An Adventure to a Church Festival in Indiana

Our first visit to the state of Indiana together happened just a few short weeks ago. We crossed over the border for the famous (well at least in the family) church fried chicken dinner, held every year in Oldenburg. After church Sunday morning we piled into the car and headed over to the cute little town to get ourselves stuffed to the brim with crunchy and juicy chicken.

Now, if you know Sam and I, you will know that we both love a good competition, and let's face it, a good church supper is nothing without an after dinner Bingo game. So, after our meal we made our way upstairs and found ourselves in a parish classroom playing a good ole' game of Bingo. 

Look at that intensity.

A game for chicken dinner champions.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner. (I couldn't help myself!)

Sam and I may not have walked away big winners but I would say that anyone who attended the Chicken dinner walked away having eaten a winning meal. His family has been attending the fondly dubbed 'Chicken Festival' for years, and I believe it will become tradition for us, together, too!

Better luck next year!

One Last Oktoberfest Adventure

Well, after the long day on the cattle ranch we headed to one final Oktoberfest celebration for the season. It appears that Cincinnati-ans take their Oktoberfest events very seriously and like to spread them out over the course of six-weeks. The final Oktoberfest was Donashwaben. Held on the west-side of the city it is put on every year by the German Culture Society.

The final Oktoberfest of the season.

The event was a great time...however any gathering where the main event involves the consumption of beer usually doesn't disappoint. The live band straight from Germany, the German dancing troop that performed, the feast worthy meals piled high with only the best German bratwurst and a sea of sauerkraut, all the truly important aspects of a Oktoberfest combining to create an event loved by all who attend, year-after-year.

Our happy group.

 We all can say, without a doubt, Oktoberfest is a unique season here in Cincinnati. A season where your pants grow tighter, your mind grows fuzzier, your smiles grow bigger, and your affection for the adorable traditions in this new  place make it one step closer to becoming the new place you call home... the place you call home, together.

Until next year, it's been real, Cincinnati Oktoberfest.

A Branding Adventure in Kentucky

What's more American than hanging on a cattle ranch on a Saturday afternoon? The answer would be nothing, nothing could be more quintessential Americana, than gettin' down and dirty on a big ole'  cattle ranch nestled in the hills of Kentucky. That is exactly how we spent our Saturday afternoon last weekend. It was a gray day in northern Kentucky, but it didn't hinder the days events. Having never seen an animal being branded before it was a unique experience for this New Hampshire girl. I think after this past weekend I need to go out and buy myself some cowboy boots! The wrangler was very talented. It's amazing how they have the coordination to do this kind of work.

Yee-haw!

Smiles, all around.

The littlest cowboy.

I'm a sucker for a sign with character.

The cattle ranch was on a beautiful sprawling property. It's lovely backdrop and warm welcoming people made me feel at home, out here in the countryside.

I love this picture. Even though it was taken in Kentucky it could have been taken in a million places in the US. I love few things more than a winding dirt road, a beautiful view, and great company.

An Adventure to the Reds Game

This past weekend Sam and I went to the final home game of the Reds for the season. It was a rainy Sunday, but that didn't dampen our spirits. We crowded into the bleachers, we cheered for the home team, we ate dogs, and we took in our first game at the park together.

Play ball.

A happy little reds fan.

The sea of red.

A ball game and a boy, a winning combination!

Though the weather was gray we got a few innings in before we retreated beneath our umbrellas. The introduction into Cincinnati sports teams is underway and I will always route for good old Cincy... well unless they are playing New England.

Between the neighborhood festival (Cliftonfest), the zoo, and the Reds game it was a beautiful weekend of adventures together.

A Zoo Adventure

The Cincinnati zoo ranks as one of the countries best and we happen to live in walking distance! This past Saturday was the perfect weather to take a nice long walk that included seeing some of the most amazing creatures in the world. Not bad for a Saturday (especially with Cliftonfest already under our belts). 

Between the animals, the greenery, the sunshine, and the handsome man at my side I'd say it was a pretty wild afternoon (see what I did there). Sam is longtime zoo fan. I have never been particularly drawn to zoos, but given his enthusiasm he had me swimming in zoo-filled excitement. He boasted that when he was three years old he had the zoo completely memorized and would take his mom on tours. I wonder what adorable facts he would share with his mom at 3? Probably just as adorable as the facts he shared with me at 26.

We saw far too many animals to share here, but I did like the giraffes and the gorillas.

Who wouldn't love this face?

A little afternoon snack, yum celery!

Sadly, my favorite animal, the hippo, doesn't currently reside at the Cincinnati zoo. But, Sam has said that they have plans to get a hippo in the next couple of years. Fingers crossed, I love big ole hippos! 

The zoo is a really neat place and one of the things I loved was the cultural undertones throughout the property that got me nostalgic for some of the beautiful places Sam and I have traveled. One of the buildings reminded me of our trip a couple of summers ago to Turkey. 

Cincinnati Zoo in Cincinnati, Ohio

Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey

 
As we were leaving the zoo we ran into a few characters. They were out for a stroll and were awfully friendly, and even waved, as I not-so-sneakily took their picture.

A Vader wave!

It was a great afternoon in sunny Cincinnati and another excellent day full of adventure, together.

An Adventure to Cliftonfest

This past weekend the community we live in, Clifton, had their annual fest. Cliftonfest! The weekend festival is held on the main street in downtown Clifton. The fest kicks-off on Friday night with bands playing and locals wondering around getting a look at the upcoming festivities.

Sam and I popped our heads downtown on Saturday afternoon to see the fun. It was a cute festival and we enjoyed seeing some of the local characters out and about. The weather couldn't have been better and we took advantage of the heat ....by cooling off with a smidgen of ice cream from Cincinnati classic, Graeters.

Our local movie theater, the Esquire, looking retro with a old VW parked out front.

Some of the local 'character'.

A skilled artist chalking up the sidewalk.

A budding artist trying her had at a bit of afternoon chalking.

The weekend was dedicated to the community, local vendors selling their goods, local restaurants offering samples of their food at discounted prices, local artists showing-off their talents by chalking up the sidewalks, local bands playing, and of course locals enjoying each-others company and mingling in the fun atmosphere.

Overall, I would say Cliftonfest was a successful little local event. And, Tuesday afternoon when I went down the street for a coffee I was happily reminded of the fun from the weekend by the chalk murals happily adorning the street.