A hike to celebrate winter solstice...

...on a perfect evening. I like! :)

Rest & Relax

Hubs has been working way too hard lately and it took me a long while to convince him to take a drive out and enjoy the outdoors for a bit. We were out for only a few hours yesterday but it certainly did perk hubby up a whole lot. We had lunch at B spot, took a drive through South Chagrin reservation and watched the ducks/swan swim at Chagrin falls in perfect weather. Ah, bliss! :)

Beautiful Sunday

I was feeling extremely lazy yesterday and would have slept the day away if hubby hadn't insisted that we get out for some fresh air. I'm glad we did because the day was just perfect! The sun was out, the air was cool and the autumn colors were gorgeous! We spent a relaxing afternoon at Whiskey Island and Edgewater Park and completed the day with a lovely dinner at The Harp. I almost ruined the day by making a wrong turn on our way home and nearly rolled over a drunken man's legs which were sticking out at the side of the road. But thank goodness his legs are still intact and I could safely say that we had a wonderful time! *phew!* ;)

 

IngenuityFest 24-26 Sep 2010

The IngenuityFest held last weekend was interesting, if not bizarre.  The 3 day event took place at the old trolley subway under the Detroit-Superior (Veteran's Memorial) Bridge which I felt was enough reason to  show up.  The concept was brilliant with plenty of original performances & displays (some bordering on creepy). My only grouse is that the bridge could have been better lit in the evening and there were plenty of wasted space linking the two ends of the bridge that could have been better utilized.  But all in all, a good attempt and I really shouldn't complain since it was free! :) Here are some highlights from the event: (click to enlarge)

"Hey there stupid....O.H.I.O"

Okay, so that was what I heard at the baseball game and I couldn't for the life of me figure out why a State would want to call itself stupid. The song has been stuck in my head since and I just had to find the lyrics. Well, it turns out to be Ohio's State official rock song - Hang on Sloopy (Not "Hey there stupid..." Oops!), a big hit for the band The McCoys in 1965. Pretty catchy song I must say.  Well, at least now I can join in the singing!  "Hang on Sloopy. Sloopy, hang on. O.H.I.O!" ;)
Here's the original version by the McCoys:

Positively Cleveland!

Up to now, I have always viewed Cleveland as a really sad place to live in. It was after all given the top spot by Forbes on its list of most miserable U.S cities - high unemployment, high taxes, horrible weather, political corruption and lousy sports teams. Of course, it doesn't help that Lebron James chose to leave for better pastures. So you can imagine my disappointment when hubs told me this is going to be our home for the next few years (or more!).
Last week, I went to a series of "Take a hike!" guided historical walking tours in downtown Cleveland. I'm glad I did because it really allowed me to see Cleveland in a different [better] light. It was sad to see so many once affluent but now abandoned buildings in downtown and throughout the tour I could only imagine what might have been. With a thriving performing arts scene (Playhouse Square Theatre being second largest in the country to New York) and one of America's top 4 hospitals (Cleveland Clinic) to boast, this could be another Chicago, Boston or New York. And there is hope. There are now micro-projects and money pumped into restoring this battered land.  It helps that the people here are so passionate about their city and their enthusiasm is infectious. I feel for them and I too hope to see some change [however small] during our time here.

A Day With Mother Nature

On Saturday, hubs and I took a 3 hrs drive to Hocking Hills State Park. It certainly did not disappoint. It was wonderful to simply bask in nature's splendour and forget all troubles - even if it's for a little while.

It's strawberry picking season!

Had to send hubby early to work today so I could go pick strawberries at a local pick-your-own farm with my friends and their kids. There were already many people there when we arrived and we were lucky to still have some strawberries left to pick. We were assigned two rows to pick from which yielded about 12 lbs of red, juicy strawberries.  Here are some pics of our mini-harvest:

Had an enjoyable morning and I sure wouldn't mind doing it again.
Next on the list: Apple picking! =)

Honey, this is a national park?!

We finally made the trip to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park yesterday. I must admit it was not quite what we envisioned it to be. There was no proper boundary to the park and it was strange having private/ residential property and schools peppered along the way. No doubt there was plenty of greenery and  trails/towpaths for cyclists and trekkers but there was nothing of real scenic value there. Brandywine falls which was a highlight of the park was pleasant but not impressive. Another highlight was the Ohio and Erie canal towpath trail which saw many cyclists. It made a nice walk but the weather was pretty warm and we decided to turn back after a short while. I guess it is okay if you are staying nearby but I wouldn't encourage anyone from out of state to make a special trip here. All in all, this probably ranks as the most disappointing national park we have seen so far. But hubs and I did spend some good quality time together and that's all that matters, right? =)