Meeting Butler County, Ohio

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  I was invited to spend a long weekend in Butler County, Ohio, just after they became Wheel The World certified for accessibility. The tourism board wanted me to write about how wheelchair accessible the region is. I hadn’t been there before, and it sounded like an interesting area, so I made plans to go. My trip to Butler County turned out to be one of my most unusual adventures, with new experiences, and a lot of donuts!   I brought Teddy and my friend, Heather, along for the ride, about three and a half hours from home. We had a nice welcome basket waiting for us at the hotel. Our home base was the Marriott Cincinnati North in Westerville. I was happy at the start with a flat entrance and automatic doors. They didn’t have any accessible rooms, so we had two connecting rooms. Teddy loved going back and forth between the two rooms. Mine had plenty of space for me to wheel around, a well-equipped desk area I could reach, and a large bathroom with a shower chair. The hand...
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Soul Asylum at the House of Blues

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Long before I wrote about travel, food, wine, spirits, or even tennis, I was an entertainment writer. I was young and it was a lot of fun going into New York City and seeing plays, movie previews, and concerts. I knew it wasn’t the kind of life that I could keep up with once I was an “adult,” but it was a great time for a while.

I’ve recently received a lot of opportunities to cover music. While I’m not going to make a full time job out of it and trips into the “city” – now Chicago – are not something I can handle nightly, I do like to go to a concert and meet a band whenever possible.

I was especially excited to see Soul Asylum and meet the band backstage at the House of Blues in Chicago.

My friend John accompanied me into downtown and we arrived early enough to do some exploring around Navy Pier and enjoy a cocktail or two.

When we arrived at the House of Blues, there was still plenty of time left before the concert so I asked for a tour. The only House of Blues

I had previously been in was at the Showboat in Atlantic City (it’s now closed) so I had a bit of an idea what the venue looked like. I was especially interested in seeing their Foundation Room as the one in Atlantic City had been one of my favorite clubs.

I found out quickly that, like a lot of other buildings in Chicago, the design here was very unique and fascinating.

While the outside of the building may look simple, the inside of the House of Blues is an architectural delight, especially when it comes to the “opera boxes” and upstairs lounge. It’s definitely worth going to a concert for that alone.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get any decent photos in here, but the oriental design and comfortable couch areas make it a special night spot.

If you are just looking for a bite before the show, the House of Blues also has a restaurant, Crossroads, with a casual menu. They even have live music in there.

As for the music I came to see, Soul Asylum was phenomenal. We sat in one of the opera boxes just above the stage, after we had a chance to go backstage and meet the band. They were very gracious and volunteered to take photos with me (read my interview with Soul Asylum here).

I’m excited to add more music into my coverage this summer, with Summerfest, the Illinois State Fair, and Riot Fest. 
Location: Chicago, IL, USA

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