Almost heaven...

Yes, as goes the song, that would be West Virginia. The long Fourth of July weekend earlier this month found us heading to Ohio's southeastern neighbor and, after four days at Stonewall Jackson Lake State Park and Resort near Weston, West Virginia, I can now also vouch for that state's near heavenly qualities.

From the moment we crossed over the Ohio River, we were completely taken in by the beauty of West Virginia. The lush rolling green hills, the charming small towns and the welcoming people of that state all served to make us wonder why visitors are not flocking there in droves. Particularly Ohioans like us, given the close proximity of West Virginia and the easy drive it takes to get there. On the other hand, now that we've discovered this wonderful place, I can't say I'd be sorry if the secret never gets out, since the state's peaceful serenity is a big part of its charm.

As noted, our time in West Virginia was spent at Stonewall Jackson Lake State Park. While there is a lovely main lodge at which hotel rooms can be had, we opted to splurge on a private lakeside cottage. Our little gem of a cabin was tucked amongst a small grove of trees just feet from the shore of the lake.

Inside, the two bedroom cabin with fully equipped kitchen wowed us from bottom (hard wood floors) to top (soaring cathedral ceilings). We loved the interior's exposed wood beams, fabulous stacked stone fireplace, and Arts-and-Crafts-meets-Adirondack-style decor.

Outside it got even better. The cottage had a back deck, complete with patio furniture and gas grill, from which there were amazing lake views in all directions. The perfect weather didn't hurt, and I could have happily spent all four days relaxing on that deck, soaking in the scenery.






However, the surrounding state park and resort offered far too many attractions and activities to spend the whole time lounging out back of the cottage. Stonewall Jackson Lake State Park was created just a few years back, when the U.S. Corps of Engineers built a large dam to control the nearby West Fork River. As part of that project, Stonewall Jackson Lake was created and, along with it, the state park. Construction on the resort began late in 2000, and the lodge opened its rooms to the public in early 2003.

The lake is spectacular, with over 80 miles of shoreline edging the sparkling water that twists and turns through acres and acres of the surrounding wooded hillsides.


The park features a 374-slip marina, miles of hiking and biking trails, and a gorgeous Arnold Palmer Signature golf course for those who (unlike us) enjoy that sport.



The resort itself is located right on the lake, and offers the aforementioned lodge, with indoor and outdoor pools, fitness center, full service spa, cozy library and three restaurants and lounges. Activity options obviously abound, and the resort has kayaks, canoes and bikes available free to guests, as well as pontoon and fishing boats for rent.

During our stay, we hiked and fished and boated. The hiking was great and it was fun to explore the lake by boat. As for the success of the fishing, a picture is worth a thousand words, as the saying goes...


We also enjoyed a little side trip into the town of Weston, about ten miles away. We took a stroll downtown, shopping for antiques along the way and admiring the century old (or older) architecture of the surrounding buildings and houses.



A drive outside of Weston led us to discover a small winery where, after we checked out the charming grounds, the friendly owners guided us through their wine-making facilities, and then poured countless samples of their various wines for us to taste. (Not a bad marketing technique, as it turned out.)

We also stopped at the nearby boyhood home of Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, the famous civil war general. The Jackson family property was deeded to the state university nearly a century ago, and has since been used as the statewide summer headquarters and camp for the West Virginia 4-H program. The huge acreage there includes the original mill and pond, where we stopped to feed the waterfowl and fish, along with a great little country store, where we snapped up a jar of West Virginia red raspberry jam to bring home.

The final highlight of our stay, since it happened to be the Fourth of July, turned out to be the fireworks display put on back at the state park, over the lake. From the perfectly situated vantage point of our cottage's back deck, we watched as the brightly colored pyrotechnics exploded and dazzled right over our heads.




While taking in the fireworks, I thought about the freedom and democracy that the display was meant to symbolize and celebrate. Notwithstanding the troubles and turmoil of these modern times, it struck me that the founding fathers of this country really did form a more perfect union. A union that, in the smaller sense, thankfully continues to encourage and revel in the individuality of its people. From a larger perspective, we are blessed to live in a union of fifty wonderful states, each unique in its own way.

From our recent experience, I now know that West Virginia is one of the best of those states. John Denver definitely had it right.

Feline Fashion (Non)Sense

I posted a couple months back about the endearing kittens we had adopted last November. As a postscript to that, Chloe and Max have since grown like weeds, and are still healthy and happy. Strangely enough, they have also developed quite a sense of style, one of their favorite places to crash being on top of their mama's designer bags.

While they're pictured here accessorized by Louis Vuitton, they actually seem to prefer Italian design. However, when I found Chloe curled up inside of my favorite black purse and Max grooming the soft leather with his tongue, I had to take the Prada away from them. Sigh...

You must see...D.C.!

Quite a few months back, we scored super cheap nonstop flights from Dayton to Baltimore and back, which I booked with the plan of spending the June weekend in question staying in Baltimore's Inner Harbor area and exploring the highlights that city has to offer. Three weeks ago, just days before we were due to leave on our trip, an impulsive urge resulted in a last minute change of plans, and we decided instead to spend the weekend in Washington, D.C..

Scott had not visited D.C. since the requisite family vacation there as a child over thirty years ago and, although I had been there more recently as an adult, I was more than happy to go back. To any person who falls into either of those categories and, more importantly, to anyone who has never been there, I say get to or get back to D.C. as soon as possible, because the city really is the jewel of our nation (notwithstanding the crime rate, throngs of tourists and the Obama administration). Go now, go again in a couple of years, and even return a few years after that, because it would be nearly impossible to run out of wonderfully fun or fascinating things to do there.

Even better, D.C. is truly a paradise for those of us who travel on a budget. In terms of transportation once there, the city's Metro system is user-friendly and will take you nearly anywhere you need to go for a couple of bucks. Scott and I even opted to use an easy combination of Metro bus and train rides to get from the Baltimore airport to our hotel at Dupont Circle. It took no longer than a cab ride would have, and cost about twelve dollars (versus the seventy bucks we would have paid to travel by taxi).

In terms of accommodations, Washington is chock full of choices. Unless there is a presidential inauguration about to happen or several huge conventions all occurring the same week, a little time spent checking prices online in advance is likely to yield a lodging option that will suit any budget. Our hotel reservations were made at the last minute and, while it was far from the cheapest choice, we opted for the Hotel Topaz. This place, for which we paid a very reasonable $139 per night, is a fabulous boutique-style hotel located a convenient three blocks from the Dupont Circle Metro stop. Our king room was gigantic (more of a suite than a room), the decor was super cool, and the staff was awesome.

There was also a terrific lounge on site that served great food and drinks.

Additional pluses at the Hotel Topaz were the free WiFi (technically, only free for members of Kimpton Hotels' points program, which took me about a minute to register for online), the honor bar refrigerator in the room (in which, contrary to many hotels, the staff encouraged us to stash our own cold drinks we brought in), a ten dollar credit for anything used from the honor bar (also a points program benefit), and we liked the fact that the hotel wholeheartedly welcomes gays and pets (although we were traveling with neither on this trip).

As to what to see and do in D.C., the list is essentially endless. Scott and I enjoyed a very long walk through the District on our first full day there, during which we checked out the White House, the Capitol, the United States Supreme Court and the Library of Congress.

Following that, we strolled down the Mall past the collection of Smithsonian museums, and then did a grand tour of the monuments and memorials, starting along the edge of the Tidal Basin with the Washington Monument...

then walking on to the Jefferson Memorial...

and then on to the one honoring FDR (and Eleanor).

From there, we walked past the World War II and Korean War memorials, and continued to the Lincoln Memorial (with its great view down the the Reflecting Pool to the Washington Monument).

We ended our national monument tour at the Vietnam Wall, with its sleek black granite highlighting the horribly long list of those who gave their lives in that tragic war. Even more touching were the items left by visitors along the front of the wall, which the National Park Service collects each day, and then catalogues and stores off site.

After a quick break for a hotdog lunch from a street vendor and then a short rest back at the hotel, we hopped on the Metro for a stop at Judiciary Square, to visit the Peace Officers Memorial. Perhaps it's because Scott and I have both had lifelong careers in law enforcement, but I actually found this to be the most heart wrenching and awe inspiring stop of the day. Set in a lovely tree-lined plaza, guarded by statues of lions on each corner, the police memorial contains the names of the thousands of law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty, including several from our home county in Ohio.

Unlike the Vietnam Wall, where the list of names is believed to now be complete, much of the space on the wall of the police memorial is blank, in recognition of the fact that the "war" it memorializes is ongoing, and that names of the brave soldiers that die in this battle will be added every year, forever.

We finished our day with a visit to the National Air and Space Museum, which was very cool. (I'm speaking not only figuratively but literally, because at that point we were definitely ready for some air conditioning.) While this museum is starting to seem a tad bit dated, we still loved walking around and looking at the planes and other exhibits that represent the amazing history of flight and space travel in our country.

The following day, we started out with a trip to another very sobering place, Arlington National Cemetery, but we are very glad we did. Most people are familiar, through photographs or television, with images of that resting ground's white markers dotting its rolling green hills, but seeing those acres and acres of graves in person was certainly something else completely.

While there, we also saw the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns, which was a very unique and touching military ceremony.

After we left Arlington, a quick Metro ride took us back to D.C., where Scott indulged me by spending a little time at the Hirshhorn Museum, one of the Smithsonian fine art galleries, which showcases modern and contemporary art.

Like many people, I have had far too little firsthand exposure to art in my lifetime, and it was extremely enjoyable to walk through the museum and view works by artists that, prior to that, I had only read about. While I was a little annoyed that they have a Picasso that was not on display, the museum was still fantastic. Some highlights were an entire room featuring Alexander Calder mobiles...


an exhibit of Willem de Kooning's famous abstract paintings of women...

a couple of Warhol prints (Andy still totally rocks!) ...


and an Edward Hopper painting that, in person, made me truly realize why the style is called Realism.

We lunched on giant hot pretzels in the Hirshhorn's breezy outdoor space around a spectacular fountain, and then decided to ride the Metro to Friendship Heights, right on the border of D.C. and Maryland, for a little window shopping. That area gives retail therapy a whole new meaning, with every conceivable famous name department and specialty store located a stone's throw from the subway stop.

After cruising around Saks, Neiman Marcus, Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn and a couple more favorites, we stopped a great little sidewalk cafe, shaded by trees and ivy-covered brick walls, where we had drinks and people-watched before heading back to the heart of D.C..


We ended our day with a few more cold beers at a Dupont Circle pub with an outdoor patio, played a couple of games of pool, and then staggered back to the hotel (staggering not so much from the cocktails as from the miles that we had walked in two days). Exhausted, we splurged on burgers from room service at the hotel, and then slept like babies.

On Sunday morning, we buzzed back to the Baltimore airport and, following the quick flight to Dayton, were home in Lima by noon. Looking back on that weekend as I type this, I am struck by how much we managed to see and do in D.C. in just two days. Amazing as it may sound, our time there was not hurried in the least - to the contrary, we explored D.C. at a relaxed pace and it was completely enjoyable (except, perhaps, for the large blisters that developed on the bottom of my feet).

Returning to the topic of cost, I would be remiss if I failed to point out that every single attraction we took in, including museums, was absolutely free. While the wide range of food choices in Washington runs the gamut from cheap to outrageously expensive, our two street vendor lunches cost us a total of ten bucks (including drinks), and a restaurant dinner for two at night ran about forty bucks each night, including tip (less than the two of us would drop for dinner at our local Applebee's, assuming we could bring ourselves to pay to eat there). Each Metro trip cost around two dollars a person and, as already noted, the lodging was exceptional for what we paid.

For all of these reasons, and because the features I have mentioned are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the city's attractions, Washington D.C. deserves to be high up on anyone's list of places to visit in the very near future, even if one has been there before. We're already planning our next visit.

It's summer time, and the living is easy!

But the blogging is hard...a warm weather hazard, I've decided. It seems like forever since I sat down at the computer and managed to put up a post.

The lack of activity in this space is certainly not due to a lack of the same in everyday life. To the contrary, since summer-like weather hit us about six weeks ago in northwestern Ohio, we've been on the go non-stop. Camping in Ohio's awesome state parks, enjoying a fantastic long weekend in Washington, D.C., beginning a much needed back yard makeover and, as I type this, relaxing at a lakeside cabin in West Virginia's Stonewall Jackson State Park and Resort. So much to blog about, so little time...

However, when I began this little site early last winter, it was with the goals of working on my writing on a regular basis, improving my extremely basic photography skills, and just generally sharing my enthusiasm for our Ohio lifestyle (at least with the three or four people I've actually told about this blog).

And so, rested and relaxed after four fabulous days at the lake, I have vowed to make a renewed effort to post more regularly, to fulfill the goals I set for myself last January. See you soon...

Head for the hills!

Hocking Hills State Park, to be exact, which was where Scott and I headed this past weekend to camp, hike, and just generally hang out enjoying the outdoors for a couple of days. While we travel fairly frequently throughout the United States, we also jump at the chance to take advantage of the many wonders that our home-state of Ohio has to offer. The Hocking Hills region in southeastern Ohio is certainly one of those wonders.

The idea of a camping trip was conceived just a week prior, when I happened to note that we had yet to try out the small tent I had purchased at a clearance price the summer before. Although my idea of "roughing it" typically means a hotel without room service, I had adjusted to the concept of camping a few years ago through backpacking trips to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and, subsequently, to the top of Pikes Peak. While my camping experience was still very limited, I decided that I could certainly handle a couple of days of "car camping" at an Ohio state park, since I had managed rustic camping in those other locales, with no electricity, no showers, and with only the supplies carried in on my back.

And so I rather impulsively announced to my husband a week ago that we should go camping. Having grown up camping all over the place with his family, Scott jumped at the idea with no hesitation. We made a quick list of supplies, hit Walmart and Meijer to grab a few items and, within a few days, had all the necessities for a weekend of camping packed neatly into 3 large plastic totes. We cut out of work last Friday at noon, and had the Volvo packed for the weekend an hour later.

A leisurely drive through a non-stop rain delivered us to Hocking Hills State Park by late afternoon, where by some miracle the downpour stopped the moment we arrived. Scott and I had the tent up in no time and a camp fire was started.


Campsite set up, we then prepped the food for dinner, which included a batch of beautiful fresh veggies that we bundled up in a foil pack and cooked over the campfire, to accompany a grilled piece of sirloin. (Yes, I understand that this is nobody's news in terms of camp cooking techniques, but I had never tried it before and really delighted in the simple fun of it all.)

Given my love for home design and accessories, I am compelled to mention that I was also totally digging the new plastic dishes on which we ate. It may be camping, but we had decided that there was still no reason food had to be served on paper plates, and so we splurged on these very cool chartreuse green dishes at a local discount store (and by "splurge", I'm talking about spending ten bucks to buy service for four).

Following our campfire dinner, we spent another hour or so by the fire. Bedtime announced itself shortly after dark when it became obvious that a thunderstorm was going to arrive momentarily, and so into the tent we dove. I'm happy to report that, while a driving rain continued all night, our tent stayed dry as can be. In addition to discovering that our tent was a fabulous little water-proof model (made by Eureka), I also learned that there is nothing more comforting than the experience of sleeping in a tiny tent with the sound of the rain outside hitting the tent all night.

Like magic, the rain stopped at six the following morning, the sun appeared and we crawled out of our small shelter. I made coffee by heating water on my tiny backpacking stove, and Scott confirmed my belief that a hot cup of Joe, even instant, is better than no coffee at all. After grabbing quick showers in the surprisingly clean campground bathrooms, we were off to the hiking trails by 10:30.


We walked first to Old Man's Cave, then along the river to the Lower Falls, and finally went a couple of miles or so more to a point known as Cedar Falls. Roundtrip, it was about a seven mile hike, and we loved every minute of it. The scenery was beautiful, the trails were well marked and clean, and the hike reinforced for us just what a fantastic state park system we have here in Ohio.




After arriving back at camp that afternoon, we took a short drive around the area, and then capped off the day with icy cold beers and our all time favorite meal of hotdogs cooked over an open fire.

On Sunday morning, we were again up with the sun and, following a couple hours of drinking coffee and relaxing, we broke camp and were in the car by ten. Because it was a glorious sunny day, we took a roundabout route home, and spent several hours meandering through Ohio on backroads, along with a stop in Springfield to visit friends and (more on this topic in a later post) to pick up Devil Dogs at the Kroger grocery store there.

We arrived home late that afternoon and I realized that, over the span of the weekend, I had become a camping convert. While at Hocking Hills, we had no cell phone service, no computer, no TV, no electricity, and we had the time of our lives! We have decided to take another camping trip in two weeks to a different state park, and I simply cannot wait for another opportunity to cook, eat and sleep outdoors, enjoying nature and the simple pleasure of each other's company. It's cheap, it's easy and it's a wonderful respite from our crazy-busy lives during the work week. Here's to camping!

Bloody good!

It was many years ago, on a vacation taken while in college, that I was introduced to what would become one of my favorite cocktails. A late night out was followed by an even later breakfast the next day, and someone in the group decreed that Bloody Marys were in order. The waitress delivered a round to our table and, by the time I took a few sips of that first glass, I was hooked.

Refreshing tomato juice dosed with a healthy splash of vodka, then jazzed up with a variety of spices and flavorings, typically including Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco or other hot sauce, salt and pepper, and served on the rocks, this drink is often touted as a morning-after cure for hangovers and it has long been the quintessential brunch cocktail.

However, it was soon after my first experience with this drink years back that I determined Bloody Marys were not just for breakfast anymore. An icy cold Bloody Mary makes a terrific cocktail to enjoy on a hot summer afternoon or evening. It is a great drink to serve up at cookouts or barbecues, as the bold tomato flavor goes wonderfully with grilled burgers, chicken or steak. Bloody Marys were a big hit when we offered them at our garden wedding reception last August and we find that the drink's spicy kick makes it a fine cocktail to enjoy in colder weather too, as evidenced by this photo of Scott and I, taken while cruising off the chilly coast of Alaska this past fall.



To stir up these cocktails at home, the simplest way is to add your own vodka to a really good prepackaged mix. After years of trying various brands, we came across the Bold & Spicy version by Mr. & Mrs. T, and it is definitely a keeper. The consistency of the mix is perfect, being neither too thick nor too thin as many other mixes are. The flavor is fabulous and needs no doctoring, except perhaps a grind or two of coarse pepper or a twist of lime to top off the drink. And, happily for travelers like us, it is readily available at groceries, liquor stores and carry-outs throughout the United States.


As to the vodka to be used, I was a longtime fan of both Absolut and Grey Goose, although the price of those made me wince every time I needed to replace a bottle. Last year, friends turned us on to Svedka, a relatively new Swedish upstart that instantly became our vodka of choice. People who really know their vodka swear by the stuff and, amazingly, it costs about one-third of the aforementioned brands.

For anyone desiring to mix their Bloody Marys from scratch, there are a mind-boggling number of recipes out there. Personally, upon discovering the Mr. & Mrs. T mix, I must confess that I have not made a single scratch Bloody Mary since. However, prior to that, I swore by a recipe that I stumbled across twenty years ago in a little cookbook entitled "Hot, Hotter, Hottest" by Janet Hazen.

To digress slightly, I will note that this book also contains a collection of great food recipes, all of which feature one of five different ingredients - ginger, horseradish, peppercorns, chilis or mustard - and which range from relatively mild to nearly incendiary in flavor.

For those who enjoy such food, or for anyone who wishes to add a little spice to their cooking, I highly recommend this cookbook, which can be ordered online for under ten bucks.

Back to the topic at hand, the Bloody Mary recipe from the cookbook follows, as modified by myself over time. It will produce a truly fine cocktail for purists who like to mix drinks from scratch and, for those who don't, may still come in handy for those times when a good prepackaged mix is not available. Cheers!

Hangover Bloody Marys (adapted from Janet Hazen's Hot, Hotter, Hottest)

1 quart tomato Spicy Hot V-8

1/4 cup prepared horseradish

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon hot sauce (I use Frank's)

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Pour the mix into glasses filled with ice cubes, leaving enough room for the vodka. Generally, 1 to 1 1/2 ounces of vodka per 6 ounces of mix is used, but in the case of a hangover as little as a drop or as much as 3 ounces of liquor could be in order. Garnish each glass with a sprinkling of pepper and one stalk or celery or a lime slice. Serve immediately or sooner.