Mohican Weekend Part II: A Grape Excursion

Mohican Weekend Part II: A Grape Excursion

So you heard about part I of Mohican Weekend and the fun outdoor adventures we had. Part II is all about the fabulous place we stayed at, Old Vine Cottage at Ryder Family Vineyard.

JMK found this gem on the outskirts of Loudonville and Mohican. Although Mohican offers campgrounds, the Mohican Lodge and cabins, he hit it right on the money with this adorable, picturesque, & quiet getaway! Nestled on 12 acres of rolling vineyards, the backdrop and grounds were beautiful!

Although this place is called "Old Vine Cottage," it is anything but! The "cottage" is a 3 bedroom house with a full kitchen, 2 1/2 baths, giant deck, plenty of space and tons of fun stuff to do. Take a tour of the inside of Old Vine Cottage here. What I really loved though was the privacy and gorgeous vineyards just outside the window! What a view each morning!

Grape Excursion!

Each night we grilled out and had a fire, making for relaxing evenings and peace and quiet.

JMK and his primal fire building skills

On the second night, we had some super clear skies out there in the good ole country, so we built another fire, roasted s'mores and even saw THREE, yes, three shooting stars that night! (I squealed each time one passed and made a wish!)

During the days, we hiked around the 12 acre property and took on some fun activities at Mohican too.

Early morning vineyard photo :)

Strolling through the orchards on the property

The cool thing about this place is that it was bought by a family in 2010 and the adventure unfolded. They saved the property from foreclosure and revitalized the neglected vineyards into a treasure trove of grapes! They're in the process of getting the winery up and running on their property too so it was neat to watch the place evolve and support a family's awesome dream of opening a winery!

Driveway up to the property
Future winery on the left, cottage back right

The house was cozy, friendly, clean, serene and boasted beautiful views. Thanks to the Ryder Family for resurrecting this vineyard and sharing this lovely place with us! We definitely enjoyed the entire stay!

Signing the guest book

Next time you stop at Mohican, consider a stay at this fab find! Whether you're looking for a romantic getaway, family fun weekend, or gal pal fun--I highly recommend it, and by then I hope they have vino in full production too! Happy stomping, grape lovers! And keep JAMmin!

Mohican Weekend Part I

These past few weekends have been AWESOME and SUPER BUSY! So a bit of a delay on these posts--I was busy soaking up the final weeks of summer! I had so much fun I have to divide it up into multiple posts.

Part uno:

Saddle up city slickers, I'm taking you to the backwoods of O-H-I-O!

Still reppin CLE even in the country

Follow me along my Mohican Weekend Adventure!

Equestrian Valley Farm

JMK had planned a (rad) weekend full of surprises at Mohican State Park for us to enjoy together, in the middle of nowhere, no distractions, just beautiful scenery, and time for us to (re)connect, relax and take on fun outdoor activities. And it was seriously such a blast!!!

Hiking in Mohican

Mohican Memorial State Forest and Park is home to nearly 5,000 acres of hiking trails, bridle trails, woods, streams, cliffs, caves, camping and cottages. Chyeah...awesome! The park is conveniently located about an hour and a half outside of CLE and an hour outside of C-Bus. It was my first time there, and I was so impressed with the surrounding scenery--who knew a place so close to CLE had such soft rolling hills!? I'd love to go back during the fall when the leaves turn--my favorite! #MidwestIsTheBest

We began our hike here, at Pleasant Hill Lake Dam, and hiked about 4.5 miles around the area.

I must admit, I may be a savvy street navigator, but when it comes to whereabouts in the woods--that's JMK's area of expertise. We took in a scenic hike along the river, through the caves, across covered bridges and up the bluff at the gorge, making it a point to stop and enjoy each view along the way. 

Yes, people, we are in Ohio! Beautiful backdrop!

Overlooking Clear Fork Gorge

 

Gorge-ous photo op :)

There is SO MUCH to discover at Mohican and so many cool places to explore. The scenery is spectacular, and it's just a short drive from the city. 

Need some time to unwind?

If you're an active person who enjoys being outdoors, this is a fun and scenic one-tank trip from Cleveland. Stay tuned for Part II of Mohican Weekend, next up--all about our stay...hint *vineyards!*

JAMinCLE Goes to Manitou Beach

Early Monday morning, my Mom and I packed up the car to head up and visit my Uncle Don & Jim at their lake house in Michigan. They could not have been more hospitable, gracious, accommodating and great story tellers!!! The typically busy vacation spot turned to out to be a very peaceful getaway during the week and gave me time to pause, recharge and catch up with family. Perfect mini vay-k. Here are my pics from the trip:

 

 

Collecting my thoughts



Brother + Sister

 

 

Lake cruising

 

Sail boats, speed boats, & more boats!

The Wild Life!

Pork tenderloin
and grilled pineapple with rum and cinnamon sugar..yum!



Grown up popsicles and for a sunset boat cruise :)

Cotton candy skies

 

 

Thanks for everything Uncle Don!

 

A flip flopping good time!

What's your favorite weekend getaway spot that's just a short drive from CLE? Think I found mine :) Much needed R&R!

Monday Meditation: The Seasons of Adversity and Prosperity

 

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This quote carries so much weight with all the events that have been going on in the news and in my own personal life this past week. The contrast in this quote sharply draws parallels between the seasons of change within the peaks and valleys of life.

 

 

photo by JAMinCLE

Would we appreciate the glory of a blossoming tree without enduring a seemingly endless winter? Would the yellow of the daffodils and the spring green of the grass be as vibrant without the slate gray that has painted our city this winter? Would we know the pleasant feeling of prosperity without having the sour taste of adversity? Would we count our blessings without experiencing loss or grief?

As we emerge with resilience in the face of a harsh winter or tragedy, adversity, exhaustion, etc. let's take a brief moment to acknowledge a new season of heroism, prosperity, and rejuvenation. A simple welcoming song of hope.

Photo by JAMinCLE

Weekend Recap: Spontaneous Spring Adventures in CLE



Do you ever have one of those perfectly planned weekends in which the plans suddenly fall apart? Ughh..usually I get super bummed (hello, I plan events, what do you expect?) But thankfully, with the changing spring wind, the spontaneous spring adventures blew into CLE when I least expected it...

 

On Friday, I got the unexpected call to go and check out the newly opened World of Beer in Lakewood. The place boasts 52 beers on tap and 538(ish) bottles of beer (heavenly for any craft beer lover, and yes... I asked the bartender precisely how many bottles of beer they had...)

I met one of my besties, Kay, as an unplanned night unfolded. Kay was my very first friend I made in college and everytime we get to see each other it's always a fun evening of reminiscing, joke-cracking, and catching up :)



J + Kay

After catching up with Kay, I was venturing back home until I (literally) ran into these crazy cats. What a lovely surprise! As the weather begins to turn, the kinetic Cleveland energy intensifies! Random nights out and about culminate into unforgettably fun times.

Why hello der: Brett, Jenna, me, Ryan and Julie

While enjoying the live music playing, I turned around and asked some fellow patrons to take our above pic.... turned out Jenna knew one from college that she hadn't seen in nearly 10 years. What are the chances? Only in CLE!

Jenna givung thumbs up. Andrew the awesome picture-taker. Josh the former college classmate.

We had a long chat about CLE and how it's a great place for young people. You just have to be willing to go out and have an adventure. People who complain about CLE aren't really seeking positive change or new experiences...conclusion? Quit your slackin, and make sh*t happen!! :)

3 cheers to unplanned nights with old friends, new friends, dinner, drinks and live music!!!

And how about this new weather that's (finally) popped!?!?! I woke up to the birds chirping and sunshine on Sunday. So what's a girl to do? Get her spring gardening on! I went out and grabbed some bio-degradable starter pots along with some zinnia & marigold seeds. (throwback to the awesome spring seedling science projects in grade school..ya-yuh!)

After doing some planting and going to town cleaning up the garden beds, I headed over to Market Garden Brewery to meet Evan and keep soaking up the SUN-day fun day and Vitamin D on the patio!!! Ahhh gloriousness!

EV Loves CLE!!!

New season bridges new development in CLE!

After Market Garden we cruised over to Tremont to get our sugar fix during the springy Sunday at Tremont Scoops! It just opened along Professor Ave. and is serving up some flavored favorites with a side of excellent customer service! I'm pretty sure I squealed 1) because I was so excited/proud my gal pals opened up this adorable place! 2) they had my FAAAAAAAVORITE ice cream there and I can never seem to find it anywhere or in stores.

Meet Nikki and Ann
two of the lovely ladies from the team at Tremont Scoops!

Biiiiiiiiig cheese! So happy that I found some Superman ice cream

From trying new watering holes, fun run-ins with friends, happy spring seed plantings, soaking up the sunshine on patios, to discovering that my fave childhood ice cream is being served up nearby....I'd say it was one happy unplanned surprise after another during this spring weekend in CLE! Those are the best :)

 

 

How was your weekend? What new surprise did you recently uncover in CLE?

 

Blue Plastic Bag: My Spring Poem to CLE!

As I've mentioned in previous posts--I have a passion for creative writing and poetry, part of the reason why I started writing this blog anyway! I minored in creative writing during my college years and was recently going through my portfolio when I came across this spring poem I wrote about CLE almost six years ago to date... my how the seasons fly by!

Blue Plastic Bag

It was a windy March afternoon
when I spotted the blue plastic bag
flying above the Carnegie bridge
into the slate gray Cleveland sky. 

It whipped around the
steel beams,
and rose
and sank,
breathing in the air.

How did it get so high
up there?

Did somebody let it go
out their car window?

Did it leap from the garbage can
after somebody no longer used it
to carry their fresh bread from the Market?

Maybe, it blew in from Canada
after someone left it at the cold beach,
opting for a picnic indoors instead.

Or maybe it let out someone's crumpled bills
and shredded documents
for someone to find
and piece together.

Perhaps it was freed from underneath a stone
when some pedestrian hurried past.

Maybe, the leaves finally brushed off
when the wind came by
to scoop it up
and take it for a ride.

-JAM, March 2007

The infamous (white) plastic bag scene 

from "American Beauty"

Monday Meditation: Welcome Spring, Savor the Sunshine

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This Wednesday, we will usher in a new season...SPRING! The weather always proves to be unpredictable in CLE but I love this quote for Monday Meditation. Spring will finally pop its head here shortly and soon we will be trading snow squalls for thunderstorms and digging out weeds from the garden rather than digging out of snow. But we all know CLE weather is just as tempermental as the lake effect in our lives. Where will the storm hit, here, there, when, how long, how hard, how much? And on and on. It's easy to be sucked into impending storms or potential gloomy days. Well I say...

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The trials and tribulations in life are inevitable and will often catch us off guard; so how do we prepare? How do we shake the winter blues and renew our hope for spring? We store up the sunshine! Focus and invest in the people and events and love in life that brighten up the seasons of your life. The real question is, when you reflect, will you be counting your rainbows or your thunderstorms?

Will you let the figurative rain of life wash away your good days? Or will you store up some sunshine to cherish on the gray days?


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Do you feel an internal shift when the seasons change? How do you handle bad weather? Share your thoughts!

Orchid Mania at the Cleveland Botanical Garden

This past weekend, I went to the Cleveland Botanical Garden for their 10th annual Orchid Mania exhibit. It was stunningly magnificent! I've always loved orchids, but was totally unaware of the countless varieties and hybrids that were out there!!! The handiwork of these spectacular orchids is show-stopping and awe-inducing with their natural beauty!

Bring on the color!

 

The Cleveland Botanical Garden is a gem in our city, and this brightly colored and sweet smelling exhibit is a guarantee pick me up on a gray wintry day! The Orchid Mania exhibit is on now through March 10, and with adult tickets for only $9.50, this exotic orchid show is easy on the eyes, and on the pocketbook!

These lovely markings are real life, all natural artwork!

 

 

 

Loved the suspended orchid wall display!

 

Chocolate smelling orchids...I was in heaven!




 

 

 

"Queen of the Orchids"
This gigantic beauty reminded me a bit of an Iris with its shape



Orchid Mania!
Another successful Cleveland adventure!

So if you're looking for a fun Cleveland adventure that will surely brighten your mood and spirit, take in this captivating orchid exhibit and "escape to a world of tropical delights at the Cleveland Botanical Garden!" Hurry, the exhibit runs for just a few more weeks, just the boost you need to get you through the home stretch of a Cleveland winter!