Happy Summer! Now that it is officially patio season, I have been wanting to review one of my favorite wineries since I started this blog 5 years ago-Oliver Winery. It is nestled in Bloomington, Indiana and is one of the largest wineries in the U.S. I have been coming here since I was a kid when my uncle worked there part-time while attending Indiana University. I remember him taking us on tours around the winery when we visited and I loved getting those rock candy suckers (which they no longer sell 😞). I vaguely remember meeting the original founder, Bill Oliver, a few times when I was younger. Ownership changed a few years back, though Bill is still a board member. One of things he was passionate about was ballooning, and he got my uncle into it. The logo has been changed to a hot air balloon, which I love because it plays into the story so well. The property is absolutely stunning with a garden out front, a waterfall, a large deck and patio, and a pond with benches at th
Hello! I recently was feeling nostalgic and wanted to visit my old college town to see how it has changed for better or worse. I am an alum of Ashland University and I periodically miss those days, though they say you can never go back. If only. One of the things I loved about attending school there was being out in the quiet country. There was no hustle and bustle or noise of city life (or a more populated suburb). I miss the sense of peace it brought me. However, in recent years, they have built it up near the highway. More chain restaurants, apartments, and large corporations. I'm happy the college students have more options because some were really needed, but it definitely has made it noisier and ruined some of the country feel. I'm happy that the historic downtown closer to the university is being preserved with it's stunning architectural buildings and new small businesses. I wanted to take a look and see what downtown Ashland has to offer, with the help of anoth