Our Ohio Bucket List

We have been living in Ohio for less than a year, but I feel like we have already done a lot of the things we wanted to do. However, we still have several things to check off of our bucket list while living here... and we have about 10.5 months to do so before we move all the way to Texas.

Today, I thought I'd share some of the things we've already done here and the things we still want to do! If you live in Ohio or are visiting the area (specifically Southwest Ohio), you'll recognize some of these items!

We have seen a lot more things since moving here that aren't in Ohio as well. We are so close to some pretty cool places that we've spent some time traveling out of the state... but I want to really focus on accomplishing the rest of our list!

OHIO BUCKET LIST

1. Cincinnati Reds game in Cincinnati

2. Jeni’s Ice Cream in Columbus

3. Cedar Point in Sandusky

4. Columbus Blue Jackets game in Columbus

5. Hocking Hills hike/camp

6. Bike along the Buckeye Trail

7. Try Skyline Chili

8. Donato’s Pizza

9. Piada Italian Street Food

10. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland

11. Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton

12. National Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton

13. Underground Railroad Museum in Cincinnati

14. 2^nd Street Market in Dayton

15. Cincinnati Zoo in Cincinnati

16. Columbus Zoo in Columbus

The only things we have left on our list are the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Pro Football all of Fame, the Underground Railroad Museum, and both zoos. Hopefully we can make it to those before we leave!

Do you have any suggestions that we should add to our list?
What is on your bucket list for your current location?


    

Brrrrrrrrr... It's Cold!

I don't know about you all, but where I live, it is COLD. The windchill here in Ohio was -26 last week. Seriously. This is on the verge of being colder than Colorado, for crying out loud.

At least in Colorado, we had the gorgeous mountains to look at - which were so nice covered in snow. Here, it's just cold. And it's a wet cold, so it feels even worse. And I totally wasn't expecting it for whatever reason.

We got a decent amount of snow last week (about 4-5 inches), and my husband's classes were even canceled for a day. We had fun trying to stay warm together and even enjoyed a pizza buffet. I love that he has a big truck with four wheel drive - we can do anything!

And overnight tonight, it's supposed to sleet and freeze over. I'm glad I don't have too much going on this week. You'll catch me all bundled up inside with the three fur-babies. It takes a lot for me to get cold (yes, I'm one of THOSE people)... but this weather has even gotten to this winter-loving lady!

The fresh snow was SO pretty first thing in the morning! Love it!

Dan took Smudge out to play in the snow... and Gilligan was jealous. He kept meowing loudly and scraping the window/door with his paws... so we decided to let him out too. He wasn't a huge fan and hasn't begged to go back outside since.

Stormy is much smarter and enjoys watching it from the inside instead. 

• Are you a winter person?
• Do you like the snow?
• How cold is *too cold* for you?

The Nutcracker Ballet

A couple weeks ago, my sweet husband scored some free tickets to see the Nutcracker ballet at the Schuster Center in downtown Dayton. He knows that my favorite ballet is the Nutcrackers, so he took full advantage of the free military tickets. I was thrilled when he told me we were going, and we had so much fun!

Little did we know that our free seats would be on the lower level RIGHT in the center! It was amazing seeing it all play out, and some of our friends were sitting close by, and we had no idea they'd be there too.

It was a fun, romantic night out, as we enjoyed a new-to-us restaurant, the Spaghetti Warehouse, before the performance.

We had a GREAT time at the Nutcracker, and I hope we're able to see more shows at the Schuster Center before we leave - it was awesome! 

• Do you enjoy the Nutcracker?
• Do you like going to the ballet?
• What is YOUR perfect date night?

5 Things to Do in Dayton, OH

September 23rd Prompt: A guide to your city! Share some of the hot-spots and hidden gems of where you live.

This one is a toughie since I have only been living here for two months... and much of that has been a blur with a spontaneous last minute trip to Washington DC, a week home in Kansas City, a weekend away in Denver for a wedding, and another weekend camping in another part of Ohio. It feels like I have barely even been here! BUT I tried my best to come up with some fun things I have already done.

FIVE THINGS TO DO IN DAYTON, OHIO 

1. National Museum of the US Air Force - it's huge, it's full of planes, and it's FREE... what's not to love?

2. Riverscape MetroPark - it's outdoors, it's pretty, and you can do lots of activities there! You can walk, run, bike, swing, people-watch, paddle-board, and more. It's a fun place to hang out with a view of the river AND the city!

3. 2nd Street Market - it's a farmer's market where you can buy fresh produce, but it's ALSO a venue for unique foods. People have booths inside (and sometimes outside, too) where they sell the food they make, including Thai and Colombian (and more!). It's fun, and it is what you make it!

4. Taylorsville MetroPark - There are SEVERAL metroparks to choose from in Dayton, but this one is our favorite so far. You can bike/walk/run on the North County Trail, which eventually runs through seven states and is the longest continuous trail in the entire country! It's nice, it's not crowded, and there are lots of fun pieces of nature to observe while out and about.

5. Dayton Festivals - seriously, there is at least one festival every single weekend! There have been so many since we got here. I have only been to the Greek one so far, but I plan on checking out a couple more this weekend when a friend visits! Dan went to the Beer Festival and loved it, so it seems like they're all great!

It's nice having so much to do for so little. We thought we were going to run into major problems when moving here from Colorado Springs, CO (where there is SO much to do), but each location is what you make it, and we've really enjoyed Dayton, Ohio so far!

What are your favorite things to do where you live?