On a recent trip to Cleveland, I decided to check out the plans for holiday events throughout the state since many family members will be spending part of the upcoming season in the Ohio. Even though the promise of lake effect snow had evaporated into a sunny, balmy day more befitting a day in May rather than the first of November, one could feel the anticipation of the holiday season in the bustling neighborhoods outside of the state's cities and towns. Shop keepers were putting up holiday displays and stocking shelves with gifts to delight every member of the family, from the smallest grandchild to the oldest member of our extended family.
If business or pleasure will bring you to the Buckeye State during the Thanksgiving through New Year's season, here are some of the pageants, light festivals, and shopping extravaganzas that you won't want to miss.
Trains are special any time and especially at Christmas. Hop aboard the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad for the Santa Claus Express. Running November 24-28 and December 4-19, the train ride gives children a chance to visit with Santa while he helps them to spot his reindeer during the train trip through the Cuyahoga Valley. Departs twice daily from Old Rockside Road. For information and reservations, call 800/468-4070.
Enjoy a train ride through the Cincinnati Zoo, especially decorated for the holiday season with more than 2 million twinkling lights, many of them sculpted into larger-than-life holiday animals. Listen for the tree choir of 12 lifelike evergreens and enjoy ice skating and spectacular light sculptures. Stand before the sugar plum fairy music box, topped with dancing hippos in ballet attire. The zoo is at 3400 Vine Street. The Festival of Lights is slated for November 20 through January 2.
Mrs. Claus will accompany Jolly Old Saint Nick on a one-hour ride in a vintage passenger train run by the Turtle Creek Valley Railway in Lebanon, Ohio. For more information, call 513/398-8584. The other holiday train ride of note is the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway in Nelsonville, Ohio. From November 27 through December 18, children can visit with Santa while enjoying holiday music and stories of Christmas past. For information and times, call l800/967-7834.
Ohio is filled with major shopping and dining destinations. Here are the ones we checked out last year and asked the shop owners about their holiday theme for this year's millenium season.
Grandview Heights--west of I-71 near Columbus. Grandview offers everything from antiques to jewelry and hand-crafted items to freshly roasted coffee. Check out Earth Elements, specialists in natural body-care products and Accent on Wild Birds, a shop that carries everything from bird feeders to fossils and minerals for that person on your list who has everything. If you have time for lunch, stop at Figlios on Grandview Avenue for a healthy wood-fired pizza or one of their famous pastas. Another great place for a bite to eat is Spagio, also on Grandview Avenue.
Other places to shop in the Columbus region are German Village, a well-restored area that was originally settled by Germans. Today tree-lined sidewalks, historic German-style homes, and brick-covered streets offers art galleries, bookstores, and fine restaurants--all gaily-attired for the holiday season and brimming with that "just right" gift for someone special. Short North is a revitalized Columbus neighborhood just north of downtown with a large assortment of galleries and antique stores. Within the one-mile area, one can also dine at one of the many fine restaurants or pick up your fresh produce and poultry for your holiday meal at North Market, a shop that also features coffee, fresh flowers, and holiday crafts. While in Columbus, be sure to see the display of 100 varieties of Ohio-grown poinsettias at Franklin Park Conservatory and the giant nutcracker that stands guard outside Columbus's City Center.
In Cleveland, the place for big-city shopping, small-town style, is Shaker Square. Located off I-271, not far from downtown Cleveland, this literal "square" of shops is one of Ohio's oldest and the nation's second-oldest shopping center. Known for its out-of-the-ordinary shops, the area will be dressed postcard perfect for the holidays with the Georgian-style storefronts illuminated in white lights and pine garlands and festive window displays. Of note are Cleveland Antiquarian Books with gifts for your favorite readers, Details with fetching hats, jewelry, and eyeglasses, and Playmatters with super ideas for all the youngsters on your list.
For the gardener, don't miss the festive displays at Blooms by Plantscaping.
Restaurants of the area offer American, Italian, and home-style--all at affordable prices. If a cup of coffee is all you need to get you through your morning, Arabica Coffee House has just the thing. For ethnic neighborhood shopping in the Cleveland area, head for Little Italy in the Murray Hill area. Known for its trendy art galleries, its galleries attract nationwide attention and its many fine Italian restaurants bring patrons from far away. Another area of note is Ohio Village where one can stroll along the boardwalk of the re-created nineteenth-century as it was in the era of Charles Dickens for old-fashioned food, music, and shopping. Another main attraction is the indoor/outdoor West Side Market with its variety of meats, fine pastries, and ethnic foods.
Cincinnati's shopping area of note is Hyde Park, a quaint and festively decorated area east of I-71. Here you'll find 17 accessory and apparel shops and 12 antique and home furnishing stores, including the Thomas Kinkade Gallery which carries all of the latest of the popular painter's prints and the Miller Gallery which shows works by local, national, and international artists. Toby's Toys is your destination for everything from children's books to the latest "must have" toys while Hyde Park Gourmet Food & Wine is the spot for that difficult person who enjoys the unusual and often hard to find cooking ingredients. For a bite to eat, you can choose from American, Northern Italian or casual gourmet. Nearby is Mt. Adams, a historical district named for President John Quincy Adams. Hilly, narrow crooked streets with eye-popping vistas will lead shoppers around the area known for its art shops and fine dining.
Enjoy the holiday happenings! And remember, wherever you travel this holiday season, keep your blood glucose levels under control so that you can enjoy the festivities and start the Year 2000 feeling terrific.
