and expose myself to a plethora of new experiences. That is what this blog is supposed to be about. I hope that you have enjoyed my entries so far this year. I have been inspired by so many people in my life, I hope that I have projected that same inspiration onto you as well. 

I would love to know!
What do you do special for your birthday? 
Or
What are your birthday plans for your next birthday?

Until Next Time,
Be Blessed! Be Free!BE Adventurous!
Kris, 

My Summer In Columbus/ 20 Places You Should Check Out If You Haven't

 When I was a child, my sister and I spent summers in Fort Lauderdale. For those who don't know me well, my sister and I were born in Broward County hospital in Fort Lauderdale, many moons ago.  We moved to Columbus when were in elementary school. Our parents were separating so we lived with mom and visited our dad and relatives during summer break. Though we were normal kids, wanting to keep our parents together, we were okay with the extra attention. Going to Florida was going home again but it was also vacation. We went to Disney World and Epcot every year. We spent days at the beach. Family and friends scheduled time with us to shop, go to cookouts and do other fun activities. Those were great summers.

As an adult things change. Summers become just another season. You have to work and pay bills. You can't completely equate the season with fun. You have to fit the fun in, scheduling it around the day to day activities that have to be taken care of first.  For me, it is a little different because I am an artist. I don't have a 9 to 5, so I am a lot freer than most people. I had not had a summer like those I spent in Florida for many years until this one. There were no trips to Disney World or Epcot. No playing in the ocean or sand. It was me and my nephew two days a week all summer, exploring the places in our own backyard. We made a huge dent in the movies that came out this Summer including the newest Transformer movie. We bowled and battled it out in laser tag. We tried new foods and checked out places that offered revamped oldies like gourmet grilled cheese at Melt and Peanut butter sandwiches at the oldest peanut butter company in the world, Krema Nut Co.  I have posted some of our adventures this summer but I wanted to create a guide for entertaining kids, out of town guests or just for a day of exploring the city yourself.  The summer is coming to an end and my nephew has been back to school almost a month. I love sharing so I had to create a list. This is a guide that can be used for next summer or for weekend activity ideas. I am hoping it will be a great source for out of town tourists or for inspiration to those in other cities. Most important, I am only listing places that I have personally visited.  This is a list of places and things I stand behind because I enjoyed them with my nephew or other loved ones this summer.

History, Science & Nature

These are places most of us already know about so I will quickly get them out the way. Most of these places are also full day adventures. There are plenty of things to see and do at most of these places and when it's time to eat, you can purchase prepared meals at decent prices. I will specify when there are any exceptions.

1.COSI (Center of Science & Industry)- Not just for the kids and family, they have adult only nights once a month.  I am also excited that the planetarium is returning in just weeks. My tip for optimum enjoyment, arrive early to see and participate in as much as possible! There is a café on premises with lots of options. 

2.The Ohio History Center & The Ohio Village- Ohio history at it's finest!  However, the summer is the best time to go because the Ohio Village is open and you can see what things were like in the 1800s including people dressed in period clothing. There are picnic tables in the village. Pack a lunch.

3.Franklin Park Conservatory- I love the Blooms and Butterflies! The botanical gardens are beautiful! Other smaller exhibits change!  I am looking forward to 'Scary Plants', a fall exhibit coming in a couple weeks. Great Café on premises! Menu items change and food is often made with fresh items grown on the premises.

4.The State House- Not an all day experience. 45 minute tour + time to explore the small museum and gardens. The tour is free! Café on premises. 

5.The Columbus Zoo & Aquarium  - We happen to have one of the best Zoos in the world which includes a great relationship with our own Jack Hanna. Check out the new Africa Exhibit! There are many food options available but packed lunch can be brought in to save money.

6.Slate Run Living Historical Farm-Technically this is located in the Canal Winchester area.  You can get a feel of what it was like to live and run a farm in 1880. There is no electricity and everyone is in period clothing. There is also no running water so that means out houses. Hand sanitizer is a must! It is part of a metro park system so pack a picnic style lunch. Check online for scheduled activities for kids. My nephew got to do farm chores, play games and even helped prepare cookies that were part of his snack during a program called "Cheers and Chores". You can just show up but to participate in programs you must register.  Registered or not, it's free.
 

Off The Beaten Path

These are places that even the locals didn't know about or know about but have yet to visit. You pass by these places every day and say," I will stop in one day and the next thing you know", it's been years and years of "one day".

7.Early Television Museum- This place is located in Hilliard, Ohio. It is well worth 45 minutes to an hour of you time. It shows you how far television has come. We went from watching television screens the size of the screens on our smart phones to watching television on our smart phones. Check out the first television sets in black and white and color.

8.Central Ohio Fire Museum-Need some fire safety information or a refresher course? You will get that along with plenty of Ohio fire and general fire history. Take photos of the beautiful antique engines and make sure to ask about the resident spirits.

Visual Art

Art has always been a big deal to me, so my list would not be complete without some of the best places to view some of the greatest examples of visual art we have to offer in the city. There is the normal city art museum but there is also great places to see crafts and cartoons.

9.The Columbus Museum of Art- Permanent and Changing Exhibits. To feel like more of an experience, bring a drawing pad to sketch things you see. There are lots of interactive activities through out the museum. There is a cafe on the premises.

10.The Wexner Arts Center- A great place to see some wonderful pieces. When I went over the summer with my nephew, we checked out the Modern Cartoonist exhibit that included some modern cartoons with lots of really edgy topics, another exhibit with some familiar comic strips of the past, and a comic future exhibit with some 3d concepts that were amazing. Exhibits change. Cafe on the premises.

11.The Billy Ireland Cartoon Museum-  If you are a fan of comic strips, you will love this place. See classics like Calvin & Hobbes. It takes about an hour, more if you choose to read everything. The museum is free!

 12.The Ohio Craft Museum- One floor of beautiful handmade pieces and a gift shop. This only takes about 20 minutes or less to check out. Visit if you are in the area. It's free!

 

Foodie Adventures

Let's start with interesting takes on oldies but goodies!

These places are great for kids and adults because it is familiarity with a twist. You can get the old school versions or be adventurous and try something interesting and fun.

13.Melt  Bar & Grilled - gourmet grilled cheese (Try the Cleveland Cheese Steak or the Cuban War Pig featured below)

14.Dirty Franks- hot dogs with fancy toppings ( My favorites are the Ohioana and the Seoul Dog. Get some tater tots and a slushie drink)

15.Kerma Nut Company- gourmet peanut butter sandwiches ( The oldest peanut butter company in America is in Columbus. Sit down for a sandwich and a milkshake. Try the Classic Old Timer with a PB & J shake. Browse the shop for nuts, candy or a jar of peanut butter to go.)

  Foodie Wonderlands & Tours

16.Anthony Thomas Factory-The tour takes about 45 minutes. The very small fee can be applied to a purchase at the end of your visit. No photos are allotted because they do work for other companies. The smell is intoxicating, it even takes over the elevator you take to the catwalk where the tour mostly takes place. You get a free chocolate buckeye at the end of your tour.

17.The North Market-This is one of my favorite places in the city. I just recently picked up some burrata, olive oil and some great pepper corns from there last week. The market is a place to find things you cant find anywhere else. It is a great place to stop for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is also a great place to take a guest or child. Most vendors offer unlimited samples. Literally, you can sample just about every item a vendor carries in most cases. Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream is one of the best places to sample everything. There are also popcorn samples at Pam's, and salsas and hot sauces at CaJohs's Flavor & Fire. The prepared food vendors let you sample also before you make a purchase. 

18.German Village-This area of town has so much history. I learned what I learned about it during a Columbus Food Adventure tour a couple years ago. It is a great place to visit, take a guest or child because there is so much culture there along with good food. Not to mention The Loft, the best book store in Columbus. For food, you have to check out Schmidt's for authentic German dining. Don't forget your cream puff for dessert!

19.Columbus Food Adventures- This I know plenty about because I have done four of their nine tours. I love this company because they offer an opportunity to get a taste of the best restaurants and food trucks the city has to offer. They also offer a free tour after your fourth tour. I am trying to decide between the Food Truck Tour and a the newest walking tour in Grandview. I have done tours in the Short North and German Village. I have also done the Taco Truck and Dessert tours. I have never left hungry or disappointed. I recommend these tours for out of towners and locals. For locals it gives you a chance to try restaurants with no risk. The taste you are offered during a tour may send you back to a restaurant that you would never have stopped in, that could become a new favorite.

Update! They added another new tour in September! They partnered with breakfast blogger and book author, Nick Dekker from Breakfast with Nick, to create a Breakfast Tour. It starts running October 11th.

Sports & Family Fun Bonus!

20.Huntington Park-A Clippers game was on my to do list for the summer and I finally made it. It is a great family night or date night. It may not be the best tourist attraction for someone visiting from a big city who has a big league team but it is definitely something all locals and small town folk should check out. I hope not to offend anyone. I found it to be a blast. I actually watched the game and participated in mascot activities. The hotdogs aren't too bad either. 

21.Zoombezi Bay-I can't swim so I loved this place because there was plenty I could still enjoy with shallow water. I went for the first time this summer but didn't get to enjoy it as much as I'd planned because of rain. However, it is lots of fun for both kids and adults. The food is a little expensive but you can bring your own and picnic in the zoo/water-park picnic area. There are a lot of food options available if you choose to eat at the park.

photo courtesy of blooloop.com

I hope you enjoyed my list! If there are places you feel I need to visit on your must see list, let me know. I will make it my next adventure.

Be Blessed! Be free! Be fashionable!

BE ADVENTUROUS!

Kris,

The Cure To Boredom Part III / Exploring My City II

Exploring My City Part II

by Kristin 

The gallery in the Columbus Metropolitan Library

More than a few weeks ago, I posted about my adventures here in Columbus with my nephew. I was put in charge of entertaining and educating my nephew for two days each week while he is on summer break. Since the last post we have checked out a many places and learned many new things. Like a teacher, I created a lesson plan which included a list of places for me and my nephew/student to visit and the days in which we would visit them. After much research this list included the Anthony Thomas Factory, the North Market, the Columbus Metropolitan Library, and some of the traditional places like COSI and the Ohio History Center and Ohio Village. Today I will only cover a few places we visited. These are the places I found to be less covered in all of the sources I found on entertaining kids in the Columbus or entertainment for tourists in general. The sources listed places and ideas but 
sometimes I still had to come up with a way to make things a little more interesting and fun. Check out our latest adventures!



Columbus Metropolitan Library

Well, I know what you are thinking. Educational? Yes! Entertaining? Could be. There are books there and reading for children and adults is a great thing.  It's a library, why is that so special in terms of tourism? Well, it is within the largest 100 libraries in the country, it is a beautiful representation of Greek architecture and they have a beautiful small art gallery upstairs.  All my years of checking out books there and eating muffins from the little café cart, I never knew about the upstairs gallery until this past month. My nephew and I renewed our library cards, checked out a few books then spent some time looking at art in the gallery. The gallery featured some interesting pieces made from glass, book pages and fabric. To make a day of it, we got lunch up the street at Hills Market and ate our lunch behind the library at Topiary Park. 

 

Anthony Thomas Factory

I really loved the chocolate factory tour! The tickets were two dollars for adults and a dollar for my eleven year old nephew. We were given vouchers with those values to use toward a purchase at the end of the tour. There was no photography allowed in the factory because they produce chocolate for well known companies who outsource their work. While we were there, we saw them making Christmas candy for one of the names most of us have known since childhood. Here is a hint, rhymes with sticks! So when you see egg shaped Santa Clause chocolates filled with cookie and caramel this coming December, it was probably made at Anthony Thomas's Factory using the outsourced company's recipe. We walked through a glass catwalk over the workers where we could see everything being produced. The workers who weren't on high demand assembly lines waved and smiled at us as we passed. At the end of our tour we were given a free buckeye chocolate. Then most people strolled through the store to find a way to use their vouchers. No surprise, we were among them. Leaving the place twenty dollars lighter, we were excited about our chocolaty souvenirs.

The North Market

I recently introduced my nephew to the North Market. I grew up visiting the place. It is the place most people go when they can't find an ingredient they need for a recipe anywhere else. In fact it was the place I went to buy a special kind of goat cheese for my French cheese cake I made for a project for French class. I t was also the first place I tasted Jeni's ice cream. It is a great place to meet friends for breakfast, lunch or early dinner. Believe it or not it is also a great place to take kids. It can be a great cultural experience for a child with so many different foods from different countries. Most vendors offer samples.  Often there are large areas dedicated to sampling what the vendors sell. My nephew had a great time sampling salsas, sauces, popcorn and ice cream. Sounds like a stomach ache waiting to happen but it is a good time. After walking around the whole place, we settled on some Polish cuisine for lunch. That was something new for both of us. It was a gamble with us both trying something new but we really enjoyed the meal.

My summer with my favorite little guy is coming to an end. I have two weeks left with him before he goes back to school. Every week I looked forward to a new adventure with him and sometimes it felt like we jumped on a plane and went away for the day. There is so much to do and learn in the city we live in. While I love leaving to explore unknown territory elsewhere, I was surprised to get the same high and satisfaction from participating in activities in our own backyard. This was especially true when the destination or activity was just as new to me as it was to my nephew. There is so much to share and so little time so I will post my favorite places that I haven't covered soon. 

Until next time,
Be Blessed! Be free! Be Adventurous!