Free Walking Tour Kindle Book!

From LOOK UP, OHIO!

There is no better way to see Ohio towns than on foot. And there is no better way to appreciate what you are looking at than with a self-guided walking tour from the LOOK UP, AMERICA! series. All walking tours from walkthetown.com are available for your favorite tablet or mobile device. Look Up, Ohio! includes walking tours of Akron, Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Toledo, and Youngstown.

A walking tour can be many things. Interested in heritage tourism? Looking for an educational day trip for the kids? Need a fun exercise plan? Want to find subjects to take great photographs? These Ohio walking tours are ready to explore when you are.

Doug Gelbert, who has authored over 400 such walking tours, describes a mix of historical, architectural, cultural and ecclesiastical Ohio landmarks. Street addresses and step-by-step directions lead the way. A quick primer on identifying architectural styles seen on Ohio streets is included.

Doug is offering his book for Free Feb 20-24. So check out what Cincinnati has to offer!

Boys Like Girls

Boys Like Girls did a benefit concert at Jefferson Hall last night “Boys for Breast Cancer” with only a $5 admission. They are performing tonight in Indianapolis.

I ended up winning meet and greet passes from Q102 here in town and a couple girlfriends decided to Accompany me. These guys were the coolest, nicest famous people I’ve ever met. They asked about the reds, we talked about crappy Cincinnati traffic, it was fun!

I guess they were

I guess they were supposed to play at Q102’s Bosom Ball for Breast Cancer on Thursday, but had to decline. But they still wanted to do something for the cause, and took the short drive to Cincy. The admission for the concert was $5 with all precedes going to Susan G Koman. They raised $700 last night.

From what I heard, BLG was only going to do 4-6 songs but ended up doing about 10 acoustic songs. For one song, they decided to do “Two is Better Than One”, but didn’t have Taylor Swift to sing with. One young girl stepped up to the plate (above). I’m hoping once YouTube cooperates ill have some videos uploaded and attached. So check back for it! And Thanks BLG! It was a great intimate fun concert 🙂

See all the pictures from Q102

 

Le Diner en Blanc Cincinnati

I’m having a really hard time trying to find the words to describe this event. It was absolutely gorgeous! Breathtaking, stunning, beautiful, fun, amazing… seriously, not just being cliche here.

It’s been described as a pop up fancy dinner. Part flash mob. Part picnic. Part fancy revelry. And when it all comes together, absolutely breathtaking!  It’s a semi exclusive event. Word of mouth and friends of friends basically. You and your friends meet up with a smaller group of about 50 people.

Then these groups meet up with 5 more groups and you’re transported to the secret location for that year. That’s when 1100 people this year spilled out of buses or from various downtown points and set up tables in long rows. Then proceeded to their picnic spread. There is an option to purchase baskets made by places like Orchids and Eat Well Celebrations. From what i saw they were huge! Had plenty to feed 2 and then pass some around. These will cost you though, anywhere from $60-$100.

You will be lucky to get into the event itself. It’s premise is friends coming together, Therefore it’s a friends of friends type gathering. Those that went this year, will be given a spot next year, and they can invite one other couple. Then if there is room, it will go to a wait list. The thing that seems to stop people is the fact that you do have to pay $24 a person, plus a one time $5 membership fee, to allow you to attend the events in the future. The fee goes towards venue rental, security, entertainment, and most importantly, the liquor license that allows us to consume wine and Champagne in a public area.

The most difficult yet kind of fun part, is finding everything you’ll need. You’re to bring a small square table (under 32×32 inches) 2 white chairs, a table cloth, nice place settings, glasses, a table setting/decorations, and a picnic basket with your dinner in it, as well as your drinks for the evening. You also are to dress all in white. They do have really nice contests though. They have a best table one, and a most elegant/creatively dresses group (of 2-4 couples); both offer a dinner for 6 cooked by chefs, such as Jean Robert of JR’s Table. And then there is the most elegantly/creatively dressed couple; this prize is a trip with airfare to Antigua!

Hubby ready for the first course

This year being in Lytle park was gorgeous! Queen City tower, and the Taft museum flanking us, lights in the trees, darn near everyone with candles. You arrive in a huge group and get set up quickly.  at about 7:15 napkins are waved and you start on your 3 courses. Or whatever else you’ve prepared. I used this as an excuse to have a little fun and indulge myself. I saw meat and cheese and fruit trays, dips and spreads and salads. Then you move on to your main course and lastly dessert. Everyone was friendly, and I saw most tables sharing with their neighbors, who most hadn’t met before this evening. It was a great time, and you could take your time and just enjoy it.

Napkin wave to signify the start of dinner!

Molly Wellman looking absolutely adorable.

Dinner

Dessert! 🙂

Then at around 9 Sparklers were lit by everyone  and balloons were released. For whatever reason, this was one of the highlights of the evening. I cant put into words how beautiful it was at that moment.

Hubby with his sparkler
Photo Credit: Jens G Rosenkrantz Jr

Balloons!!!

Then it was time to party. Champagne flowed freely, the dj was playing awesome music on the make shift dance floor and Framester was taking awesome photo booth shots! It was just so much fun, half the people didn’t want to leave at 11. But sadly it was time to go as magically and quickly as we arrived. I already can’t wait til next year!

I spy a Jenny K 🙂

If you missed it this year, I’m sorry you missed a truly magical event. There was no pretension, no fighting, just fun. Everyone from 25-80 was enjoying themselves at both dinner and the party. It was a spectacular time! hopefully, you know someone who’s willing to sign you up with them next year, so you can experience it for yourself. It’s really one of those kinds of events. But one that mere words still can not put into place.

❤

View my full gallery:

Edit: I’ve found a few more pics to share, and also I’ll post other places that are blogging about the evening!

The view of the park from the 11th floor of The Residence Inn.
Photo Credit: Shelley Groh

One of my favorite photobooth pics of the night!

Best Table Leaders ever! 🙂

Even the Hubby had a great time!

BFF’s! 🙂

See all Framester Photos Here

Check out more views and pictures here!:

Small Girl Adventures

Eggplant to Go

513Eats

Jenny K

Jens G Rosenkrantz

Diner en Blanc

Update: Invites are already going out today, so if you haven’t sign up now. And if you got an email to register, its better to do it sooner rather than later

Update PS: If you’d like to join my group, we are leaving from Downtown #2, and search for Rachel’s group and tada! 🙂

What combines One part fancy dinner, one part flash mob, a sprinkling of friends, and amble fun? Diner en Blanc Cincinnati From the website:

At the last minute, the location is given to thousands of friends and acquaintances who have been patiently waiting to learn the “Dîner en Blanc’s” secret place. Thousand of people, dressed all in white, and conducting themselves with the greatest decorum, elegance, and etiquette, all meet for a mass “chic picnic” in a public space.

Over the course of an evening, the diners enhance the function and value of their city’s public space by participating in the unexpected.
Beyond the spectacle and refined elegance of the dinner itself, guests are brought together from diverse backgrounds by a love of beauty and good taste.
Le Dîner en Blanc recalls the elegance and glamour of court society, and diners engage one another knowing they are taking part in a truly magical event.
There are no disruptions: no car traffic, no pedestrian traffic, except for the occasional amazed and astonished looks from passersby at the scene unfolding before them. And we, as they, wonder whether it’s all not a dream…

This is the inagural year for Cincinnati, and the only second year that its beenin the US. New York hosted one last year and now more than a few cities are joining Cincy this year. Groups will load up on busses or in groups and arrive at a predetermined, secret until the night before, location in the city on Sept 15th. Everyone will be dressed in white, set up white tables and chairs and unload their picnic baskets of chine, wine and a good home cooked meal all at the same time. French singers and a jazz band will play during dinner.

After dinner, a “sparkler party” will signify the end of dinner, and then a dj will proceed to pay for the evening dance party. Everything will commence at 11, when everyone packs up their belongings and trash and load back into busses and depart. There will also be fun little contests throughout the evening offering free champagne or dnner at places like Orchids and JR’s Table. For example there might be a best dressed, or best table decoration. These add some fun, and allow people to really have fun and get into the spirit.

The whole premise is friends etting together. Group leaders invite friends, and those friends invite friends and then te waitlist is opened up on a first come first served basis. If you’re interested please go to the website and register. It’s going to be a fun party and something unlike Cincinnati has ever seen! And I can’t wait.

Check out the video from Montreal last year

World Choir Games – McAuley Friendship Concert

Thanks to a friend getting tickets for a dinner/drinks event which included tickets to McAuley High Schools Friendship Concert, I was finally able to get out and check one of the World Choir Games events out.

A local Cincinnati Bollywood dance troupe started out the night.

I loved that they added a dance element to this location. Dance groups are not an actual part of the competition, but in the spirit of the games, they do occasionally have some local young peoples groups perform at their Friendship Concerts, because as the name states, that’s really what its about. The Friendship Concerts are free to the public (though in cases like this where it’s indoors, seating and tickets are limited, so you still need to get them ahead of time) and they include a different grouping of choirs, as you’ll see below.

The Erie, Pennsylvania Young Peoples Chorus

These are not the competition part of the games, but a way to practice, or get out there, and just have fun. Erie, had not had their competition as of Sunday night when they performed, and I wish them luck for when they do. They had a combined mens, womens, and mixed chorus for the games. Their selections were fun and the group had fun with them.

The lone international choir of the night from Columbia.

Thankfully, there was also an international group thrown in. This group was very entertaining. From the sounds of it not many of them spoke English as one of the group, and not the director was the one introducing the songs, and they were done in Spanish. A lot of their songs were rhythm based, including one written by their director!

McAuley/LaSalle High School Show Choir doing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”

The last group to perform, and what I assume led to the crazy crowd that spilled out into the cafeteria, was the McAuley/LaSalle Show choir. For those not hip to Cincinnati Schools, McAuley, is an all girls school and likewise, LaSalle is an all boys school. I think its awesome that the schools can team up for things such as a show choir. And another bonus for them, is that show choirs is a new category this year for the games. Now that may have stemmed from an influx of wanting to participate, or low numbers, but part of me thinks that Glee has something to do with all of this… But thats just speculation.

Being an ex-show choir performer, I though they did a bang up job! They had creative dance moves, and not just your run of the mill box step and jazz hands, but they were actually fully choreographed. Including ukelele’s during Somewhere Over the Rainbow. They had a good selection of fun upbeat music that got people at least head bobbing.

Seriously, if you get the chance check out a concert. most only go an hour or two. The Friendship Concerts again are totally free, and can be found anywhere, even Dayton! I’ve seen a few in Fairfield, Loveland, Norther Kentucky, so there’s not excuse about it being too far away or not wanting to go downtown. Also come check out the Parade tonight at 6pm from Duke to Fountain Square and stick around for a Nations Party afterwards. You never know what might happen, as attributed to this article on the Choir Games blog. 🙂

Beerfest – Catholic School Edition

Most of us know about or have Ben to Beerfest downtown at the convention center, so when I hear “Beerfest” my mind instantly lights up. For a second thinks of the horrible hangover, but that’s quickly replaced by how many different beers I’m about to consume.

So I heard about a Beerfest in my old neighborhood to Pleasant Ridge and decided it might be worth a look.

It’s set up as what you would expect, a few tables with information about specific beers, and people on the other side handing it out. Now these were volunteers so we didn’t get the full gamut of the beers, but they were surprisingly knowledgable! There were about 30 different beers to choose from, and they had a broad selection. A little bit for everyone.

You paid $12 for 5 tickets (It was $10 in advance) and got a glass, extra tickets were $1 as well. It wasn’t really explained what as going on other than the beer and snacks were inside. The snacks were baskets of munchies; pretzels, chips, grippos. There was a concession stand and what looked to be a grill outside that might have taken tickets? That part was foreign to me. There re kids around but they were on the other side of the gym Behind e curtain or out on the playground, so not in the way at all! There were tables outside as well and a decent band was playing. It was a pretty good atmosphere and a bit on the smaller side. I’m looking forward to checking it out again next year!

Just say “No!” To Big-Box Black Friday

Shop Local Saturday

Ok so whether you’ve been a part of or following the whole Occupy Movement, are a strapped for cash, or just want to experience a new side of Cincinnati; there’s an event for that! Everyone’s heard about or probably even talked about “the economy” as of late. So what can you do to take part in that? Shop Local! There is really no reason to hit up the big box stores like Wal-Mart, or best Buy, or Kohl’s etc (Ok the only way I will let this slide is on big ticket electronics, as I can’t even think of a local business that sells HD TV’s and the likes, please let me know if there is one!)

But other than that, I’m sure you’re tired of giving the same old thing, just as much as your loved ones are tired of giving and getting the same things too year after year. Dreading the whole Black Friday mayhem? Wish there was there was some way to get great deals without the crowd hassle? You’re in luck!

This Saturday, Nov 19th is Cincinnati UnChained! Local businesses all through Cincy will be offering one day specials for your unique shopping pleasure. Guys, are you dreading haveing to go shopping already? No worries, local bars have you covered with $2 Hudy! Need even more of a reason? You can print out a Shoppers Passport Here, and be entered to win all sorts of goodies!

Seriously, go check out all the neighborhoods and participating businesses here!

 

Crafty Supermarket

Also going on on Saturday is the Crafty Supermarket at the Clifton Cultural Arts Center from 11am-6pm. Here you can select gifts from local artisans, who may or may not have a store front that you can visit. It’s a great way to get a truly unique gift for that picky sibling, or friend-that-has-everything type of person. Check them out on Facebook here! Oh! and there will be mass food trucks too! So even if you come out for a lunch and a quick spin, do it! 🙂

 

Thanksgiving Eve bar Crawl

If you’re like me and need to ease into the festivities The night before Thanksgiving, there’s also a pub crawl for that! Over-the-Rhine has set up a bar crawl on Weds Nov 23rd. A unique drink will be available at each bar or restaurant in the neighborhood, including Abigail Street, A Tavola, Senate, Lavomatic, The Lackman, MOTR, Neon’s, Grammer’s and The Drinkery!

Check out the whole list of events going on here! Including a shop local Black Friday event!

Know any great local deals?

Crazy busy weekend in Cincy

Ok so the past few weeks, I was all looking forward to this weekend, and relaxing as I had absolutely nothing planned. But now? Oh now… There is not going to be enough hours in the day to cram everything in. So if you’re like me, come, join in my insane misery 😛

Option #1:

Taste of Blue Ash

Yes this event is similar to Taste of Cincinnati, only more locally focused. Yes there will be amazing food and lots of it, but thats not the draw. The entertainment, is what I will going for. Friday @9pm is Pat Benatar, so ladies, this would be a great girls night out. Saturday @9pm is REO Speedwagon. You can find me front and center for that concert! and Sunday @7:30 is Creedance Clearwater Revisited. This is going to be my first time out, and it sounds amazing!! And best of all?! The concerts are FREE!!

 

Option #2

Brew Ha Ha

This is another first for me. But from what I hear, it involves, lots of beer, and lots of laughs. It’s held at Sawyer Point on the River, and it boasts 50 Comedians on 3 stages and 100 beers.  Friday Night @9 is Bert “The Machine” Kreischer. Again, this is where I will be. If you’ve never seen him live, or are a fan of his “Bert the Conqueror” show on Travel Channel, GO! He’s freakin hilarious! Saturday night @9:50 is Caroline Rhea. And yet again, the beer samples will cost you, but the Comedy is FREE!!

 

Option #3

Summer Music Series

Fountain Square is already one rocking place to be. Throw in Free concerts and a great urban setting, and you got yourself a party!

 

Option #4

Germania Society’s Oktoberfest

No this is not the big Oktoberfest Zinzinnati. This is the Slightly smaller, slightly more authentic Oktoberfest at Germania Park on Kemper Road. It may not be the huge drunken party, but you can make sure the liederhosen still fit from last year, and get an early start on the festivities 🙂 That and they have Spaetzel 🙂 nom!

 

Option #5

Grease at the Drive In!

Holiday Auto Theatre is located in Hamilton. If you’ve never gone, you are missing out!! Occasionally this place has good ol throw back weekends. This weekend would be one of them… kinda. The first movie is Spy Kids 4million (or something like that) @ 8:30 but then @ 10:30 They’re going old school and showing Grease! I mean if you love or hate the movie, you gotta admit it would be awesome to see it like in the movie! (Just don’t ditch your date 😉 ) Trust me, I went and saw The Wizard of Oz at 20 Century theater in Oakley thanks to Watch This, and it was magnificent to see on the big screen! Although I’m not sure if more kids/teens or more grownups will be singing along. 😛

 

Will I make it to everything? Probably not… But I will definitely be checking out Bert on Friday, and REO on Sat, and i really really wanna get out to see Grease

Open letter to the State of Ohio

Given the news of the states TRAC (Traffic Review Advisory Council) office, yanking the state allotted funds for the NUMBER ONE ranked state traffic project, has gotten more than a few people riled up in Cincinnati. The fact that the money was lost 4-3 is no help either, as Kasich appointed 4 members to the board, the board that was meant to take the politics out of the decisions… Just another thing our governor has fucked up for this state…

The fact that there were only 4 opponents that spoke today (All family/buddies of Tom Luken-who we all know is full of hot air and loves to hear himself talk… imho) yet not only did Cincinnati have the mayor and 2 other council members, but representatives from UC, Christ Hospital, and Sibcy Cline Realtors, took all allotted slots, even the the opponents didn’t use all of theirs.

Feel free to email TRAC and let them know how you feel, wether that that be, that their time is numbered (until November), that they’ve reinstated the politics back into a non-political board, or what have you. Below is my letter to them.

(I will also be posting links to other blogs below as they surface)

Seriously?! You should all be appalled with your decision to cut even more from Cincinnati. The streetcar is more than just some idealic dream of some school aged child. The strong fact that the supporters well outnumbered the opponents at the meeting this morning should have at least opened your eyes a little bit. But no. You went into this with your eyes wide shut and the politics you’ve been told to believe in whatever vessel you’re using as a heart today.

Your own  own policies state

the ―Major New Capacity program.‖ These are projects costing more than $5 million which add transportation capacity, and are critical to the mobility, economic development, and quality of life of the citizens of Ohio.”

I guess the fact that Cincinnati  is only the 3rd largest city in the state means that we are not a part of the once great state of Ohio? Cincinnati is not able to add to its own economic development? There is an entire chapter in your policies handbook just on scoring itself. 11 pages worth. The fact that you just pulled funding from the project just months before (and for the past few years) has ranked number one on the top of your funding list, shows to me that

1. You obviously have no idea how to do your job, as you can’t be bothered to read a handbook

2. You really don’t care how many more young professionals you lose that leave what was once the Great State of Ohio (but is now more just a lousy stop through with a few crumbling facades thrown in, on the way to somewhere more appreciative)

3. You have completely forgotten the whole reason TRAC was formed, to take the politics out of the decisions, something that today, has proved there are more politics thrown in than the entire metropolitan of DC.

4. There must be one hell of an “under the table” bonus thrown in for this. As really that could be the only other logical reason for doing what you did today.
What I’m hoping is that you can make as much as you can from these side deals to last you up until November… And I sincerely hope that if we have THAT much of a funding issue, that you will pull just as much from every other single project out there.

With deep regret,

Rachel C. Giere

‘TRAC@dot.state.oh.us’

PDF of TRAC’s policies and procedures for those interested

 

Over the Rhine Blog

Xing Columbus Blog

Streetcar!!

Check out the Cincinnati Streetcar on public display.

 

 

Yay!!! The streetcars finally making its way to Cincy!! It’ll be set up by Fountain Square until Nov 10th and open to the public from 11am-7pm to check out if you’d like. I think this is awesome and will hopefully turn around some non believers 😛

Thanks to Erica over at Cincinnati ReAdventure for the pics!!

For more information check out the Cincy Streetcar Blog!