Top 10 OHventures of 2015

2015 brought the most out-of-state adventures and vacations than any other year in the past. I went to Washington,DC; Detroit; Siesta Key, Florida; Chesapeake Bay, Maryland; Las Vegas, and Chicago, to name a few. However, despite the jet-setting across the country, I still stayed true to my Ohio roots! This year brought some of the most high quality and exciting Ohio adventures to date! 

As with every year (see 2012, 2013, and 2014), I give to you the Top 10 OHventures of 2015. There were many to choose from, but if you needed to see the best of the best, here they are (in no particular order)!

Use this list to start planning some awesome bucket list items to do in 2016.

1. VeloSano 100-Mile Bike Ride: This epic fundraising event was held in Cleveland, with over 2,000 cyclists signed up to raise money in the months leading up to their bike rides. I raised over $1,500 for cancer research, rode 100 miles, over 4,000 feet of elevation, in the 90 degree heat, which took about 9 hours!

2. Kalahari Indoor Waterpark & Resort: With the nation's largest indoor waterpark, a candy shop with seemingly endless amounts of treats and desserts, one of the best arcade and gaming areas around, world-class spa treatments, a fitness facility, and a fine selection of adult beverages (including a swim-up bar),Kalahari Resort in Sandusky is anyone's dream come true.

3. Escape To Kelley's Island: Located in Erie County in the western basin of Lake Erie about 4 miles north of the Marblehead peninsula and 10 miles from Sandusky Measuring more than 4 square miles, Kelley's Island is the largest American island located in Lake Erie. Join us as we drink, eat, sightsee, and adventure on the island, and for an added bonus, read about our flight to the island!

4. CryoTherapy Plus: I survived -293 degrees Fahrenheit with Cryotherapy! Cryotherapy is an anti-inflammatory treatment involving skin exposure to ultra-low temperatures for a brief, controlled time, in order to help enhance athletic performance and recovery. It's one of basketball prodigy LeBron James' favorite things to do after games, which was reason enough for us to check out this Akron area full-service cryotherapy spa!

5. Cooking Class at Gervasi Vineyard: Being a frequent flyer at all three of Gervasi Vineyard's amazing restaurants (The Crush House, The Piazza, and The Bistro), and being a budding chef in my own home kitchen, I had been wanting to attend a culinary class at The Cucina for quite some time. I had the chance to be a student this October in the "Great Fall Grilling" class with Chef Meg Feller as my instructor.

6. Go Ape Treetop Adventure: This past April, the Go Ape Treetop Adventure course opened to the public in the Cleveland Metroparks' Mill Stream Run Reservation. The Go Ape Treetop Adventure Course challenges participants with an outdoor obstacle course over 3,000 feet in length and is suspended up to 40 feet above ground. The course gives you the opportunity to see the world from a bird's eye view as you navigate the treetops like a monkey by traversing bridges, zooming on zip lines, and hanging on ropes.

7. Bodhi Tree Guest House & Studio: This Buddhist-inspired getaway can be found off the beaten path, hidden among the trees and on four acres of the Appalachian hillsides of Southeast Ohio. Booking a room earlier this summer allowed for me to retreat from the busyness of life, clear my mind, and treat both my body and soul. I opted for a Thai massage coupled with a 60-minute float in a state-of-the-art float tank!

8. Stand-Up Guys Paddleboarding: In the Akron area, at the Portage Lakes, there is a great company aptly named The Stand Up Guys, who offer paddleboarding rentals along the PLX for very reasonable prices! The Stand Up Guys are totally laid back and willing to work with you on rental times and the location on the lakes in which you will launch from. I was able to convince my dad to try it out for the first time ever as a birthday gift to him, and I dragged my mom along too. 

9. Ultimate Beer Run: Team OHventures (Me, Matt, Megan, Matt #2, Jess, Megan #2, & Jim) united in our green & gray OHventures t-shirts, party beads, and oversized neon sunglasses to tackle the challenge of the Ultimate Beer Run head on! The Ultimate Beer Run isn't about who is the fastest or the fittest. It's about good people, good beer, and tons of good costumes!

10. Rhinegeist Brewery: Rhinegeist is a brewery situated in the up-and-coming neighborhood of Over The Rhinein Cincinnati (which is located in Hamilton County). Nothing beats the atmosphere at Rhinegeist. The wide open interior is available to reserve for private events, or you can come anytime to play cornhole, ping pong, foosball, or watch a ball game - all while relaxing with some locally brewed booze. Take a tour to learn about the history, or enjoy the awesome rooftop bar for a 360-degree view of Cincinnati.

Escape To Kelley's Island

Photos by OHventures

Kelley's Island is located in Erie County in the western basin of Lake Erie about 4 miles north of the Marblehead peninsula and 10 miles from Sandusky Measuring more than 4 square miles, Kelley's Island is the largest American island located in Lake Erie. Being that it is in the middle of the lake, you have to get either either by ferry (try the Miller Boat Line), private boat, or by airplane (via the Kelley's Island Land Field Airport).

I first visited Kelley's Island in the year 2000, when I was just a freshman in high school. I came to the island for a week-long stay at Camp Patmos, a summer Christian church camp. Back then, it felt like I was in an exotic location far away from home. We sailed, kayaked, swam, and rode bicycles built for two. 

15 years have passed since that visit, and Kelley's Island still has just as much charm and excitement as I remember! I recently took a flight to the island with my buddy Alex on Labor Day Weekend. We decided to spend just a couple of hours at Kelley's Island, having some lunch and doing a bit of exploration! 

Most of this tourist island is comprised of beaches, parks, and campgrounds, which are mostly toured by bike (available for rent at Kelley's Landing), golf cart (also available at Kelley's Landing - hourly, daily, or weekly), island taxi, or on foot.

After you have your mode of transportation down (which can be a fun activity in and of itself), it's time to explore the island! There is a lot to see - from restaurants, to bars, to natural wonders and landmarks!

The Casino Restaurant, Bar & Dockage

f the weather is nice and you're looking for some lakeside outdoor seating, your best bets are Dockers Waterfront Restaurant, and The Casino Restaurant, Bar & Dockage (pictured above). On our visit, Alex and I ate some great burgers and fries at The Casino, where we were able to soak up the sun and relax under some faux palm trees!

Other popular food and drink selections are The Village Pump (they are famous for their perch and their Brandy Alexander drinks) and the Kelley's Island Wine Company (established in 1872 - try their Inscription White, named after the island's Inscription Rock).

Being that I'm an OSU alum, the Buckeye Bar was a MUST on our short visit to Kelley's Island. You can get some good greasy bar food and choose from a vast selection of Ohio-made beers. In addition, the Buckeye Bar also has the Caddy Shack, where you can rent golf carts (on Labor Day weekend, it was so crowded on the island, that they were fresh out. A fun miniature golf course can also be found right next to Caddy Shack & The Buckeye Bar.

A large anchor found near Inscription Rock

On the Northern third portion of Kelley's Island is Kelley's Island State Park, a 676 acre park which includes hiking trail, campgrounds, a sand beach, and ruins of former a limestone quarry mining site (on the West Side). One of the most well known points of interest on Kelley's Island is the Glacial Grooves State Memorial, a rare set of glacial grooves which are the largest in the world (measuring 400 feet by 35 feet). These prehistoric glacial grooves are gashes embedded limestone bedrock, and are a remarkable sight to see, not far from the beaches of the state park.

There is an incredible amount to explore on this exciting Ohio island - so plan a trip soon!

AirVentures

Photos by OHventures

I have been in an airplane many times in my life, but only on countless commercial flights (and of course that time I went skydiving).

This past Labor Day weekend was the first time I had the opportunity to ride in a non-commercial plane - all thanks to a great friend of mine, Alex (who joined us previously for the Bike Columbus Festival), who recently earned his pilot license! On a limb, I told Alex that I wanted to ride in his plane sometime soon, and without hesitation, he obliged!

Alex told me that I would be his first official passenger. This was both an honor and a true sign of bravery! Truth be told, there was nothing to be scared of, because Alex is a total pro and it was 100% safe.

Our flight plan consisted of Alex flying from OSU airport in Columbus to pick me up in Akron/Canton. From there, we would fly over my house and circle around over downtown Canton before heading west and north to our final destination of Kelley's Island!

The plane we were riding in was a Diamond DA20 Eclipse. I am not even sure what all that means, other than it was a very small 2-seat aircraft! I was surprised when I first saw the plane to see just how small it was. Sitting together inside, our knees touched and there was not much room to move about! This meant it would be a cozy flight!

After a short safety briefing, Alex and I departed from Akron/Canton for our cross-state trek! It was an extremely smooth take-off and flight altogether, putting me at ease and allowing me to soak in the sights. We were flying at heights of approximately 3000-5000 feet, which is not very high in comparison to most commercial flights, which are found at an altitude of 30,000 feet!

View of Downtown Canton

Being at this "low" altitude (seemed high to me as we were up there) made it easy to make out key landmarks (such as the McKinley Monument in Canton), and other points of interest (such as a cement plant in Huron - pictured below).

View of Huron, OH (the white smoke is from the cement plant)

Perhaps the coolest sight to see was the Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky! It was really awesome to soar over this small peninsula and to make out all of the rides and attractions. The massive  (such as Top Thrill Dragster and Millennium Force) all looked minuscule from our vantage point flying over! As funny as it sounds, it was also remarkable to see just how massive the parking lot of Cedar Point is (pictured below).

Cedar Point in Sandusky

Our headsets gave us the ability to speak to one another and hear one another clearly. Alex affixed two GoPro cameras to the inside of the plane so that we could re-watch our aerial adventure at a later time (link coming soon!). 

Kelley's Island

The trip flew by (no pun intended) and took us just 45 minutes to reach Kelley's Island - much better than the 2.5 hours by car and the ferry ride on top of that! After a smooth landing, Alex and I explored the island and ate some lunch (a post on that coming soon).

Put-In-Bay

Before heading back, we were sure to circle over the neighboring Lake Erie island of South Bass, so we could catch a good glimpse of the vacation town of Put-In-Bay (where Alex and I partied with friends in summer of 2014). It was awesome to see Perry's Monument (pictured above), and the rest of the resort town from the sky.

Overall, my "AirVentures" trip was incredibly exciting and just what I needed to cap off my summer. Seeing the great state of Ohio from up above is something that everyone should try at some point in his or her life. Since you likely don't have a close friend who has a pilot license, try some of these options: Wright B Flyer in Dayton, Cincinnati Airplane Tours in Cincinnati, Flight 54 Travel & Tours in Cleveland, Capital City Jet Center in Columbus, and Pickaway County Airport in Circleville for starters.