Midwest Guest

Hollywood Casino stars in Toledo, Ohio

Stepping into the Hollywood Casino in Toledo, Ohio is a bit like stepping back into Tinsel Town's glorious Golden Age, where the images of beloved icons of the silver screen like Humphrey Bogart, Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable oversee an audience enjoying one of the city's newest attractions.

An Art Deco-inspired facade and interior decor evoke the glamour and excitement of a Hollywood premiere, and the premiere of the Toledo casino in May of 2012 starred beloved Toledo native and actor Jamie Farr playing emcee to an audience of 10,000 first-day casino guests.

The casino's first month was a box-office success, netting more than $20 million in profits during its debut month and pumping more than $7.5 million in tax revenues into county, city and school coffers. Those numbers don't reflect the take from non-gambling revenue like food, drink and souvenir sales, but they do give an idea of the potential impact the casino with its 1,300 employees could have on the Toledo economy.

Toledo's Hollywood Casino is part of the Penn National Gaming chain and one of four casinos planned to open in Ohio that include casinos in Cleveland (open now), Columbus (opening this week) and Cincinnati (planned February 2013 opening).

The $320 million complex sits on a 44-acre piece of property at the Maumee River and I-75, making it easily accessible from southern Michigan and points further south in Ohio.

Gamblers have access to a 125,000-square-foot gaming floor with 2,002 slot machines, 60 game tables and 20 poker tables.

I visited the casino on a Monday afternoon a few months after its opening, and although I'm admittedly not much of a gambler (beyond the occasional lottery ticket purchase), I found plenty of interesting things to check out.

I liked the fact that the casino is smoke-free. There are two covered smoking areas outdoors to accommodate those who do wish to light up.

The Hollywood Casino has four restaurants, a gift store and lounges that feature live entertainment daily.

Entertainment ranges from local and regional acoustic and small jazz acts to start off each week, with rock and country acts often featuring nationally known acts and late-night DJs taking stage towards the end of each week. Check the casino's Facebook page for its latest entertainment listings.

The gift store carries the obligatory t-shirts and other casino souvenirs, but you can also find some fun gifts like jewelry, scarves, purses and unique decor pieces--a plus if you're running late and  suddenly remember you forgot someone's birthday, need to do some holiday shopping or just want to spend a little of your winnings before you head home.

The casino's restaurants all carry names inspired by the film industry.

We popped into the casino's Final Cut, an upscale restaurant featuring steaks and seafood, along with a glamorous selection of Hollywood movie costumes on display.

Visitors can enjoy a Vegas-style repast at the Epic Buffet, with its flaming grill top and numerous glass cases of beautiful pastries and animals meticulously carved and constructed from fruit and vegetables.

The Scene, with its many televisions, is a sports bar that casino officials hope will be popular with sports fans, especially as football season heats up this fall.

The Take 2 Grill, meanwhile, is a 24-hour restaurant geared for those seeking a quick breakfast or burger.

Want to catch a quick quiet moment? Check out the small bar near the Final Cut restaurant. They offered a late-afternoon happy hour with reasonable drink prices when I visited the casino.

Need a refresher course before you tackle the tables at the casino? Check out the Toledo Hollywood Casino's Web site for some helpful tutorials about playing games like blackjack, craps, roulette and poker.

There is also a free Hollywood Casino app available for iPhone and Android users featuring information about upcoming entertainment and the ability to make a reservation at the casino's Final Cut restaurant.

Thanks to Xanterra Parks and Resorts, Maumee Bay State Park Lodge and Destination Toledo CVB, which provided lodging, meals and a tour of Toledo-area activities for my review during my most recent visit to Maumee Bay, with no further compensation. I was free to express my own opinions about my stay and experiences, and the opinions expressed here are mine.

© Dominique King 2012 All rights reserved

Revisiting Ohio's Maumee Bay State Park Lodge

I originally visited Maumee Bay State Park Lodge a few years ago with a writers retreat group during a quiet weekend in early April and found it well-suited as host to a series of classes, breakout sessions and just slipping away to a cozy corner somewhere to write.

So what was it like when I recently revisited the state park resort near Toledo, Ohio during the height of a busy summer season?

I loved the opportunity to enjoy more of the lodge's recreational facilities and see how the experience differed from that quiet writers retreat.

This time, the weather was mostly clear and sunny. I enjoyed checking out the lodge's outdoor attractions like the 18-hole golf course, marina and Lake Erie beach. Most attractions are a very quick walk from the lodge, although bicycles and golf carts are also popular ways to get around the park.

I only had a couple of hours to explore the lodge on my own one afternoon, so I opted for taking one of the lodge's rental bikes for a ride around the park.

Geocachers will find lots of treasure to seek at Maumee Bay. I had time to grab one quick cache just off of the trail that circles the lodge during my bicycle ride, but there are more than a half dozen caches hidden inside of the park and others hidden just outside of the park.

New to geocaching? You rent a GPS and pick up some helpful hints for beginning cachers from the lodge's front desk.

I remember the food at my writers conference earning raves from everyone, which is difficult to pull off with a group meal that needs to meet a strict budget.

This time, I had a chance to sample the food at Maumee Bay's Water's Edge Restaurant and during a lakeside clam bake.

Chef Monica Jazwiecki served up imaginative dishes like a truly beautiful layered summer vegetable salad of locally grown zucchini, summer squash, baby eggplant and red onions with a parmesan crisp and dressed with tarragon vinaigrette, baby spinach, local heirloom tomatoes, roasted tomato dressing. Desserts like the grilled peaches and lemon basil ice cream with a pine nut crisp I had at the end of one dinner offered further evidence of her use of a wide range of flavors in unexpectedly great combinations.

Jazwiecki and her crew served up a classic meal for our clam bake that featured her seafood bisque, clams, sweet local corn on the cob, roasted potatoes and a whole steamed lobster (which was a great surprise treat for this lobster fan!).

I especially enjoyed watching the summer sun set from the lodge's expansive lawn fronting Lake Erie while our group enjoyed roasting s'mores over an open fire.

The lodge remained largely as I remember it from my first visit, but there was one change I particularly appreciated as someone whose work as a travel writer often sees me traveling with a computer or tablet to take notes, do a little research, write or edit photos during my travels.

Several years ago, you had to pay an Internet access of nearly $10 a day at the lodge, although I got a few dollars off of that as a conference discount when I was there with my writers group. The resort replaced those fees with a much smaller "tech fee" levied against rooms and cabins to cover costs for things like online access and local phone calls.

High charges for online access tacked on top of lodging charges is a personal peeve of many travelers, especially those who travel for business, so I'm glad to see this change at Maumee Bay.

This last trip was quick and packed with activity, but it was possible to grab a quiet moment enjoying the view from the patio of my lakeside room.

Even as the lodge hummed with activity, the resort's sprawling grounds and spacious facilities meant that you never felt as if it was overcrowded. The lodge rooms were a quiet retreat from the bustle of activity in the lobby, and over two dozen quiet sitting areas scattered through the lodge hallways and conference wing offered plenty of places for a quiet conversation or place to relax with a good book.

I look forward to seeing what new discoveries I'll make next time I revisit Maumee Bay.

Thanks to Xanterra Parks and Resorts and Maumee Bay State Park Lodge, which provided lodging, meals and on-site activities for my review, with no further compensation. I was free to express my own opinion about my stay and experiences, and the opinions expressed here are mine.

© Dominique King 2012 All rights reserved

Top 10 things to Play, Shop, Eat in Onekama

David Letterman has nothing on Jessie Voigts, who checks in today with a great "Top Ten" list of things to do in the northern Michigan town of Onekama. Her list (no surprise if you've read some of her stories here in the past!) starts off with an ice cream stop and includes more great suggestions for places to eat, shop, play and stay in town.

Onekama is a lovely small town on the Sunset Coast of Michigan, north of Manistee and south of Frankfort. It is on Portage Lake, which leads into Lake Michigan. Gorgeous flowers line the streets in the summer, the library has free Wi-Fi, there’s plenty of fish to go around, and much to see and do. If you’re in the area for a weekend (or a week!), try to hit these local gems:

Eat:

Ice Cream! Right next to the public park is Annie & Teddy’s Ice Cream shop. Perfect for warm summer evening concerts in the park, or a cool-down after a long day at the beach.

My favorite place is the Blue Slipper. (http://www.midwestguest.com/2012/04/foodie-finds-blue-slipper-bistro-onekama-michigan.html). They have delicious, fresh food and a convivial atmosphere. Be sure to get the balsamic dressing for your house salad – it’s amazing!

Eat at the Glenwood for a special occasion – their food is incredible and the view of Portage Lake is outstanding. I highly recommend the perch tower – but if you bring your own fish (yay you!), they’ll cook it up for you, just the way you want it. They also offer beef, lamb, pasta, seafood, and salads. Try their desserts or freshly baked breads.

Drink:

On your way to the big lake, toward Portage Point Inn, stop by the artesian well on the roadside. You’ll know it from the tall curving cedar trees that shelter it, and the line of cars that have stopped to fill their water bottles, or get a drink. Best water EVER.

Stay:

Where else, but the Portage Point Inn?  A century+ old inn, it’s also a yacht club, with moorings, tennis courts, and plenty of space for your boats.  If you need more space, there are also rental houses available in town, by the week.

Shop:

My favorite is the Lookout Shoppe, an upscale resale shop. I’ve found Dooney & Burke purses, a tortilla press, amazing jewelry, furniture, beautiful upscale clothes, and more. You never know what you’ll find on the racks and shelves, but you WILL find the owner, who’s always smiling and warmly welcomes us back each time.

Also hit up MacBeth & Co. With its beautiful white interiors and plenty of gifts, you’ll be sure to be in “lake mode” pretty quickly.

New this year is Lakeside Treats – where you can find up north clothes, books, treats, and toys galore. Forgot your kite? Find it here! A welcome addition to Onekama, for sure.

Play:

Next to the Ice cream shop is a public park. There are clean bathrooms, a boat ramp, concerts in the summer, a nice playground, and several covered shelters if your family’s too big to eat elsewhere (reunion time?). Each Memorial Day weekend, the local Garden Club has a huge plant sale in these shelters – get there early for the best selection from these master gardeners.

Lake Michigan!

Past the Portage Point Inn and the Onekama Sailing Club, on an extremely narrow, winding road, you’ll find Portage Point Beach. It’s one of my top 10 beach towns on Michigan’s Sunset Coast (http://www.wanderingeducators.com/best/top-10/top-10-beach-towns-michigans-sunset-coast.html) and here’s why: there’s a pier, a sheltered beach, a gazebo, and a wide, clear, clean sandy beach. There’s easy entry to the lake with smooth sand. And, of course, swimming in Lake Michigan is one of my very favorite things to do. A day at Portage Point Beach, and you’ll concur.

Jessie Voigts is the publisher of Wandering Educators, a travel resource for global educators. Love to learn about the world? Head to http://www.WanderingEducators.com

Photos and text © Jessie Voigts 2012 All rights reserved, used with permission

Where I live: Harnessing horsepower to feed metro Detroit's hungry with Forgotten Harvest

Cars and cuisine take center stage with Forgotten Harvest's tenth annual Champagne Cruise along metro Detroit's famed Woodward Avenue from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. on Friday, August 17.

Love classic cars? Love sampling great food? Looking for a really effective way to help address hunger and waste while having a great time in the process?

Then this is the party for you!

Forgotten Harvest smartly stages one of their largest fundraisers of the year for the eve of the Woodward Dream Cruise, billed as the largest one-day celebration of classic cars and the car culture that dominates the Detroit area. Using Berkley's Westborn Market as a venue, the Forgotten Harvest bash puts attendees in the heart of the Dream Cruise action and on the frontlines with those who battle hunger by supporting Forgotten Harvest's year-round food rescue mission.

It may seem strange to fight hunger by sipping champagne and sampling food from some of Detroit's most notable restaurants and caterers while watching classic cars cruise Woodward, but it's a formula Forgotten Harvest has honed to perfection over the past decade.

Forgotten Harvest rescued 23.2 million pounds of food during its 2010-2011 fiscal year, delivering it directly to 185 emergency food providers like food pantries, shelters, soup kitchens and faith-based organizations of all denominations, according to Forgotten Harvest's easy-to-find annual report online. This represented a 20-percent increase in rescued food over the previous fiscal year.

One of the really great things about Forgotten Harvest's food rescue operation is that the organization rescues a lot of fresh food that would otherwise languish in a landfill. About half of the organization's rescued harvest consists of fresh meats, fruits and vegetables that struggling families can sometimes ill afford to put on their dinner tables, rather than cheap and heavily processed canned, boxed and other non-perishable items.

The organization recently earned kudos from metro Detroit's Corp! Magazine as one of Michigan's "green" leaders for environmentally sound practices that help reduce waste while effectively addressing the problem of hunger in the metro area.

Forgotten Harvest's sterling record of responsible stewardship of its donated resources also continually impresses me. Forgotten Harvest rescues more food on a per capita basis than any other food rescue organization in the United States and distributes it at the lowest cost-per-meal basis (23 cents per pound). Forgotten Harvest consistently earns high ratings from Charity Navigator for its efficiency and transparency.

But, hey, enough with the serious stuff!

Why not check it out for yourself?

Volunteers greet Champagne Cruisers with a glass of chilled bubbly and a variety of vendors put out an amazing spread of appetizers, small-plate entrees and desserts. You definitely won't go hungry, and there's ample opportunity to work off a few of those calories by dancing to live music and participating in the event's live auction of one-of-a-kind items and experiences (we scored one of our favorite Michigan lighthouse pictures at one year's auction).

Modern Tribe, Featuring Charles & Gwen Scales

At the end of the night, a handful of Forgotten Harvest's fleet of trucks arrive to take any remaining food directly from the party and get it into the hands of those who benefit from Forgotten Harvest's primary mission of relieving hunger in metro Detroit.

We've already purchased our Champagne Cruise tickets!

See you there?

© Dominique King 2012 All rights reserved

Photo Friday: Waiving the Magic Wand in Churubusco, Indiana

I love vintage roadside signs and local diners, but we unfortunately didn't have time to do more than take a couple of photos at the Magic Wand in Churubusco, Indiana.

The sign is a classic, though, and I'm thinking we'll have to make it a point to stop for a burger and check out the clown collection at this place next time we're in this area.

Why did we waive the opportunity to stop this trip?

We'd just eaten breakfast, and we were racing to check out the turtles further down the road in Churubusco before it started raining.

Turtles?

Well, that's a tall tale I told in yesterday's post about a circus-like search for a mysterious giant turtle that appeared in a local lake and eventually completely disappeared, although people from Churubusco still honor the turtle in various ways throughout the year.

Magic wands...turtle mysteries...you'll find it in this rural Indiana town near Fort Wayne.

Thanks to Debbie Dubrow of Delicious Baby for creating and coordinating Photo Friday to link travel photos and blog posts across the Web.

Want more Midwest magic? Be among the first to check out my new Midwest Guest newsletter, launching next month, by subscribing now!

© Dominique King 2012 All rights reserved

Work up an appetite for ice cream at Young’s Dairy in Yellow Springs, Ohio

Jessie Voigts and her family l-o-v-e ice cream, and she's back with another great guest post about her most recent ice cream explorations. This time, tag along with Jessie as she visits Young's Jersey Dairy in Yellow Springs, Ohio.

If you’re anywhere near Yellow Springs, Ohio, there is plenty to see and do. One of our very favorite things to do (and worth a long drive) is to visit Young’s Dairy. It has excellent homemade ice cream, and plenty of family-friendly things to do.

It all started in 1869, with one red barn built by the Young family. The family added additional farming land and buildings over the next 100-plus years.

In 1968, the first Dairy Store opened with ice cream, a bakery and sandwiches.

My husband remembers driving to Young’s Dairy from nearby Xenia while he was growing up.

Fast forward to today, and Young’s Dairy has an entire outdoor entertainment complex. There are two mini-golf courses, a driving range, batting cage, a huge picnic pavilion for large group events, a corn maze and pick-your-own pumpkins in the fall, a kiddie corral and fast slide and, of course, a barn to explore! There is food in the main ice cream building, as well as a more formal restaurant (the Golden Jersey Inn, serving fresh homemade meals) just past the mini-golf.

First, I have to say that we are ice cream aficionados, and we search out great small ice cream places when we travel. There are plenty in our home state of Michigan, that’s for sure! But Ohio's Young’s Dairy takes ice cream to a whole new level. Young's is not just a place to get ice cream (and shop the store for food and cheese), but it's a place to PLAY.

On a hot day, it’s a great deal of fun, complete with an ice cream reward!

Last week, we spent some time on the shaded mini-golf course. The course is very clean, and while the outdoor music is a bit loud for my tastes, it was a pleasant experience.

We laughed, my knight of a husband rescued my ball from the mill pond, we avoided hitting the wandering cat with a golf ball, and we definitely worked up an appetite for some ice cream.

Once into the main (and air-conditioned) ice cream parlor, we now had the difficult task of deciding WHICH flavors to order. I highly recommend the key lime pie, but we also tried the strawberry, peach, a dark chocolate peanut butter, and mint chip. Don’t hate, there were 3 of us.

And if I could have tried more flavors, I would have. (I'd need the legendary large cow’s stomach for that!)

Well, the great thing is that you can always return to Young's and try new flavors. I know we’ll be back!

Young’s Dairy

6880 Springfield-Xenia Rd
Yellow Springs, OH 45387
(937) 325-0629

Be sure to check out Jessie's previous story here about Toft's Dairy in Sandusky, Ohio and my story about classic eats in Canton, Ohio, which includes another classic ice cream parlor, Taggarts, in that state.

Jessie Voigts is the publisher of Wandering Educators, a travel resource for global educators. Love to learn about the world? Head to http://www.WanderingEducators.com

Photos and text © Jessie Voigts 2012 All rights reserved, used with permission

Photo Friday: Enjoying a meal at Opa! Fest in Troy, Michigan

So, here's a true story...

We love attending the annual Opa! Fest at the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, making it a point to sample the homemade Greek food and pastries each time we visit.

This year was no different as we ordered dolmathes (stuffed grape leaves) and pastistio (macaroni casserole) dinners, along with a little rice pudding, and prepared to dig in!

I managed to get Tim to pause long enough to take a photo of him with his meal, although I'm thinking he's giving me a hurry-up-and-take-your-photo look in this picture!

We toured the church, checked out the vendors' area and I bought a few tickets for the festival's "Bountiful Baskets" auction. I stuck a couple of tickets into the cans in front of the baskets I wanted, and we headed on home.

Today, I sat down at the computer, still not sure I wanted to use these two photos as a Photo Friday post, when the phone rang.

It was a lady from Opa! Fest calling to tell me I won a prize basket full of barbeque tools and supplies.

I took that as a definite sign to use these photos for today's post...so here they are!

Check out my Opa! Fest preview from 2010 to see more photos of the food, the dancers, the costumes and the beautiful church featured every year at this celebration of Greek culture in metro Detroit.

Meanwhile, I'll check out the festival cookbook I bought this year to see if I think homemade pastistio, tiropita (cheese pita) or karithopita (honey walnut cake) are possible to replicate in our home kitchen!

Thanks to Debbie Dubrow of Delicious Baby for creating and coordinating Photo Friday to link travel photos and blog posts across the Web.

© Dominique King 2012 All rights reserved

Photo Friday: Fruit of the vine in northern Michigan

Spain? France? Italy? California?

No, it's northern Michigan's wine country!

I snapped these grapes alongside the road while taking a scenic drive along Michigan's Old Mission Peninsula last summer.

Check out yesterday's post to learn how to score a free guide to Michigan's wine country.

Want to learn more? You can also check out The History of Michigan Wines: 150 years of Winemaking Along the Great Lakes by Lori Hathaway and Sharon Kegerreis.

Thanks to Debbie Dubrow of Delicious Baby for creating and coordinating Photo Friday to link travel photos and blog posts across the Web.

© Dominique King 2012 All rights reserved

Michigan Wine Country Guide

I was wandering the Michigan-made section of my local produce/grocery store the other day and picked up a great free resource for Michigan travelers and wine enthusiasts.

Chateau Grand Traverse

The 2012 Michigan Wine Country Guide, published by the Michigan Grape & Wine Industry Council, is a 64-page magazine chock-full of articles about wineries, wine trails and vintners from around the state.

Listings in the magazine are particularly helpful, offering road-worthy information like wine festival information, geographically arranged lists of wineries throughout Michigan, and touring guides complete with maps.

Stumped as to where to start with your wine tasting adventure? Check out the guide's article about Tasting Room Tips, state winemakers' top picks, and or a listing of the Michigan wines most popular with local restaurants.

You can find the printed guide, as I did, at local stores that carry Michigan wines. You can also check out the entire issue online or download it as a PDF file from the Michigan Wine Industry site.

If you can't find a printed version around town and want it to take on your travels, you can request a free copy of it at the site. Join the Vintage Michigan club for $15 and you'll automatically receive printed version of the Michigan Wine Country magazine each year, along with several other discounts and premiums.

Chateau Chantal

The number of Michigan wineries seems to be expanding exponentially these days, and I never fail to learn about some new winery or must-try vintage each time I get one of these guides.

The rest of the Michigan Wines site is also worth exploring for information about Michigan wineries, Michigan cheese producers, culinary tourism, and recipes for appetizers, main dishes, desserts, and, of course, beverages.

Cheers!

© Dominique King 2012 All rights reserved

Photo Friday: Cleveland's West Side Market celebrates 100th anniversary

Farmers markets are among my favorite stops when I'm traveling, and Cleveland's West Side Market is a must-see for foodies and any other visitors who relish a taste if this northern Ohio city's food, culture and history.

The market is Cleveland's oldest publicly owned market, tracing its origins back to the 1840s, and the market's current home celebrates its centennial this year.

We loved the venerable old building with its 137-foot clock tower, and I can't wait until we can visit the market again so I can finally lunch on a Polish Boy sandwich and score some pierogies to take home with me.

Check out West Side Market draws foodies to Cleveland, Ohio and Sample fresh market foods at Cleveland's West Side Market Cafe for more about our visit to the market.

Want to learn more? Check out Cleveland's West Side Market: 100 Years and Still Cooking by Laura Taxel, Marilou Suszko, Michael Symon and Barney Taxel, a history of the market due out later this year. This one goes on my wish list for sure!

Thanks to Debbie Dubrow of Delicious Baby for creating and coordinating Photo Friday to link travel photos and blog posts across the Web.

© Dominique King 2012 All rights reserved