Indoor Trampoline Parks

Photos by OHventures

Sky Zone Indoor Trampoline Park

459 Orange Point Drive, Suite E

Lewis Center, OH 43035

Remember when you were little and the coolest kid on the block was the one with the giant trampoline in his or her backyard? It was an absolute blast gathering the neighborhood friends together to try our best flips and twirls and see who could jump the highest...that is, until we got yelled at by the adults for having too many people on the trampoline at once, or doing dangerous stunts. No matter how big that kid's trampoline was, it was never big enough. 

But now, there's a new cool kid on the block: indoor trampoline parks! And while there are a great deal of child and teen oriented events (like birthday parties) that take place here, these massive warehouses of fun are not just for kids! 

These indoor funhouses typically consist of a massive arena with a giant trampoline court, oftentimes with trampolines even on the walls! At these facilities, you can participate in trampoline aerobics, dodgeball (pictured above), free jump (pictured below), or a number of other awesome activities. 

Der Dutchman Restaurants

Dutch Valley Restaurant & Bakery 
1343 Old Route 39
Sugarcreek, OH 44681
(330) 852-4627

There is something inherently intriguing about a culture that lives so modestly without many of the luxuries of modern technology that they choose to ride horse and buggies over driving in cars, and opt to not use electricity (thus not reading this blog entry). A prominent Amish (or Amish Mennonite) population of approximately 50,000 people exists throughout the rural parts of Ohio, which is more than any other state in the Union (despite many of them speaking a language referred to as Pennsylvania Dutch). Thus, it is only logical that those of us who are not familiar with this sub-sector of our state to take a road trip to areas of the state where we can learn more about them.

The perfect place to become educated and experience the minimalist lifestyle of the Amish is at one of the five Der Dutchman Restaurants in Ohio (one also exists in neighboring Indiana). The restaurants are: Der Dutchman Restaurant & Bakery in Walnut Creek, Dutch Valley Restaurant & Bakery in Sugarcreek, Berlin Farmstead Restaurant in Berlin, Der Dutchman Restaurant & Bakery in Plain City, and the Dutch Kitchen, also in Plain City.  In case you feel you live too far to one of these locations, there are also inns on site so you can stay overnight. Shops and entertainment are also at each location, so you are sure to have plenty to do if you decide to make a weekend out of it.

READ MORE AT DISCOVERING OHIO

Writers Talk

On the set of OSU's "Writers Talk" with host Shantay Piazza and Nicholas Dekkar of the popular Ohio blog Breakfast With Nick

I had the distinct honor and privilege to appear as a guest on Ohio State University's "Writers Talk," a talk show dedicated to discussing all things writing. The show is put on by the OSU Center for the Study and Teaching of Writing (CSTW) and since I am an alumnus of OSU, I was extremely excited to appear on the show to discuss web writing with fellow blogger Nicholas Dekkar of the popular Ohio blog, Breakfast With Nick.

The show was taped in February and the audio version aired March 19 at 7 PM on WCRS radio, 98.3 & 102.1 FM and again on Wednesday, March 21 at 8 PM on WCBE radio, central Ohio's NPR station, 90.5 FM.

This was my first ever recorded interview for OHventures, so I was a bit nervous. There are a lot of "uhs" and "ums" at the beginning of the show (which is very uncharacteristic of me), but it doesn't take long until I warm up and get more comfortable. Shantay was a great interviewer, and I may be taking her or another Writers Talk staffer on an OHventurer to be featured soon as a B-side! The video version of the show will soon be uploaded to the official YouTube site.

You can also download the audio file of the show by visiting this link. The half hour segment also includes an interview with OSU basketball player turned author, Mark Titus, who discusses his new book, "Don't Put Me In, Coach."