So much of the art pieces that we are accustomed to seeing in museums are hundreds of years old. We stand in awe and marvel as their beauty permeates through the earthy qualities of time -- dust, pollution and the ravages of light. Sue Copeland Jones, Garden Cycle II This summer, you have the rare opportunity to visit a brand new collection of art at The Best of 2015, Annual Juried Member’s Exhibition by Ohio Designer Craftsman. Anita J Lehman, Moored Vessel II Immediately, you will be drawn into the room, as the colors seem to bounce around the room;... Continue reading

How is it possible to entertain a group of 9-14 year olds together for a week, without squabbles, boredom or peer pressure? The answer can be found along the Little Miami River between Cincinnati and Dayton at Camp Kern. There, a dark forest begins to take shape where kids celebrate one of our culture’s most beloved literary series, Harry Potter. For one week, campers are immersed in a fictional world as they cease to be a "Muggle", and the lodging is transformed into designated houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin and Ravenclaw. “The reason this camp works, with such a diversified age... Continue reading

When the hills and valleys of Ohio turn green each June, a part of Ohio's history wakes up. The story of Tecumseh is re-told, vibrantly re-enacted with the regality of world-reknowned actors, gunfire, horses and Indian headdresses -- it's running now until August 30, 2014. Each year, the actors must audition for the roles for the next season. This process begins during the winter, when the Tecumseh team travels across the country to hold auditions for non-union actors. For three years now, Stevyn Carmona, from Trinidad, has defended and held his spot as the leading role, Tecumseh. The actors who... Continue reading

With its playful statue of Peter Pan standing on the top of the fountain at The Columbus Metropolitan Library, Ohio libraries are making it easier than ever for you to nurture your own inquisitions and sense of adventure. Ohio boasts 251 Public Library systems, each with 481 Branch locations. (For perspective, we have 88 counties in Ohio, and 44 percent of our land is farmland.) In the same way that a “great book comes alive,” libraries themselves give the same vitality. While researching free summer library programs in Ohio, I found unique programs and dedicated staff, customizing their programs to... Continue reading

All you need to do is show up with plenty of imagination, and the Columbus Museum of Art will provide the rest. It's LEGO month at Doodles, and the CMA is providing Lego's building blocks in all shapes, colors and sizes, for you to create unique one-of-a-kind art. The event is a continuation of the CMA’s Lego Exhibit, Think Outside the Brick, that continues through Feb. 16, 2014. Every Saturday, the CMA opens its workroom, just down the hall from the main gallery, for Doodles, a program for kids and adults to create unique art projects. If you need inspiration,... Continue reading

There is actually a moment when the stadium is so quiet that you you can hear a pin drop. On those days, the Ohio Stadium is open for tours. Yes, you will get to run across the 50 yard line and make a touchdown, just like the Buckeyes do, but you'll also go inside the stadium to see where TBDBITL practices, the $1.5 million Steinbrenner Band Center. Over 450 students try out each year to play here. But there are only 225 spots. Competition is tough here. There is a "museum" of sorts, where memorabilia from the band's hall of... Continue reading

If you’re looking for that one toy for your kids that will never wear out, look no further than the whistle. Made of solid brass, this expensive metal produces the best tone and resonance of any other metal, and is virtually indestructible. (Although, you may wish it was.) They will hand you one at the end of your tour at The American Whistle Factory, the only manufacturer of whistles in the entire United States. This one-of-a-kind factory in Worthington, Ohio, is where they make the gold-plated whistles the referees use during The Super Bowl, and at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day... Continue reading

Once the crowd descends on High Street for football Saturday, the streets are jammed with hungry fans. Within a two-mile radius from Ohio Stadium on Woody Hayes drive, you can walk to some of the city’s greatest edible treasures, and find everything from linen tablecloths with wine lists, to the ultimate in freshly made street food, hot off the grill. As an OSU alumnus, I've prepared a virtual tour of feasts, with walking directions via Google maps, (just click on the distance link), to take you from from Ohio Stadium to any spot to satisfy your cravings on football Saturday.... Continue reading

Eighteen hours after our visit, the grandeur, mystery and majesty of the castle is still fresh. There it was again, in my dreams, as I revisited the hallways, the hand-painted murals, the parquet patterns of oak, walnut and maple floors. I was, I imagine, trying to find the answers to so many mysterious questions – why did they build tunnels at the Piatt Castles? It’s astonishing really, to see a limestone tower peeking out through the hills of this Ohio valley, just west of Mad River Mountain, near the Ohio Caverns, where, just across the road, there is a pasture... Continue reading

With the cold air whipping through Ohio, it's far too easy to grab a cup of warm cider and just stay inside and wait for spring. Yet, staying inside is a nonlinear path directly toward cabin fever. Ohio's majestic forests are known for their autumnal beauty as the leaves change, but winter also leaves a spectacular mark on these forests that is surprisingly fresh, crisp and serene. Hocking Hills' moss-covered rocks stand against the backdrop of lush evergreens, and skeleton trees that are merely storing energy for spring's new buds. The waterfalls, depending on the temperature that day, either fill... Continue reading