Once Upon an Adventure

 Step Right Up!     Cedar Point's Boardwalk Nights is a carnival-esque evening event featuring games, live entertainment, and themed food and drinks. There's also themed merchandise in the gift shops.  It occurs every night (except Tuesdays) July 19th-August 18th from 7pm-10pm. I  love that they're fully embracing the Boardwalk theme, as it's now one of my favorite areas to be in the park. When we attended Winter Chill Out earlier this year, it was on a sneak peek events poster in the costume building. While they didn't delve into the details, I'm glad they didn't spoil the surprises because this event is a lot more fun that I had anticipated.  $39.99     Boardwalk Nights starts off with a cavalcade at 7pm along the Boardwalk (between Windseeker and Gatekeeper). There were 3 floats, dancers, and kites. However, all 3 floats don't make it down the entire boardwalk. They start over near Gatekeeper/MaXair and stop in designated spots. One float stops...

 Happy July!     It's bittersweet to say that since it means summer is halfway over. I'm trying to soak in all the sun, sand, chlorine and heat that I possibly can before I blink and it's winter. While we were visiting family in Indiana, we also went to Hard Truth Distillery on the recommendation from my uncle. Two of my uncles, brother, and grandpa did the bourbon trail in Kentucky last year, so my uncle wanted us to try this one. I am a whiskey and bourbon girl, so you don't exactly have to pull my arm to get me to go to a distillery.  Main building      Hard Truth Distillery is located in Nashville, Indiana, which is a cute little historic town full of shops if you ever get the chance to visit. The distillery is on a gorgeous piece of property tucked away on a side street on a hilltop surrounded by trees about 2 miles from downtown. It gave me Twilight vibes, minus the overcast sky. There is a tasting room/tours near the parking lot, the main build...

 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 pa...

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 ano...