The Miami Valley Outdoor Club is based in the Dayton area and includes members of all ages and stages of life. Club activities are as varied as the membership itself. In the past year, I have participated in caving, hiking, backpacking, camping, climbing,…Read More

The Miami Valley Outdoor Club is based in the Dayton area and includes members of all ages and stages of life. Club activities are as varied as the membership itself. In the past year, I have participated in caving, hiking, backpacking, camping, climbing, biking, roller-blading, rafting, skiing, trail maintenance, caring for wild animals, and eating with the group (just about every activity has eating of some sort, spawning the motto: come for the activities, stay for the food!).

This group is very friendly and is by NO stretch of the imagination a meatmarket, which is something I've heard about similar clubs in the area.

Membership to the group is a very reasonable $16 for the year ($24 for families), which goes toward a monthly newsletter, the rental of a meeting site, and two social gatherings (one each in December and July). Meetings, which are a time for planning outings and seeing a program for some trip or outdoor activity, are held on the first Tuesday of every month at the Wegerzyn Horticulture Center, which is NW of downtown Dayton. Activities are held throughout the month. For more information, go to the club's website.

....well, maybe not guaranteed by anyone specifically, but we think it is!!! Min: 48 inches. First, be forewarned: As of this writing, you WILL stand in long lines for this ride, but it is WELL WORTH IT! The lines begin just outside the final…Read More

....well, maybe not guaranteed by anyone specifically, but we think it is!!! Min: 48 inches. First, be forewarned: As of this writing, you WILL stand in long lines for this ride, but it is WELL WORTH IT! The lines begin just outside the final "overbanked" curve - curves which are banked at 122 degrees - that's 32 degrees past sideways - the most banked non-inverted curves on earth. As you snake your way through the maze of waiting lines, you begin to catch glimpses of the first hill. At first it doesn't seem so bad. After all, it's only 310 feet tall; roughly 31 stories. Only after standing and surveying the ride for what seems like an eternity (especially with a child asking "how much longer?") do you realize that this is the tallest coaster in the US (Japan built one 8 feet taller - but slower).

As you get closer, your line moves along that final curve and you can hear the screams, many, I presume, of panic. As you make your way up the ramp toward the loading area, you can hear the riders going up the first hill: first are the shouts of disbelief, later, as they approach the peak, the shouts turn to screams, and finally, as the cars crest the hill, nothing. It's not until we are loaded in (we managed to sit in the second row of seats - WHAT A VIEW!!!) and experience it for ourselves that we realize that the silence is not by choice, but rather the ride taking your breath away.

As our train stretched over the hill, we saw the track some 300 feet below us, but where was the track beneath us??? About the time we finally saw the 80-degree drop, we were accelerating to over 90 mph! The first turn is a 122-degree hill, banking you back towards the building, through a few bunny hops, and into a tunnel with a turn. You shoot out onto the park's island and go through a bow-tie curve, complete with another overbanked turn only to rocket back into another tunnel where screaming riders are photographed as proof that the ride is worth the wait.

Out of the tunnel is another bunny hop and the final overbanked turn. As you approach the unloading area at over 60 mph, you wonder if you are going for a second trip. That thought doesn't last long as you all but screech to a halt in just a couple of seconds. Riders are visibly intoxicated with excitement (as well as dizzy) as they step out of the train, many racing back to the line to wait for another chance.

It is said that a picture says a thousand words, so check out the "BOOK" that was written with the picture from this ride!

(Be careful not to look like my son going down the hill - you might just eat a bug or two!) ***UPDATE 1 year later*** My son still is asking, "Dad, when can we go to Cedar Point again? I want to ride the Millenium Force again!" I guess he liked it!!!

Located about an hour east of Columbus and 2½ hours from Pittsburgh, Dresden is home of the Longaberger Basket Company. Longaberger put Dresden on the map when it began in the 1970s. The drive from the Columbus area takes you through the peaceful…Read More

Located about an hour east of Columbus and 2½ hours from Pittsburgh, Dresden is home of the Longaberger Basket Company. Longaberger put Dresden on the map when it began in the 1970s. The drive from the Columbus area takes you through the peaceful countryside, passing many farms with cows.

If you are going to Dresden from Columbus, take Route 16 East and you’ll pass the world-famous basket office building in Newark. (From other points west, take the Pataskala exit off of I-70, then go north to Route 16 East.) This building, which looks like a giant basket just dropped there from outer space, houses the Longaberger Basket Company’s corporate headquarters. It is located just south of Route 16—you can’t miss it. I felt like I was on the set for "Honey, I Shrunk The Kids" as we approached the basket in our car. I recommend stopping here and admiring the detail in the building before driving the remaining 20 minutes to Dresden.

When you arrive in Dresden, The Longaberger Homestead will be to the left of Route 16. The Homestead contains many restaurants and shops featuring Longaberger products. Through people in town we learned that The Homestead is fairly new. Many of the shops and restaurants that were originally located in downtown Dresden, moved over to the Homestead. Unfortunately, The Homestead was closed for Memorial Day—the day we went to Dresden. So, we continued on to the town of Dresden, which is above five minutes away. From Route 16, head south on Route 60, then make a left onto Dave Longaberger Way.

We were looking forward to eating lunch in this quaint town, but since all of the restaurants in town were also closed, we had to eat at the local McDonald’s instead. Fortunately, about ½ of the shops in town were open. My biggest piece of advice is to call first and check hours before going to Dresden.

We didn’t have any trouble finding parking in town. We were able to park along the streets. Dresden is a small town—there are only a few stoplights. I most enjoyed walking along the sidewalks admiring the Victorian gingerbread architecture. Most of these well-kept homes have been turned into B&Bs, shops, and other small businesses. Other highlights in Dresden are the huge baskets of flowers located up and down the sidewalks. These baskets added a lot of charm that I haven’t seen anywhere else in my travels. There are also a couple of beautifully maintained gardens—one with a huge basket that took more than 2000 man-hours to complete.

The shops in Dresden sell not only baskets, but also other collectibles such as bears and country crafts and accessories for the home. All shopkeepers we encountered were extremely knowledgeable and friendly. They filled us in on the Longaberger family, history of the company, and how you can find out how much baskets you own are worth.

Longaberger baskets are manufactured right in Dresden (adjacent to the Homestead) from trees grown locally. Tours of the manufacturing facility are available Monday through Friday.

LEBANON, Ohio - With a cascade of pasta, melted yellow cheese, and brownish goo tumbling off Ali Girl's fork, she took her first carb-filled taste of what makes Cincinnati a must-visit for a palate. "There's nothing I can compare it to," Ali said, warming to…Read More

LEBANON, Ohio - With a cascade of pasta, melted yellow cheese, and brownish goo tumbling off Ali Girl's fork, she took her first carb-filled taste of what makes Cincinnati a must-visit for a palate.

"There's nothing I can compare it to," Ali said, warming to the meal's mild spices and strong aroma.

As an American city, Cincinnati may not rise to iconic stature like NYC, or L.A., or even its ugly instate sister Cleveland (sorry, Cleveland, this is a native Queen City boy corresponding here), but its unique chili makes a visit to the Seven Hills of Cincinnati a worthwhile culinary destination.

Just keep in mind that we ain't talking about health food. Alison and I stopped at Skyline Chili in Lebanon, a small rural town north of the city, on our way home following a four-day visit with my parents, and we took a table inside the combination diner/fast-food joint. Patrons could also choose a seat at the diner counter to watch servers dip into hot vats of sauce and overstock each plate with handfuls of cheddar cheese.

Skyline is one of two prominent chain restaurants in Cincy specializing in the Greek-style chili, made of shredded cheddar and ground beef that's cooked in a secret combination of spices, which might include cinnamon and chocolate. The other noteworthy franchise is Gold Star, but their chili compared to Skyline's is not distinctive.

You can order it either over spaghetti or coney-style, and these restaurants may be the only place in the world where you can ask the server for a "three-way" without getting slapped.

Ask for three-way chili and your plate will come hot with spaghetti, chili, and melting cheddar cheese. Add onions, and it's called a four-way. Get all kinds of crazy and pile beans on that mountain of chili and cheese and you have yourself a five-way.

The sauce is thinner than traditional Texas-style chili, and unless specifically ordered, has no beans in it.

Ali Girl and I each dipped forks into steaming piles of three-way chili, twirling spaghetti soaked in the brown sauce thick with melted cheese.

As Chris Seiple, a frequent travel companion, said during his first visit to Cincinnati several years ago, "This may be the most perfect food ever invented."

Chili franchises began popping up around Cincinnati in the 1920s, with Skyline and Gold Star establishing supremacy over the others by the 1960s and 1970s.

While visits to baseball parks throughout the country have traditional meals, you must-try if you attend a game—think crab sandwiches at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Md., or cheese steaks inside Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Ballpark—hot dogs soaked in Cincinnati chili is a summertime tradition when seeing my beloved Reds at Great American Ballpark. Nothing says laid-back like sitting in the upper deck watching river boats pass on the mighty Ohio beyond the outfield wall while your favorite ball club competes on the bright green field below.

Again, don't expect to lose weight eating the delicacy, and if you visit the city, you won't have to go far to find Skyline or Gold Star (they're everywhere).

There are so many other attractions at Put-in-Bay: DeRivera Park, for example, where a family can picnic, the kids can play on the swings, or you can just sit on park benches and “people watch.” Just across the street is Kimberly’s Carousel, a rare 1917…Read More

There are so many other attractions at Put-in-Bay: DeRivera Park, for example, where a family can picnic, the kids can play on the swings, or you can just sit on park benches and “people watch.” Just across the street is Kimberly’s Carousel, a rare 1917 merry-go-round named for the owner’s daughter. One of the few remaining operating carousels in the U. S., this all-wood machine is a bright spot on Delaware Street, among the eateries and gift shops.

On the rainy day after it had rained all night, my daughter and I were searching for something to do. We checked out the Put-in-Bay Museum, located behind the South Bass Island Brewery, and to our surprise discovered a little-known treasure: a whole bookcase of used paperbacks, just waiting to be read, at 10c to 25c each! We could have kissed the sweet information desk lady who had pointed them out!
Poking around in a back alley, we found the local laundromat, where we were able to dry our soaked sleeping bags and clothes, then went back to the campgrounds to sit on our camp chairs and read in the now emerging sun, waiting for everything to dry off!
In the evening, we happened upon a huge field where a national volleyball tournament was being held. Such serendipitous happenings seem to be commonplace on The Islands.Close

Resturants at Indian Lake are not going to fall in the category of fine dining . ..nor are they going to be ‘good’ restaurants associated with known chains. They are small privately owned places which essentially cater to the casual diner who has spent the…Read More

Resturants at Indian Lake are not going to fall in the category of fine dining . ..nor are they going to be ‘good’ restaurants associated with known chains. They are small privately owned places which essentially cater to the casual diner who has spent the day on a boat and probably hasn’t showered yet. There is a really good web site at http://indianlake.com/entertainment.htm which lists all of the local restaurants, they are as follows:

Tilton Hilton, my person favorite. It's a fully leaning building which looks as though it will be gone new season, has been a staple at the lake forever! They had the BEST burgers which are HUGE! You’re not going top find any health foods. The atmosphere is tacky and fun. You can eat inside (it is pretty dark inside) or outside. Outside does have a small channel which you can then see more open lake areas. During the summer they have week-end live entertainment which does continue through most of the rest of the year. It really is worth a meal here, a truly unique setting

Cranberry Resort - -a nicer setting with reasonable food and you can sit waterside and watch the boats

La Pizzeria - -people like it - -I’ve never had anything there I liked – but clean

Miss Kitty's - -this is more of a bar than anything else

Ginger's Drive Thru - -this is just a drive through

BJ's Drive Thru - -this is just a drive through

Elks Club - -you have to be a member

Captain's Point - -we have only had lousy meals here and don’t go any more

AMVETS- - you must be a member

Brothers Bar - -a real bar setting - -although food is available

Kevin's Pizza- -a good place with two locations for reasonably priced high fat food items

Cassano's - - the most popular pizza at the lake

In addition there is McDonald’s in Russell's Point which is on the water and the kids like throwing french fries to the ducks, there is also a Dairy Queen across from the McDonald's. If you are seeking something that is not deep fried. There is a Subway in the same general location next to a Burger King.

The town of Bellefontaine has a couple of larger chain restaurants, Bob Evans, Ryan’s, Tumbleweed and Henry’s. There is a reasonably good Chinese restaurant downtown. Our favorite is the Mexican restaurant called LosCabos. It has pretty consistently good Mexican food and the service is always good!!!

For a quick stop downtown Huntsville has a place called the Town Trolley—a stand which is a trolley shaped building which has good ice cream and some food items —it is a nice stop and usually always Close

Mantis, which opened in 1996, is a stand-up coaster built by the same company that built Raptor two years early, Bolliger and Mabillard. Usually their roller coasters are quite smooth, but Mantis is a bit rough and hard to re-ride. It is 145…Read More

Mantis, which opened in 1996, is a stand-up coaster built by the same company that built Raptor two years early, Bolliger and Mabillard. Usually their roller coasters are quite smooth, but Mantis is a bit rough and hard to re-ride. It is 145 feet tall with four inversions, including the first inclined loop ever built. The first half of the ride is smooth and very fun, but the second half after the breaks can get a little uncomfortable, so brace yourself!

I always ride the front row of this ride as I feel that any other seat isn't worth riding at all. Because you're standing up it is an interesting perspective seeing the track in front of you. The front takes no more than 10 extra minutes and I think it's worth it.

The line is shortest for this at the beginning and end of the day. Because it isn't worth an incredibly long line, try either of those times. From noon until 5 or 6 the line will be the longest. I'd also recommend not riding this after a meal.

The height for Mantis, as with most coasters with inversions, is a little taller at 56 inches. If you are also an extremely tall person you might run into some issues as well. This is not a must-ride, but it is a different experience than most coasters. If the line is short, give it a try!Close

When Bolliger & Mabillard designed and created the first inverted coaster, Batman: The Ride at Six Flags Great America, they hit the nail right on the head. Batman is a great ride, but with their second go at an inverted roller coaster in 1994,…Read More

When Bolliger & Mabillard designed and created the first inverted coaster, Batman: The Ride at Six Flags Great America, they hit the nail right on the head. Batman is a great ride, but with their second go at an inverted roller coaster in 1994, Raptor, they took another great leap forward. Out of the many inverted coasters I've been on, Raptor is still my favorite. It is the first coaster you see when you walk into the park, and at 137 feet tall with six inversions it certainly stands out.

Because of its location right at the front of the park, many guests immediately queue up for this at the beginning of the day. Though you may be tempted, if you can hold out riding it until late afternoon (after four) the line will be much shorter. Raptor's line is always fast moving as well, so even on the busiest of days, a long line can move very quickly.

Waiting for the front is only an extra five or 10 minutes, so I highly recommend waiting; it is well worth it! Otherwise every other seat is basically a similar great experience. The back is a bit more forceful and usually causes me to grey-out a bit on the pullout of the first loop into the second zero-g roll inversion.

The on-ride photo is taken during the final helix so make sure you're smiling! :) The height restriction is 54 inches, and it is also quite accomodating for larger guests.

This is a must ride! Do not leave the park without kicking the sky on Raptor!Close

Similar to three other coasters at Cedar Point, Gemini was at one point the tallest and fastest coaster on earth. Now that was way back in 1979, but it is still a very fun coaster. It is a steel racing coaster with a…Read More

Similar to three other coasters at Cedar Point, Gemini was at one point the tallest and fastest coaster on earth. Now that was way back in 1979, but it is still a very fun coaster. It is a steel racing coaster with a wooden structure, so it is often misperceived as a wooden coaster. It is not an extremely intense ride, but there some pops of airtime and it is always fun to have a race with the other train!

Because it usually has two trains running on each side (2x2=4) the line is never too long and it goes very quickly, so anytime during the day is a fine time to ride. Since it is in the back of the park, the line is a lot shorter in the mornings though.

The very front seat is my favorite spot on this ride because it gives the best airtime, and you can see the track and the other train in front of you which is always fun (unless you're winning, of course). It is hard to tell which side will win because the ride operators will also let one of the trains leave the station a little early, so it's all up to luck if you want to win!

The height requirement is only 48 inches, and this is definitely a coaster a child would enjoy. Oh, and don't forget to notice the very '80s looking logo!

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When it debuted in 1989, it was the tallest and fastest coaster in existence and it was nothing like anything seen before. It started the new generation of 'Hyper Coasters', and started it off with a bang, too--no other hypers compare. It is…Read More

When it debuted in 1989, it was the tallest and fastest coaster in existence and it was nothing like anything seen before. It started the new generation of 'Hyper Coasters', and started it off with a bang, too--no other hypers compare. It is currently the #3 coaster in the world and is one of my favorites as well. The main appeal of Magnum is all the bunny hills and the loads of airtime they produce.

The line for this is fairly short for the first couple hours after opening, but then in the early afternoon it will get more crowded and generally stay that way until close. I'd recommend riding it after Millennium Force or Dragster in the morning.

Magnum can be a little rough, especially in the very back, and though it is still fun in the back, I would recommend any seat in the first car most. There are 3 rows of seats in each car, and the smoothest ride will be in the middle seat, where it is not sitting on the wheels. My favorite seat is the third row of the first car as for some reason it seems to provide the most intense airtime.

The restraints can get uncomfortable on your legs or thighs during the ride, but if you keep yourself from putting your hands up and hold onto your restraint you may find it to be a more comfortable ride.

Magnum is certainly a must ride at Cedar Point, and I guarantee you'll enjoy the views on the first couple hills looking out at Lake Erie!Close