What to do in Ripley, Ohio…go to Meranda-Nixon Winery

Posted on November 2, 2013 by Travel Spirit

Wineries are so much fun and Meranda-Nixon Winery in Ripley, Ohio is no exception! Although summer is gone…the vineyards are still beautiful. My friends and I drove out there yesterday. Located about 40 minutes from the east side of Cincinnati, it’s not too far of a drive. Because it was a Friday, there were only a few other patrons there. The owners are Seth and his wife Maura. We joked that we wanted some “Maura wine”. Anyway, Maura did the wine tasting for us and gave us some background about their lives. Both she and her husband are widowers and when they met recently…they only dated for one month before getting married!

I asked her how many employees they have and she replied, “Her husband and four children! While we were there, two of the boys came in to help wash glasses. The 11-year-old took me for a ride on their “gator”! I asked him how fast it would go and he said 21 mph, so I asked him to floor it! He probably thought I was crazy when I asked him to do donuts in the front yard!

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Autumn has arrived at Indiana’s oldest and largest winery…Oliver Winery

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Travel Spirit

Oliver Winery in Bloomington, Indiana has stunning scenery…stone landscaping, sculptures, beautiful flowers, and tranquil seating areas. For my annual girls’ weekend this year, five of us visited the winery this past Saturday. It’s one of eight wineries on the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail. The day before, a few of us went to the Butler Winery, which is also on the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail, and really enjoyed our time there. They are very different from each other. Butler Winery is much smaller, has a more homey feel and natural beauty, and only a handful of people were there. As you’ll see from these photos…Oliver Winery was very crowded, but beautiful!

Dee is taking our photo here…

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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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What fun looks like in your 40’s and 50’s

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Travel Spirit

Since I’ve been back from Africa…a lot has been going on. Some of it is personal and heavy-duty–so I can’t talk about it. But most of it has been FUN!

This was my friend April’s (on the left) boat christening party. She’s amazing! She just finished 1st in her age group in a triathlon.

I really enjoyed this 4th of July pool party. That’s me on the right with the hat on. I didn’t know most of the people…but its good to get out and meet new friends!

This was at an outdoor concert in a suburb of Cincinnati called “Blue Ash”.

Downtown Cincinnati with friends…

The wine tasting meeup.com organization I belong to had an event at the Art Museum…

Its been really hot here, so I’ve been to the neighbor’s pool, my girlfriend’s pool, and to the beach at Eastfork Lake. Lots of other fun events like a Reds Game, bicycling 20 miles on the Loveland Bike Trail, jogging almost every day, hiking, and trying new recipes that I find on Pinterest.

Like, Spinach Orzo, Shrimp Tacos, and fresh peaches, lemonade and vodka in a blender!

Tonight after jogging or hiking (can’t decide which one to do) I’ll try a Blackberry Margarita…yum yum!!

Hope you’re having a fantastic summer (or whatever season it is where you are)!!