A Fun & Delicious Day in Butler County-Part One

I almost always use this blog for a story representing each day of a trip. The idea is to be able to talk about all the little things I don’t have a chance to put in published stories. Sometimes I need to break with tradition, and this trip was one of those exceptions. We had so many things to do, and I have so many photos, on day two that it deserves two blogs!

One of the things I was told about Butler County before I arrived was that they have a Donut Trail. I’ve never been one to shy away from baked goods so this sounded like a scrumptious addition to the weekend.

Heather, Teddy, and I got started with the trail first thing Saturday morning at Holtman’s Donuts in West Chester, just a few miles from the Marriott we were staying at. It became instantly apparent that this was going to be a challenge and I wasn’t backing down. The crew at Holtman’s was waiting for us with a box of donuts.

I asked them, as I did on all the following stops, what their most unusual and popular donuts were. The unusual ones were Lucky Charms and Fruit Loops, and the popular ones are Maple Bacon and Buckeye.

For those who aren’t familiar with Ohio’s Buckeyes, in addition to being the name of Ohio State’s athletic teams, Buckeyes are chocolates filled with peanut butter. These are two of my favorites, so I was looking forward to trying it at a few separate places. As for Heather, she declared the Maple Bacon here the winner as it wasn’t just specks of bacon but included actual slices.

We then headed to Hamilton. We had most of the day planned for there with another donut stop first. It was about 11:00 am when we got to Kelly’s Donuts and they were almost sold out. Fortunately, they had put some donuts aside for us. They were all good, but I declared the Buckeye there the best I’ve had and that record still stands.

 

The next stop in Hamilton was at Pyramid Hills Sculpture Park. It is a must see when you are in the area. We only had an hour, and it wasn’t enough to see the extensive sculpture collection throughout the 470 acres of woodlands.

We got a golf cart to go in around in and see as much as possible before going inside the Ancient Sculpture Museum, funded by Attorney Howard T. Wilks. It was a contrast to the modern sculptures throughout the park. The collection was full of one-of-a-kind options.

 

Pyramid Hill was wheelchair accessible throughout, with exception of two steps to get into the Visitor’s Center. Someone came out while I waited by the steps and apologized, saying they were working on getting a ramp.

From the park we went to downtown Hamilton to visit Inside Out Studio. Not unlike the park, the area was a mixture of history and modern murals. We were also heading to another spot about art.

 

The mission of Inside Out Studio is to “provide an opportunity for artists with disabilities to produce, market, and receive an income from their art, while gaining confidence in their abilities.” The back of the building contains a large area with tons of supplies for the creation.

The front is the store where you can purchase these items. You’ll find all types of things for sale, from jewelry to home goods. The quality was all good and you could tell a lot of creativity went into making them.

It was time for lunch after Inside Out Studio. I would like to say we had something healthy after our donut breakfast, but Jolly’s Drive In was a staple in the area on our schedule. The menu is not very big, but everything on it was. The options were hot dogs, hamburgers, popcorn, fries, and onion rings.

We pretty much ordered one of everything at Jolly’s. We also had to have their famous root beer. I am generally not a soda drinker, but I do like a good root beer. I would definitely put theirs in this category.

 

The next activity on our schedule was back in West Chester, so we hit the road for the second half of the day.

Festival and Ferry for the Last Day in Southwest Michigan

 

It was the final day in Michigan for my friend, Lynn, and I. It had been a wonderful adventure along the coast of Lake Michigan. We were prepared to spend the day with even more of it.

We started with a breakfast meeting with Nick Nerbonne, Media & Digital Director at Pure Michigan. We met at The Coffee Factory for great lattes and breakfast sandwiches, and to talk about the mitten state and accessibility.

Nick is interested in making the state as accessible as possible, knowing it has to be done place by place. He’s proud of the beach chair initiative and the continued efforts. He eagerly listened to my suggestions about hotels, transportation, and other accommodations.

We went back to the Delta Hotel to pack up and check out. We still had until evening in Muskegon. After leaving our suitcases with the front desk, we walked the three blocks downtown to Hackley Park, where a Polish Festival was going on. Along the way we spotted murals and sculptures throughout the well-kept city.

The Polish Festival, a yearly event in the town, was a lot of fun. It celebrated that countries heritage, food, and culture. We watched the dancing and listened to the music while deciding what to eat from the very tempting booths.

Lynn went for a platter with kielbasa, cabbage, pierogies, and potato pancakes. She said it was authentic and fantastic. I went for something a little less ordinary, but equally good: Paczki stuffed with pulled pork.

We walked back to the Delta Hotel and relaxed for a while before it was time to leave and drive to the port. Instead of driving back to Illinois, we had decided to take the Lake Express Ferry and spend a night in Milwaukee before driving to Champaign from there.

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The ferry was large with plenty of space for me to get around in the wheelchair. I didn’t go outside, though. It was windy and I decided to stay warm inside. Lynn went out for a few pictures.

The trip across Lake Michigan was scenic and much shorter than driving. We got off quickly and were ready to start our 24 hours in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It had been a few years since I’d been there, and it was Lynn’s first trip.

I was hosted on this trip, but opinions are my own. Thanks to Pure Michigan for their hospitality.

Enjoying the Day in Muskegon

I had never been to Muskegon and, honestly, it wasn’t on my radar before. I had started hearing more about it and the representatives of Pure Michigan told me it was a lakefront town making strides in the wheelchair-friendly arena.

Muskegon has had a big resurgence from the cruise industry which has led to growth in the town. In addition to the ferries that go across Lake Michigan (which we would be taking), three cruise lines are now making stops in Muskegon: Pearl Sea Cruises, Victory Cruise Line, and Ponant Great Lake Cruises.

The town was building and improving for the influx of cruise passengers and the feedback on the port stop has been positive. This town would continue to thrive.

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Since we had a late lunch and skipped dinner the night before, we were ready for a big breakfast. Mr. Bs Pancake House was the perfect place. This local favorite has been around over 50 years. The portions were huge and the omelets, pancakes, and hashbrowns we had were delicious.

After breakfast, we went to the Muskegon Museum of Art. I was extremely impressed that this seemingly small town had such a large art museum with extensive collections. In fact, it is in the process of being enlarged even more.

While we were at the museum, we were able to see an exhibition on American artist John Steuart Curry, who was a leader in the Regionalist Art Movement. Although that exhibit was temporary, they do have quite a few pieces that are permanent by the artist as part of its over 4,000 selections.

We spent a few hours at the museum, which was easy to get around in my power chair. (They also had wheelchairs available for those who needed to borrow.)

Another place with wheelchairs to use is Muskegon State Beach. These are track wheelchairs to ride on the sand. Just like the ones at the other state beaches, they were free to use, though I suggest reserving them in advance. We had another clear day for the beach, and I was able to ride a smooth path that went almost to the actual water.

After the full day, we decided not to go back to the Delta Hotel by Marriott and instead went straight to dinner. There were many options in Muskegon, but we had passed the Bear Lake Tavern, and it looked like a popular spot. As soon as we walked in, we could see it was filled with a lot of locals. That’s always a clear sign of a good place to eat.

Lynn ordered the steak sandwich and said it was delicious. I went for their beef stroganoff, which was also incredibly good. I had it with a Cucumber Mule, which Bear Lake Tavern made perfectly.

There was a place in town we hadn’t made it to yet that was on our schedule, and it seemed like the perfect time on this warm evening, Norm’s Ice Cream. They had a wide selection of soft serve flavors, and I had my favorite parfait, with peanut butter and hot fudge!

We headed back to the hotel in time for yet another stunning Muskegon sunset. What a way to end a day.

Recap of the day...

A Special Sunday in Chicago at CDA and Driehaus

 

I live two hours from downtown Chicago, so I almost always stay overnight. Occasionally, the time is too short and the opportunity too great, so I make an exception. This was the case on the day my friend, Kim, and I went for brunch at Sofitel’s CDA and checked out the Driehaus Museum.

The CDA Restaurant at Sofitel Magnificent Mile Hotel in Chicago is the epitome of modern elegance. The decor and service are first class, yet it feels very comfortable with the large windows and white design. 

The brunch menu is most definitely French, though they do have their version of the Mexican breakfast favorite Chilaquiles. Named “Sofitel Chilaquiles Rojos,” they are made with sunny side eggs in a crispy corn tortilla and served with a cilantro yogurt.

It was difficult to decide as everything sounded so good. After my initial excitement at the Ricotta Pancakes, topped with bananas and cocoa nibs, then drizzled with Cinnabon topping, I decided to save my sweet tooth for dessert and order the Chicken and Waffles. These were covered in whipped Boursin cheese and spicy honey. 

Kim picked the Sofitel Breakfast Croissant. It was a fresh baked croissant, filled with gruyere cheese and prosciutto. It was served with herb roasted potatoes. Both our dishes were as good as they were described. We had plenty left to go home with.

Everything on the dessert menu is tempting. We looked it over a few times and couldn’t decide between three. Our waiter encouraged us to get all of them. Why not?

 All of the desserts were presented beautifully. They were (almost) too nice to eat. Within a short time, we had Pecan Sticky Buns with a caramel sauce and crème anglaise, French Macarons, and

Crème Brulee with a berry compote. 

We enjoyed them all, but I would say the Sticky Buns were my favorite, though they were very rich. One was more than enough.

We stopped at the bathroom before leaving Sofitel. I was impressed with how big and wheelchair friendly it was. It was just a short wheel to the museum. The walk and the entrance were also easy to access with my powerchair. 

I always wanted to go to The Richard H. Driehaus Museum, but it never worked out. It probably was best because it wasn’t made completely accessible until just last year.

Driehaus was a Chicago philanthropist who founded the museum in what once was the Nickerson Mansion. It would be five years of renovations before it opened to the public. Then, in 2022, the Museum purchased the John B. Murphy Auditorium next door and expanded the museum campus. 

The museum is filled with art in nearly every form. There are photographs, urns, fireplaces, portraits, sculptures, lamps, tables, stained glass (some from Tiffany’s), chandeliers, candelabras… all you can imagine in precious metals and exquisite design. It is floors of stunning artifacts from the Gilded Age.

It was a too short Chicago trip, but I discovered two places I most definitely want to return to.

 

 

CI Living January 16 - Endless Activities in Downtown Boston

I grew up in New York and Boston was a frequent vacation destination. I continued to go occasionally. It had been about 20 years since I had been there when I was recently given an opportunity to go back.

Boston has too much for me to cover it all in one story. I will have more at a later date on some other areas to explore. You’ll find more than enough below to start planning a spring break or summer vacation through the cobblestone streets, famous architecture, and many sites in this city.

 Must-See Sites Downtown

It’s not often a baseball stadium is considered a historical site, but Fenway Park is in that category. You can see a lot of it from the outside. There is a tour to take you through off season or wait for a game to get the best good look.

 

Take a walk-through scenic Boston Common, the oldest park in the United States, or Boston Public Garden, which has been around since 1837. One of the things about Boston I enjoyed is the historic statues throughout the city and its parks. Among them, I was partial to the one dedicated to Edgar Allan Poe, a native of the city.

 

The Museum of Fine Arts is deserving of hours, if not a full day, of your time. The collections encompass all types of art from around the world. I found the jewelry especially interesting. Their special exhibits are not to be missed. I saw “Power of the People: Art and Democracy” and “Georgia O’Keefe and Henry Moore.” There is a Van Gogh exhibition coming this spring through summer.

 

You can’t go to Boston without stopping by the Cheers Bar, which looks like it did when it inspired the long running television show. Although the bar is not operational, there is a restaurant where you can get drinks (in Cheers mugs) among the memorabilia, and eat from the large menu. There’s also a gift shop to visit on the way out.

 

The Prudential Center is filled with stores and restaurants, but you really need to head to the View. It has three floors filled with spectacular views of Boston. There is also a lot of displays and videos about the history of the city and facts about its importance now. The Stratus Bar, which has indoor and outdoor seating, is on the 51^st floor.

On the 50^th floor, you’ll find The Beacon Restaurant. The menu includes everything from sandwiches and salads to creative entrees. You can purchase a ticket that includes the meal with the View.

 

More Restaurants to Try

Treat yourself to a fine dining experience at Davio’s Italian Steakhouse. Watch the freshly made pasta and other specialties being cooked in the open kitchen and feast on such unique items such as roasted beets with yogurt, pistachio brittle, ricotta, and balsamic. You’ll also find a selection of seafood you’d expect in this city surrounded by water. Be sure to save room for dessert as the selection is beyond belief.

 

Tattes Bakery & Café is a Boston stable with more than a dozen locations. It’s a must visit for an unusual menu of coffees, teas, snacks, and meals. I had a Prosciutto & Fig Panini (with pear and fig jam) with a Pistachio Latte, and a Halva Brownie. It was all as good as it sounds.

 

For quick meals, Sal’s of Boston has pizza and subs. Stop by the Omni Parker House and order a Boston Cream Pie. It’s where the original came from, and you’ll be surprised at how different it tastes from what we have now.

 

Where to Stay

The Verb is directly in front of Fenway Park. Music is the theme here and it’s everywhere, even in the record player in every room, which you can choose albums for. This hotel has a pool in the courtyard heated all year round.

The Verb Hotelalso has one of the best complimentary breakfasts I’ve ever seen. It includes waffles, an assortment of fresh Danishes and muffins, fresh fruit smoothies, yogurts, and more. There is hot coffee, and always free cold brew—including a latte option—in the lobby.

The Hyatt Regecy Downtown has everything you need in a perfect location downtown near the Theater District and Chinatown. It’s walkable to just about everything and is directly connected to a train station. I had a junior suite which was extremely accessible, down to the pocket doors and bathroom mirror that moves for wheelchair viewing. The Hyatt also is very family-friendly, with connecting rooms,  and welcomes pets.

 

Making Your Way Around

Boston has a particularly good public train system. There are also taxis, Ubers, and Lyft, all of which have WAV (wheelchair accessible vehicles). For more personalized service, I tried Go Airport Shuttle. You can arrange it in advanced, for a group ride or to have a dedicated driver to pick you up, help you with your luggage, and take you where you need to go.

I highly recommend Old Town Trolley for getting around to the sites. I used it quite a bit and got to see a lot more than I would have on my own. The drivers are truly knowledgeable and filled with information and anecdotes on all spots Boston. You can even take the 13-mile tour around for two hours to get better acquainted with the city before hopping on and off one of the 18 stops.

 

I received some complimentary accommodation, activities,  and meals in Boston, but opinions are my own.