The MLB All-Star Game events started over the weekend and Cincinnati is alive more than I’ve ever seen. My family and I took some time yesterday to walk through the jam-packed  Block Party adjacent to the ball park, see the zip line fly overhead, and run through the newly expanded Smale Riverfront Park, which was filled with families overflowing from the nearby events.

All-Star Mustache Statue

Tonight the Home Run Derby is schedule and tomorrow night is the main event. I’ve been very impressed by the work that has taken place to make our city look better than ever. I hope all of those who visit from out-of-town truly appreciate it all as much as we do and will continue to for years to come. Go Reds!

On our way into Virginia Beach a couple of weeks back, we stopped at Mary’s Restaurant for breakfast. Located just four blocks inland from the touristy beach area, I’m told this is a local favorite. Upon our arrival just before 9 A.M. on a Sunday the restaurant wasn’t overly crowded and a  table for nine was available right away. When we left the restaurant all the tables were full and there was a wait for any new customers. So get there early.

Inside

For breakfast I ordered the biscuits and gravy ($4.95) along with a side of home fries ($1.79). The biscuits were nearly square-shaped and clearly homemade. They were dense and very good. The sausage gravy needed a touch of extra salt but was still good. The home fries also appeared to be fresh-cut and were cooked perfectly.

Biscuits & Gravy

The breakfast menu is quite large and definitely has something for everyone. Prices are very reasonable, omelets starting at $6, pancakes for under $4, and there is even an early bird special for those arriving before nine. Our service was quick and the food was all good to very good. This was a good find.

Late May through June was filled with a series of vacations. Not only did my family and I take a road trip through southern Ontario, we also had two trips to the beach. The first of these beach trips was with my in-laws to Virginia Beach, which we last visited in 2011.

28th Street Guard

This was a bit of a whirlwind trip, leaving on Saturday evening and driving through the night then coming back on Wednesday evening with another drive through the night, but that was as many days as we could fit into everyone’s schedules last-minute.

Sandstock

Even with the shorter trip we still managed to squeeze in a beach concert, a couple of rounds of mini golf, a few restaurant experiences, a brewery stop, and of course plenty of time swimming in the ocean and the hotel pool. It’s nice that there was so much to do and see all within walking/biking distance of our hotel.

Beach Family

The one thing that really distinguishes Virginia Beach from other beaches is the 28 feet wide paved boardwalk that stretches three miles along the beach. The boardwalk sits between the sand and any buildings and features a separate bike path. This makes getting up and down the beach a breeze and there is always some sort of entertainment taking place on the boardwalk. The downside is that you always have to cross the boardwalk to get to the beach from your hotel, even if you have an oceanfront view.

During our  recent  trip on the  Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, my family and I stopped at the  Peninsula station  to explore and get some lunch. As for as lunch goes, there isn’t a whole lot in this historic village. Fortunately there is a Winking Lizard Tavern there, one of the eighteen locations of this northeastern Ohio based chain.

Inside

The restaurant was pretty full for it being mid-afternoon on a Sunday. The restaurant is spacious enough that there was no wait, in fact we had our choice to be close to the game area or on the quieter side of the restaurant.

Pulled BBQ Chicken Melt

I ordered the pulled BBQ chicken melt topped with smoked Gouda along with  Applewood bacon and served between grilled sourdough  with steak fries and a pickle spear  ($8.79). The sandwich was large and tasty. The BBQ sauce was especially good.

My wife enjoyed the Maui Maui grilled chicken sandwich, which is marinated in teriyaki and topped with grilled pineapple ($8.49). My kids devoured  the mini corn dogs from the kids menu. From sandwiches and burgers to pizza and BBQ, there is something from everyone at the Winking Lizard. Plus the beer list is very good and constantly changing. Even if there were other places in Peninsula, this would still be the place to go.

While wrapping up a recent vacation, my family and I picked ordered a  couple of pizzas from Napoleon’s Pizza to eat at our hotel room for the night in Cleveland. A miscommunication during the ordering process was realized when I went to pick up the pizzas and only one pizza was on the order. The staff was happy to throw the forgotten cheese pizza in the oven as quick as possible and even delivered the goods to us car-side when ready.

Breadsticks

We all shared a  side order of bread sticks with marinara sauce ($4.75 for 6). While these appeared to be cooked from frozen, the dusting of seasoning on top was a nice touch. My family of four had no problem taking down the full order, though even one stick per person would be a good start to any meal.

Deluxe Pizza

My preschool aged kids had no complaints with their small cheese pizza ($6.75). My wife and I split a large deluxe pizza with pepperoni, mushroom, green pepper, onion, and sausage ($16.50). The toppings  were of great quality and were very plentiful. The sauce was on the sweeter side, though I’m told they have an even sweeter sauce available per request. I was very happy with Napoleon’s and wouldn’t hesitate to order their pizza again.

The last stop on our recent trip up to Toronto and back was near Cleveland to check out Cuyahoga Valley National Park. To do so we took a train ride aboard the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. Originally I had hoped to rent bikes to ride through park of the park and use the train to get back to where we started, but it was too rainy during our visit to do so.

All Aboard

We got on the train in Independence, OH at the Rockside Station. From there we enjoyed a 40 minute trip do to Peninsula. Here we did a little Canalway Questing  to explore the Towpath Trail and a couple of the old locks that were part of the Ohio & Erie Canal.

Lock 29 Bridge

Back on the train we enjoyed another trip back north to where we started. We were able to see some of the park’s wildlife and even spotted a bald eagle. My youngest swears that she saw a bear, but she was the only one on the entire train. We had a nice time exploring the park through the train, but I really wish we could have biked some of the trail too.

Please Remain Seated

Before we left the Clifton Hill area to explore the falls, my family and I stopped into the Rainforest Cafe for lunch. The restaurant was nearly empty during our Friday afternoon visit, so we were seated right away. I’ve been to other locations before, but this was the first time our four and two year old children would experience this restaurant attraction.

Elephants Inside

We were seated fairly close to the group of animatronic elephants, which would make all sorts of noise every ten minutes or so. There were also a group of gorillas doing the same thing, as well as a choreographed thunderstorm every half hour. Needless to say, the kids were entertained throughout the meal.

Misty Mountain Chicken Club

I ordered the misty mountain chicken club with Cajun chicken, bacon, jalapeño jack cheese, lettuce, and tomato on toasted ciabatta. This comes served with coleslaw and choice of kettle chips or fries ($16.99). Overall the sandwich was good and the side of chips was enough for our entire table.

China Island Chicken Salad

My wife had the China island chicken salad with potato sticks, rice noodles, sesame seeds, and Mandarin oranges with a signature dressing ($16.99). This was one of the better salads we’ve had recently and the serving size was plentiful with a full grilled chicken breast on top.

Our kids enjoyed the three amigos mini hot dogs, served with either fries of veggies ($7.99). The price is a little high, but it is inline with the inflated entrée prices that come with the tourist destination and the ambiance of the jungle themed restaurant. Overall it was a solid lunch and paying extra to have the kids entertained throughout the meal is often worth it.

After spending time exploring the Bruce Peninsula area and Toronto, my family and I made a stop for one night to see Niagara Falls. This was the first time my wife and I had been to  the falls since 2007, and this time we would be on the opposite side of the falls.

Grand View

Kim & Trey

Family Shot

We parked in  Clifton Hill  and after managing to avoid most of the tourist traps of the area made our way to the Grand Viewing area of Niagara Parks. It is really great how you can see nearly all the falls from one spot on the Canadian side.

American Falls

Horseshoe Falls

We walked along the wide sidewalk along towards the Table Rock Welcome Centre but didn’t make it all the way there. The kids were ready to move on to the Great Wolf Lodge where we would enjoy plenty of kids activities for the rest of the day.

White on vacation in Northern Bruce Peninsula, Ontario my family and I stopped in to the Crowsnest Pub in Tobermory for lunch. Many of the other local restaurants in this tourist town were closed on our Monday afternoon visit. Crowsnest was already on my list for its good view of the harbor, but the weather wasn’t the best so we opted to sit inside. We were one of just a handful of occupied tables in the spacious dining room capable of holding a number of summer tourists during the peak season.

Inside

Crowsnest offers a pub style menu full of sandwich, burger, salad, and fish options. A kids menu is also available though ours decided to share a small plain pizza ($12.49) which was plenty for their little stomachs with a couple of slices left to take home.

Buffalo Chicken Sandwich

I went with the buffalo chicken sandwich topped with a choice of eight sauces along with lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle ($11.99). This was served with a choice of fries of homemade potato chips. The medium  sauce was not very spicy, I should have went with a more bold selection. That said the sandwich was coated well with sauce and tasted great. The chips were also good, though a touch on the burnt side.

Whitefish & Chips

My wife went with the local beer battered whitefish and chips, served with coleslaw, tartar sauce, and lemon ($12.99). I did not try the fish though my wife had positive things to say about it. Typically she only eats fish when dining near a body of water, and this did not disappoint.

The beer selection is mostly dominated by Sapporo owned Sleeman Brewery, none of which are particularly interesting. During our visit the also had Okanagan Spring Pale Ale from British Columia, which was a better choice overall. Unibroue  Blanche De Chambly is the best choice.

Before leaving the Bruce Peninsula area, we checked out of our yurt and then made one final stop in Tobermory to explore the Fathom Five National Marine Park. We took a glass bottom boat tour through Bruce Anchor  Cruises  on the Tobermory Frontier  to Flowerpot Island.

This cruise first took us past a couple of the 22 total shipwrecks that are within the park border. From there we headed out to our destination of Flowerpot Island where we paid $9 extra to get off and explore, which was well worth the added cost. It wasn’t a far hike out to the namesake flowerpot rock formations where we were able to sit and have a picnic lunch. We also took some time to explore one of the many caves on the island, before it was time to head back to the dock and catch our ride back to Tobermory.

We also stopped at the Visitor Centre on our way out-of-town. Unfortunately it was closed during our visit, but we were still able to climb the steps of the lookout tower for an overview of the entire Georgian Bay area.