Schiller Park

Photos by OHventures

Schiller Park
1069 Jaeger St
Columbus, OH 43206

I am a park fiend. Meaning, if I can find the right park, I can truly spend an entire day there and be completely content. Schiller Park is that perfect park. There is a bit of everything at there and it is in the perfect location. It is in the heart of German Village, which is truly one of the most quaint and down to earth neighborhoods in downtown Columbus.

The park (which in my opinion is rivaled only by Whetstone Park of Roses and Goodale Park) has a great pond with a bridge where it is common to see people feeding ducks, playing with motorized boats, or having a romantic walk with a loved one (or just a nice chat with a friend). There are also a lot of floral arrangements and unique landscaping peppered throughout the park, and lots of need statues, including a huge one of Mr. Schiller himself. You can't miss it.

The most unique thing about Schiller Park is that in the summer months, they have theatre productions in an amphitheatre in one corner of the park. Pack a picnic or some wine and some blankets and enjoy the show! It is free and kid-friendly, and sure as hell beats watching TV in the summer!!

Goodale Park

Photos by OHventures

Goodale Park
120 West Goodale Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215

Oh, Goodale Park, why are you so good to me? This is my favorite park in all of Columbus...plain and simple.

I admit, that this probably has a lot to do with Goodale Park being so close to where I live...but ACTUALLY I probably chose to live where I do because of how close it is to Goodale Park!

I first came to Goodale Park for the infamous "Community Festival" or "ComFest" held every summer. This is an event that is not for the faint of heart...but for someone like me, ComFest's free-spiritedness, jam bands, patchouli, booze, food vendors, and body paint made me warm and fuzzy on the inside. ComFest this year is June 24-26, 2011.

But ComFest is just one weekend a year (at the end of June) and does not represent Goodale Park as a whole. Goodale Park is sandwiched between the Short North, Victorian Village, Harrison West, and Park Street bars. I usually walk through going from one neighborhood to the next, or when coming to/from Park Street bars.

Goodale Park is perfect for running...which you can witness on any given sunny day. The park has a perimeter of approximately 1 mile, so you can easily keep track of how far you've run. There's also a kickball/softball diamond, tennis courts and playgrounds.

Guide to Canton

Photo by OHventures

Whether your into politics and history, sports and football, or arts and music, Canton is the city for you. Visiting Canton is full of fun and it's easily accessible, too. Located right off of Interstate 76, Canton is the county seat of Stark County in Northeast Ohio and is the 8th largest city in the state (with a population of approximately 73,000 residents). It is part of the NE Ohio trifecta of Akron-Canton-Cleveland.

I have done a great deal of work in the Canton area and have consequently spent a lot of time here and learned some of the best spots to go. I'd like to think this post can serve as a great starting point for anyone planning to spend a day in the area!

1. Monument Park (700 - 1150 Park Rd NW): This park is ideal for getting your exercise on! Whether it’s starting out with a morning run along the 1.5 mile running track, buffing up at the chin-up bars, or doing it “Rocky” style up the huge staircase at the adjacent McKinley Monument (see below), this place has got it for you. It’s also extremely picturesque, with a beautiful stream, duck pond (used for ice skating in winter months), and breathtaking gardens. Picnic tables and grills are also on site, so pack some hamburgers and hot dogs and kick back!

Solid As A Rock

You’ve got to have grit, strength and determination to make it in rock climbing. It’s not an activity to pursue if you are looking for a cake walk. Ladies with freshly manicured fingernails can say goodbye to those lacquered beauts and guys who have been playing in fantasy sports brackets more than they have been playing actual sports will have a tough time making it far. Indoor rock climbing may look pretty, with the rainbow of every-colored nubs sprinkled across the walls, but let it be known that it’s not to be taken lightly.

Have I scared you away yet? Not so fast!

While it is true that rock climbing is a very physical and challenging activity, there are a number of ways that indoor rock climbing facilities make it appealing to even the most skeptical of beginners. Everyone has to start somewhere, after all. Most of the time, the colored “rocks” I referred to earlier that are scattered on the climbing walls are that way because every different color represents a different “path” getting up the wall (this is not tried and true, but is very common). Like skiing, rock climbing has different levels of difficulty. Just like a skier wouldn’t dare hit up black diamond mogul hills on his or her first time on the slopes, a rock climber would never attempt to scale the most difficult path on the climbing wall on their first visit.

Here In Youngstown

Photo courtesy of S. Poullas

I grew up very close to Youngstown. In fact, while my small hometown of Hubbard lies in a different county, it still qualifies as being in the Youngstown Metropolitan Area. Even though I grew up very close to Youngstown, I can't say that I am an expert on the area. That in part is due to my moving to Columbus at the young age of 18. But I certainly have grown to appreciate my roots and have had the chance to explore the city a bit more as an adult when making trips back home.

Youngstown is located in Northeast Ohio on the Pennsylvania-Ohio border and is the county seat of Mahoning County. It's an hour and a half to Cleveland and an hour and a half from Pittsburgh. Youngstown is known as The Steel Valley and has become infamous as the capital city of The Rust Belt. Many people across the planet became familiar with the plight that struck the city due to singer Bruce Springsteen's song "Youngstown" which describes the economic woes that resulted when the steel industry collapsed in the area.

The booming steel industry occurred during the 1920s through the 1960s, while the decline took place in the 1970s. Youngstown undeniably took a lot of hits, but over the past couple of decades is back on the rise again! In fact, it was recently listed as one of Entrepreneur Magazine's Top 10 Cities to Start a Business!

So, this city rich in industrial history back on the rise is definitely worth a day trip. Below, read the Top 9 Things To Do When Visiting Youngstown.

Holy Toledo!

Photo by OHventures

Toledo is located in Lucas County, not far from Indiana, and is close to the border of that "Ugly State Up North" (that of which will not be named on this site). The Maumee River flows right through it and into the Maumee Bay, which is a part of Lake Erie. It is the fourth largest city in Ohio with a population of 651,409 (no I didn't count, Wikipedia told me!). Toledo is known as "The Glass City" which is due to the enormous amount of glass that was made here (duh) back in the hey-day. Because of this, the city has a rich history of both industry and art.

I have only traveled to Toledo on a few occasions in my lifetime so I have consulted my great college buddy Steve Shoffer, who will be the voice of reason for a great deal of this lovely post. Steve lives in the Village of Ottawa Hills, just minutes down the road from the University of Toledo. He said that while things may be spread out across the city, nothing is more than a 10-20 minute drive. This is what makes Toledo so great.

Steve and I have compiled a Quick-List of The Top 9 Places To Check Out When Visiting Toledo and we have it listed below. Be on the lookout for more posts dedicated to Toledo and focused on how to plan the perfect trip to The Glass City!