The Deer Of The Scioto

Photos by OHventures

Genoa Park
303 W. Broad St.
Columbus, OH 43215

Genoa Park is a beautiful park on the Western bank of the Scioto River, right behind COSI Columbus: The Center of Science & Industry in downtown Columbus, right off of Broad Street. At the center of the park, you'll find a set of large amphitheater steps, alternating with grass and concrete, which overlook the river, and provide for a great view of the iconic Columbus skyline (including the Riffe Center, Huntington Tower, and the Ohio Supreme Court Building). The park lies directly across the river from the Scioto Mile.

Plenty of people head to Genoa Park to have picnics, bike, run, and check out the fountains atop the amphitheater. But, now, as of late 2015, there is a new reason to come to Genoa Park: statues of giant bronze deer. Yes, you read that right. Giant bronze deer.

You can find two bronze sculptures of "humanized" deer at Genoa Park, one sitting upright on the stairs, and the other lounging nearby in the grass (a third deer can be found at the nearby Rich Street Bridge, leaning against the railing, looking out on the river). But why?! Well, apparently, the name of the Scioto River is derived from a Native American word that means "hairy water." Legend states that Shawnee tribe members found deer hair floating in the water when they migrated to the area. Hence, hairy water. Hence...deer statues?!

Artist Terry Allen came up with the concept and design, which is meant to represent how deer used to be prevalent in this area along the Scioto River, but now it is populated by humans, who often are running, biking, and lounging along the riverside. It is meant to be thought provoking and engaging to the public, to show a cross between when the deer once lived here and how humans currently do. Whatever it is, I think it's pretty cool - although a bit strange. 

Ohio-fy Your Life

Photos by OHventures

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being so devoted that you'd get an Ohio tattoo (I am considering it), how hardcore of an Ohio fan are you? We aren't talking Ohio State football (although we are big-time Buckeyes fans), or Ohio University (although Athens is one of the coolest college towns around), but we are talking the entire state of Ohio.

If you are a tried and true lover of this great state, from Lake Erie to the Ohio River, from Ashtabula to Cincinnati, then here are some products that you can get to Ohio-fy Your Life. And, yes, all of these are in my house!

1. Ohio Thread Art: Pictured at the beginning of this post, this thread art in the shape of Ohio is hanging proudly in my bedroom. Made by a friend at Threaded State (based in Cincinnati), you too can get a customized piece of Ohio thread art. Choose your color, your design, and whether or not you want to highlight a special city! You can also learn to make your own.

2. Milk Chocolate Ohio: Okay, so this was in my house, before I devoured it. Just in time for Easter (or whatever the closest holiday is at the time you are reading this), I purchased this tasty milk chocolate shaped like Ohio from Hartville Chocolate Factory in Stark County. You can also get loads of other goodies, such as chocolate covered strawberries and chocolate dipped Oreos, which are not shaped like Ohio, but taste pretty awesome nonetheless.

3. Ohio BibFolio: If you are a runner, and you live in Ohio (or do a lot of races in Ohio), then this handy dandy contraption is for you. It's called a "BibFolio," and it holds all of your race number bibs inside! Since I have dozens and dozens of bibs from races, this was a no-brainer. You can get a ton of different designs, but how can you pass up the RUN OHIO design?!

4. Ohio Ink Art: This Ohio ink art was special made for OHventures by our pal Matt of MATTHEWDYEstudio in Canton. Browse his site to see what artwork he has on sale. Odds are, there are some Ohio pieces available - or, if not, he would be willing to whip one up for you! Tell him I sent ya.

5. Ohio Cutting Board: I am quite the chef these days (don't believe me, then stop over for some award winning chili or my specialty shrimp & cheesy grits). So, a trusty bamboo cutting board in the shape of Ohio is a dream for me. Pictured, you can see I had a little fun and added some cut carrots on my three "homes" of Columbus, Akron/Canton, and Youngstown (Hubbard). This find was thanks to the Totally Bamboo brand sold at Bed Bath & Beyond.

6. Ohio Pocket T-Shirt: This is one of my favorite Ohio-themed items I own (can't you tell by the goofy face I am making while modeling it in the picture above?). The reason I love it so much is because of the story it tells. This shirt is from a new grassroots company in Akron called Neighbors Apparel. All shirts and accessories are made by refugee women living in Akron. Plus, a portion of the profits goes towards giving these refugee women a living wage, and some is donated to help Urban Vision, an inner-city mission in Akron. Become a neighbor today by getting one of these shirts!

7. Rubber City Golf Balls: And while we are in Akron, we may as well put a plug in for Rubber City Clothing, which sells, among other things, these golf balls donning - what else? - the shape of the state of Ohio! It's on my bucket list to hit the links and become a better golfer, so perhaps these balls will be good luck? If not, there's always other great Ohio-themed clothing and items at Rubber City Clothing as well!

8. #OHIO T-Shirt: Ah, yes. I couldn't ever pass up a shirt such as this. It incorporates a hashtag AND Ohio's historical year of settlement? The irony! The cheekiness! The Ohio-ness! I can't even. I got this gem at the Ohio-themed boutique in downtown Columbus called State & Third (found at the Shops on Capital Square). The vendor of the shirt is Lamp Apparel.

Stay tuned for more ways to Ohio-fy Your Life! Have items to add to our Ohio collection, send us an email to let us know!

Adopt Your Own Wine At Camelot Cellars

Photos by OHventures

I have been coming to Camelot Cellars in the Short North in Columbus for years - in groups to celebrate a birthday, with a couple of friends for a special event, and even by myself for a quick glass of vino after a long day of work. All are enjoyable experiences, but what makes Camelot Cellars stand out in my opinion is that they offer customers the chance to handcraft (or adopt) their own wine!

The handcrafting process allows you the chance to make your very own wine using the equipment on site at Camelot. You come in and taste various wines to see which you want to make, then you are guided through the process - adding the chosen grape/fruit juice(s), correct amount of yeast, oak, etc. Then, you come back about 12 weeks later to complete the process, which consists of bottling, corking, capping, and labeling (you can design your own labels too).

The entire wine making experience can be read in full here on OHventures in Part I and Part II.

This year, instead of making my own wine at Camelot Cellars, I ADOPTED my own wine instead.

What does that mean? Well, if you don't have 12 weeks, you can skip the first step and "ADOPT" wine - meaning, they have the wine already fermented in a large container ready for you to just come in and bottle, cork, cap, and label!

The wine this year was "Blush Mime Blush Wine" (an inside joke) - an Australian Grenache Rose!

The wine label I created for my adopted wine (pink for breast cancer awareness in October)

Wine adoption was just as fun as wine making (just a tad less personal and a bit more expensive - but all worth it!). I brought my family with me and it was an awesome bonding time - and a memory creator for sure. I buy a case that I give out to everyone as Christmas gifts each year - personalized and unique!

So, there ya go! Camelot Cellars is your answer if you want to handcraft or bottle up your own wine without all of the crazy equipment at home. Do it now!

North High Brewing

Photos by OHventures

North High Brewing

1288 North High Street

Columbus, OH 43201

(614) 407-5278

Homemade beer is becoming more and more popular these days, with a growing number of people setting up at-home basement kitchens and makeshift microbreweries  to concoct their very own sudsy beer. But, to do it right, that requires a great deal of expensive equipment that some people might not be comfortable purchasing. Thankfully, if you want to become a brewmaster for a day, your wish can come true at North High Brewing, a brand spanking new brewery located smack dab in the middle of the bustling Short North neighborhood of Columbus!

We are living in a day of age where the "me" mentality reigns supreme - everyone wants everything personalized and hands on. Creativity and customization are sought after in every aspect of life. And we at OHventures are no strangers to this. We love giving things our own signature stamp of approval! So why shouldn't that apply to our favorite things - like BEER? At North High Brewing, this is all possible!

With North High Brewing's Owner, Gavin Meyers

OHventures had its first encounter with North High Brewing as part of the Columbus Brew Adventures Downtown Brewery Tour last fall. Here, we met owner Gavin Meyers, whose personality is larger than life and his passion for what he does certainly shines whenever he talks. Gavin told us over a large crowd gathered in the bar (a regular sight at North High Brewing) about the recent renovations that went into creating the brewery. He explained every intricacy found within the bar - from the stools, to the window sills, to the table tops. All of the parts and pieces of the bar have a cool background story that is half the fun of visiting. 

The star of the show is of course the beer itself, so we took the opportunity to taste-test about 4 different beers on this trip. My favorite was the  was the rich, dark chocolate milk stout that reminded me a lot of coffee. It was mighty tasty, and left quite an impression (in more ways than one - it is 6% alcohol after all).

Recently, OHventures made a special return visit to North High Brewing to have a more intimate and one-on-one experience with Gavin, and so we could taste test TEN of the beers that are brewed special at NHB! Some of the highlights from our tasting experience were as follows (descriptions taken from the official site):

• Filthy McNasty - Russian Imperial Stout - ABV 8.1% :: IBUs 50: A beer of pure decadence and excess. While this style was originally brewed by a London brewer for export to the queen of Russia, this beer isn't going anywhere. Sit down and let it warm up. Enjoy notes of coffee, chocolate, sweet malt and boozy warmth. A nice hop balance and presence makes this a beer to savor.
• Brown Ale - ABV 4.8% :: IBUs 24: This Northern English Ale is sweet, biscuity and full bodied. The color is a direct reflection of the style and the low ABV makes this a great game day beer.
• Wee Heavy Ale - ABV 8.0% :: IBUs 25: Sing it with me now: I love scotch! Scotchy, scotch, scotch. Here it goes down. Down into my belly.. With a prominent amount of honey, this beer is boozy, smokey, caramelly and delicious.
• Double IPA - ABV 7.3% :: IBUs 115: A bit sweeter than your average double. This has a bit of residual sugars from the malt. Generous hop additions clear your palate and leave you with a citrus hop bitterness. A double IPA that can be enjoyed by all. 
• Oldford - Porter - ABV 6.8% :: IBUs 37: Deep and roasty, silky and smooth. This porter brewed with molasses will leave dark beer drinkers wanting nothing more.
• Pale Ale - ABV 5.5% :: IBUs 46: Light in color but not in hop presence. The citrusy sweet hop presence makes this beer a gateway to the world of hops.

Drinking a slew of beers from North High Brewing

For those wondering, I did not finish all of these samples alone - I had help from my trusty sidekicks Matt and Jess (the same folks who went paddleboarding with me last summer). We were all rather satisfied by pretty much all of the beers here at North High Brewing and couldn't wait to learn more about how we could make our very own!

Making our own beer on site is high on our Buckeye Bucket List - and it seems like a ton of people had the same idea. In the back room, behind the bar, dozens of brewmasters in training were circled around copper vats, creating their beer by hand, with what looked like pretty in-depth step-by-step instructions. Because of how popular the brewing opportunity is here at North High Brewing, Matt, Jess, and I were not able to get our hands dirty that evening. Like all people interested in brewing beer, we had to schedule in advance so that we could reserve one of the kettles! That said, we will be reporting step-by-step later on this Spring when we have our turn!

If you are also interested in scheduling a brewing experience, visit the North High Brewing Calendar to find an open slot. 

To address some of the basics on the process: your brewing experience will yield around 15 gallons of beer (nearly a keg), which equates to approximately 140 12-oz. bottles or 80 22-oz. bottles. It takes about 2-3 hours for the initial brewing, which will then take 2 weeks to ferment (this "wait" time.until it is ready will vary depending on the type of beer you make). You then return and bottle the beer and label it! 

Stay tuned to learn more, and in the meantime, stop by North High Brewing to taste one of the 30 beers on tap, or to schedule your appointment! 

A Trip To Ohio's Rubber City

Photos by OHventures

After recently moving to downtown Akron for a new job, I have settled in quite nicely, much in part due to the wide variety of things to do in the county seat of Summit County!

As the fifth largest city in the state, Akron has thoroughly impressed me with its exciting food offerings, wide variety of entertainment and nightlife, and its own unique and charming personality that make Akron a great place to visit on a day trip or weekend excursion!

What everyone needs most on any road trip is sustenance, and Akron definitely delivers! Probably the most iconic restaurant in town is Luigi's, an Italian joint known for its mouthwatering pizza and cheese-tastic salads! If you go here, be sure to bring cash, as Luigi's does not accept credit cards.

If you are looking for more variety, you can try the ultra-swanky yet ultra-affordable Crave restaurant! Your tastebuds will go on quite an adventure with dishes like the BLT (bacon/lettuce/fried green tomato) and smoked gouda macaroni & cheese with blackened chicken!

Other great dining options include: Bricco (an upscale small chain in the area), Cilantro (Asian food and sushi), and Urban Eats.

For great bar food and a wide selection of drinks for adult trips, be sure to go to Baxter's and the Lockview, both located on Main Street.

Once your belly is full, it's time to explore Akron's art and culture! The Akron Art Museum is a must-see. The building itself is quite a piece of art! Inside, you're bound to find exquisite regional, national and international exhibits! 

READ MORE AT DISCOVERING OHIO!

OHventures Gift Guide

The holiday season is upon us, and the Big Day is just under two weeks away! No matter how meticulously you have planned your holiday shopping this year, you undoubtedly have a few folks left on your list that you still need to buy for. If you're anything like me, you take joy in giving gifts that are unique, meaningful and thoughtful, even if they are last minute (shh, they don't need to know that). Below you'll find gift ideas perfect for the Ohio lover, the adventurous soul, or those who have a passion for an active lifestyle. In other words, "OHventurous" gift ideas!

1. OHventures T-Shirts: We might be biased, but we are pretty sure that the best gift on this list is the brand new OHventures t-shirts! If you have anyone on your gift list who loves to run, hike, bike, jog, or walk competitively or just for fun in Ohio, then this is the shirt for you. Or, if you are a supporter of the blog, an Ohio fanatic, or just like a good graphic tee when you see one, order one NOW! Simply email mike@ohventures.org to get the order placed. You will need to include your gender and size (or the gender and size of who you are buying for). You can pay with check or through PayPal!

2. Celebrate Local: You can probably get ALL of your Ohio-centric shopping done in one stop! Over 170 vendors from all corners of the Buckeye state have brought their Ohio-made products to one centralized location: Celebrate Local, a shop found at Easton Town Center!  Shelves and shelves of goodies honey, cupcakes, beauty products, handmade bags, popcorn, dips, tea, coffee, jewelry, aprons, clothing, candies, produce, pasta, and MORE. Some of my favorite local Ohio vendors previously featured on OHventures also have their goods for sale at Celebrate Local: The Candle Lab, Camelot Cellars, Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, and Brother's Drake Mead. 

3. Food Tour Tickets: If you are stumped as to what to ge certain people this holiday season, consider the one thing that we ALL have in common: FOOD. Everyone loves food. It's what brings us together. I don't know anyone who doesn't like food. OHventures likes to make food adventurous to of course go along with our adventurous lifestyles! Perhaps consider getting that difficult person on your list a ticket to a food tour in Ohio? There are plenty of good ones to choose from thanks to our friends at Columbus Food Adventures, Columbus Brew Adventures, Canton Food Tours, and Wooster Food Tours!

4. BeachBody Products: I am a huge advocate for a healthy lifestyle...after all, if we live longer, we have more time to explore Ohio and check things off of our Buckeye Bucket List, right?! Back in 2012, I started using BeachBody products to coincide with my running and hiking. I gained strength in my legs, as well as balance, stability and felt better overall! Using the P90X workout, my transformation was rather noticeable! In 2013, I became a BeachBody Coach and I highly recommend its products for anyone who is looking to fulfill a New Years Resolution of a healthier lifestyle in 2014. Try any of the workout programs, such as Insanity, Body Beast, Hip Hop Abs, or my favorite P90X! Or, incorporate Shakeology into your diet to have more energy, lose weight, become more regular and feel awesome!

5. Ohio Apparel: If the aforementioned OHventurs shirts somehow don't seem to be the right shirt for the loved one in your life (we forgive you, kind of), then there are still a lot of great Ohio-themed shirts to choose from! Snag yourself anything Akro-American at Rubber City Clothing in Akron, Cleveland apparel at Fresh Brewed Tees, or shirts for pretty much any other city in Ohio at Homage in Columbus! Homage is definitely the star of the show here, as their t-shirts are pretty much famous across the nation. They are vintage and nostalgic, yet very stylish and comfortable. I have a number of shirts from here! You can even read my Yelp review on Homage if you need more convincing.

6. Ohio-Made Wood Carvings: Just in time for the holidays, OHventures is selling original solid wood (maple) hand carved and hand painted decorative Santa Claus pieces, pictured above. The Santa pieces stand at approximately 42 inches or 44 inches tall and stand on their own. It can be displayed indoors or outdoors during the holidays. In addition, we are selling his tiki man sculpture that stands at 36 inches exactly and is made out of quaking aspen. All pieces are carved using a chainsaw, chisel, and other hand tools! They are being sold for $150 a piece (or best offer). Shoot us an email at mike@ohventures.org and we can chat! Personalized orders can also be made! Made in Youngstown with pride!

7.  Running Gear: It's no secret that OHventures focuses heavily on running! That said, we know the importance of having the right gear for when we hit the pavement. Many other runners probably also have that same need! Running shoes wear out quickly, and there is always a need for more running clothes because of the ever-changing weather in Ohio! My store of choice is Fleet Feet, which has locations in Cincinnati, Lewis Center, and Northfield Center. Here, they can even give you a one-on-one diagnosis so you get the perfect shoe for your very individualized food. For complete listing of stores in Ohio where you can get specially fitted running shoes, visit OhioOutside. The runner in your life will thank you!!

8. Extreme Gift Certificate: If you follow the blog, you would know there are endless ideas of things to do in Ohio. Some of the more extreme activities will make the best Christmas gifts! Consider getting a friend or family member a gift certificate to take them out of their comfort zone and try something new! Ideas are: Paintballing at Splatterpark Paintball in Mt. Gilead, Horseback Riding at Faith Ranch in Jewett, Parasailing at Put-In-Bay Parasail, Paddleboarding with Projeect 908 in Columbus, Ziplining at Ozone Zipline Adventures in Lebanon, Caving at Ohio Caverns, and the list goes on and on and on.

9. Race Entry: For Christmas each year, my brother and his wife purchase for me an entry to run in the Warrior Dash! This is actually a pretty awesome gift because it generally costs about $60 or more to enter into the race! Try doing the same for a runner on your list to save them the trouble of entering themselves? Perhaps you can buy a ticket for yourself too so you can run together? Ideas of races that are usually on the pricy side of things (and therefore make a great gift) are: Foam Fest, Mud Ninja, Glo Run, and Color Run!

10. Books From Ohio Authors: Last but not least, I thought I might plug some books from Ohio authors who are friends of OHventures. They have fun books on the market that would be a great stocking stuffer! I have all of these books myself, so I can personally recommend them! Breakfast With Nick (a review of some of the best places to eat breakfast in Columbus by Nick Dekker), Home Sweet Homes (tips on moving from Diane Laney Fitzpatrick who has moved many many times), and The Winners Manual by Jim Tressel (okay, so he isn't my "friend" but he did sign my copy!).

OHventures Shirts Are Here!

The wait is finally over!

We are so excited to introduce to you the BRAND NEW official "Team OHventures" t-shirts!

After much anticipation, the shirts have arrived and YOU can show your Ohio pride by purchasing one today!

Male and female shirts are available with the above design for a cost of just $15 (plus shipping if applicable).

You can order your shirt directly by emailing ohventuresblog@gmail.com along with your size, gender, and address!

It is our hope that you will show your support for the blog and spread the word by getting yours today for yourself or as a holiday gift for a loved one!

Rubber City Clothing

Photo by OHventures

 



Rubber City Clothing

18 N. High Street

Akron, OH 44308

(330) 434-4722

 

Akron is on the rise, and it's time to take notice! One way you can tell this is certain is by seeing more and more people donning Akron-themed and Akron-made digs from the small downtown boutique, Rubber City Clothing. As a new employee in downtown Akron, this much needed retail shop caught my eye and has stolen my heart.

 

Located right by the Akron Museum of Art and the out-of-this-world restaurant Crave, Rubber City Clothing is definitely worth a look! Rust belt pride is in, and there is no better place to get Akron apparel than at Rubber City Clothing.

 

RCC has everything from t-shirts to hoodies to baby onesies - all with witty and creative Akron themed designs, such as my personal favorite "Jesus Loves Akron." I stopped in the store and in no time purchased the "Enjoy Akron" shirt, which takes the recognizable design of Coca Cola and spices it up to give it the attitude of the historical "Rubber Capital of the World."

 

Other spirited designs are: "Raised in Summit County," "Do Not Park on the Devil Strip," (which references a well-known colloquialism in the Akron area), "The North Hill" (a neighborhood in Akron with a design resembling the popular clothing brand The North Face), A K Rowdy (what the kids call Akron), "330" (the area code), "Route 8" (the major area thoroughfare), "I Heart Akro-Americans," a shirt with a tire-tread design, and the famous Goodyear Blimp design, to name a few.

If you live, work, or play in Akron, you've taken an OHventure to Akron, or if you simply love the Rubber City and what it offers, make it a point to get yourself a shirt from Rubber City Clothing.


Canton Food Tours Photo Blog

Who: You and fellow food lovers in Northeast Ohio!

What: Canton Food Tours

Where: All throughout the Greater Canton Area, Stark County, OH

When: ANYTIME of the year!

Why: To learn about the history, architecture, and art of Canton while dining on some of its greatest dishes!
How: Just get in touch with Barb Abbott of Canton Food Tours to get started!

Photos by OHventures

 

 

 

At Lynda Tuttle Art Gallery

At Lucca

Food From Lucca

Canton Food Tours

Canton Food Tours founder Barb Abbott at the McKinley Monument

I have been to the City of Canton many times in my day, but never had I experienced it the way I did just a couple months ago when I went on a fun-filled and flavorful journey through town with the Canton Food Tours. 

Founded in May 2012 by entrepreneuer Barb Abbott,  Canton Food Tours is a unique way to tour the city, learning not only about local eats, but also about the rich history, architecture, and art of the area. There is a wide variety of tours available to choose from. Some are themed around a geographical region (such as the Warehouse District Tour), a specific cuisine (such as the Heat Seekers Tour or Just Desserts Tour), or you can create your own personal, gathering to meet your own interests!

The tours last a couple of hours and typically cost a very reasonable $40-$50 a person. Depending on the itinerary, tours are traveled on foot, or by a conversion van that provides transportation to further destinations. No matter what tour you go on, you are bound to discover something new and impressive about Canton, in a fun and exciting setting! 

Along with about a dozen other friends and tour guide (Barb Abbott herself), we hit the streets for a tasty trip specially tailored for our friend's birthday. After learning a bit about the industrial history of the city (such as the original vacuum manufacturing plant of the Hoover Company), we put our appetites to the test at our very first spot in town: Lucca, an Italian restaurant located on 4th Street and Cleveland Avenue. Here, we were treated to local pecorino cheese, fresh greens, and red wine while seated around the swanky, slick bar.

Our walking tour took us next to Tozzi's Downtown, another classy Italian restaurant complete with a live jazz band! We helped ourselves to platters of hot peppers, cured meats, and garlic bread while ordering drinks galore (not included). At the next stop, however, alcoholic drinks were included! Picciano's Martini Lounge located in downtown Canton on Market Avenue was a favorite on our tour! We snacked on sushi and washed it down with a chocolate martini!

Clockwise: Lynda Tuttle Art Center, Basil Asian Bistro, Tozzi's, Lucca. Photo by OHventures.

Lynda Tuttle's Art Center was a special stop on the tour. While it did not include food, this awesome art gallery set up a do-it-yourself crafting session led by the one and only Lynda Tuttle. We got step-by-step instructions on how to make our very own music note ornaments (since it was Christmastime and the birthday boy is a musician). This was a much needed and very enjoyable portion of our night!

To round things out, our group took our ornaments and made it to our last restaurant, Basil Asian Bistro. Here, we had delicious bonbon chicken, pad thai, and of course birthday cake! With a final toast from all of our friends to Canton Food Tours and Barb Abbott, we already began thinking of when our next tour will 

Colors & Bottles

Photos by OHventures

Take one part booze, one part art, and a dash of creativity and you've got Colors & Bottles, one of the coolest new trends sweeping the nation one stroke of a paintbrush at a time! 

Colors & Bottles is a revolutionary concept: teach people how to paint while drinking! Yep, it's that simple. As it turns out, all it takes is a bit of wine, a sip of beer, or a swig of liquor to loosen yourself up and unleash your creative spirit!

Twenty-seven year-old Ohio University alumna Jessica Burley (who hails from Columbus) cooked up the idea in 2011, holding the very first Colors & Bottles painting class in Columbus in October of that year. Just months later, in January 2012, Jessica added Chicago and Cleveland to her list of cities offering classes. The company grew exponentially throughout the year, adding cities from coast to coast, including Orlando, Denver, and Ohio's own Cincinnati. By the end of 2013, Colors & Bottles will be in at least 25 cities nationwide, and continues to grow! 

If you are intrigued, then read on and find out how what I thought was going to be just another Friday night with my wild and crazy friend of 15 years, Lauren, turned out to be the discovery of the artists within us thanks to Colors & Bottles! 

Each Colors & Bottles session lasts for three hours and typically costs $35 per person. The cost of the session covers all painting supplies, step-by-step instructions by a professional local artist, and of course your take-home canvassed masterpiece. To find out what classes are available in your area (Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati), all you have to do is check out the calendar section on the Colors & Bottles webpage. You will find that classes take place at a variety of locations, such as bars, wineries, restaurants, and art galleries. If the location serves alcohol, there typically will be discounted drink deals available for painters. If no alcohol is served, that means it's a Bring Your Own Beverage (BYOB) event.

Lauren and I attended a BYOB event at the 83 Gallery in the Short North, Columbus. Since she was pregnant at the time, I had the whole bottle of wine to myself that evening! When we arrived (before anyone else, mind you) we picked our seats front and center so we could get a great view as the professional artist taught us how to recreate her artwork. Soon, others filed in with their alcohol in tote, ready to get their creative juices flowing with a stress relieving session of art making!

The artist for the evening turned out to be Jaclyn Fischer (whose drink of choice was PBR) with a mermaid painting she wanted us to recreate. At first, I thought painting a mermaid would be pretty lame (I mean, I am a dude after all), but as time passed, it ended up working out and I was extremely pleased with my final product (below).

Even though both Lauren and I were very inexperienced artists - especially when it came to painting - both of our final products were rather nice. Our success was thanks to the artist (Jaclyn) teaching us the proper techniques for shading, outlining, contouring, blending, mixing colors, and other great tips. She gave special one-on-one attention to each and every one of us as we tried our best to mimic her original mermaid, and helped us when we reached a speedbump or made a mistake.

One of the coolest parts of Colors & Bottles was looking around at everyone else's final products to see just how different they turned out to be. Even though we were "copying" a professional artist's piece of work, we were all able to walk away with our very own, very unique, one-of-a-kind and personal paintings that we did all on our own!

My painting hangs proudly in my apartment, and I plan to go back gain and again to fill up my walls with more and more original art that I never knew I could do! Thanks Colors & Bottles!!

Field of Giant Corn Ears

Photo by OHventures

 

Field of Giant Corn Ears

4995 Rings Road

Dublin, OH 43065



 

File this one under "bizarre." A giant field of corn ears made out of concrete can be randomly found in the City of Dublin in northern Franklin County. I had "heard" about this peculiar lawn full of human-sized corn for many years, but only recently made the trek to see it for myself. What I found was that seeing these veggies in person was even more intriguing than I thought it would be!

 

109 gray, stone corn ears seemingly sprout from the ground, lined neatly in rows. All I could think of was how much of a pain in the ass it would have to be to mow the grass here! I also kept scratching my head trying to figure it all out!

 

The sculptures were installed in 1994 and were created for the Dublin Arts Council by an artist named Malcom Cochran. It is said that the purpose for the piece is to make a statement about how the area was transitioning from being rural and agricultural to more suburban and industrial. The man who originally owned the land was the inventor of hybridized corn, but now the site is right across the street from a Nationwide Insurance building. More history about the area can be read about on plaques throughout the "park."

 

The shucked cement corn is definitely worth a visit as it can serve as a great conversation piece and something you can do "just to say you did." It's also a really funny photo op, which goes without being said. It serves as a great reminder of the rich farming and agricultural history of Dublin and a very humorous sight all in one!



Winemaking Part II

Photos by OHventures

At the end of June of this year (which was Ohio Wines Month), I decided to embark on a journey in winemaking. Rather than purchasing hundreds of dollars of equipment and brewing my own wine at home (like my father does), I opted to take advantage of the handcrafted winemaking experience offered locally at Camelot Cellars Urban Boutique Winery in the Short North in Columbus. My first visit just over three months ago involved many steps to get the red stuff going! I had to sample a variety of wines, choose the kind I wanted to concoct, mix together the grape juice, and add additional ingredients (such as oak chips, yeast, benzonite, and grape skins). Part 1 of my winemaking experience was documented on the blog. Now, after 12 weeks of fermentation, it was time for me to start Part 2!

I will admit that Part 2 of my winemaking process was much more enjoyable than Part 1! There were 5 major steps involved: cleaning, bottling, corking, capping, and labeling.

1. Cleaning: The very first step (after throwing on a snazzy Camelot Cellars apron, of course) was to clean and sanitize the bottles in which my wine would be going. It was a rather basic process: I placed the empty bottles on nozzles that squirted water and a cleaning chemical into the bottle, and then I placed the bottle on a rack to dry. It was a simple, but very necessary step to get rid of any dirt, dust, or germs on the bottles!

 

 

2. Bottling: Next, Rick from Camelot Cellars hooked up the huge glass container that held my wine (a South Australian Single Vineyard Shiraz) to an impressive looking machine for bottling. The contraption (pictured above) had four tubes running from the container of wine to four separate dispensers. Pushing the wine against the dispensers would essentially suck the wine from the container, through the tube, and into the bottle, stopping at just the right spot so that it didn't overflow. I am not sure of the exact science and mechanics behind this fancy invention, but I knew it was much simpler than pouring and funneling each bottle of wine by hand!

3. Corking: Probably the coolest and most fun of the five steps was the corking process. Another fancy machine helped achieve this with ease and perfection. I individually corked each bottle by taking Camelot Cellars cork from a bowl of cleaning solution, and placing it in the top of the cylindrical device (pictured above). I then placed a bottle in the bottom part of the device, closed the door, and watched as - like magic - the cork was shoved into the top of the bottle. The machine was probably rather simple, but it still was fun to watch!

4. Capping: Capping the wine was next. The caps are the plastic material (or in some cases, an aluminum-type material) that are placed over top of the corks on the neck of the wine bottles which are peeled or torn off before opening. I was given a variety of cap to choose from, and I opted for a traditional red-colored "sleeve" with golden grapes. I placed the caps on each of the bottles, inserted the bottle in a apparatus with red-hot coils, and swifty and quickly removed it from the coils. In a split second, the plastic had melted onto the bottle. I had to be careful, as holding the plastic near the hot coils any longer would cause it to burn!

 

5. Labeling: The absolute final step in winemaking at Camelot Cellars was labeling my bottles. I had earlier (at home) drawn my very own label (and had it touched up in PhotoShop). I then emailed the image to Rick at Camelot Cellars, who then printed off the design onto stickers for me to place onto the bottles of wine. I had chosen the name The Red Mime Red Wine for my creation. This was because my childhood nickname with my family (that has stuck over the years, for better or for worse), was "Mime" because at a very young age, I had trouble pronouncing my name "Mike." I thought this was fitting, as most of the wine would be going to family and close friends familiar with the nickname. I was proud of the artwork I had created and admired it as I applied the label to each bottle.

I walked out of Camelot Cellars with a crate of 15 bottles of wine. It took time, patience, creativity, and some money, but I can proudly say that I made my very own wine from start to finish!