There are realtors and then there’s the real deal. Some realtors just want to take your money. Some truly want others to find the perfect place to rest their head. These ladies and gentlemen will steer buyers away from shoddy construction, poor location, and a move which could potentially be a financial blunder.
These are the business leaders one must seek out.
Let me help you. Truth and Rob Lenthe are synonymous. He is the realtor with Truth First Realty and this guy is the real deal. He’s personable, has work ethic, knows the Lake Erie Islands, knows Ohio’s Vacationland, has tons of friends and even more connections, and wants to see business happen and make people feel good about the deals they enter. Myself, and the entire show crew, like this guy.
Right now this gem of a guy, has a gem of a listing anyone can buy.
He jumped on board with us to showcase a one-bedroom, one-bathroom boutique condo nestled in the middle South Bass Island. This island off the coast of Ohio in Lake Erie that contains the summer hot spot of Put-in-Bay. The place was about the same size as my first cottage in Key West across the street from the iconic Marquesa Hotel.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Banyan Cove Phase I is one-year old. This ground-level unit is being shown at a reduced price of $165,000. The interior flaunts Lake Erie high fashion elements and artwork indicative of the locale. The furnishings can be negotiated.
“The key selling point is location,” Lenthe supplies, “you’re within two blocks of downtown and less than one half of a mile to the airport and a golf cart ride to the ferry. This is central.”
Accessible via ferry, plane, or helicopter Middle Bass Island is the ultimate destination in the Great Lakes Region for a romantic get-away. This eight-hundred acre island delivers just the correct dosage of intrigue to make an intimate adventure memorable. Once travelers and tourists reach the ferry launch on Catawba Island, or one of the runways, all of the amenities of the mainland disappear, opening the door for flirtation on an island. Here are the Top Ten reasons why MBI is the hottest of the string of islands nestled inbetween Ohio to Canada.
10. Remote hiking trails allow time to explore off the beaten path. Wildlife encounters are a definite possibility.
9. The entire island is pet friendly. So, even if Fido is your only friend the two of you are bound to have a ball exploring, dining and swimming in the freshwater.
8. The cozy Camping Cabins at St. Hazards all have private fire pits. Grab a locally made bottle of wine and bag of marshmallows from The MBI General Store and show your flame they set you on fire.
7. Enjoy the private beach adjacent to the MBI Yacht Club Condos at St. Hazards Resort. This condominium has the perfect boutique unit number 106 to suit the needs of a private party of two.
6. All of the luxury condo units at St. Hazards Resort have private balconies overlooking the lake.
5. This island boasts of a resort that stocks over one dozen rums. Travelers can enjoy everything from Mojitos made with organic mint grown on property to Ti Punch made with the superior aged Rhum Clement distilled in the French Caribbean. This drink consists of a muddled lime wedge, shot of homemade simple syrup and Rhum Clement. An order of this cocktail infused with exotic spices, coconut, banana and fruit, is elegant and impressive.
4. Home to the historic Lonz Winery, visitors can day trip and pack a picnic lunch to eat overlooking the lake. The MBI General Store sells bottles of wine with labels from Pelee Island, the Lonz Winery and 19 Crimes. Stuff a picnic basket, grab a bottle and open with a Swiss Army Pocket Knife to keep this getaway real. Explore the old Prohibition era wine runs, caves and wine barrels where the wine has been fermented.
3. An old-fashioned water taxi leaves every hour to take guests island hopping from the MBI ferry docks to the famed and most popular boardwalk of the Great Lakes Region known as Put-in-Bay located ten minutes across Lake Erie on South Bass Island. Head over on the idyllic Sonny S ferry for an enchanting day or evening out. The last ferry leaves SBI at 12:30 am every Friday and Saturday during the height of season.
2. Middle Bass Island is home to an airport, plane and helicopter service. Book a tour through Griffing Flying or Paratus Air (914) FLY-HELI for an enchanting and exciting afternoon seeing the island action and Perry’s Victory Monument from above. This is the perfect place and opportunity to propose.
The number one reason why Middle Bass Island is the hottest and romantic island the Great Lakes has for everyone to experience (besides, we can’t help but note, the pool and hot tub at St. Hazards Resort NEVER CLOSES) is … internet is spotty at best. Here one is off the grid and unreachable. Giving travelers, lovers, and sweethearts the opportunity to make unpostable memories.
There are many items I can’t seem to live without here in the nation’s Great Lakes Region this December. Now that the mercury has plummeted and the terrain has turned to tundra number one is fur. Whether worn or used to fashion the home, real or simulated to save the animals, I can’t surround myself or drape myself with enough of the everlasting look, luxury and warmth.
The Vintage Sage Fox Fur coat is available online and sets the tone for stepping out in the glacial domain. The worn-before garment is priced anywhere between one hundred and twelve hundred dollars depending which style and company is chosen. Splurge to stay sizzling when everyone else suffers slightly in a polyester wool blend.
This year I dressed up the mantle and tree in faux fur to compliment a “Let it Snow” holiday decor theme to celebrate Christmas on the River. There are two options which can’t lead the home stylist off-target. Components from Michaels Shimmer Noel Collection or invest in Nicole Miller white soft luxury. I mixed up the two labels throughout the home for a pleasurable experience.
Especially at a time when the outside elements are clearly not so pleasurable these tricks show the North Pole-like climate is conquerable and also one to celebrate.
Josie is spending Holiday 2016 at the family home located on the Coastal Ohio Trail where temperatures are barely hovering in the double-digits. The land, and river, is frozen.
The mercury will barely be in the double-digit range today across Coastal Ohio and the Lake Erie Islands. There is a wind advisory and the sun is shining! Cold weather and ice doesn’t have to equate to all out inquietude. Find glee in the gear. Here’s what I can’t live without for these next couple of weeks starting with my first generation iPad.
The iPad was given to me as a Holiday 2010 gift. I use as a Kindle for reading. I just downloaded three new books last night including Settle for More by Fox anchorwoman Megyn Kelly. $9.99 gives readers a month of unlimited downloads.
Snuggle up and read or rest on a feather top mattress topper. This one is from LL Bean. The added warmth and fluffy feather fill keep feelings of being frigid at bay. Cover with more down for added icing of comfort.
Next to the bed I have a Josie Style for the Home white faux fireplace. Here the hearth not only emits ambiance, the furniture acts as a bookcase, and this time of year is appropriate for knitted stockings (twenty-year vintage Macy’s). (Stocking holders are vintage Kroger Co.) Originally designed for space in Chester Avenue Lofts in downtown Cleveland to fill in blank space, this home element, The Chester Fireplace equals upscale Ohio.
North Coast: No Sharks provides a conversation piece in the kitchen. When the space is blank and boring add style to the home in 2016 with this Great Lakes blue print of the glacial water system responsible for dramatic climate. Covering the 216 and 305 area codes, this piece is a first edition created in downtown Cleveland and captures the energy of the area. Designed in ball point pen ink. For the luxury home — with a twist.
North Coast: No Sharks Josie, Style for the Home JK PR Sales & Design 216 305Josie 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. Fitness and Design are her passions.
“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.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
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 !
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!
You must be logged in to post a comment.