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…
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…
Bonnybrook Farms in Clarksville, Ohio is a great place to bring your family for their Chuck Wagon Dinner Ride, Giant Slingshots, Petting Animals, Birthday Parties and Clodhopper Golf! During the fall there are a variety of activities to include…Adventure Hayrides, “Pick Your Own” Pumpkin Patch, and Crazed Corn Maze. They also host School field trips and corporate events. They even have a trail through the property that was used by the Underground Railroad System! They hosted the Dirty Girl Mud Run yesterday, and if you didn’t get a chance to see the photos…look here!
This rusty old truck is so cool!
Today I worked a one day assignment checking attendees in at a Dirty Girl Mud Run near my home in Ohio. I found the Brand Ambassador position with Go Dirty Girls on Craigslist and basically sat at a booth along with a few others, each equipped with a pink I-Pad to check the ladies in and issue them their running number for the 5k breast cancer fund-raising challenge. Approximately 90% of the 1,200 women/girls over the age of 14 years old checked in.
It was actually quite fun and of course I brought my camera to capture some of their smiles and enthusiasm!
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!
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…
I’m in the midst of preparing an itinerary for a last-minute trip to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park for this weekend! I found the cutest studio cottage for only $60 a night–10 miles from Gatlinburg, situated on 2 acres–with a pond. Here are some photos from the owner’s site…
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…
I haven’t experimented with my camera much or tried any tricks, but the other evening I had some inspiration, so I began moving my camera up or down as I snapped a photo looking at the trees and was pleasantly surprised with the outcome! I took about 20-30 shots and picked two from them.
I’d like to paint a picture of this first shot…
For this photo, I moved side to side. I’ll call this one “Dizzy Tree”…
I really do get dizzy if I stare too long!
I’m recovering from two days of outdoor work…moving everything off of my deck, power washing the deck, front patio and house, going to Home Depot for stain and spray paint, spray painting the patio furniture, detailing my car and staining my 70′ long deck. Whew!
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!
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!
A few days ago my girlfriend Gina took me out in the Country to “Johns Flowers” to shop for flowers for our decks. It’s located in Fayetteville. I was hesitant at first to drive that far out for flowers when I could go to a Lowe’s or Home Depot 10 minutes away, but I’m so happy I did! He has a huge selection and the quality is outstanding! John is so friendly and helpful and it’s nice to support local businesses!
Spring is so full of possibilities and life! The trees grow fuller, the flowers blossom and our world turns green! Living on five acres, surrounded by trees, I often feel disconnected…as if I’m in a cocoon. I like the quiet…the sounds of nature–chirping birds, rain pattering, things growing.
My three-day exploration of New York City ended with a trip to the “Top of the Rock” aka 30 Rockefeller Plaza. If you remember Molly, she accompanied me and we waited in line to buy our $27 ticket to the top. I wanted to see the views before dusk and at sunset, so we timed it just right and were at the top for about 30 minutes.
This is my final shot before taking the elevator down 70 floors to the bottom. You can see the Empire State Building…
Sherry Lachelle Travels 