Oktoberfest Zinzinnati!

First held in 1976, Cincinnatis Octoberfest is held every year, mid-late September, to coincide with the original Octoberfest celebration in Germany.  The second largest celebration of its kind in the world it is held outdoors, downtown Cincinnati in and around Fountain Square on 5th Street and is filled with live German music, costumes, dancing, authentic food vendors (thousands and thousands of brats, metts, potato pancakes, soft pretzels and pickles are sold) and hundreds of thousands of people who descend upon the city from all over the world to enjoy the festivities and consume over 1 million ounces of BEER!  It includes the Running of the Weiners (dachshunds in costume), photos with the St. Pauli Girl, live music all weekend and of course - The Chicken Dance with the Stars.  Lead in previous years by Eddie Money, Vince Neil, Joe Nuxhall, Norm from Cheers and in 2011 Joe Morgan of the Cincinnati Reds.

What Colleen Said:  Eddie Money was definitely not there this year, and I am totally bummed that I missed the chance to rock out with him... Luckily enough I saw him a few months ago down in Florence.  Regardless of the lacking of my two tickets to paradise, Karen and I were able to have a fabulous time.  I mean what's to complain about-- it's beer, there were random guys in dresses, there were chicken hats (whih I totally didn't buy, I'm not sure why not), there was food, granted, there was a complete lack of people named Colleen, luckily I made up for that.  As an Irish girl, I'm not sure I understand the love affair anyone has with sausage.  Sure, I adore hot dogs (it's a guilty pleasure), but I try to hide this love (which is why I am posting about it on a blog--- lucky for me no one reads this, not even my mother.)... why are the German's so proud of their tubed meat?  It's greasy, slimy and they cover it in rancid, foul, smelling cabbage... UGH, at least the Irish, we hide our cabbage in mashed potatoes (colcannon)... Eh... at least we all like beer?  Right?? 

In addition to our romp in Oktoberfest, it should be noted that Karen and I were able to meet a moderately famous Cincinnatian.  (I'm not sure this counts as a quest.)  We had talked to Avtar before, while doing canvassing projects for a local politician.  If you work downtown or go to events throughout the city, you have surely seen (or maybe you were lucky enough to speak with him) Avtar.  He calls himself, or rather, others call him, "The Hat Guy."  Avtar is delightful and will tell you all about mountains or something... I was too busy thinking about beer.  Kidding, no... Avtar is great.  He is a wealth of information.  He likes to talk... and he can out talk even me.



What Karen Said:

Underground Tour of the Queen City

Bet you didn't know this was upstairs

Provided by American Legacy Tours, The Queen City Underground tour is located in Historic Over The Rhine.  It is filled with fun historic facts of infamous entertainers, Cincinnati breweries of course stories of Cincinnati's own mob.  You will learn about such folks as Ezzard Charles (more than just a street, evidently), Wild Bill Hickok, and this Strong Man with a fun story connecting him and the Cincinnati Reds.  Check their website for tour times and ticket prices.

What Karen Said:  Had a fun time on this tour.  Without giving too much away it was interesting to hear about Buffalo Bill and his time here (remember that story about the arrow and the apple on the head?), the history of the Chicken Dance, the wonderful stories about the Cincinnati Beer Gardens and so much more.  Descending into the recently uncovered sub basement of a historical breweries fermenting tunnel was very cool!  Take the tour - the tour guides are knowledgeable and fun and it is very educational.  I enjoyed it so much I book a wonderful book about the cities brewery history that I read in a matter of days.

Beer in the basement's basement.

What Colleen Said: I'm not going to lie... this tour was pretty cool.  It started off learning about the history of buildings... I was a bit too cool for it at that point.  Seriously, I'm not s history buff and I am not going to try to be.  Sure, maybe the history of Imelda Marcos, but telling me the history behind some boxing match in a building that will be torn down in a few months... snooze fest.  But somehow magic insued and I was able to be won over.  Going into the building that once housed The Warehouse and learning there was a"hidden" staircase... okay, my underaged-fake-ID-yeilding self was like, "REALLY!? that's so cool."  From there the stories got more interesting.  Learning about my fellow law breakers and how they circumventing those prohibition era laws.  Then we headed down to a basement, below a basement to what was a brewery.  The only thing missing down there was there was NO beer, and NO Fraggles.  Alas, even without Red, it was still pretty cool.  See the picture of me holding it up?  Yeah, it wasn't going to go anywhere, but I like to look mega tough.

Mission: Fountain Square

At http://myfountainsquare.com/, they boast that the site is "everything you need to know about Fountain Square," now I don't agree.  I think there is plenty more to know about Fountain Square.  For instance:

Q: From where did this fountain come?
A: It was a gift from Henry Probasco in memory of Tyler Davidson1)

Q. What is the fountain?
A: A fountain is an ornamental structure in a body of water from which one or more jets propel water into the air, or something that spurts of cascades into the air.  This particular fountain was made when Henry Probasco traveled to Munich, Germany and commissioned a bronze allegorical fountain to be made from Ferdinand von Miller.  This fountain is named "The Genius of Watrer."  It symbolizes teh uses of water, both natural and man-made.  This fountain is also called, "The Tyler Davidson Fountain."

Q: What is a Square?
A: You are an idiot.2  But in all seriousness, interestingly enough, this particular square, according to Wikipedia, "was a large island in the middle of 5th Street with buildings to the north and south, much like nearby Piatt Park." 3

Q: Has the fountain always been in this location?
A: Well, in 1971 during a renovation of Fountain Square, the fountain was moved slightly to the west.

Q: I have seen that statue before, and I am not even from Cincinnati, does this make sense?
A: Actually, it does.  The statue is featured in the opening credits of WKRP the television show.

Q. Are there lots of crazy people at Fountain Square?
A: Only when Colleen and Karen are there.

1 I don't know who those people are... do you?
2  a rectangle having all four sides of equal length.
3 Go see our blog on Piatt Park



What Colleen Said: Now, we did this mission after completing the Cappel's mission, which means we had on our animal hats (see the picture, aren't you jealous?), please keep that in mind.  So, we got a bit of attention from these hats.  We danced with the NKU mascot and were filmed doing it (please don't let my boyfriend lose his job for that!), and watched a cornhole tournament.  (Cornhole is on the list, and Karen and I might possibly need uniforms for that quest.  Anyone want to donate to the cause?)  Most importantly, we visited Graeter's and had some delightful dessert.  (Greater's is on the list, but this is not the most iconic or the oldest location, so this mission does not count as being completed.)  As I plunged my spoon into the scoop of peach heaven (Peach was the flavor of the month.), I realized how neat it is to have a gathering place like Fountain Square.  I appreciate all that is being done there.  I like people are going there to hang out.  It makes me happy; almost as happy as peach ice cream from Graeters.


What Karen Said:  There is always something going on at The Square.  Locals and tourists mulling around, drinking beer, live music, big screens for watching the Bengals or Reds.  Some Corn Hole tournament was happening this afternoon and we decided it must have been a big deal when we noticed the teams were in matching "uniforms".  (haha)  I enjoyed a root beer float from Graeters (I wanted a coffee float and although it was listed on the menu in big easy to read letters, I was informed this is not actually available, Ever - What?)  However, the root beer was fine.  We were donning our new hats so we had a number of folks admiring our fine attire.  I was hoping for a TV shot or photograph in a local publication.  You know - solely  to support the Quest. :)  Colleen was not fond of this idea. 

Mission: Washington Platform

http://www.washingtonplatform.com/

What Colleen Said:  Okay, so we are there.  My food was pretty good.  Not great.  My beer was really good.  Our service was not so good... and after serving on and off since for more than a decade, I hate to rag on any server, but that was the downfall of this festive joint for me. 


What Karen Said:  Roast beef and Swiss cheese on a pretzel bun with horse radish and au jus?  Heck Yeah!  But I guess it would be hard to mess with that too much.  They are known for seafood dishes so I ordered the Gumbo.  It was fine, had a little heat hidden inside that was a pleasant surprise.  We enjoyed some delightful beers and if I could remember the name I would recommend.  The service was a bit lazy.  It was not bad, it was just very laid back and since we were hungry it kinda over shadowed the meal.  But it was a nice place to grub up before heading out to continue Questing.  But the bust of Elvis on the window ledge was creepy.  Just saying.

Mission: Cappels

I'm not exactly sure why Cappels has made the list, but it surely is fun and awesome.  Please check back for a full bio on this party fun place.


What Karen Said:   I did not like those spiders!  Not one bit.  But I do like Cappels.  What a fun store where you can shop for Halloween, theme parties, silly presents... They have everything you would need.  Walking around and picking out outfits we felt would be appropriate for our friends was hilarious.  We tried on 50 pairs of sunglasses, a number of crazy shoes and a boa or two.  But clearly the main reason for our visit, besides the obvious of the Quest, was to find our amazing hats!  And amazing they are! 

Publish Post

What Colleen Said:  Any place where I can get hot pink tights, a lime green tutu, red heeled shoes that I would never comfortably wear in public, a dragon mask, purple hair dye, a bat ring, rainbow gloves or sunglasses in any style is certainly a place I'd like to have in my neighborhood.  Lucky for me, there is Cappels.  Karen and I bought the most awesome hats ever, and if you aren't too green with envy and can hold back your jealousy long enough to go purchase your own hat, you can join our "Cool Hat Posse."  It was August and we were so in love with these hats, that we wore them around the rest of the day, regardless of the heat. 

Mission: American Sign Museum

"Thank you for the Chicken Colonel"

According to the website of The American Sign Museum its mission is "to inform and educate the general public, as well as business and special interest groups, about the history of the sign industry and its significant contribution to commerce and the American landscape."  The collections of the American Sign Museum are unique and exquisite.  The unlikely location and surprising find contains more than 2,800 cataloged items.  These showcased items include more than just signs; it includes sign-making equipment, materials and tools.  there are also salesperson samples, books, catalogs and other literature.  Furthermore, there are photographs and transparencies, artwork, design sketches and 3-dimensional architectural models.

It's only open on Saturdays (and by appointment).  Adults are $10, and included in the price is a guided tour.  We opted against the tour, because it was too early for us to pay attention...  Additionally, our friend Shelley joined us and a "Guest Quester," or GQ. 

What Karen Said:  I geeked out a bit, I admit it.  I have been in the sign business since 1994(?) so this place was crazy interesting for me.  Seeing all of the vintage gold leaf signs dating back to the beginning of the century, to the Neon (some of it rare in color) era of the 40's and 50's, to the chunky tin and old style illuminated pieces, I was besides myself.  Some of the pieces were recognizable from hotels, drug stores, Buick, Frisches.  They had one for PennFuel and Gas that used oil lamps to illuminate it.  How could that ever have been safe....  but it was very neat.  I loved seeing the old color sample chips salesman would carry to meet with client and learning the stories about how some of these pieces came to be from the design and manufacturing perspectives.  They even had a handful of old hand painted showcards from Vegas featuring Frank Sinatra, Marilyn, and even CHARO! (cuchi-cuchi) 

If you can, I would recommend checking this place out.  I was actually texting my boss and sending photos of all of the cool things inside, on a Saturday.  I am sure he was thrilled.

What Colleen Said: Holy Bananas!  I had NO idea this place existed.  I had no idea this amazing gem was only a few miles away from where I currently live.  This place is AWESOME.  Before going, I figured it was just another random thing on our list that would be educational, but probably hokey and really just something that I would have to spend the afternoon doing so we could "check" it off the list.  This was not something I was looking forward to doing, nor was it something that I was particularly expecting to be anything special at all.  I will admit when I am wrong (sometimes)... and this is one of those rare instances where I was wrong.  And I was VERY wrong.  This place is freakin' awesome.  There are signs that you recognize from movies (maybe), and signs that are just neat.  There are things everywhere, and I can only imagine for Karen, who I think had a similar preconceived idea of the place, but she SELLS signs for a living, was near peeing her pants.  It was pretty cool... I wanted some for my house, but I think the hot pink kayak sitting on the side of our house is already more junk than my boyfriend wants.

What Shelley Said: We will have to get a response from Shelley.

Mission: Jungle Jims

Jungle Jim's is WAY more than just a grocery store.  This place is a collasal mega mall of food.  It's like Bloomington, Minnesota's Mall of America, but instead of boasting 400 stores, Jungle Jim's rocks 75,000 different food items.  How many shirts can you really wear at one time?

What Colleen Said: Jungle Jims really is more than a grocery store.  It is like the King's Island of food.  Well, mix King's Island and that country part of Epcot in together and add some whimsy and honey on top. I don't know Jim "Jungle Jim" Bonaminio, but I do know his children Dana and Jim (who I affectionately know as "Jungle Jim, Jr.") and they are equally as delightful as this pleasure land of food.  It's the foodie Mecca.  It's the Garden of Eden with the apple's you really can eat.  The only drawback to this funhouse of food frenzy is grandiose size of it all.  At 1.5 acres, you are sure to get lost.  You are sure to miss something and you will probably walk out with something that is not on your list.  However, this is a place one must visit... but please don't feel the ducks... they are getting sick.  


What Karen Said: YEY Jungle Jims!  When I first moved to the area (with that boy I mentioned in my profile) I was lucky enough to live 4 blocks from this amazing place.  Talk about a little kid being in a candy store this place has everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, you could need to indulge in a any and every moment of food deliciousness.  A foody could lose their mind in here.  Colleen and I walked around giggling at the many items we had not seen or heard of before trying to guess what it was or how it would be used.  (Most of our thoughts just made us giggle more.)  Then there are dancing bears or cartoon characters,  bathrooms that appear to be port a potties, a wall of hot sauce that would blow your mind.  But honestly my favorite part of the store is their wine and beer section (shocker!).  I marveled at the wines I couldn't afford but did indulge in a bottle of 02 Borolo (which was delightful at 2am that morning - yes my company was still enjoying my porch) and I was able to finally pick up a bottle of the good reverends, Maynard James Keenan of TOOL,  Arizona Stronghold Nachise wine (blend of Syrah, Grenache, Petite Syrah and Mourverdre) which can usually only be purchased from his website.  Because I live in KY and they do not allows for interstate alcohol shipping I was beyond thrilled that I found it at Jungle Jims.  AND.... it was delightful!!  (also in the early morning hours on my porch!)