In other news. I recently stopped down to Balluminaria in Eden Park, Cincinnati. Every year regional balloonists setup around the reflecting pond and put on a show. You can view pictures by clicking HERE or clicking the photo below.

Before Halloween. We had the opportunity to see Vince’s Fiancee Paula play the Dobro, a variation of the resonance guitar (according to Wikipedia), in a Bluegrass band. Photos of the band can be seen by clicking HERE or clicking the photo below.

Kevin left his longtime employer of nearly 8 years, FKI Logistex, to take a new position at Xavier University. So far he loves the job and his new team. Before taking the position he took a drive up the coast of Michigan. He stopped at a handful of towns along Lake Michigan including Holland, Port Haven and Manistee. He then headed to the Upper Peninsula to kayak Lake Superior near Pictured Rocks National Park. Photos from that trip can be seen HERE or by clicking the photo below.

And one final programming note. We’ve sold the Mason condo and we’re relocating to the East side of Cincinnati to be closer to Lisa’s family. Come visit and when the weather warms up, bring your pool towel.

On October 4th Kevin will be joining others in a walk to support Farm Sanctuary and raise money for their efforts. If you would like to contribute, please visit the “Team Staton” fund raising site linked below:

http://www.firstgiving.com/kevinstaton

Our accommodations for the weekend were at the Windsor Inn On The River Bed and Breakfast. Everyone there was very nice. The rooms were clean, spacious and well appointed. The Inn overlooks the river and is right across the street from a riverside park. It’s easy to recommend a stay here.

We spent a lot of time in Windsor’s downtown and along the parks on the riverfront. We also visited the Hiram Walker & Sons distillery where Canadian Club Whiskey is made and we took a drive through the country to visit a number of wineries. For photos of our recent trip, click HERE or click the image below.

Photos from the trip can be seen HERE or by clicking the image below. The photo gallery has been divided into a family section and a scenic section.

Kevin drew up a very ambitious itinerary for the trip but after a few complications, the itinerary got scrapped and we enjoyed a much more laid back weekend. There were more crowds than expected and some activities just had less appeal. For instance, we skipped a visit to the Met to spend a few hours lazing around central park.

Hotel:

We stayed at the Union Square Inn located in the East Village. It wasn’t our first choice but it was close to the things we had planned, it was affordable and most importantly it was available. The location was great, just a few blocks north of Greenwich and Bleeker street and literally right next to the 3rd Ave subway station. The room was “cozy” but it had a private bathroom.

Dinner and Jazz night:

After a day of fighting the crowds we had a reservation at Hangawi Korean Restaurant in Midtown. It was great. Upon entering, you remove your shoes and take a seat on a pillow in front of a low table. The restaurant is entirely vegetarian and has a large, varied menu. We shared a bottle of organic red wine. We chose the set menu which started with vegetable soup served in a flaming bowl followed by salad and a series of appetizer courses. The entree consisted of a mushroom dish and todok (Korean root) served with kimchee. For dessert, we had lemon tofu pudding with pine nuts. Awesome.

Hangawi was a really great experience with excellent service, great atmosphere and amazing food. I highly recommend it to everyone. After dinner we were so exhausted from our long day that we decided to skip Small’s Jazz club. If you’re looking for a comfortable venue to hear great music I recommend Small’s.

Dinner and Comedy Club Night:

On Sunday night, we went to what is probably the greatest restaurant EVER to exist and probably ever will exist. It’s called Red Bamboo and the menu is entirely vegan/vegetarian. But wait, it gets better. Their menu is huge and includes many cuisines including Asian, Seafood (veg), Italian and Soul Food. That’s right SOUL FOOD! As an appetizer we had Buffalo Wings that make BW3’s wings pale by comparison and shrimp and pork egg rolls. Lisa had a vegetarian fish fillet sandwich and Kevin had Dante’s Cuisine: black pepper beef medallions in a mushroom gravy with sweet corn mashed potatoes and steam asparagus and zucchini.

A visit to Red Bamboo is worth the price of a plane ticket to New York for any vegetarian. It’s located in Greenwich Village.

Just a few blocks away from the Red Bamboo was our comedy venue for the evening: The Comedy Cellar. We got there a bit early so we stopped in at the coffee shop next door to recharge. The lineup was a well known list of great comedians including Lisa Landry and Kevin Brennan. We missed Dave Attell by one night.

The Comedy Cellar was a good experience in a small venue. It seems like they always have good acts and it’s a place I would recommend.

-Kevin

Also wanted to mention, we ate at a super tasty place in Yellow Springs called the Sunrise Café. They give you fresh from the oven sun dried tomato rolls when you are seated; I had broccoli soup and a veggie burger (their own recipe).

-ls