Earlier this Summer, I had the opportunity to spend the afternoon at a Chautauqua in Ohio.Lakeside is known as the "Chautauqua on Lake Erie" and is a lovely community where families (and guests) can come together over the Summer.The Lakeside website is proud that, "Since 1873, Lakeside has provided a Chautauqua summer experience dedicated to spiritual growth and renewal, educational and cultural enrichment and recreational pursuits."To enter the community, you must check in at the visitor center and purchase a day pass. At that time I asked the woman at guest services to recommend a nice place for lunch, "somewhere I would take my Mother-In-Law." She thought that was a funny way to describe a lunch spot, but said she knew exactly what I meant and sent me to The Hotel Lakeside.I had a quiet table for one at the window (with this view) overlooking Lake Erie. You can see the fountain, the stack of white hulls from the sailboat fleet and the swim pier beyond. What a nice place to spend a Summer vacation with kids. The whole atmosphere reminded me of the movie, Dirty Dancing.After a nice lunch, I started chatting with the hotel receptionist and got quite a history lesson. Built in 1875, the hotel was celebrating its 135th anniversary this year! Some of the hotel's famous guests have been Rutherford B. Hayes (our 19th President), First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and Amelia Erhart. If they visited on a gorgeous Summer day like I did, I bet they just loved it.
One of the things I love about the social networking site, Facebook, is that I can get instant travel recommendations from my connections.I mentioned that I was planning a trip to Marblehead, Ohio (on the shores of Lake Erie) and heard instantly that I must visit The Dairy Dock for an orange and vanilla twist called "The Docksider."
Yum. yum. yum. A retro twist on the classic creamsicle that can cool off any Summer day. Over the course of a week, I managed to fanagle three trips to The Dairy Dock, you know, for research.
Yes, all in one trip! The Black Olive reference is to a wonderful restaurant of the same name in the Short North district of Columbus, Ohio.
The restaurant's glass walls swing open, so my friends and I enjoyed dinner in the night air. I loved everything about it - the super nice staff, my delicious entree (steak with a plum reduction sauce) and the overall vibe of the restaurant. The perfect choice for relaxing after a big day at the fair.
Just across the street is Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream. An imperative stop on any trip to or thru Columbus.
Can I describe ice cream as gorgeous?
I think Jeni's unusual flavors, generous use of core ingredients and overall delight provided warrants the description.
We shared 2 Trios and ranked their deliciousness as follows:
#1 Bourbon Butter Pecan
#2 Pistachio Honey
#3 Sweet Corn with Black Raspberry Swirl
#4 Backyard Mint
#5 Dark Chocolate
#6 Carrot Cake
Mind you, the first four are so good, I would eat them every day for a month if I could. Honorable Mention goes to Red Beets with Lemon and Poppy Seeds - it was pink & delicious!
On September 19th, I am heading to Country Living magazine's Country Fair at the Ohio Historical Society's Ohio Village (a 22 building replica of a mid 19th century town).
Country Living brings the little village to life with seminars & demos and 150 vendors (selling everything from antiques & linens to beautiful hand-crafted accessories) There will be live music, icy lemonade and Country Living tote bags for sale - the perfect country fair.
I had a wonderful time last year - remember my posts? You can see all of the details for this year's fair here. Join me?
