2015 in Review

Posted on January 4, 2016 by Travel Spirit

Looking back at my photographs from 2015, the year was filled with fun, family, friends, and travel! In the Spring, I drove to Amish country in northern Ohio from Cincinnati and had a wonderful day taking photographs of the lovely countryside!

In August, my annual girls’ weekend at Put-in-Bay, Ohio was so much fun! Last year we had a blast there and decided to return.

My travel business “Travel Spirit Meetup” is growing with over 300 members and in September I took six people to the Mediterranean coast where we hiked along the Lycian Way trail and explored the cute villages. Our second stop to Istanbul exceeded all expectations! Turkish people are so friendly!

The view from our hike along the Lycian Way near Fethiye, Turkey…

I also spent an amazing week in Ireland and Scotland! Edinburgh, Scotland‘s architecture and history can’t be beat!

The ha’ penny bridge in Dublin, Ireland…

Ringing in the New Year, two girlfriends and I spent a week in the Cape Coral/Ft. Myers, Florida area.

Continuing to work as a photographer for Cincinnati Refined, I had 36 photography assignments and wrote nine travel articles. One of the assignments was for the ReelAbilities Film Festival and was excited to photograph Marlee Matlin, Nick Clooney, and his wife.

Laurie Holden from the Walking Dead at King’s Island, Ohio…

The Prohibition Party…

The Urban Trials held at Yeatman’s Cove, Cincinnati…

and the Thanksgiving Day 10k race…to name a few.

I photographed a friend’s birthday party for one of her daughters through my photography business “Sherry Lachelle Photography“.

My first outdoor wedding…

Senior Portraits…

Spending time with family was special! For one of our family get-togethers, my husband and I took our son and his girlfriend to the Museum Center in Cincinnati and we spent an afternoon along the Ohio River.

Our extended family Christmas: My brother (2nd from left), his wife in front of him, my husband (next to me…but you can’t see his face), my brother’s ex-wife on the left and her husband behind her, her brother on the far right, my niece and nephew, and a high school exchange student from Norway.

I prepared lots of recipes this year and enjoyed hiking, biking, trail jogging, yoga, and boating! I attended lots of parties, big and small.

Some of my favorite books this year: The Storyteller, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, A House in the Sky, I know why the Caged Bird Sings, The Goldfinch, Calling me Home, The House Girl, The Enchanted, The Nightingale, Little Bee, The Time Keeper, Secrets of a Charmed Life, and Grandma Gatewood’s Walk.

I can’t wait to see what 2016 brings! Hope you all had a wonderful holiday and thank you so much for your support! xoxoxo

~Sherry

Adventures on a Tiny Island in Ohio

Posted on August 19, 2015 by Travel Spirit

Lake Erie has a tiny two by four mile island — “Put-in-Bay“, known as Ohio’s premier summer-time party spot, located only 20 minutes by ferry from mainland. Every year my friends and I organize a long weekend away that usually includes relaxation, hiking, good food, fun, and a hot tub! We enjoyed our trip to Put-in-Bay so much last year, we decided to return for this year’s annual get-away.

This shot was taken early Saturday morning just as the sun was rising…

Friday morning we drove from Cincinnati and caught the 12:30pm Miller Ferry ride (during high season they conveniently leave every 30 minutes) to the island. We left our car parked (it’s free) in their lot and carried our bags on board.

Once on the island, having reserved a golf cart (the preferred method of transport on the island) through Miller Marina, we were able to fit six women and all of our stuff on it! Yes…it was only for the weekend!

Miller Marina in Put-in-Bay offers public transient dockage with a private club atmosphere and family friendly setting. It is located one block West of downtown Put-in-Bay, close to island attractions, yet far enough away from all the distractions. Miller Marina offers grills and picnic area, pavilion, modern restrooms/showers, WiFi and golf carts are available for rental.

We stayed at the Island Club Condos aka Put-in-Bay Condos at a beautiful end unit with a view of the pool and Lake Erie to the left. Our two-bedroom/two-bath condo was perfect!

Put-in-Bay’s split personality ensures that everyone has an unforgettable time…think Gatlinburg and Key West on steroids! While exploring the island with your fun mobile, make frequent stops for shopping, dining at one of the colorful outdoor cafes while listening to live music, and cooling off at a swim-up bar with a frozen tropical beverage in hand. When or if your senses become overloaded from the people watching and intoxicating excitement, hop back on your cart to experience the other side of Put-in-Bay, where you’ll find serene and tranquil spots to gaze at the sailboats gliding by on the glistening blue lake.

When we weren’t out exploring, you could usually find us out on the patio enjoying nature…

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Ohio Bucket List

Posted on March 16, 2015 by Travel Spirit

Miles of pristine forested hiking, outdoor cafes, resplendent architecture, astonishing views, thrilling adventures, intoxicating gardens! Does this sound like your kind of get-away? Ohio has all of this and more! Here are a few of my favorite places…

The Fling Barn (Hillsboro, Ohio)

Situated on a 200-acre farm, an hour East of Cincinnati, The Fling Barn is a well-kept secret (well…not anymore) where you’re guaranteed to have a good time! Stuffed to the gills with Americana décor, featuring two bars, a dance floor, outdoor deck, and live rock n blues…it don’t get much better than that! In case you have too much fun, they have their very own Bed & Breakfast for your convenience, if it’s available.

~view from The Fling Barn (Images: Sherry Lachelle Photography)

Put-in-Bay

Located on Lake Erie, just over 4 hours North of Cincinnati, Put-in-Bay is Ohio’s split personality playground with a wild side to dive into…pretty people in skimpy bathing suits guzzling tropical adult beverages, but hop on a golf cart and within minutes you’re transported to a lake-side paradise of glistening blue water, rolling hills, and tranquility!

(Images: Sherry Lachelle Photography)

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2014 in Review

Posted on December 27, 2014 by Travel Spirit

2014 has been a year filled with photography and travel…Imagine that! Comparing my 2013 in Review: jogging, biking, hiking, and a bit of water skiing continued to keep my over 55-year-old body lookin’ good, along with lots of new recipes and mostly healthy eating!

This year became more balanced with less play and more work…which means more money…hallelujah! During the summer I worked part-time for a farm at their Fruit & Vegetable Stands (until my back couldn’t take it any more).

I’ve had over 20 photo shoots for my own business, “Sherry Lachelle Photography”…including baby photos…

A few of the Senior photos…

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There’s more to Put-in-Bay than Partying

Posted on August 29, 2014 by Travel Spirit

Exploring South Bass Island on our golf cart, my girlfriends and I discovered the other side of Put-in-Bay. The side that makes you want to pull up a comfy lounge chair and let the world go by. We admired the lakeside homes with the glittering water shining through their windows…

Sailboats gliding quietly through the blue waters…

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The Wild Side of Put-in-Bay

Posted on August 28, 2014 by Travel Spirit

If you’re looking for fun in the sun, dancing, a few adult beverages, and people in skimpy bathing suits, Put-in-Bay is the place to visit! Although my friends and I didn’t bring our bathing suits for our day on the Island, we didn’t let that prevent us from making a stop at one of the swimming pools Put-in-Bay is famous for. We bring the party with us no matter where we’re at! My friend Shari moving to the beat…

Although the pool bar looked inviting, the non-humid 80 degree weather was perfect for lounging around with our clothing on.

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Golf Cart Fun at Put-in-Bay

Posted on August 27, 2014 by Travel Spirit

A trip to Put-in-Bay, also known as the “Key West of the North”, isn’t complete unless you rent a golf cart. After disembarking from the Jet Express ferry ($33 pp round-trip) from Port Clinton, our first stop was to pick up our ride. We didn’t reserve a cart ahead of time, but they had plenty. Splitting the $80 day rental fee between four of us, made it quite affordable.

Seated on the back…taking photographs while we were racing along was fun…

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Girls’ Weekend Port Clinton and Put-in-Bay

Posted on August 26, 2014 by Travel Spirit

My annual tradition of spending a long weekend somewhere with girlfriends has come around full circle this past weekend, when myself and three friends drove from Cincinnati to Port Clinton, Ohio, and eventually ferried over to Put-in-Bay, where we began the tradition 22 years ago! I don’t remember much about that weekend so many years ago, other than visiting the Marblehead Lighthouse, driving a golf cart around, and listening to a band on a beer splashed floor in a dark bar in the middle of the day. This time was different. We still had fun, in fact, we had more fun this time! Initially we were going to stay on the South Bass Island where the village of Put-in-Bay is located, but with only a couple of months notice for planning the trip (creating a lack of options) and wanting to get some sleep, since many of the hotels are located near loud bars, I booked a condo through Vacation Rental by Owner (VRBO) in Port Clinton, located within walking distance (15 mins.) to the Jet Express for the 25 min. trip over. After settling in and having a delicious lunch prepared by one of the “girls” at the condo, we made a drink and headed down to the pool and hot tub for some relaxation. We couldn’t have asked for better weather…80 degrees and sunny afternoons!

We freshened up and headed out to the Mon Ami Winery, located a short 10-15 min. drive from our condo.