Vacations Blog

German Eats

Maybe it’s the Southern boy in me or the Irish ancestry, but I’m baffled as to why German cuisine isn’t mentioned more. It’s warm, hearty and cheap – the Soul Food of Europe. We managed to get into the well-known Schusterjunge, an excellent jumping off point in Berliner cuisine should you be a first-timer.

[Clockwise]

Solianka (actually, a Russian soup, but popular here…and fantastic)

Tea

Bratwurst w/ roasties and sauerkraut…all in a sausage gravy – insane.

The (in)famous digestive, Jagermeister.

Apple Strudel with custard – went down in about 3 minutes.

Gluewhein…sure, of out season, but they had some left from December. Read More »

I’m quite the lucky boy.

I mean, sure, I could have probably bought the train ticket and somehow found my way around the neighboring city, guidebook in hand, taking it all in, but as luck would have it, a friend offered to take me there in her car. On the autobahn. Which was all the rage when I was 12.

‘There’s NO SPEED LIMIT! You can go as FAST AS YOU WANT!’ – sad that this was the extent of my European knowledge. Read More »

Visiting a concentration camp is one of the most important things someone can do. Be you black, white, Jewish or Irish, doesn’t matter. Doesn’t matter if your people were the ones afflicting or the afflicted. 8 years ago, I walked down the train tracks and into Auschwitz and it did something. Not immediately, but it did something. What it was, I couldn’t tell you – but it was there. Be it a deeper understanding of how far some have went, or simply piecing together the scenes in Schindler’s List… Read More »

Here in the Heartland, spring is in the air. Temperatures in the low 60’s are allowing the daffodils to make their first appearance, and our family’s annual “ice breaking” trip to Kelleys Island took place yesterday.

Which makes this the perfect time to consider your first outdoor destination road trip. One of my greatest pleasures is looking for new and off-the-beaten path things to try. I mean, anyone can call a travel agent to plan a trip to Disney, right? But how many get to make the Dandelion May Fest their point of destination?

Work with me here, people.

So it’s not glitz and glamour, but you have to admit that it sounds quaint. If you live in Cleveland, it’s only a 90 minute trip to beautiful Amish country, and the festival truly offers something for every family member.

The Dandelion May Fest is held the first weekend in May (2^nd and 3^rd in 2008) at Breitenbach Wine Cellars in Dover, Ohio. The winery makes 40 varieties of wines, one of the most popular being their Dandelion Wine. Wine tasting and cellar tours are part of the festival and finals for The Great Dandelion Cook-off are held during the weekend. There will be dandelion foods to sample, including dandelion sausage, dandelion salad, dandelion bread and dandelion gravy. The festival also features a juried arts and crafts show, 5K Run and various forms of entertainment.

If you need a place to stay, I found several interesting options. Of course, you can stay right at the winery in their B&B, but I imagine that they are booked at this point. If you find that they have no rooms available, another option is Cricket Hill Cabins. They have four secluded cabins in neighboring Millersburg, OH. You may also want to check out Donna’s Premiere Lodging, located close by in Berlin, which has cabins as well as numerous other types of accommodations. Or, if you want to stick with a B&B atmosphere, I think the Garden Gate looks very nice. I’m all over that Garden Gate Suite with the Jacuzzi tub and fireplace!

On your visit, be sure to enjoy the gracious nature of the local Amish community. There are several options for Amish lodging, and many more choices for shopping, dining, and visiting. Amish Tours of Ohio offers progressive meal tours (although none are scheduled for the weekend of the Dandelion May Fest), meals in Amish homes, historic tours, and private tours that allow visitors to experience Amish culture firsthand. If you are part of a larger group of 20 or more, consider utilizing Country Coach Adventures to head up your group’s tour.

Regardless of what you do, I hope you find something that allows you and your family and/or friends to enjoy the feeling of renewal and see the beauty of spring time in Ohio!