Christmas in July!

Merry Christmas in July! Celebrate with some special holiday themed outings in the area. All the festive specials and none of the holiday stress, sounds like a plan to me.

Don Mould's Plantation, which has stores in North Ridgeville and Amherst, is having their annual Christmas in July sale! It's your chance to get a gift and treat yourself to something from their beautiful selection of plants and flowers that are buy one get one free.

For the kids, or inner children at least, Sundaes in the Park at Columbia Reservation will be serving up snacks, mini golf and sponsoring movies in the outdoor theater! For this weekend's picture the park will show "The Grinch" featuring Jim Carrey Friday, July 27th.  The show starts at 9pm so bring your chairs and take advantage of the kitchen, which will  be open til 9:30!

Tree House Gallery and Tea Room,
Olde Avon Village

An area really getting in the spirit is Olde Avon Village. The shoppes include Sassy's, an amazing chick boutique with all kinds of great gifts. They are always updating their merch so check their facebook for pictures and sales! Also there's the Tree House Gallery and Tea Room where you can enjoy sales on their unique items, see all their fun antique displays and have meal that's got taste and class. If you are more of an afternoon shopper there's always happy hour/dinner at Strip Steakhouse, definitely one of the area's premiere spots known for their quality ingredients.

Owner Tim Kiedrowski with Snoogles

You can also find some great eats at Kiedrowski's Bakery on Cooper Foster in Amherst where they are rolling out the Christmas cookies. Their cutouts with homemade frosting are definitely crave-able but I don't think anyone would tell if you picked up a signature Snoogle or two while you're at it.

Also your favorite pubs and restaurants kept back some holiday ale with your name on it like Quaker Steak and Lube in Sheffield. You can get the seasonal brew by the pint, tall or tanker today. If you're looking for some other options Moss' Prime Rib and Buffalo Wild Wings have Christmas Ale on tap too!

Jet Express at Black River
Landing by Lorain Port Authority

If you're feeling an adventurous night out you have to go with a cruise on the Jet Express from Black River Landing. This Friday will be a special Christmas in July Cruise to Put-in-Bay. This trip departs at 4:00pm and returns at 12:00am and if your schedule isn't open this week there are plenty of cruise options through October.

Get the details and buy tickets online through the Lorain Port Authority.

Merry Christmas and a happy New...school year?

Lighting Up Lorain County: Fireworks 2012

The Fourth of July is right around the corner and that means festivals, fireworks and family fun.

Wellington Town Hall

First up is the Wellington Celebration in the Park, be entertained the evening of July 3rd on Wellington's Town Hall lawn with the Patriots Community Band Concert and Ice Cream Social. Then, get over to the Lorain County Fairgrounds at dusk for some can't-miss fireworks!


Wellington keeps the party going Wednesday with festivities at Howk Park including games, food, music and a parade at 3pm.

Also July 3rd Avon Lake celebrates at Weiss Field on Webber Rd. with music and festivities at 6:30 and fireworks at dusk.

Another option for the 3rd is North Ridgeville's Party in the Park hosted by Victory Park. Admission is free! Gates open at 5pm with music, dancing and kid's bounce houses at 7pm, then some fantastic fireworks at dusk.

 View of Lorain Port Authority's
Lady Charleston from Black River Landing

The 4th is of course Port Fest at Black River Landing in Lorain from 2-11pm. Look forward to celebrating with food, music and activities for kids. Featured artist, Rare Earth, will play at 8:30pm and fireworks start at 10pm but check the full schedule for all the entertainment details.

You can also head out to All Pro Freight Stadium in Avon on the 4th of July and see the Lake Erie Crushers take on the London Rippers at 7:05pm. Then stay after the game for a special Fireworks Spectacular!

A community with a great history celebrating Independence Day is Rochester with their 93rd annual Homecoming Festival at Eagle St Park and fire station. Food tents open bright and early at 8am. The only parade you can see twice starts at 10:30! The parade goes through town and turns around for another pass. Stick around the rest of the day for contests, rides, the Firefighter games and more all leading up to fireworks at the end of the evening.

You can see fireworks in Grafton's Willow Park on Main St. on the 4th too beginning at dusk.

And lets not forget to say congrats to all the donors who made fireworks in Oberlin happen. Come out and see them at dusk on the 4th at the Hamilton Recreation Complex.

Have a safe holiday and enjoy!

A North Central Ohio Autumn Adventure for Three Generations

 Picture a beautiful, sunny, north central Ohio Saturday with a clear calendar (meaning—no soccer games, meetings, volunteer commitments etc) and full tank of gas. For our full day itinerary I brought along my 12 year old daughter and 70+ year old mother. What a blast we had! I am going to share our map and itinerary, some photos and add in some suggestions for adults that might not have younger ones in tow. There are still a few of these weekends left — great weather, brimming produce stands, outdoor entertainment and harvest season happenings— to savor. So give some of these suggestions a try. We focused primarily on the eastern part of Lorain County in Avon and North Ridgeville. You can definitely add more to the itinerary.

Our map: First stop:

Miller Nature Preserve and Conservatory
2739 Center Road, Avon, OH 44011
800/526-7275
78 acres of wooded land in the heart of Avon. A Visitor Center is nestled between trees and the winding French Creek and includes a café, the Orchid Room, a gift shop and a demonstration kitchen for cooking classes. The Orchid Room has floor to ceiling windows that look onto the outside patio and gardens. You can have lunch or an early dinner. Open daily 11am - 6pm. The menu includes an array of salads, soups, sandwiches and other delicious dishes made from fresh ingredients. The highlight of this preserve is the 5,000 square foot conservatory, the first in Lorain County. Highlights include the bonsai and orchid collections. There are also desert and carnivorous plants that capture the imagination. While we visited there were seasonal displays of mums and other traditional autumn displays.

Fitch’s Farm Market 
4413 Center Road
Avon, OH 44011
(440) 934-6125
Just down the road from the Miller Nature Preserve is the Fitch's Farm Market. This place was bustling when we arrived! Lots of fresh produce, pumpkins, peppers, broccoli, potatoes and much, much more. The fall season is just kicking off and they will be doing pumpkin wagon rides in October. I bought a big bag of peaches and have been packing them in the kids' lunches and I'm told the other kids are scarfing them down! Everyone loves them... me too!

Sandy Ridge Reservation
North Ridgeville
The marsh area of Sand Ridge Reservation is a favorite for bird watchers. Click here for the latest birding reports from Sandy Ridge. The fields were just awash in beautiful yellow flowers while we were there. Great walking opportunity.

Here are additional great wining and dining opportunities in this general area you can add to your itinerary (also indicated on above map)

Klingshirn Winery, 33050 Webber Rd., Avon Lake, OH 44012 (440) 933-6666

Klingshirn is a third generation family farm winery. Established in 1935, Concord vineyards were the mainstay for the first fifty years. The first wines included Concord, Niagara and Pink Catawba. 

John Christ Winery, 32421 Walker Rd., Avon Lake, OH 44012 (440) 933-9672
John Christ Winery has been dedicated to the production of fine quality wine since 1946. Wines are produced and bottled on premises. Visit the wine bar to sample many varieties of fine quality, award winning wines. Retail sales hours: M–W: 10am–6pm; Th: 10am–11pm; Fri: 10am–12am; Sat: 12pm–12am.

Nemo Grille, 36976 Detroit Rd., Avon, OH 44011 (440) 934-0061

Globally influenced American cuisine in the historic 1850 Alten House. A hip place to enjoy a chocolate artine at the bar or an exquisite dinner in the renovated historic dining rooms. Creative menu with seasonal, fresh ingredients. Outdoor porch seating.

Strip, A Steakhouse, 36840 Detroit Rd., Avon, OH 44011 (440) 934-9900
Locally owned and operated Strip is located in Olde Avon Village on Detroit Rd. in the historic Ewers Barn. Innovative menu and comfortable indoor and outdoor seating.

The Tree House Gallery and Tea Room, 36840 Detroit Rd., Avon, OH 44011, (440) 934-1636
Also located in the Olde Avon Village, the gallery features an eclectic blend of antiques and collectibles, quality-crafted woodworking, and fold art. Have lunch in the Tea Room which features an array of fine salads and sandwiches, unique soups and scrumptious desserts.

Wood and Wine, 38790 Chester Rd., Avon, OH 44011 (440) 964-9463
Wood-fired pizzas, pasta, steak and seafood along with a great selection of wine.

Want to spend a whole weekend? You can stay at the Fairfield Inn and Suites or the Value Place Hotel, both located in Avon.