Dancing in the Park

Posted on June 22, 2013 by Travel Spirit

Put your dancin’ shoes on and come to the park…Ault Park in Cincinnati! Thursday evening was the perfect night for it and after having an appetizer and drink with my girlfriend Cindy, we headed over to have more fun. Ault Park has a series of outdoor dances during the summer with live music. I stood the entire evening…with new shoes on…talking with friends, sipping wine and taking photographs. My favorite is this one of a lady dancing. As I watched the dancers, I noticed the sunlight dancing with their feet.

There were lots of hula hoops for people to have fun with. I walked up a series of stairs to have a view of the crowd and noticed this little girl…

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Cemeteries aren’t just for Dead People!

Posted on June 19, 2013 by Travel Spirit

I know some people think cemeteries are a bit creepy and perhaps they are on a foggy night at 3am, but Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio is the most beautiful cemetery I’ve ever visited! My fellow travel and photography friend…Simone and I met there yesterday morning to take some photographs. I’ve only been there a few times, so it was a treat to walk around the lakes and discover lush, peaceful and absolutely gorgeous landscapes and capture reflections of the miscellaneous buildings, mausoleums and monuments.

I bought the same camera that Simone has…a Nikon D5100 with an 18-200mm lenses, so I’m looking forward to comparing our perspectives of the same place!

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Spend a day at Caesar Creek

Posted on June 17, 2013 by Travel Spirit

Caesar Creek State Park in Waynesville, Ohio has it all…boating, camping, hiking and fishing! I’ve been visiting Caesar Creek for over 20 years now and took advantage of the beautiful day on Saturday to take our boat out for a few hours with my husband, son and his girlfriend…Ashley.

My son confiscated my sunglasses! I think they look artsy on him! Ignore his tattoo…he got it when he was 18 years old and doesn’t like it now. He’s thinking of getting something put around it to change the look of it.

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Happy Birthday from Hollywood Casino

Posted on June 16, 2013 by Travel Spirit

Birthdays are meant to be celebrated…especially the older you become…because not everyone is fortunate enough to become old! For my birthday on Friday, I was treated by Hollywood Casino to an overnight stay with dinner and dancing at their beautiful venue in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. If you’ve been following along, you’ll remember my post here explaining how I received all of this as a complimentary gesture!

My husband and I arrived to our room about 5:00pm and were pleasantly surprised with their simple, but elegant decor! They recently renovated…

Here’s the view from our room…

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Gettin’ Down with The Soul Pocket Band

Posted on June 14, 2013 by Travel Spirit

I’ve been a fan of the Soul Pocket Band for years now…groovin’ to their Mojo songs and had another opportunity last night at Newport on the Levee, a complex of shops, restaurants, free events and more, located on the Ohio River in Newport, Kentucky! I went my friend Teresa and had my new camera with me…a Nikon D5100 with an 18-200mm lenses. It’s a bit bulky compared to my last camera…especially when dancing, but I have a feeling it’s going to be a frequent companion!

You can make it out a bit here in Teresa’s sunglasses…

Here are some of the performers…Victoria

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Harmony Hill Vineyards

Posted on June 9, 2013 by Travel Spirit

Harmony Hill Vineyards in Bethel, Ohio is the perfect way to spend an afternoon and/or evening! I met my Meetup.com hiking club there yesterday and took a short hike…probably a mile…around the vineyards. The history of the farm is really interesting. The owners named the farm Harmony Hills after witnessing all of the wildlife existing in perfect harmony. They grow hay and medicinal herbs in addition to the grapes on their 70 acres of sustainable farmland. In 2006 they were certified as a National Wildlife Federation Remote Wildlife Habitat!

Here’s the entrance…

And some of the beautiful vineyards…

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Lovin’ Loveland Bike Trail

Posted on June 5, 2013 by Travel Spirit

Last night was perfect for a 12 mile bicycle ride on the Loveland Bike Trail which is located only 10 minutes from my home! The 70 mile paved trail follows an old railroad line and the Little Miami River. As I was taking a photo of the Loveland office, where I began, this gentleman called out wanting me to take his photo…so I had to quickly snap.

A bit farther up the trail this guy and his beautiful dog were willing subjects. Look at the blue eyes of the doggie…gorgeous! I’ll bet that’s a great way to meet women!

What do you think of my beach cruiser bicycle…purchased on Craigslist for $60 and it looks brand new! I love the little basket!

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Four Seasons Marina

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Travel Spirit

After attending Summerfair 2013 at Coney Island, my friend Kelley and I headed over to the Four Seasons Marina to have a late lunch at their restaurant…Pirates Cove. I couldn’t help but notice how pretty the clouds reflected in the water. They were probably noticing their own reflection…

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Summerfair 2013

Posted on June 3, 2013 by Travel Spirit

I had another great day yesterday at Summerfair 2013, which is an annual event held at Coney Island Amusement Park in Cincinnati. I finally met a friend, Kelley, who has been a Facebook friend for a couple of years, for the first time at this event! I only have a handful of people on my Facebook that I’ve never met…usually a friend of a friend. Anyway, we arranged a meeting time and we really clicked! She’s intelligent, warm, and as you can see beautiful!

We had a great time walking around Summerfair, which is a fine arts and crafts fair, with over 300 artists from around the Country. The event also has performers, and play areas for kids! This is their 46th year and more than 20,000 people attend to view and purchase the art! Artists apply to exhibit their art at the fair in ten categories including photography, painting, wood, ceramics, fibers, leather, jewelry and 2D/3D mixed media.

Summerfair raises money for a variety of arts opportunities, to include awards, scholarships and exhibitions to artists and small arts organizations in the Tri-State area.

We stopped to talk with some of the artists and I requested permission to photograph their art and sometimes them.

Kelley and I both enjoyed the energy and vibe of this artist…Tracy McKay. He paints with his hands…

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Party in the Park in Cincinnati

Posted on May 30, 2013 by Travel Spirit

Cincinnati has a weekly event during the spring/summer called Party in the Park. It’s located downtown, on the Ohio River. I usually attend a once or twice during the summer, but I’ve already been twice this year! They always have a band and stage set up in the grass and there’s usually a nice crowd, including families and people of all ages. As you can see from the photograph below, people arrive by boat also!

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Taste of Cincinnati

Posted on May 27, 2013 by Travel Spirit

The Taste of Cincinnati is an annual tradition held Memorial Day weekend in downtown Cincinnati by The Downtown Council and the Greater Cincinnati Restaurant Association. The first event was in 1979 with 5,000 in attendance and has grown to over 500,000! Not only is it the nation’s longest running culinary arts festival, but also one of the largest street festivals!

More than 40 fine restaurants serve up samples of their delicious menu items. Taste of Cincinnati is also a music festival, with continuous live entertainment featuring local and national recording stars performing on multiple stages throughout the event.

Yesterday was a great day for it. The weather was in the 70’s and sunny! Here are some of my shots…

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1969 The Band at The Grotto in Mt. Adams

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Travel Spirit

1969 The Band played at The Grotto in Mt. Adams Saturday evening and I loved them! I ran into my beautiful hairdresser…Jocelyn and her stylish boyfriend Todd…

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Cincinnati’s Friendly Findlay Market

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Travel Spirit

There’s a Farmers’ Market in Cincinnati called Findlay Market and I like to call it the Friendly Findlay because everyone is so nice! Located in Over-the-Rhine, it’s a 35-40 minute drive from my home, but well worth it because of all of the fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, etc. and especially the people watching and photo opportunities!

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Art in Ault Park

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Travel Spirit

Ault Park is one of the many beautiful Parks in the Cincinnati area, with frequent events, such as “Art in Ault” that I attended this past week. The work of Holly Schapker, a local artist, was on display along with complimentary wine and music!

I arrived early to take some photos. The pavilion has wonderful architecture for photographs and the gardens are beautiful!

As I passed a small group of attendees, I couldn’t restrain myself from asking to take the photo of this lovely lady and her stately Poodle!

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Theodore M. Berry International Friendship Park, Cincinnati, Ohio

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Travel Spirit

The Theodore M. Berry International Friendship Park in Cincinnati, Ohio has some cool art! The walking path within the Park parallels the Ohio River and is approximately 1/2 mile in length. The Park represents world unity and global understanding and I love it!

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