Once Upon an Adventure

 Hello Market-Goers and Lake Lovers!      This summer, I had the pleasure of attending The Summer Market for the very first time. It's an outdoor festival and fundraising event featuring more than 100 vendors that sell vintage, handmade, and homegrown goods. The fundraiser supports Girls Give Back, which is a non-profit that benefits local families and organizations in need. There is also live music, food trucks, and drinks that you can enjoy along the Black River in Lorain, Ohio. It is free to attend and pet friendly. I have heard of this event in the past, but never made it because it is one weekend only every July. You can check out more about the event on their website .      Before going, I checked out their website to see what vendors I definitely wanted to make sure I found their booths. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of lake/nautical goods because I want to decorate my future lake house in that theme. There was a nice v...

 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...