• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Its a Hero

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Sponsor and Advertising
  • Categories
    • recipes
    • brews + food
    • wellness
    • events
    • dairy-free
    • money saving tips
    • Explore Ohio
    • Family Travel
    • tips + tricks
    • Instant Pot Recipes
    • giveaway
    • printables
  • Instagram Links

voyage

Day Tripping // Louisville, Kentucky

August 14, 2017 by Rachel 17 Comments

Life has been hella crazy lately. I’d like to say we’ve been busy travelling the globe, but that would be semi inaccurate. I mean, we have been travelling the midwest rather thoroughly. 😛 😛 And one of the great things about living in the Midwest is that we can travel a few hours and be transported to a completely different type of living.

Specifically of interest to me is Southern living. The South is so close to us, but so far away. I mean, we can get to what’s considered ‘the south’ in just a few hours; but, honestly, it’s weird that Southern Ohio/Northern Kentucky are even considered to be ‘South.’  But it really is another world.

See, my parents moved to Louisville, Kentucky from Cleveland, Ohio, when I was just a few months pregnant with Ari. So they’ve been away for about 5 years now. They love it, we love to visit, but we wish they were closer. FOR SURE.

We’ve been able to visit and sightsee many times in Louisville, but here’s a list of my favorite places to visit.

Queen of Sheba – Ethiopian Restaurant. This may seem random. Actually, it is. But I swear to you this is some of the most authentic cuisine I have ever had. Chad and I are one-hundred percent foodies — through and through. And this place? This place is off-the-grid and amazing. No silverware, questionable seating, but totally authentic.

NuLu. If you’re looking for the up-and-coming/artsy part of town, head straight to NuLu — the East Market District of Louisville. There are so many boutiques and markets to check out, it’s hard not to spend every penny! Ha!


Royals Chicken. Nashville hot chicken is one of my most favorite things to eat, period. So it should come as no surprise that Chad and I found the most awesome Nashville hot chicken (aka – very spicy fried chicken). We’ve been to this place several times on our visits and it seriously doesn’t get any better! We always go for lunch, but if I had gone for dinner I would have gotten a bourbon slushie! 🙂

Nord’s Bakery. I ventured out solo one Sunday morning to find this place. Located near the University of Louisville, this adorable little bakery offers some of the most incredible donuts I’ve ever had. The staff was so friendly and I cannot wait to have more of these donuts in the future! Definitely worth the trip to Kentucky alone!

Big Four Bridge. Originally a railroad bridge, the pedestrian-only bridge opened in 2013 and allows people to easily walk from Kentucky to Indiana over the Ohio River! Parking near the bridge is free and the park is open 24/7! It offers a light show, music, and unbeatable views. But Ari will forever remember the Batman popsicle he had at the end of the bridge — haha!

Sunegros Coffee. I stumbled across this coffee shop one morning when I was out exploring on my own. I was beyond impressed with their espresso offerings. I wish I had a bit more time to settle into this place with my laptop, but, alas, time was a commodity. But I’ll be back, that’s for sure!

Louisville Slugger Museum. On one of our first trips to Louisville, we took Ari to the museum. He was too little to appreciate it, but Chad and I loved it. Chad loved the nostalgia of holding some of ‘the greats’ bats, and I loved the nerdiness of making the bats (they walk you through the factory and show you how they’re actually made!).

Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co. We went out on a limb to find this place, friends. See, we saw all of the bourbon/whisky trail pamphlets that had very corporate ‘tours’ and whatnot. Those places looked fantastic (we checked them out, too), but they were full of people being literally bussed in for these bourbon trail tours. But this place? This place is off the beaten path. We walked a good quarter mile from Louisville Slugger, through a semi-sketch neighborhood, to find this place. But it didn’t disappoint. We tasted their rye whiskey… and it was… okay. I say that as someone who does not in any way like whiskey. But I could appreciate the process and the passion. Whiskey lover or not, it remains one of my favorite places.

I can’t wait to visit Louisville again, soon! And of course we will continue to explore — but is there any place that you would recommend we visit!?

 

Filed Under: #MomLife, brews + food, coffee, date night, desserts, explore locally, family, food, life, pictures, restaurants + bars, shop local, travel, vacation, voyage Tagged With: #MomLife, being a mom, brews + food, busy mom, coffee, events, explore locally, food, foodie, mommyhood, motherhood, restaurants + bars, road trip, travel

Road Trip Must-Haves

August 25, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

This summer I’ve travelled solo with Moosh a couple of times. Well, guys, I’m a freaking pro these days! And we’re taking one last small trip. And while I’m putting together our travel necessities, I decided to share our go-to road trip list!

1. A LeapPad (and/or iPad). We bring both. Especially on a long trip. Our iPad doesn’t have 3G/4G access, but we do have it loaded up with movies! It seriously makes him a perfect traveller!

2. Beef Jerky (or Pork or Turkey). This is our personal go-to snack (for the parents, not the toddler). It’s high in protein and really helps this mama’s tummy!

3. Tissues. Because, snot. But no seriously. Whenever I have them, I don’t need them; whenever I don’t have them, I desperately need them. So yeah, better to be safe than sorry!

4. Podcasts. I’m obsessed with Podcasts. Obsessed! My favorites are Serial, Undisclosed, This American Life, and Mortified. Road trip or not, if you haven’t checked these out, you must! Must!

5. Toddler-Friendly Drinks. We prefer Honest Kids juice pouches, and so does Moosh!

6. Toddler-Friendly Snacks. Our go-to snacks are Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies and the other cookie offerings they have. Our little dude loves them!

7. Audible. Audiobooks are perfect for longer road trips. I like to have one that is just long enough for our trip, one-way. And I do lots and lots of research on a good book that will keep us entertained for hours in the car. This has worked out very well for us. Also? If you sign up with Audible

8. Potty Seat. Travelling with a newly potty-trained toddler? Potty chair is a MUST. Like, no question about it. I’m not taking this kid into a rest stop. I. just. can’t! Ha.

9. Coffee. Lots and lots and lots of coffee.

10. Plastic Bags. Because you literally never know when you’re going to need a plastic bag. Seriously.

11. Wipes. Just like the plastic bags, you never know when you’re going to need them. And they aren’t just for the toddler! They’re also for spills,

12. Google Maps. Do people use traditional GPS devices anymore? We use Google Maps for EVERYTHING!

13. Hand Sanitizer. I have an aversion to germs. Especially when travelling. I just always feel ‘icky.’ So I keep this on-hand at all times. Yes, I’d prefer to always have clean hands via soap + water; but if that’s not possible, this is a perfect backup.

So there’s our list! It’s not all-inclusive, but it is a handy start! Is there anything I missed that is on your ‘must-have’ travel list!? 

Filed Under: adventure, car, children, coffee, explore locally, family, life, life with a toddler, lists, mommyhood, Moosh, parenthood, road trip, summer, travel, trip, vacation, voyage Tagged With: adventure, being a mom, children, explore locally, family, life, life with a toddler, list, mommyhood, Moosh, motherhood, oh baby, parenthood, road trip, summer, travel

life lately // a wrap up

May 15, 2015 by Rachel 2 Comments

Life has been crazy pants over the last month or so. But isn’t that kind of always the case when you’re working and raising a toddler and taking care of family responsibilities and training for races and trying to actually fit in some fun, too?

Moosh started a new session of tumbling at the YMCA. The class is PACKED, which makes me mega anxious. But it turns out his ‘girlfriend’ we met on Valentine’s Day at Café O’Play — Veronique — is in his tumbling class. These two are SO cute! They are a week apart in age; plus they are both pretty much exactly the same size (aka — tiny).

ver
We took a short trip to Louisville, Kentucky to visit with Mimi and Poppy. And we jam-packed it with fun and adventures! The first of which was to the Zoo. Here is my review of the zoo in Louisville: dirty; packed; but we still had fun. Moosh wanted to walk everywhere, which was exhausting for us, but we were hoping it would wear him out so he would take a nap (newsflash: he didn’t.)

zoo
The zoo did have some cool Lego thing going on though. Moosh wasn’t nearly as interested in the Legos as we were. Ha! Some day, kid, you’ll realize how freaking cool it was.

lego
Chad, my parents, Moosh, and I went to the Louisville version of the Cleveland Flea — which is appropriately named The Flea Off Market. It was like an early version of the Cleveland Flea. It was cute and crowded and full of local finds, foods and brews — which is pretty much my paradise. So while I was sad we were out of town for the Cleveland Flea, it was exciting to experience something similar as an out-of-towner!

I had the chicken and waffles from something that is not considered a food truck — it was a food wagon. And it was DELICIOUS. And I tried a (new-to-me) brew from Bluegrass Brewing Company — a red IPA! Perfection.

flea2
And Moosh ate the crap out of some plantains. This kid loves the most random fruits and veggies! My dad had this delicious cuban food. He loved it; I thought it was spicy-ish. I’ll stick to my chicken and waffles.

flea1
We took a family-friendly betting trip to Churchill Downs — just one week after the Kentucky Derby. My thoughts? Churchill Downs is huge; there were a ton of people (even for an “off” day); the horses are beautiful; and betting has never been my thang. It was still cool to experience all of it. Moosh ‘bet’ on the “orange horse,” aka the horse with the rider who was wearing orange.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6No4I_CHZY]
It’s a good thing the chicken and waffles were small because we had a date night at an Ethiopian Restaurant, Queen of Sheba, — a first for us! I would be lying if I didn’t say I was skeptical. Sure, it sounded great; but my dad referred to it as a “hole in the wall.” Then recanted and said “Well, it’s not a hole in the wall…” and I was like…. Yay [sarcasm]. But when we showed up I immediately felt at ease.

ethiopian
The food was incredible. I mean that in the most serious way. I told Chad that I wish we had eaten at this restaurant for every meal while we were there. The meals come “family style” on the same big plate… really it’s a platter, not a plate. And there isn’t any silverware. You eat with your hands and the injera, the Ethiopian bread, serves as your utensil. Mine was the Shifta Chicken (the meal on the bottom) and Chad had the Gored-Gored (the spicy beef dish on top).

Moosh played HARD at the playgrounds in Kentucky. And he came back with the bruises to prove it. I seriously wonder if our sitter thinks we beat him. (PS. We did not. Dude just doesn’t know how small and fragile he is. Ha!)

bath
Mother’s Day consisted of a long drive home. Which was accompanied by Moosh sleeping — HOORAY! The perfect gift. 🙂

car
But we did at least watch some Monsters Inc before we hit the road… <3 Chad happened to snap this photo of us. Too cute!

mday
I took another canvas painting class! I’ve taken several (ie. SEVEN) Wine + Canvas classes. This time I used Paint Nite in Akron. I have to say, it seemed to be a bit more lively and fun; but the teaching of technique was severely lacking. However, I still love the outcome!

paintnite
We celebrated Chad’s birthday with a low-key night. A quick trip to Café O’Play, then dinner at Aladdin’s new space in Portage Crossings, followed by cake and presents at home.

birthday
I think we try not to get each other “things” because if we needed something (or wanted something) we would get it. We try to celebrate with experiences that last a lifetime. So I got Chad tickets to see Joe Machi at Hilarities at Pickwick and Frolic. If you’re not familiar with Joe Machi, he was on Last Comic Standing and placed 4th. The dude is funny in just our sort of way — dry humor. However, he is not attractive like my boy Tommy Jonaghin. Sigh. I love that man (sorry Chad). Regardless of his level of attractiveness, it’s going to be fun. Too bad we have to wait until July to see the show!

birthday1
I cooked another Blue Apron meal. I feel like this needs to be documented every time. Because it doesn’t happen often. Technically, I cooked the meal pictured on the top — Baked Empanadas de Picadillo with Arugula, Queso Fresco, & Pickled Onion Salad! Chad made the meal on the bottom — Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple and Avocado salsa.

blueapron
Basically, life has been busy, but perfectly lovely. When I look at this blog post and all of our pictures, it fills my heart up completely!

Filed Under: adventure, Akron, Ari Davis, beer, birthday, Cleveland Flea, crafty, events, explore locally, family, Flea Market Fun, food, friends, fun, life, life with a toddler, live happy, marriage, mommyhood, Moosh, Ohio, parenthood, pictures, plans, summer, travel, trip, updates, vacation, voyage, week in review, weekend, Zoo Tagged With: adventure, akron, ari davis, beer, being a mom, celebration, cleveland, cleveland flea, craft beer, crafty, events, explore locally, family, flea market fun, food, foodie, life, life with a toddler, local, marriage, Moosh, motherhood, ohio, pictures, travel, trip, weekend, zoo

weekend wrap up //

April 23, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

I would like to say that we have grand weekends full of fun and adventure. However, that truly is not the case. In fact, a wild weekend for us means an evening at Café O’Play and PJs by 8pm. For serious.

Let’s be real though — this is my life 99.9% of the time… and that .01% of the time? I’m faking being a functioning adult; I’m pretending to be a childless 30-something.

But this past Saturday we went balls to the wall, friends! Chad had to work so Moosh and I took an early morning trip to Columbus to see my sissy and my mama!

Sadly I have like ZERO pictures from our day — because wrangling a sleepy two-year old while flying solo is a LOT of work.

But here’s what we did:

    • We stopped at Starbucks and Target. Because, first, coffee; and second, because this mama didn’t anticipate 80+ degree weather. Thanks, Mimi, for running into Target and grabbing the first (yet, adorable) shorts/shirt outfit for Moosh. He looked very… dapper!
    • We checked out my sisters new place. Well, they aren’t moved in yet. In fact, they are in a temporary location because their new home is being built. But it was exciting to see that they had the foundation and basement done. Moosh loved walking around the property. He INSISTED on walking by himself… which made me very nervous. But he did great. Even though he did take a tiny tumble once.
    • Post-house visit we ventured to the North Market, where we found rockstar parking (thank GOD, cause let’s be real — I wasn’t going to walk a million years to visit this market — awesome as it may be). Here’s what we ate: Pretzel sticks from Brezel; Ari’s favorite bubble tea from Bubbles; lunch from Best of the Wurst; macarons + lavender shortbread from Pistacia Vera; and we rounded it out with a bag of amazing belgian waffles from Taste of Belgium.
    • It was basically a food coma. And it was LOVELY. PS. I didn’t eat all of the food at once; I definietely brought TONS of food home with me.
    • … and then I stopped at The Daily Growler, which is my JAM! Thank you for the CBC Bodhi, friends!
    • Moosh slept for the WHOLE RIDE HOME. That’s TWO WHOLE HOURS. He hadn’t napped in days; but he slept HARD in the car (thanks Mimi, Jimmy, and Shauna!).

Sunday: 

    • We went to Café O’Play on Sunday to get some energy out of the Moosh. Turns out he kinda lost it shortly after we got there (Ohhhh, life with a toddler!). So we all went home for lunch and a nap — and we ALL enjoyed that 2 hour nap. Isn’t that the best thing about Sundays.
    • Last but not least, I cooked a delicious dinner, courtesy of Plated. Wrapped up a perfect Sunday!
    • Yes we are totally boring people. But that’s OK. 🙂

FullSizeRender (56)

Filed Under: adventure, Akron, beer, children, cooking, explore locally, family, food, friends, fun, life, life with a toddler, live happy, marriage, mommyhood, Moosh, Ohio, parenthood, pictures, plans, travel, trip, voyage, weekend Tagged With: akron, ari davis, beer, being a mom, celebration, columbus, dude mom, events, explore locally, family, food, foodie, life, life with a toddler, local, marriage, Moosh, motherhood, ohio, pictures, travel, weekend

October 27, 2010 by Rachel 3 Comments

Just a quick post to say hello from North Carolina!

My co-worker and I left suddenly yesterday afternoon for a business trip.

Hopefully it will be both short and sweet! And hopefully my nerves will last through the flight home to Ohio!

Cheers to the middle of the work week!

https://itsahero.com/587/

Filed Under: airport, life, travel, voyage

cautiously optimistic

April 23, 2009 by Rachel 1 Comment

I always get the crappy fortune cookie when we go out for Chinese. It’s inevitable. I’m unsure how it always seems to be this way. BF will get something like “You will have amazing things happen to you” and I will get “You won’t die today.” OK, so I’m being slightly dramatic. But seriously, when we first started getting Chinese together, I would get these really crappy fortunes in my fortune cookie while he got a really powerful and uplifting message. I was bummed.

To clarify hear, BF and I started dating in October 2008. I didn’t realize this prior to, but he is an addict to Chinese cuisine. Me? Not so much. I enjoy the occasional piece of sesame chicken (or vegan sesame chicken) but tend not to stray. So we eat a LOT of Chinese… and, without fail, every single time, I get a crappy fortune. I even hesitate when going to grab a cookie… is this going to tell me, yet again, how something good is not going to happen to me.

So Tuesday I picked up some Chinese takeout (Garlic green beans and Lo Mein! YUM!). It was delicious… and I really wanted to see what that cookie had in store for me… I finally decided to make the trip back to the kitchen to get it. And…

A new voyage will fill your life with untold memories.


Sigh of relief! I need a new voyage. And, in fact, I’m still waiting to hear if I will be taking a new voyage to a new city. Tomorrow is the day that I am supposed to hear about the job! Please cross your fingers for me!



I’m slightly nervous about where my life will be in just a couple of months!

Filed Under: addict, april, food, fortune, move, optimism, takeout, voyage

Primary Sidebar

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Blog Archives

Grab the Button

It's a Hero

Recent Posts

  • Easy Reuben Sliders Recipe
  • New Years Eve Charcuterie Board
  • Kids New Years Eve Charcuterie
  • Easy Christmas Charcuterie Board
  • Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
  • Mason Jar Pancake Mix
  • Air Fryer Tornado Potatoes
  • Easy Garlic Herb Butter Recipe
  • Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff
  • Copycat Crumbl Chocolate Chunk Cookie
Collaborate with Rachel Loza on influencer marketing
dealspotr.com
Follow