February 2009 Issue
Driving Inspiration
The bus drivers of the Cleveland Municipal School District are good people. Just ask Gwen Winston or the 20 members of her Chosen Community Choir, comprised mostly of bus drivers, bus guards, several students and a minister. “We love to sing. We’re here to inspire and encourage,” says Winston of her gospel choir. “You just never know what a person is going through. Sometimes they are down. We are here to send a positive message.” Winston, who celebrated her 30th anniversary... Hopeless Romantics
“Being romantic is sort of like going to the gym,” says Miriam Carey, author of 52 Romantic Outings in Cleveland (Gray & Company). “Some people are disciplined and keep it up year round. Others shelve it until the last minute, and then wonder why they have lackluster results.” If you want to get your amorous side back into shape, says Carey, start by changing the way you think. “Chocolate, champagne — those are just things,” she says. “What people really w... |
An Artist at Heart
On the last Friday in December, Gail Morrison, 65, tidies up her sixth-floor artist studio at the Pendleton Art Center in Cincinnati. Dressed in black pants and a sweater, with a bright-yellow scarf draped around her neck, she greets visitors with a warm, broad smile. Dozens of oil paintings hang on the walls above the pine floors, and in the background, 8-foot-high, arched windows showcase the city lights. Visitors have been coming to the Pendleton Street artist studios on the final Friday of each mont... Marietta Sings the Blues
For a typical journey from Cleveland to Memphis takes travelers through Columbus, then Cincinnati and then southwest toward Tennessee. Austin “Walkin’ Cane” Charanghat, the trip requires a detour through Marietta, the picturesque town tucked in the southeast corner of Ohio. That’s where Charanghat, a serious blues musician, tries to punch his ticket to perform on the big stage of Memphis’ Beale Street. The 38-year-old singer and slide guitarist has twice earned a berth... |
Breathtaking Baths
If a spa retreat is a million miles from reality, don’t despair. Consider transforming that run-of-the-mill bath into the relaxing space you crave. Sure, it will take a bit of work — most of us don’t have bathrooms fit for a luxe honeymoon suite — but it doesn’t have to be a cold, damp space, either. “Whether you realize it or not, you do spend a lot of time there,” points out Frank Eck, who enlisted Dave Fox Remodeling to renovate his ’60s-era bathroom in... Sweet Nostalgia
"Melissa Mileto had never made a red velvet cake in the years she’d worked at Take the Cake, a small bakery in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine district that she later bought and relocated to the city’s Northside neighborhood. The Baltimore native was certainly familiar with the dessert — it is a perennial favorite south of the Mason-Dixon Line, despite a story that it was first concocted in Yankee territory (New York’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel) during the 1920s. It even made an ap... |
Burgeoning Bookshelves
For those who have ever painstakingly scanned the stacks of the local library only to realize, with at least a little frustration, that the rare book they’ve so diligently searched for is not among those on the shelves, there is the Ohioana Library Association. Formed in 1929 by Ohio first lady Martha Kinney Cooper, the Ohioana is not the average library collection — for starters, the books cannot be checked out, and the latest John Grisham novel is probably not among the titles on its vast ... Lincoln in Ohio
If, in honor of the 16th president’s 200th birthday, someone decides to throw a States Important to Abraham Lincoln Contest, a few of our neighbors might have a slight edge on Ohio. Illinois goes without saying. Kentucky? He was born there on Feb. 12, 1809, in a cabin that no longer exists (but a reasonable facsimile of it can be viewed at a national park near Hodgenville, in the central part of the state). Indiana? Well, it gets points for having another of his homes. Abe spent his teen years wit... Losing a Landmark
Baughman Park is no more. The improbable assemblage of monumental statues and carvings scattered over 62 heavily wooded acres along a ridge in remote Muskingum County has been sold to the highest bidders. Twelve of the massive sandstone pieces, some of which stood sentry for nearly 100 years, have been hauled off to private homes and strip malls and antiques dealers’ warehouses. I have taken the death of Baughman Park hard. I am a hyphenated American: an Ohioan-New Yorker. Like many exiles, I have... Ohio's Jungle Girl
Move over, Barbie, there’s a new blonde on the block. Her name is Bindi, and you won’t catch her in frothy ball gowns or towering heels. This doll, with her hiking boots, binoculars and yellow motorbike, is all outback. Since September 2008, Wild Republic, a division of K&M International toymakers in Twinsburg, has been producing dolls modeled after Bindi Irwin. The 10-year-old Australian rose to fame with her late father, Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, and grew up working with the creatures ... Rookwood Renaissance
That year, Marie Longworth Nichols, granddaughter of Cincinnati real estate millionaire Nicholas Longworth, founded the Rookwood Pottery. Named for her family’s estate, Rookwood became the queen of art pottery and elaborate architectural tile installations in the early 20th century. Today, the pottery is entering a renaissance, with one of its early pieces selling for a record-shattering price while new owners stoke the kilns to put Rookwood back into American homes and hearts. The resurgen... |
Big Rock Cabins
Been to Beaver, Ohio, and seen the views from Big Rock, Turkey Rock or Prophet Peak? We didn’t think so. But if you want to feel like you’re the only two people left on earth, this is a good place to start. “When we first opened, we cast a broad net,” says Erin Hoskins, who, with partner Val Wolf, owns Big Rock Cabins in Jackson County. “But we quickly figured out that we like couples and couples like us.” Scenery and privacy clearly had something to do with that. The... Cherry Ridge Retreats
We love the Hocking Hills. Trouble is, the more than 185 properties with cabins for rent make searching for that perfect romantic retreat about as fun online dating. When in doubt, we stick to our short list of local places that are truly special. Just recently, we added Cherry Ridge Retreats to that list. The property, even in the context of some of the prettiest scenery in the state, is stunning, with 140 acres that include five ponds, the largest of which is two and a half acres. Miles of groomed tra... German Village Guest House
So you say you’re not the B&B type. We say talk to us after a night at the German Village Guest House. Tucked along the brick-paved streets of one of Ohio’s hippest historic neighborhoods, the posh digs here are a better fit for the latest Pottery Barn catalogue than a spread in Country Living. Owner John Pribble and his wife, Darci Congrove, completely renovated the house in 2005, adding modern fixtures and furniture as well as a few glass showers the size of a small studio apartment, while... Get Lost, Get Found
We know, we know — December isn’t the only time of year you should be generous, cleaning isn’t reserved for spring and, above all, there are 11 other months just as worthy of a romantic getaway as cold and colorless February. Still, a glass of wine in front of a crackling fire just doesn’t have quite the same effect in, say, June. Not to mention, the excitement of slipping away with your sweetie for a few days is a nice distraction from counting down the days until spring. Even s... The Brownstone Inn Downtown
Fans of the hit HBO series “Sex and the City” say that Manhattan was the show’s fifth star. That Cleveland could ever be a leading lady in a romantic adventure seems less likely — unless you book a weekend at the Brownstone Inn Downtown. Owner/innkeeper Robin Yates, who moved to Cleveland from Manhattan in the 1960s, has a way of bringing out the city’s most glamorous side, sparking a love affair between you and this lakeside town that will last a lifetime. “It’... The Symphony Hotel
Located in a 19th-century mansion in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine area, across from the Cincinnati Music Hall, the Symphony Hotel is where a three-movement composition meets a five-course meal. Owner Karen Blatt had the historic home renovated and converted to a B&B, with bedrooms named for some of classical music’s best-known figures — Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and Schubert — and decorated with busts and sheet music to carry out the musical motif. The hotel is open for nightly stay... |
Follow the Leaders
Happy birthday, Mr. President. We’re glad you came to visit. And we’re glad that — no matter what fits we may have caused you from time to time — you developed a special affection for Ohio. No, we’re not talking about President Obama. His birthday isn’t until August. That’s when he will reach the ripe young age of 48. We are talking about President Lincoln, whose 200th birthday we celebrate this month. To mark the occasion, we asked Contributing Editor Ron Rolli... |
|
|