The Toledo Museum of Art hosted a wonderful party in the Peristyle for the Kentucky Derby last week.

There were several local restaurants donating bites to eat and serving up their own versions of the hot brown while mint julips flowed from every crevice–thanks in part to Woodford Reserve Bourbon.

Both women and men were in their Derby Best.

And the hats were breathtaking!

When it was time for the race, a sea of bonnets rushed into the Peristyle.

It was an exciting race. Congrats to “Animal Kingdom!”

As the party began to end many Derby revellers were found on the front steps of our beautiful museum. It was a grand to-do… and one I hope happens again next year.

Toledo Museum of Art | 2445 Monroe Street | (419) 255-8000

Last night started out with dinner at the original Tony Packo’s on Front Street and was finished off by some T-Town Hockey! D. and I were joined by his parents, his brother & wife (currently living in Denver), and our friends S. and A. from New York City.

What a fantastic night! Both Packo’s and the Huntington Arena were packed full of entirely pleasant people, out enjoying themselves. Dinner was great, watching hockey was fun, and we really enjoyed knowing our friends from out of town were having a great time in Toledo.

Last week my friend S. invited me out swimming. In a quarry. On the East Coast swimming usually involves the ocean or pools, so I was excited to try something new. We drove to Centennial Quarry because it was close by.

The first thing I noticed was the smell of the water… fresh and scented like plants. The water was remarkably clear with visibility several feet down. And until I realized school was back in session, I was struck by how pleasantly empty the place was. Yet, there was something  unnerving about the stillness of the water and I kept expecting a mummified hand to grab my feet from below and pull me under. My imagination gets the best of me sometimes.

Afterwards, we met up with friends at Manhattan’s where Thursday’s happy hour boasts half price drinks and appetizers. No mummies.

Centennial Quarry | 5773 Centennial Road, Sylvania | (419) 885-7106

Manhattan’s | 1516 Adams Street, Uptown Toledo | (419) 243-6675

Baseball. It’s the most all American of ALL American sports.

When I asked if there was to be a “half-time” and “dancing girls” I *really* should have been deported right there and then. Luckily there was a darling little girl singing (see above) and my transgression was either forgotten or dismissed as simply being in the moment. SO! MUCH! AMERICA!

YEAH!!!

Toledo Mudhens | Fifth Third Field | 406 Washington Street | (419) 725-4367

Friday night, J. hosted a group of friends in her office’s suite at the new arena. This was more than my first time seeing the Walleye play–it was my first hockey game ever.

There were people dressed like furries, posing for photos.

And a fight… someone should break it up!

Snacks were yum, and the Lucas Co. Arena is very nice.

D. and R. had their minds set on walleye sandwiches. Supposedly, the condiment bar is epic. That’s a lot of mayo!

And at the end of the night, Toledo Walleye won the game! Great job!

…but stop all the fighting.

Toledo Walleye | at the Lucas Co. Arena | Downtown Toledo!

October 31st was the Glass City Rollers first home game in Toledo–at the SeaGate Convention Centre and the venue was packed. This was my first ever roller derby experience and it was much more fun than I imagined.

It was Halloween so a lot of attendees showed up in costume, including our friends J., J., and M. (above). Keeping in the spirit, there was a costume contest during half-time.

The Glass City girls kicked major butt… but in the end it was the away team (Fox City Foxz) that skated away with the win. Booooo.

Glass City Rollers | This website kicks major butt, too!

Sunday was the first of what I hope will be many “Kites and Cupcakes” days. A bunch of us gathered at Promenade Park, Downtown with kites of all shapes and sizes. And yes, there were cupcakes too.

I found this owl to be very nice.

R. got creative with a plastic bag. Ingenious!

A bright red bat, flown by J., was perhaps the most successful kite of the day—both visually and in the air. We had a little lack of wind “issue” but she was still able to get her kite pretty high.

Early on, G. caught a snag, but it was nothing a little post-kites cocktail couldn’t fix. And that is how we closed the afternoon.

On a whim, we took a midnight bicycle ride tonight. We were careful — kept our front and back blinkers on and stayed mostly on the sidewalks. It was a very warm feeling 50-something, so I grabbed a light jacket and scarf and we rode. I didn’t feel like bothering to take a photo but I am reminded of The Triplets of Belleville so I am grabbing a screenshot from a favorite film that captures the spirit of this post. It was a wonderful ride.

Rent it, Netflix it, Amazon it, or just borrow it from the Toledo Public Library. It’s a French film but you need not know a lick of French or worry about subtitles. Trust me.

Once more, I will make note of Toledo’s importance in bicycle history because it is just that… a piece of history.

Pretty soon (or too soon) the streets will be covered with snow, sleet and ice. Take advantage of the weather while it lasts and visit downtown on your bicycle. Did you know Toledo used to be the bicycle capital of the world? Well… if not capital of the world it certainly was very important in the late 1800s taking credit for a good deal of modern bicycle innovation. The everyday metal wheel spoke was invented in Toledo! Ride your bike downtown after 5pm, when all the worker bees have gone home, enjoy the quiet streets, and own the city.

This weekend we co-hosted a croquet & casseroles party with our friends C. & K.

In the end, over 20 different dishes showed up! We had to get very creative in finding spots for all of them. Funny enough, the one guest from Minnesota actually brought a salad (which was very yummy). D.’s favorite casserole was a Martha Stewart chicken and artichoke pot pie.

C. and K. brought a fantastic croquet set and the badminton set was up — both, great games for warm summer days.

As day turned to night we settled around the fire. Good times and the casseroles made life easier on the hosts than a traditional BBQ. Throw your own!

Friday afternoon I happened upon news that the Paddle Boats on the Maumee were scheduled to start that day. I briskly walked ran into D.’s office and asked/pleaded/begged that we go. It didn’t take much because he was just as excited as I, so we biked down to International Park just in time to see Robert Russ, the paddle boat king, setting things up.

The paddling was a bit of a workout (needed) but so much fun. I let D. steer but played my fair share of “backseat” driver. We must go back with more people soon and have a paddleboat race. I was happy my cute moccasins didn’t get wet.

Afterward we talked a bit with Robert who mentioned he had come back to Toledo from California to visit his ill father and ended up stayin — very cool. I think there are plenty of people in town who could use some paddle boat time… and I hope he does well.

Dinner at The Docks was a great end to the night. Cheers!

Think Young Paddle Boats | International Park on the East side of the Maumee

It lives.

…on the back patio of Wesley’s.

Wesley’s | 1201 Adams Street | 419-255-3333