In case you missed it…

Summer Fun! Ok it’s not over yet, so look through my list of fun things and see what you          have or haven’t done yet and make your plans… Make sure to follow me on instagram or facebook for fun stuff everyday! Heymichelle1 on insta and Hey Michelle on fb.

1. Butler County Donut Trail – Butler County boasts one of the highest number of donut shops per capita in the Midwest! So, get out there with your passport that you can download off the Donut Trail website and start eating some donuts. Once you complete the passport you can redeem it for a T-shirt … sweeeeet. You can do this trail all in one day (which takes about 4.5 hours) but why rush through this trail of deliciousness? 

2. The Museum Center– there is so much fun, and learning packed in this historically           beautiful building. Check out the OmniMax Theater, Children’s Museum, One of the special exhibits or the dinosaurs in the Museum of Natural History & Science. There’s so much to see here that your will need to start early to make it through. 

3. The Loveland Castle – and, if you’re feeling healthy, take a ride on the Loveland bike trail or visit one of the many rooftop restaurants – Click HERE for my post on the Castle.

4. Hit up my list of Ice Cream spots for a good Whippy Dip near you. Click HERE

5. Go kayaking! We have some great places to get out and hit the water. Morgans, 50 West, Loveland Canoe & Kayak  click here for more

6. Take a walk across the Purple People Bridge. Bring a lock to write a message on and lock it up (in designated area only). You can also join in some fun with live music on the bridge on Wednesday nights. 

7. Walk along the Ohio River from Paul Brown Stadium all the way to Friendship Park! It is a beautiful walk and Smale Riverfront Park has so many fun things for the young and young at heart, stop and play on the giant chess board or dance on the keyboard like in the movie “Big” or ride on Carol Ann’s Carousel, or relax on the swings and watch people enjoying running through the water features. 

8. Go to a Reds game and walk around the stadium. So many people go right to their seats and miss the great action around the stadium, like the big slide or the batting cage or the view of the Ohio River. 

9. The Cincinnati Art Museum — OK I will just say all of the museums in Cincinnati are awesome – but over the summer the CAM has an amazing exhibit called, “No Spectators.” You will not be disappointed, I promise. And, you have no excuse as admission is free and so is parking! We are lucky to have this gem in our Eden Park backyard. If you have little ones have them check out a fun backpack they can use while going through the museum that makes it even more fun. Also, the Kimono exhibit is running now until Sept. 15th

10. Splash around Washington Park– Do you know one of the coolest outdoor bars is here? It just got a facelift and is even better. Grab a drink and take in the scenery. Look at the calendar of events. Free workouts, concerts, movies… something for everyone. 

11. Get on a Pedal Wagon and check out all of the cool ArtWorks murals around the city with their Mural Tour or just do a fun bar crawl.  

12. Fountain Square – They also have a great calendar of events like my fave on Thursday nights with Salsa on the Square. It’s so fun to watch and to dance. And, if you like Trivia, join in the fun and test your memory.

13. Roof Top Hop- We have so many good rooftops to grab a frosé or whatever you want. Here is my blog of rooftops and I am happy to add more. View at the Shires’ Garden, Braxton, Pins Mechanical, Aster (above Sleepy Bee), AC Marriott or venture out of the city and check out a different view at The Incline House! 

14. Jazz every Thursday in August in Eden Park at the Seasongood Pavillion 6-8 Schedule HERE

15. Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra Summermusik events during August.. Click HERE for list

16. Drive around the city and find as many Mr. Red  (Map HERE) or Bearcats (Map HERE) that are all over the palce!

There is no feeling quite like flying… I’ve always wanted to jump out of a plane and soar while most likely squeezing the life out of a trained skydiving instructor! Well, I did the 101 of this at the new and amazing iFly Cincinnati. I was still a little nervous but after meeting my instructor, Nick aka Palmer and watching my group “drop-in” one by one, I got so excited. It doesn’t take too long to adjust when you are in the tunnel for the first time, except you can learn the hard way that smiling too much is probably not so good…. just saying… a little more “spit” than expected). Hahaha. The instructors help you with the proper moves and guide you as you go up and down. They teach you how your arm movement helps you change direction to the right and left. The second time in the tunnel they show you how to go up high. WOW, what a feeling! Everyone seems to have the same reaction when they come out of the tunnel…” That was awesome”.  Even the guy in my group who had jumped from planes hundreds to times was psyched.

The whole experience is about an hour and a half from the time you watch the mandatory

safety video, suit up and fly. The more you visit, the better you get! I want to be able to do flips so bad, so I’ll be back! The best part is this is something for everyone ages 3 and up. There is an observation area all around the tunnel for your non-fly friends. They will probably end up doing it the next time you go… just saying.

One thing I should mention, because I think it is amazing, is that it is limitless so it is an inclusive experience for anyone! They fly with people with physical challenges. I would think this must be an incredible experience!

Teachers–check out their outings for schools which incorporates a STEM program. This looked interesting to me as it is such a hands-on, immersive opportunity. They also have a cool virtual reality fly so you can take it up a notch and fly around the world and more. You have to check this place out it is fun for everyone!

CLICK VIDEO BELOW… see my skillzzzz :)

Tell them Hey Michelle sent you ;)

Things to know:

• Wear loose workout type clothes and gym shoes. Keep your jewelry at home. 
• Be on time you don’t want to hold up your group. 
• Book your fly online 
• Check out the fly again deal at the end of your session
• Pictures and video will be taken for you and it is totally affordable! 

7689 Warehouse Row

Liberty Township, Oh 45269

Hours:

Mon-Thurs 12pm-8pm

Friday 12pm-9pm

Saturday 10am-9pm

Sunday 10am-7pm 

I am so excited to announce that I am doing a spot for WCPO-Channel 9 at 7:00 on Thursday nights. Kristyn Hartman and I will be getting “in the kitchen” at local restaurants around town and the sharing the story behind the owners and their vision. So, tune in. We hope you will enjoy. 

Walk-up Windows in OTR 

No need to get all dolled up for dinner when you can go out and grab a meal from one of the new walk-up windows in town.  I love this whole idea because you can go get a bite and take it home. Or, if you’re at one of the many bars around town that let you bring your own food, (most that don’t sell food are ok with you bringing it in) these are a great stop along the way! There are a couple of windows that are already attached to a bar, so that makes it super convenient. The other plus is it can be an inexpensive night out … and who doesn’t like that? 

Boom Box Buns! 

I can’t even contain myself on the yumminess of this place. There are usually 3 selections a night always including one vegetarian. (they are only open Friday & Saturday from 7:00pm until Sold Out which doesn’t take long). What kind of buns you ask? Well, damn good ones. They are the soft steamed Chinese buns called bao buns, filled with seasoned filling of choice. At $4 a bun, call me a cheap date! 

Owner Nathan Friday is always there with his beanie cap on ready to take your order. You might recognize him from being the sous chef at Please –another great place in OTR. If you’re an 80’s person, you will love the boom box theme! 

What I recommend is grab your buns and walk over to Mr. Pitiful’s at 1323 Main. Grab a cold beer and a table and have a great night. 

1324 Main St. @boomboxbuns on Instagram 

13th Street Alley

A bit of Philly in the alley! I have been wanting to try this because my family loves Philly cheesesteak. I happened to be parked near this place the day I was planning a dinner party. I talked to them and told them I didn’t want to spoil my appetite, so I would come back. They insisted I try one and just take a bite. So, I did… then drove off with the rest of the OTR Philly sandwich on my front seat. I went to my next appointment, looked down, looked around and took one more bite. I ate the whole dang thing! It was so good. I can only imagine how good it would be at 2 o’clock in the morning! The fresh cut fries were just as tasty. 

They have a couple tables out front or you can just shove it in while you’re in your car (hahaha).

126 E. 13th Street. Monday- Thursday 11am-9pm, Friday & Saturday 11am-3pm, Sunday 

12pm-6pm 

Gomez Salsa

This place has been around the longest, but it is still the top “go to” food choice! They serve up tacos and bowls, but their claim to fame is the turtle. It’s like a burrito stuffed with goodness, but it is flat and has a tad of crunch. You can design your own to your liking with plenty of options. I’m drooling while I am typing… Andrew Gomez comes from a small town in Texas where he learned from his grandmother and father how to make the best tacos and salsa since he was a kid.

After playing around with variations of tacos he happened upon the “turtle shell”. Thank you, Andrew ‘cuz it is flipping awesome. 

While the walk-up window has moved inside Halfcut, so you can just eat inside and grab a beer. 

107 E 12th St.  Tuesday & Wednesday 11am-10pm, Thursday 11am- midnight, Friday & Saturday 11am-2:30am Closed Sunday & Monday 

Babushka Pierogies 

They have a space in Findlay Market, but now have a weekend walk-up window in OTR serving up their Ukrainian stuffed pierogies.  Owners Sarah Dworak and Iwona Handloser have combined their family recipes to make these delish potato pockets full of fun fillings. The most common is cheese fillings, but they have gotten creative and came up with some nods to Cincinnati with fillings such as 4-way and pizza. You may have spotted them in Findlay Market and now they have the late-night window. Just recently, they opened Wódka Bar (but it is pronounced Vodka even though I like to say wodka!). So now, you can eat your pierogies while sipping on vodka. 

1200 Main St. Open 6:00- 2:30 am 

Forty Thieves

Mid-East Street serves up food like Falafel, Beef Shawarma and more. It was very tasty and a has a comfortable, casual vibe. You can eat on the spacious patio or stay in the Holiday Spirits Bar that is connected and has the same owner. And, this isn’t the owners first rodeo. Dan Wright and his wife, Lana, also own Abigail Street, Pontiac Bourbon & BBQ and Senate. So, they are just adding to their list. I would check out Holiday Spirits, too. It’s a fun spot with skee-ball, pool and a bar full of colorful cocktails, frozé and more. 

This is a halfway point between Findlay and the OTR bar area. 

1538 Race. St.  Tuesday-Thursday 4-12am, Friday & Saturday 12pm-2am, Sunday 12pm-12am