Time to ditch the Bugaboots for a sea-worthy pair of Sperry Shoes. Or at the very least pack them away in a dark closet with your parka. The snow has melted, the rivers have swelled and everyone will be making a break for Lake Erie vacation land within the next two weeks. The Lakefront and Lake Erie Islands will be poppin’ until school starts and Labor Day wraps up.
The ferry systems have already started taking passengers around the glacial waters. $495 buys an individual all-season passport to take the Jet Express to Kelley’s Island or Put-In-Bay allowing travelers access from either of the launches in Sandusky and Port Clinton. Miller Boat Line one-way fares are just seven dollars. To catch this ferry, drive to Catawba Island to the end of Route 53 North and hop on the cargo cruiser with the essentials. The Miller Boat Line also makes trips to summertime’s party central, Put-In-Bay (South Bass Island) and the eight hundred and five-acre Middle Bass Island where the historic Lonz Winery awaits. I’ll have more on Pelee island, the largest island in Lake Erie and southernmost habited point of Canada a little later in the season.
Access Kelley’s Island via the Kelley’s Island Ferry stationed in Marblehead. This island is so laid back, old Umbro shorts from the 90s are perfectly acceptable attire to don while driving a golf cart to take in the glacial grooves or play some putt-putt.
These hidden gems of The Great Lakes region are that laid back.
So, as to not stick out like a lighthouse here are the items to snag from in Spring 2016 that define Coastal Ohio living.
At Skipper Bud’s Marina Del Isle in Marblehead crew is on deck ready to help anyone develop their dream. The belief for Spring 2016 is that equates to this 48 Cantius Cruiser Yacht. Navigate the entire Great Lakes System in this 435 HP IPS 600 Volva Penta engine masterpiece. The craft has a Helm Companion Lounge, kitchen, two queen-size bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a wet bar and is nicely equipped with a 10-speaker sound-system and jack for an iPod. The price right around $1.3M. DJ and drinks are not included.
On over to Lakeside… Whether visiting the community for band camp, or looking for an oasis on Lake Erie to play endless games of shuffleboard, this charming community is so nostalgic all days and dreams are filled with ice cream cones and beach cruiser bicycles. This $324,00 property at 657 Maple includes a three bedroom home and two-story guest cottage with an additional two bedrooms. Call Lakeside Chautauqua Realty 419-341-0142 to take a peek inside.
Cottage Cove lakefront development in Marblehead has some lots for sale. A 50x 85′ lot in this community is priced at $82,000. There are about twelve cookie-cutter modern cottages making up this development which lies a stones throw away from the lighthouse. Perfect for a retiree, weekend retreat, or any couple or family looking to escape mainstream America. Call John at 419-504-8601 to take a look at Lot Number Nine (No. 9).
Matthew Jarrell with Welch’s Golf Carts on HWY 20 west of Perrysburg shows the EZ Go Express S4 priced an an easy $8595. The shredded tires and adjustable rear seat take this six-passenger ride from the course, to camping, to the street. The model is featured in flame red and is gas powered with an ability to reach speeds of 21 mph. This versatile ride is the perfect toy for under $10,000 especially for nearby village residents where golf carts have been made street legal.
Kayak any of the rivers, harbours or use this Saba fourteen-foot, sit-in kayak by West Marine in the Bay. This craft, shown off by Laurie Cooper at the Catawba Island West Marine boasts of versatility to take recreational enthusiasts anywhere in and around Lake Erie. This adjustable two-seater comes equipped with a live well. From kayakers to advanced fishermen everyone can enjoy the low $699 price tag. Add another $100 for paddles and $200 for life vests.
Guiseppe’s Wine Cellar on Main Street in Amherst stocks Veuve Clicquot. For just $65.99 per bottle. This sparkling spirit is the creme de la creme of quality champagnes and one of the best selling in the world. Buy an entire case of twelve at Guiseppe’s and receive 10 percent off. $791.88 (plus Ohio tax) the price tag for a Spring Soiree! Private social calendars determine whether one case is enough to last one party, through Memorial Weekend or all the way to August 1. Either way, drink champagne and save water.
Josie Style for the Home 18×24 “Love the Great Lakes” is a hand drawn ink blueprint of the entire region. Bring the energy of the outside in and fill in less than interesting, unoccupied space with a sophisticated twist. Ultra-posh framing is also available. Call for pricing 305-395-8890. Additional blue print information with depths and temperatures is also available. Design a Life you Love, Love the Life you Live!
After the sun dips down turn the heat on in the outdoors. These commercial patio heaters from Kroger Marketplace are less than a hotel room at Put-In-Bay. For just $189 guests will appreciate the added warmth this spring. Until the mercury begins to move during heated summer months make this a buy for the backyard.
Sperry and Jaws are about to “pair” up to produce some jaw-dropping boat shoes for summer. The Spring 2016 collection still has plenty of styles and colors to choose from. These two pairs can be found at Newport Clothing and Gear on Catawba Island. Mention seeing this reminder to take on spring in Sperrys here, and the store will give you twenty percent off of the $110 price tag. Step into spring with sea-side style.
Crabby or cute! Either way this printed Spring 2016 collection by Lighthouse Apparel can be found at Newport Clothing on Catawba Island. Priced from $25 – $59.50 for a 1/4 zip sweater the patterns are sure to cheer even on cloudy days. Accessorize with Bella Shoulder Bag by Spartina for $155 and $28 Seaside Wristlet. Photo courtesy: Newport Clothing and Gear
Brooks Running has brought out the new colors for Spring 2016 and The Ghost Model 8
shows competitors at the start a metallic charcoal lime punch. The shoe sports a wider toe and is lighter. Runners need new shoes every 300 – 500 miles so run on over. Available for purchase at Dave’s Running Shop in Perrysburg for $119.95. Styles for ladies are even more sleek.
Perfect to wear playing in the rain, planting tomatoes and strawberries in the garden, or even hiking the wet Coastal Ohio Trail. These Women’s Rain Boots are by Joules. Playful puppies are the print this style flaunts. Found at Target wallets won’t dry up at $74.99 per pair. Striking stripes and polka dot patterns are also available.
Once the salt is off the roads the season turns to “race season” in Coastal Ohio. This is Ford Motor Country and a straight shot down from Motor City. Drive anything that can burn and turn on the scenic highways and byways along the lake. These Skechers Sport showcase an ultra-thick sole with memory foam. This style slips on and is shaped to feel the gas and brake pedals perfectly under the pads of feet. They can be found at any Kohl’s for $64.99.
Jim Siemer’s watercolors certainly capture the splendor of Spring. He is an artist from the state capitol and his parents built a home on Middle Bass Island back in the 80s. Lake Erie Art and Ohio Artwork celebrates a 10-year anniversary in 2016. Shown is Lonz Winery priced between $3 – $60. The inviting depiction of Lonz Winery would show off the state anywhere the owners decide to place the piece. Head on over to ohioartwork.com to see his collection.
“We have over 14,000 hanging right now today.”
The hallmark of Bench’s flowers are their 14,000 seasonal hanging baskets. Jill Bench shows off the Glossy Grape made of purple Petunias and Labularias. For $34.99 buy two to show guests your attention to annuals. The hanging baskets are all planted by hand and cost between $15.99 – $49.99. Bench’s is located one mile west of Elmore on Scenic Route 105.
Mary Roehl at Angel 101 on Louisiana Avenue in Perrysburg has a plush collection to showcase love and life on the lake. She shows us the pillow collection made by “Go Jump ” with pricing ranging from $35 – $55. The slogans, sewn in a sturdy, carpet-like material will take any inside design scheme from winter to spring and well into summer. Pick one up during the Perrysburg Farmer’s Market scheduled for every Thursday starting May 5 and ending October 13, 2016.
Have zero fears if a case of Veuve Clicquot isn’t in the budget for Spring 2016. Nothing is more festive than a $9.50 bottle of White Walleye from the Mon Ami Wine Wine Shop in Port Clinton. Or, pay $102.60 for the entire case. Shouldn’t be any surprise how well this dry wine with notes of banana and apples pairs with a Walleye dinner. Life is on the lake savor the local goods around us. Serve chilled.
Elyria’s Andrea Vecchio has written a book with bounce. Pick up “Live Your Playlist” to place in your beach or weekend tote. The pages flip fast and reads as if the former WKYC Italian-beauty talk show host is talking to the reader. Perfectly organized reading this is like taking in an electronic blog; but better because, this is a book by an accomplished, local author.
Joseph Koler from the Florida Keys watches a Polar Bear at the Toledo Zoo. Admission for him is $16 for 2016. $19 for adults. Such experiences pave the way to a viewing expedition in their natural habitat when they’re older. Add a chicken strip lunch to this excursion complete with Jell-O, whipped cream and a gummy bear on top and bingo youngsters from around the globe are in heaven on the Anthony Wayne Trail for less than $30.
In Westlake pop in to Cleveland’s Number One Skin Care Specialist for a facial and leave with Gabriel Correctives SPF 30. This product offered at Westshore Skin & Health Center is paba and oil free and does not clog pores. Aestheticians can also mix the formula with custom foundation. Soak up the sun just reflect any damaging rays. A 4 ounce bottle is $16.75. The owners have a home in Key West and know how damaging the sun can be.
Grab a bottle of Method’s All-Purpose Pink Grapefruit Cleaner to leave the cabin, cabana, every nook and cranny sparkling and smelling as fresh as fruit. Priced around $3.59 – $4.59 depending on where this is purchased the effects give everyone the sense the maid just came through. Take the daunting task of spring cleaning, and at the very least, make the chore chemical-free.
Josie is an award-winning journalist and former TV anchorwoman. She grew up on Coastal Ohio and knows many of the nooks and crannies which make the region so spectacular. Her passions: fitness and design.
“In high school I was the girl who couldn’t run a lap around the track. I think people see on Facebook, ‘Oh, Jessie’s going to yoga?’ So many people have said to me, ‘What’s this Yoga in Woodville’, and a couple of people come once and didn’t come back,” Jessica Cable, a twenty-year veteran middle school art teacher explains candidly.
She’s one of sixteen yogis who have rolled our their mats in at the Legion Hall on Elm Street in the Village of Woodville. Woodville is the Lime Center of the World and is nestled west of the Lake Erie Islands with two-thousand residents, a Subway, McDonald’s community pool and now, two traffic lights and hot yoga on Sunday nights reminding everyone of who they are and the battles they’ll face in the week ahead.
“Sometimes in Yoga people the practice can be difficult to let go of the ego and here in Woodville people are very community oriented and they do that very easily. They come here with an open mind and without preconceived notions,” Yoga Brent acknowledges his observation.
Outfit in non-skid full-toe grip socks, Adidas shorts, and a tribal scarf around his main, Yoga Brent, a Toledo native, is also outfit with a Masters degree in Health Sciences and Health Systems and a resume highlighting a global tour those toes have made.
“I’ve taught in China, Costa Rica, Thailand, Cambodia, and Spain,” Yoga Brent supplies humbly before he delves into why everyone has gathered here on a ho-him Sunday evening to enjoy their breath.
“When we exhale we’re exhaling fifty million cells and when we inhale we then have the opportunity to take in fifty million new molecules of energy.” Ujjayi Breath means victory. We’re bringing in 50 million thoughts and with this you can walk towards miracles in life,” Yoga Brent, who earned his undergrad at the College of William and Mary, shares.
Cable initially tried running and Jazzercise when she decided to paint a new chapter of health and wellness into her already slammed schedule of students, marriage, and taking care of three teenagers. Two of whom are twins! This following a dramatic back surgery just four-years ago. The running stuck. Jazzercise went to the wayside.
“I tried that and could still run afterwards,” she admits of the class,“but with yoga the poses definitely decrease the level of soreness and add flexibility. I think I get more out of it mentally now. A sense of calm has come over me and I feel less guilt about taking this time for myself. All I’ve done for the past 16 years is tend for everybody else, so at first this felt selfish. Now, I’m a better mom and better wife. They don’t want me stressed.”
There is always room at the Legion Hall for another mat. Nicole Knepper (front left) shows her Eagle with instructor Yoga Brent to her right. Directly behind her is Jessica Cable.
On any given Sunday, Cable is joined by other former high school classmates and running enthusiasts. Sherri Watson is a devout Christian and hails the Sunday Hot Yoga sessions as her Sunday religion.
“After the first class I had such peace in my head that I’ve been here every Sunday since. “I think being in such a busy, hectic life: running kids, being a mom, and working full-time I’ve really taken to heart what Brent talks about.”
The talk is one directed at the subconscious. Somehow the strategy is this; when yogis such as Cable and Watson are transitioning from airplane to majorette most buried thoughts creep into the conscious mind.
Again Yoga Brent shares his knowledge, “Over time the subconscious is sometimes written in a negative fashion. For some people that’s not the situation. In yoga class it’s a chance for us to observe being very, very conscious of our subconscious. We check in with ourselves and proactively rewrite negative thoughts. There are no real expectations. I notice over time though teaching this changes peoples’ lives.”
Sherri Watson shows her plank on stage before she Chaturangas to the next downward dog.
Watson, the community’s 1992 Homecoming Queen who now serves Elmore as a physical therapist has found a new pleasure in the Prana breathing, Chaturangas and non-competitive atmosphere.
“I’m a big advocate for this now,” she says. I just think about developing patience my kids and exhaling all of the negative stuff that comes during the week.”
“In here if the person on the mat next to you is 10-years younger it doesn’t matter. They found this new ‘thing’ that’s surprisingly amazing. I’m embarrassed about the past. Why didn’t I get moving sooner? I never pushed myself to do something like this. I thought you had to be born to do sports and be athletic and boy did I change my mind,” Cable solidifies.
In the Village of Woodville, where seemingly nothing changes, suddenly something has.
Sherri (Sorg) Watson and Jessica (Hovis) Cable both today just completed the Glass City Half Marathon along with classmate Nicole (Blake Knepper). All three are moms and Woodmore Alumnae from the 90s. Classes are every Sunday at the American Legion Hall at 5:30 pm. The cost is as tiny as the population. $10 buys a month’s pass. To learn more about Yoga Brent click here.
One-half of a foot of snow means grab a snow shovel, even when Easter has ended and the calendar reads “Spring”, and move on outside to clear the way for an adventure!
The Coastal Ohio Trail is part of the nation’s Unsalted Great Lakes region and that translates to tundra. Anyone, especially those whose birth certificate states they’re from the Sunshine State, can be quite comfy in the cold as long as all the right gear has been splurged on. In fact, the arctic-like conditions provide the perfect polar backdrop for the fashion enthusiast about to venture into snow.
COLUMBIA BUGABOOT
Touted by the makers that the insulated protection and supportive comfort will “have you looking forward to every snowy trail”, this is one marketing slogan that delivers with a product hike after hike. Now is the time to buy for Winter 2016-2017.
Priced right under $200 the UGG TALL CLASSIC BOOT slips over leggings and is a wardrobe staple on the Coastal Ohio Trail. One can’t venture into a Starbucks or Panera Bread on any given day and not spot a woman age twelve to forty wearing a pair over yoga pants.
These super silky FABLETICS SALAR LEGGINGS, shown in charcoal, are available in thirty four colors and are priced under twenty dollars. One can’t go wrong. Run out the door for fitness and the Uggs in these and later, or when the situation calls, just pull on snowboard/ski pants over top. Doesn’t matter if you’re at the ski lodge or your own driveway.
ROXY FLOWER BEANIE Heat moves out of your body from your head! Keep your melon stylishly covered by building a collection of ski caps by Roxy. The colors and patterns never go out of style.
COLUMBIA WATERPROOF SKI GLOVES
These have an elastic strap around the wrist and a lovely layer of fleece stretching up onto the arm to keep snow from creeping in. Expect to pay around $30 at a sporting goods store.
VICTORIA’S SECRET’S PACKABLE PUFFER
This ultra-lightweight jacket can be popped into a tiny pouch and tossed into a suitcase for easy travel. Plus comes in enough colors to keep any ensemble interesting.
NIKE ACG ALL MOUNTAIN GORTEX SNOWBOARD PANTS
These pants have a two-layer Gortex shell fabric. Breathable and moveable the style will take anyone anywhere there’s snow. During the season they’re about $180 – $280 depending on where you buy.
FABLETICS DASH BRA On sale, online now! This ultra-comfy undergarment can be worn from the yoga studio to the slopes or vice versa. White is the only color left so hurry and order online! Price: $5.99
ACG LINER SNAPS
This shows why those pants are worth every penny when hiking in 8″ of powdery white stuff! The inner liner pulls down with elastic over your boots and snaps into place, so snow isn’t going to chap your legs.
LL BEAN WOMEN’S PIMA COTTON TURTLENECK
Made in over one dozen colors so residents can create a collection, this is unarguably “the world’s most comfortable turtleneck”. A favorite for decades. Not only is this garment made with grown in the USA Supima cotton just wash in cold water and the item will last season after season.
WEATHER RESISTANT PUPPY
Labradors hail from Newfoundland and are designed with a weather resistant silky outer coat and a thick undercoat to keep them comfortable in winter conditions. Any dog that falls into the sporting or working breed will love to accompany its owner on long hikes. In fact, they make excellent outdoor exercising companions.
FIRE ENGINE RED LEASH AND COLLAR
This set falls more into the “lunchbox” category versus luxury. The set is from the Tractor Supply Company a business founded seventy-eight years ago in North Dakota. They are leaders in livestock and pet products and this leash blazes against a white backdrop and is ultra sturdy. As the company touts, “the stuff you need out here”, this leash is a necessity for your furry friend’s safety.
There isn’t any strategy that thaws out residents in the nation’s Great Lakes Region more than a hot yoga session. Follow-up with a hot shower and sauna session and no one cares where the mercury lands on the thermometer.
That is, if you can make your way to the studio once the snow strikes. This time the flakes came in 1″ size adding up to 8″ in depth overnight and into the morning hours which stuck with wetness perfect for snowmen and stranding unsuspecting drivers, especially those who are partial to tropical islands.
Just making the way out of the garage and out of the driveway isn’t going to happen without first spending some vigorous time with a snow blower or snow shovel and incorporating some sweat.
This means replacing the Vinyasa Flow, mat and towel with a Toro dual auger snow blower, Carlisle 11″ ice shovel and all the gear to keep you comfortable so you can skip the studio sans the stress in the event of a well-predicted spring storm.
Snow shoveling burns three hundred to four hundred calories per hour depending on how much you weigh and how much muscle mass your figure already flaunts. Which means moving the white stuff manually so you can move on with your day is one sure fire way to fire up the metabolism. The outdoor movement reserved for northern climates incorporates all of the muscles in the back, arms, shoulder and legs. Most driveways take longer than sixty minutes. The more you move, the more you can indulge in marshmallows atop hot cocoa once you’re through and doesn’t everyone on the Coastal Ohio Trail just love to warm up to a cup of The Kroger Company’s Private Selection Cocoa when it’s cold.
Shoving the shovel aside for a snow blower still blows out about two hundred and fifty calories for a person weighing in at a buck fifty.
Now for the creme de la creme of a cold blast on the Coastal Ohio Trail in the spring: hiking. Oh what fun the event is when frolicking in all that’s frocked! Lace up your Columbia Bugaboot and head wherever the wonderment takes you on two well-insulated feet with an abominable snow pup in tow. Hikers will melt mega calories traipsing the back country in heavy footwear. The exercise takes more leg and heart work than walking. Talk about toning. This “wintry” activity incorporates the calves, quadriceps, hamstrings, obliques, abs, and the front and back of the thighs, plus glutes. Tack on another four hundred and fifty calories for the hour spent out wondering what exactly Old Man Winter is doing in the springtime on the Coastal Ohio Trail.
He’s supplying us with breathtaking views.
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All of this compares to about 585 calories burned in a sweaty session of Vinyasa Flow at your favorite studio.
Stay posted for more on Outfit for a Winter Adventure … in the Spring !
“Last weekend we did a medley at the end. Lady Gaga was sung like Frank Sinatra would. We’re just keeping the bar area chill,” Stella’s manager Ed Lopez shares the low down on the dining room and bar that overlooks Perrysburg’s Louisiana Avenue.
Chill, cozy, and sure to end in culinary contentment is the 2016 Stella’s, a northwest Ohio restaurant showcasing its own rendition of an exotic Italian steakhouse. At Stella’s pasta is made fresh daily, Prosecco is poured freely and the wine list has over fifty bottles to choose from.
Sean Minor “Four Bears” Pinot Noir from California Central Coast
“We’re not looking to educate diners on the wine. We want to broaden their perspectives on what wine pairs with which dish. We’re putting Napa Cabs with pastas and bringing in Italian wines and pairing them with French food,” front of the house manager Kurt Schlagheck says triumphantly.
The fact that business casual is now accepted fashion and Schlagheck is visibly sporting socks patterned with pineapples, points to the new movement on the Maumee River where the crew and owner decided to redefine fine casual dining.
“The pace is now fun. This is is the pace we are looking to project into downtown Perrysburg and consistency from here on out after we’ve made these changes will bring every aspect together,” emphasizes Schlagheck. “We do have every base of an Italian steakhouse menu and also french delicacies like mousses.”
Pear tart with melted brown butter and a scoop of vanilla bean gelato
Menu items start at just seven dollars and go all the way up to forty-five dollars for the Bone-In Ohio Cab Ribeye with Crimini Mushrooms.
Reds by the glass start at just seven dollars for the Gouguenheim Malbec and move up to ten ten for the Fiorentini Chianti from Tuscany. The dessert and wine lists are forever evolving and the main menu changes with the seasons. Stella’s though almost has exclusivity in the area by going sous vide.
Again, Schlagheck, “We vacuum seal our chicken, pork, duck, and our hanger steaks with butter, thyme and spices and cook them in a circulator bath for three hours. We take a lot of pride from what we’re pushing out of that kitchen.”
Besides having a major cosmetic overhaul that, as Schlagheck describes, has turned the kitchen into an area as organized and clean as a hospital, the man manning the sous vide and changing up the menu is Chef Michael Bulkowski. Bulkowski is determined to use as much local fare as possible and keep the tastings fresh for regulars.
Because of this system, there isn’t a signature dish, per say, to highlight. The bar area begs for couples and friends to order tapas style and share everything from the lamb chops to the fennel cured salmon with creme fraiche and fingerling potatoes.
Photo Courtesy: Lindsay Marie Photography
“The lamb chops were Tony’s idea. Tony (Bilancini) is the owner. He said people around here love lamb chops and he’s right. We sell a lot of them. We prepare them Ras el hanout, which is a Mediterranean seven spice blend. We season them with that and finish with some preserve lemon and parsley and yogurt,” Chef elaborates.
The salmon is sustainably raised in one of the North Sea’s channels between Norway and Iceland. The fast moving and ultra-cold currents make this raw option energetically appetizing. Chef Bulkowski’s long time industry friend, Rachel makes the crackers plated with the dish.
She isn’t the only featured “artist” at Stella’s. Hand-blown glass ornaments drip from the three story foyer. Toledo artist Gwen Smith adds heat to blanks and sculpts the sensations which show off the very essence of the Glass City. Pop into Stella’s and pop some Prosecco within five days of your birthday and one of the Stella’s team members will gift you one to take home and cherish.
Foyer cascade
Stella’s is located at 104 Louisiana Avenue in Perrysburg. Coming up on Monday, March 14 at 6:30 pm Chef Michael Bulkowski is rolling out a five course wine dinner featuring recipes from First Presbyterian Church in Tiffin Ohio from 1923. This is undoubtedly the perfect opportunity to drop in, taste the new menu concepts, and experience the new energy. Suits and ties are out, funky, patterned socks are in, and Stella’s is anything but “stuffy.”
Let’s face the facts. Valentine’s Day is about the ladies and the man is undoubtedly expected to wine her, dine her, and give her lavish gifts to show her the love. Or at the very least, present her with a token of affection from the local gift shop.
Women don’t need to go all out for him. A simple presentation of a book, or perhaps something done in love in the name of service will suffice.
According to WKYC Chief Meteorologist Betsy Kling’s latest forecast in 2015 at this time ninety- six percent of Lake Erie was frozen. This year, to mark Valentine’s Day 2016 just one percent of the lake in the Upper Western Basin near Canada has turned to tundra.
That means the ice fishing gear is coming off the shelves and going back into the store rooms as retailers prepare for an early Walleye season.
Campos claims Cupid himself would opt for the Saint Croix Eyecon to intrigue your beau.
“I’m going to have two shifts beginning in a couple of weeks. One from 6 am to 4 pm and the other from 10 am to 8 pm to cover the crowds,” Campos details his coverage plans and points to a sign on the door reading, “Full Time Temporary HELP WANTED.”
Campos’ store is located just two blocks away from the Maumee River and right now, instead of bracing for record-breaking lows, he’s bracing for two months of fourteen hour days to cater to the crowds that will flood his store for every lure and line they need to score with the Walleye.
So, if you do want to gift your guy a sweet something, Campos is confident any man will swoon over the Saint Croix Eyecon series rod. The item is apparently what every Coastal Ohio fisherman is searching for to conquer the Maumee River March mayhem. According to the Toledo Metro Parks, as in every year, a half of a million Walleye will conduct their reproductive ritual in Lake Erie’s largest flowing river.
The natural event and this piece of gear is so intense, the company’s website says the rod is retailed for the man ready to “Grab life by the hands. Seize the day. Go for it, Amigo.”
There Comes A Time In Every Man’s Life When He has To Say, “Frankly My Dear Boss, I Don’t Give A Damn.”
Maumee Tackle Fishing Outfitters employee Ryan Smith is quick to point out, “This is one of the most popular fishing rods around here. Saint Croix makes a couple of designs the Avids, Premieres, Triumphs. There are twenty different styles of fishing poles made from Saint Croix.”
To sweeten the deal this February 14 for your man, who has his own intricate love affair with fishing, Smith recommends the Eyecon 6′ to 6’5″ pole. The retail price is a mere $123.95 and the guys at Maumee Tackle Fishing Outfitters have about three dozen on hand sure to be treasured more than your two dozen red roses which won’t see March.
“These are made technique specific for Walleye. Ninety-percent of fishermen use a Carolina Rig which is a mixer of sinkers, leader lines and lures,” Smith sweetens the sale.
For bigger trout fishermen will should be outfit with a longer pole. For heavy trolling in the lake the pole you purchase will have to be longer.
But, in the end, it’s the Saint Croix Eyecon to set your flame on fire this Saint Valentine holiday.
“The rod is sensitive with a good backbone,” Campos showers on the affection he attaches to the piece. “Guys love the way this is designed specifically for walleye. The fish is the mainstay of the Maumee River.”
Coastal Ohio is expected to experience temperatures below the 20 degree fahrenheit mark for Valentine’s Weekend. Forecasters are even predicting lows of negative three degrees.
Which means love birds will need to heat the scene up across the shores of the entire lake. Of course a Caribbean Cruise is the creme da la creme and the Progressive Insurance Miami International Boat Show takes place this weekend at the Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin.
If you can’t reach the South Florida spot for everything nautical and nice and still want to give the gift of love look no further than the Ohio Turnpike. There are red hot items to entice everyone and everyone’s budget. Here’s a glance at gifts to grab for your flame to ensure the mercury for romance really races off the charts. WARNING: There’s a lot of chocolate mentioned and this list is for the ladies.
This $2.9 M dollar item is all about the Lake Erie Love and views of the islands. Tops on our list this year is this 13 acre property listed with Sotheby’s International Realty. There aren’t any properties left on Catawba Island where the lawn backs up to Lake Erie. There is enough room on this 13.14 acre property for an ocean of its own. There are two homes that share the space. A three bedroom, one and a half bath and a two bedroom one bathroom cottage. Call Danis Putzbach at 419.797.4400 for more information or to schedule a trip to the Lake Erie Islands.
Red is the color of passion. When she likes her toys to have four wheels this is the vehicle to kick start her engine. Audi of Bedford has a German engineered piece of machinery ready to cruise the Ohio scenic highways. Priced at just $35,975 the 2.0 liter 4 cylinder engine gets 33 MPG on the highway. The ride is Turbo Charged and comes nicely equipped with black leather heated seats to keep her cozy. However, if you have a few bonus bucks and you’re just looking for a second or third car, the convertible 2016 A3 2.0T Quattro sticker price is $44,650.
Set her heart on fire with this Hearts on Fire Atlantico Wave Cuff from Leo Marks Jewelers on Secor Road in Toledo. This 18k rose gold bracelet is inspired by the ocean waves. With over three carats of diamonds (3.25 Ctw) all she’ll be seeing is brilliance in your buying capabilities. Twenty Gs, or $19,900 will surely, set her heart on fire.
What is made of steel, gold, chocolates and diamonds and will last more than one lifetime? This Rolex 26 mm Lady-Date Just Oyster Perpetual Watch can be purchased at Kleinhenz Jewelers in Williamsburg Square on Detroit Road in Westlake. The most distinctive feature is the cyclops lens magnifying today’s date. The chocolate dial adds a special sweetness to the piece she will treasure for years. Show her how much she means on February 14 by placing this timepiece on her wrist. $10,100 from Cleveland’s Authorized Rolex dealer.
For the holiday all about love, devotion and diamonds gift buyers can find brilliance away from the city at Diamond Collection, Norwalk’s Finest Jewelry Store. February 14 is the most notable holiday to profess your love for her. This Diamond Emotions setting (style ER3149) has over 100 diamonds that create a .57 Cts setting. Available in 14k, 18k, or platinum, the platinum option retails for $2,800. This price is BEFORE you choose a solitaire. This setting will fit a .5 – 1.0 option. The cut and clarity and additional price is the choice of casanova.
Puppy love can come in a living, four-legged new friend. Pond Valley Labradors, a breeder in Napoleon, Ohio is ready to send the last male member of their latest litter to his new home. Pictured is the nine-week old English male for $850. Commitment to him will be about 16-years. Make sure she’s the one and have extra money on hand for veterinarian bills, food and plenty of chew toys unless you plan to buy her a new shoe wardrobe in addition.
Why buy flowers that won’t last to the end of February when for $350 you can give her relaxation forever on this chaise lounge. Sold at Encore Furniture in Maumee, this flower power has all the pop for the holiday to last all year. She’ll love relaxing on this fun piece. Add a book and you’ll forever be her number one.
Hit a home run by showing her you know she loves her Tribe. Doesn’t matter how much she says she loves YOU, all women on Ohio’s North Coast dig Jason Kipnis. Show her you recognize her love for the game and favorite player with this Kipnis 22 jersey from MLB.com. The Women’s Majestic Jersey is just $99 which leaves you room for tickets to opening day.
Nothing is sexier than sweat. We headed to Tower City in downtown Cleveland and hit the Victoria’s Secret for this Knockout Front-close Front-zip Sports Bra in Hello Lovely Pink. Priced at just $65.50 you’ll have money left to buy her a private training session to put some steam in the season.
If she’s your KO prove your passion with Everlast’s Pro Style Ladies Training Gloves. For just $39.99 this white hot pair will show her what’s she’s made of in and out of the ring. Visit everlast.com to order, or pick them up at Dick’s Sporting Goods in Legacy Village on Cedar Road east of Cleveland when you have a chance.
She wants to leave the country, so make her take you with her. This baby pink passport holder by ban.do will have her packing her bags before you can say, “February 15.” They have them at the Blue Envelope Boutique on Erie Street in Historic Downtown Willoughby. At just $24 you will be able to afford an international soiree. Add the matching luggage tag for $10.
The inside screams “Take me somewhere. Somewhere nice and warm. Ohio is freezing.” Plus, the posh item has plenty of room for business and credit cards.
The Mermaid’s Tale, a fashionably, fun boutique nestled in downtown Amherst on Church street is home to dozens of desirable designers. We love this 24 kt Spartina 449 Mermaid Hinged Bangle. You will too at the $36 price point.
Quite possibly the most luxuriously underpriced find we could muster for Valentine’s Day 2016 Coastal Ohio. These Coco Chanel signature earrings are from Great Taste, a casual Chinese take-out restaurant located on the corner of 12th and Chester Streets in downtown Cleveland. For just $5 (this is not a typo: five dollars) any gift giver will have money left to buy a lavish dinner of Egg Drop Soup and Bar-B-Q Spare Ribs. Head to Tower City and visit the jewelry kiosks if you prefer the $200 pair.
This is the gift to give when you want to give the gift of childhood memories. We found a 1980s Wear-Ever Popcorn Pumper from Encore Furniture in Maumee. Owner Rachel White shows off the aesthetic appeal for your girl hooked on popping a healthy snack. Or, opt to give away to the little ones, who can not be given more candy! For just $1 (yes, one dollar) you’ll skimp on calories and win for uniqueness.
Cupid has shot multiple arrows through Stella’s in Perrysburg. The eatery is nestled downtown on the edge of Louisiana Avenue with the Maumee River situated just across the street. The atmosphere pulls from the energy ions of the raging body of water just a stone throws away.
This Valentine’s Day the spread will be even more spectacular. Manager Ed Lopez dishes, Stella’s is going to be open this Sunday, February 14th for brunch for the first time, and every Saturday and Sunday thereafter from 10 am – 3 pm.
“This is not a buffet all of the menu items will be to order,” defines Lopez, “Chef has put together some menu items to wow.”
Chef is Michael Bulkowski. He says an array of ethnic foods will be showcased.
“We’ll have items we love to eat as cooks. This is the perfect brunch I would like to go to. There isn’t a theme. Just tasty breakfast food. We’re working on a few signature Bloody Marys I think will be out of this world,” Bulkowski boasts of the plans.
Anyone looking to romance their man or woman with a meal on Ohio’s North Coast should know Stella’s adds just the right elegant element. Call 419-873-8360 to make reservations. Or visit them online.
Maumee and the Maumee River can be seen from the marquee outside.
One little can from the cupboard can inspire a five hour feast.
The Original Sauce Arturo Gourmet Sauce with mushrooms greets everyone within eyesight with as much exuberance as a Maitre D’ from a fine Italian eatery. Peel the label back to reveal the “Arturo Lasagne” ingredient list. Then, improvise for an impeccable meal.
The recipe on the inside calls for an entire list of ingredients many of us just don’t have the palates for; namely, they are sausage, cottage cheese and ground up hamburger. Just use the recipe for a cue and create a dish you can own. To get this Italian partito going light a fire out in your backyard, aerate two bottles of red wine and create an anti pasto platter.
You can find an array of inviting dishes at Pier 1, like this carved fish serving platter, to make your old-world appetizers ultra-appealing. While guests make their way in, assemble the lasagne as you chat them up and they fill their glasses with vino.
Buy the ready to bake Kroger lasagne noodles, and a trio of cheeses as pictured below. We removed the sausage and ground up hamburger. This move makes assembly of this Italian classic as easy to pull off as opening the Sauce Arturo can. Use a lasagne pan or as in this case, a 9″ x5″ x 3″ loaf pan like this one we used for deep dish decadence.
Crack the ends of the noodles off with your hands to make the noodles fit in a shorter and deeper loaf pan, as we did. Three noodles make up each layer. Pour The Original Sauce Arturo Gourmet Sauce with Mushrooms on top, add frozen spinach and then top with your three-cheese mixture forked together with an egg. Eyeball the mixture and add more Ricotta, Mozzarella and Parmesan to fit your taste. Keep going until the concoction reaches the brim.
Then, grab a Swiss Army knife, a bag of marshmallows, vino and go enjoy the company and your fire. We like the Victorinox Swiss Army Camper Knife. This stainless steel contraption retails for about thirty dollars and besides a corkscrew, has a 3.6″ knife perfect for carving a marshmallow stick. After 28 years, as old as the friendships are around the fire, the blade still worked to whittle down the wood with precision.
While you and your guests feast on the bubbled confectioners sugar, flavored with firewood, remember you’ll need about 75 minutes to bake dinner. Preheat the oven before the clock strikes ten pm. At eleven-fifteen, remove the foil, sprinkle more Mozzarella on top and bake for another five minutes.
Pop open a bottle of San Pellegrino, grab a plate and godere!
“When I first came to It’s Yoga I was like, ‘Ummm no. I really don’t want to go upside down.’ Through coming and watching other people I was like, ‘Maybe I can do them.'” Michelle Zydorczyk puts out there – what pulls her to Power Yoga.
The ninety-minute session on the mats at It’s Yoga on Toledo’s Central Avenue is where Zydorczyk zones in on her zen. She’s a substance abuse counselor at the Zepf Center. She uses the practice as a tool to pry her pupils off of harmful “medication”. Medication they can get chemical free on a mat.
Zydorczyk, who accented her black and red hot yoga gear with gold hoop earrings nods her head, “It’s mind over matter. It’s not your body that won’t go upside down, it’s your mind.”
“Look up at your thumb even if you don’t normally. Just take a look, breathe and don’t worry about falling,” instructs It’s Yoga manager and fitness model, Sydney Parker.
“This class makes you get lost in the flow, and it’s like moving meditation,” David Schmenk, a Toledo website designer sweats the class out with a headband around his spiked hair.
Schmenk strips off his tank ten minutes into the flow to reveal a string of Chinese symbols tattooed down the top of his spine.
“I honestly don’t know what they mean. I got them when I was 16-years old,” he admits honestly. “This class to me is just about being present and focusing in and applying the same thing in life. Like stuck in traffic. Instead of freaking out and getting mad, I just take a couple deep breaths, focus in, try to be present, try not be caught up in everything going on.”
Schmenk is one of four men making this date with the mat. Mustering up all the muscle and mind power they can to power through the sixteenth Chatarunga.
“This is a lot of Chatarungas,” Sydney coaches “we want strong shoulders!”
“The class is dude-friendly,” her boyfriend Scotty Williamson from Michigan points out. “It’s definitely a lot harder than I thought it was but I love it. I realize the transformation from where I was before. This Power Yoga class gets you stretched out and heated if you keep pushin’ through, and breathin’.”
A Glass City girl from birth, Parker points out the class concept. Power Yoga is designed to empower from within. Yogis are encouraged to find inner-strength and bust any limiting beliefs through the breath.
This powerful practice eventually showcases a dream dance, the arm-balancing split, translated in Sanskrit to Eka Pada Koudinyasana, and Parker is demonstrative that breath can take a person to new dimensions. She teaches Restorative Yoga at this location three days a week and Power Yoga two times. Though the sequence has everyone in a sweat she surprisingly urges beginners to come in regardless of Ahamkara, otherwise known as the ego.
“I would myth bust that this is for advanced only. My friend Michelle just unveiled to me this was her first time ever coming to a yoga class, and she just did amazing with her hair down. I would say that anyone could do yoga even if you’ve never tried it.
Parker hits the Paradise feed with her Bird of Paradise. She began her practice with meditation during her formative years of high school and earned her yoga certification just six months ago. She’s bounced around the nation and believes an energetic pull keeps bringing her back to Toledo.
Yoga at home is nothing compared to a studio. You have a room full of people, there’s an energy here and you never know what to expect. When you’re being pushed and challenged a little bit you don’t know where you can go,” Parker points out.
Donning fuchsia leggings, an Om tattoo on the nape of her neck and a white tank printed with, Live Your Practice, Parker says simply set your mind to the mantra, “Everything we do on the mat is how we’re showing up off the mat, too. Stay in inquiry and stay in your breath. Anyone can start to have natural realizations.”
Zydorczyk tilts her head, covered in bobbed, high-lighted brown hair, and reflects on her inversions, “I haven’t mastered them. I still very much need the wall.”
In time, patience, persistency and self-compassion partnered with breath will bring her to the precise place she needs to be. It’s Yoga Toledo is located at 4324 West Central Avenue. Check the schedule for Power Yoga and other class times.
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