September 3, 2008
Tomato, To-mah-toe
I learned tons o' tomato-based facts this morning at the Reynoldsburg Tomato festival. Of course I already knew it's a fruit. Everyone knows that. But I thought it was interesting that a tomato is 95% water. Five more percent and you could bottle it. Also, Alexander Livingston is credited with breeding the first commercial tomato in Reynoldsburg back in 1870; thus, the festival...
I love tomatoes, of course, bein' an Italian and all. Romas mostly. Sliced up with some fresh mozz and basil then drizzled lovingly with olive oil! C'mon, that's good stuff.

September 2, 2008
No Birds, Just the Bees
Lots of bees all over a guy's face! Arnold Crabtree showed us what a bee beard looks like --- and it looks bizarre, scary, and, yes, cool. We watched as thousands of bees swarmed his face to stay close to their queen which he put in a little box hanging from his chin. He'll do it again at the Lithopolis Honeyfest this Saturday where the town throws a big party celebrating honey and the bees who make it. I say "who" because they've earned a pronoun.
Don't go takin' honey for granted. I found out that it takes 154 flower trips from the hive to make one teaspoon of the gooey good stuff. At the end of her life a honey bee will have produced, oh, just 1/12th of that teaspoon.
Kinda depressing really... until you taste it.

August 21, 2008
Goodbye Coop, We Hardly Knew Ye...
After the first of September, the Columbus Clippers will pack up their gym bags and move, lock, stock, and barrel to Huntington Park. Truth be told (I'm in a confessional kinda mood), I've never been to Cooper Stadium for a game, and I'm sorry I haven't been now, because I got a fascinating history lesson there. Cooper Stadium was a big deal when it opened during the Depression here in June 1932, a real class act and the first stadium in the U.S. with lights. Also, I was very impressed with Columbus' baseball history. Did you know that the term "southpaw" originated with a left-handed pitcher from Columbus? Did you know that the famous poem about "Casey at the bat" was inspired by a Columbus player? Did you further know that an umpire's hand signals telling a player if he's out or safe, were first used here back in the 1880s to communicate to a deaf Columbus ballplayer? Amazing. I hope the richness of our baseball heritage follows the Clippers to their new digs.

August 20, 2008
U.S. Flags Made in Ohio
Annin and Co. in Coshocton produce more American flags than any other flag maker in the country, from the standard classic size right on down to those little hand-held jobs you wave at parades. They let me make a flag there and I feel kind of bad about quite frankly. If it's disrespectful to let the American flag touch the ground, it's got to be disrespectful for a nincompoop like me to screw up the stitching and botch the job outright. Fortunately the good people at Annin assured me it was not disrespectful because it takes someone about three months to learn how to do it properly and I'll stick with that opinion since they make, oh, a zillion flags a day!

August 15, 2008
Funny Cars in Marion
The Funny Car Nationals are coming to the Marion County International Raceway and you really can't miss them. This is drag racing and to see it firsthand is to see your ears go flying off your head when the drivers squeal off in a roaring burn-out. You can literally feel your ear drums rattling inside your head when these guys gun their engines. Once they lay down some serious rubber for traction, the cars barrel off at speeds of 150-plus finishing a quarter-mile race in about 7 seconds.

August 14, 2008
Bucyrus Bratwurst Festival
Bucyrus is the official Brat Capital of the U.S. They've only been holding their festival for 41 years, but their bratwurst history dates back way before that to the arrival of thousands of German immigrants to that part of the state. At one time, there were 14 distinct bratwurst manufacturing facilities in Bucyrus. Today, there are but two and the rules stipulate anyone selling brats at the fest must use those made right there in town.

August 11, 2008
The Memphis Belle
The replica of the original Memphis Belle was used in the 1990 film about the exploits of the famous B-17 bomber. The replica itself is a genuine WWII-era B-17 that never saw action but was instead used for training. I was given the chance to fly in that plane and it was quite an experience. You have to shimmy along a six-inch wide platform over the bomb bay and duck under and into the plexiglass nose of the plane where a navigator and machine gunner would have sat. Or rather, hunched. A part of the Wings of Victory Airshow at the Fairfield Co. Airport, the Memphis Belle visit is a chance to glimpse, however briefly and comfortably, into the life of a WWII bombing mission.

August 7, 2008
Wyandot, Inc.
Though they make fistfuls of corn-based snacks at Wyandot, Inc. in Marion you'll never find their name on your favorite bag of tortilla or corn chips. That's because they are a contract manufacturer which means they make the product while some other company gets all the glory. They don't divulge who they make snacks for, but that name-brand chip you love might come from Marion. Likewise, those tortilla strips that top your fast-food salad. In fact, two different snack brands might actually be selling the exact same chip!

August 4, 2008
Hartford Fair
I love this fair in Licking County. They call themselves the "The Biggest Little Fair in the World." Among the charming events and competitions they hold are rooster crowing, frog jumping (my personal favorite) and canoe jousting, which entails opponents standing up in their canoes and trying to knock each other into the water. Actually, I like that one as much as frog jumping.

August 1, 2008
More Ohio State Fair
One of the best ways to check out the fair is to make the rounds of the show schedule. For instance, BMX bike riders perform regularly showing off their physics-defying skills on breathtaking half-pipes and ramps. You can always track down a magician or juggler or unicyclist or the World of Wonders which is home to old favorites like the bearded lady.

July 30, 2008
Ohio State Fair
There's more to the Ohio State Fair than livestock and carnival rides. For one, check out the National Resources Park that is only open one time a year during the fair. You can see bald eagles, beavers, and badgers, birds and butterflies and other things that don't necessarily start with a 'b.' Try your hand at archery and fishing too. This is a beautiful park and you can only see it now.

July 28, 2008
Washboard Factory
Yes, people still use washboards. They use them to wash their clothes in many parts of the world. Campers and soldiers use them. Some people decorate with them, some play music with them. But there is only one place left in America that makes them and it's the Columbus Washboard Company in Logan. Believe it or not, this is a fun place to take a tour. I guarantee you, you'll want one before you leave and furthermore, you'll use it.

July 21, 2008
Hang Gliding
Who needs mountains to hang glide when you can be pulled 2,000 feet in the air by an airplane? That's how we do it in Ohio. Wing to Fly in Orient can get you up in the air for a mind blowing experience you'll never forget. Hot air ballooning was bizarre for it's otherworldly subtlety. Hang gliding is, well, like flying in a sleeping bag. Surreal, thrilling, and serene all at the same time.