Cinco de Rhino at the Cincinnati Zoo

Even though we are both grown adults, sometimes our childlike tendencies need to come out. As part of our Cincinnati trip, we went to the Cincinnati Zoo. It may even be more fun as an adult! Ironically, we went on May 5th, which is Cinco de Mayo. The zoo was celebrating with Cinco de Rhino Day!!!! (Yes, this excited me way too much.)

I would definitely recommend the Cincinnati Zoo. It has to be the best zoo that I have been to. (Also the cheapest I have been to.) There are more animals to see, more to do, and better organized. The paths are easy to navigate and surprisingly we did not get in any long lines. Some exhibits are on the inside and some are outside. (Which is great for families, especially on a warm day.)

The closest thing I could find to Zoboomafoo, a family of Coquerel's Sifaka.

My husband made fun of me all day because I was such a big kid. I wanted to see Zoboomafoo (from the PBS show of the same name, a.k.a a lemur, may also be showing my age…). Sadly, the lemurs were not visible/available when we went but I did see something similar, so I was satisfied. The bears were having a lazy day. The rhinos, though, may have been my favorite this zoo trip. The zoo had the rhino exhibit all decked out for Cinco de Mayo. There were sombreros, maracas, and other things you would expect for Cinco de Mayo. (Partying with the rhinos on Cinco de Mayo sounds better than the alternative anyway.)

Cinco de Rhino

We will definitely go back to the Cincinnati Zoo. As a side note, next time I will ensure to have a change of clothes in the car and I won’t wear anything new to me. ( Had a button pop off and break in half on my shorts when we were close to the end of the zoo. This prompted an impromptu Walmart trip. After inspecting the button that was split and the other buttons on the shorts, I discovered that it was a very cheap replacement, not the original button.) This was so fun despite the incident.

Have you been to the Cincinnati Zoo? Is there somewhere similar that you would recommend doing? I love hearing from readers!

Please be sure to check out my Instagram (@tabtakeson) for more updates and adventures as well as the Facebook page for more pictures (https://www.facebook.com/tabtakeson/). 

Wahlburgers

During our May Cincinnati trip, we went to several restaurants. One in particular that we went to was Wahlburgers. We went before the Reds game. We decided that we wanted to go here since it was within walking distance and because we wanted to see if it was worth the hype. 

We got seated quickly, which we enjoyed. They were decently packed. Both of us ordered burgers and fries. One piece of advice I would give is to definitely read the menu carefully. Wahlburgers charges extra for fries, which is in small print on the menu. (Husband didn’t notice until we were about to leave our table.) They also rushed us on ordering our drinks but they were about to get a rush. 

We enjoyed the atmosphere and the ambiance, but it is similar to any other bar restaurant. It is was just a one-time thing for us. Their decor of movie posters and Wahlburgers playing on the television were cool though.

The only picture I took was of the napkin...I should probably remember to take food pictures.

Are there any restaurants that you prefer when in Cincinnati? Are there any reviews you would like to see? Have you been to Cincinnati or a Wahlburgers location? I would love to find more travel ideas!

In This Moment and Halestorm Concert

On May 4, 2018, my husband and I traveled north to Cincinnati to go to an awesome metal/ rock concert. The lineup included In This Moment, Halestorm, New Year’s Day and Stitched Up Heart. This was such a great show! Words alone cannot describe it. It was full of women empowerment and energy!

Stitched Up Heart

New Years Day

All of the bands had female lead singers. Even though there were men in the bands, the women stole the show. For example, in Halestorm, Lzzy Hale has her brother to be the drummer. Many of the songs sang by the bands also expressed power, strength, and empowerment. These songs were anthems!

The crowd was so into it as well. We were all singing along and feeling the music. There was dancing. It was a lot to take in as well.

It was not just the music. There was plenty of theatrics and it was more like an experience. Especially when it comes to Maria Brink and In This Moment. There were lights, dancers, and plenty of movement. She is definitely the metal Lady Gaga. The costumes she has are always stunning as well. Hard to believe she is in her 40s.

In This Moment

Maria Brink

Maria Brink and In This Moment

All of the bands were great. It was definitely a worthwhile experience. We listen to all of the bands now. It is crazy to think that we only went for Halestorm and In This Moment.

We loved seeing the show and will definitely go back to another concert with these bands. We will definitely go back to the PNC Pavillion as well.

Shoutout to @thisbedofroses (Nick of Stitched Up Heart) for liking one of my Instagram posts during the concert.

Halestorm

Lzzy Hale covering Adele's Someone Like You

Arejay Hale during his solo

The Hale siblings

As always don’t forget to follow the Instagram @tabtakeson and the Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/tabtakeson/) for all updates and other neat things.

This blog post is my creation and is my unsolicited opinion.

Hotel Review in Blue Ash, Ohio

This article is my own opinion and is not a sponsored post.




The Blu Hotel in Blue Ash, Ohio was a welcome surprise after a day of traveling. We had found a great deal on it because it was considered their off-season. We stayed here for two nights and we will definitely stay here again if we are in the Cincinnati area.





We were unsure of what to think as they were spraying before the summer rush. We met one of the pest control specialists as he was spraying our room when we arrived. He ensured us it was clean and for prevention. They typically tried to spray monthly we were told.





The room was nice, clean, and welcoming. The view out the window wasn’t that great, but we were not staying there for the view. We wanted a great, quality room without the noise of the city and that was definitely what we got. The Blu Hotel is a Choice boutique hotel and we can’t say enough great things about it!





They say pictures are worth a thousand words, so I will let them do the talking.

The breakfast was great as well. There were plenty of options. It was more than the typical continental breakfast. Many items were made from scratch, kept warm, and changed out frequently. Their breakfast drink options were plentiful too. (I stuck with the flavored water and almond milk choices.) I definitely left both mornings with my belly full, that is for sure.









If you want to check out the hotel yourself, go to: https://www.choicehotels.com/ohio/blue-ash/ascend-hotels/oh074

Touchdown to the Spring Game

On April 21, 2018 we went to the Orange and White game at Neyland Stadium. We have went to it for the last few years. It is an awesome experience and it is free!











We rode a free shuttle bus to get to the game on campus. It was packed full and we planned on riding it back but it was so disorganized that we just walked back. It was still a fun walk as we got to explore the campus.We had to take some pictures with a fountain, stop to look at some flowers, and went to the UT apparel store to cool off since we had our nephew with us. It was some much needed exercise! (I have been out of college for 2.5 years but I am not as fit as I was when I was a student.)





The pregame events are just as fun as the game itself. You can meet Smokey, hear live music, meet some of the athletes, and watch the parade that goes down the streets of the campus of the University of Tennessee.









Not the final score. One of the teams made another touchdown last minute.






We really liked the fact that the Stadium was closed until almost time for the game to start. Coach Pruitt wanted to meet the families of the players, get some warm-ups and practice in before the game. He is focused on the family elements and the player’s grades than whether or not they will win. Without the support of families, the players would not be where they are today.





This year, the game itself was done by the regular rules. (There were some weird scoring regulations last year.) I could actually keep up with the game this year! (when we weren’t looking for the mascot Smokey) We sat higher up this year but we got a great view. The place was packed (but not to capacity). The crowd was a major part of the experience.





If this game is any sign of the next season, I cannot wait!










Have you ever attended a football game? How about a spring game? What are you looking forward to?

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

(This post is of my own personal opinions and experiences.)


Last weekend (4/8/2018) we went to a college baseball game.

It was the Tennessee Volunteers versus the Florida Gators. It was supposed to be a seven-inning game (due to a double header) but it lasted eleven innings. Florida may have won the game (6-4) but Volunteer Pride was sure to be in the stands.

Tennessee Football Coach Jeremy Pruitt (in white) after throwing first pitch.

Baseball has never been my forte, but it was a fun and exciting experience. Each player had their own theme song that played when they came out, the crowd was loud and clear, there was fun activities going on in between innings (my husband won a t-shirt that I am now the proud owner of by default),we got to see Smokey (which our nephews loved) and it was a great family friendly event (smoke and alcohol free).

It was supposed to be a Kid’s Day where they could get signatures by the players, meet the teams, and run the bases but this was unfortunately cancelled due to the Double Header games.

While we went as a big family group, I have several recommendations for families that may be considering similar functions.

1. Take older children 6 and up and use your best judgement on the ages. The youngest nephew,4, got tired and cranky about the 8th inning.
2. Call ahead and try to find out if Kid’s Days are still happening day of game. That way children (and big kids, ahem accompanying adults) aren’t disappointed.
3. Go early but not too early. We arrived about an hour before game time. We could have been thirty minutes early and still get the seats we got.
4. Try to get a big meal before you go. The prices of concessions are majorly overpriced. We found a large bucket of popcorn for $6 more reasonable than a soft pretzel for $5.

We got the General Admission tickets for about $5 a piece for the adults after taxes and fees. Children under 12 got in free since it was supposed to be a Kid’s Day. We got great seats and were still near the bathrooms in case the kids needed to go. I am sure there are other college teams with similar deals. I have went to other baseball games, Minor and Little League, and this was a much better experience, even if we all got windburned faces, especially me.

What are your spring/summer plans? What other events would you like to see reviewed?

Taco Tuesday

One of our favorite date nights is Taco Tuesday. For us, it is super cheap.

Most of our local Mexican restaurants have specials for the hard or soft tacos on Tuesdays and you have a choice between chicken or beef. Depending on the restaurant, the tacos can be priced at 99 cents or a dollar a piece.

We usually get two or three a piece. My husband usually gets a sweet tea and I’ll get water with lemon (post to come about the benefits of lemon water).We also fill up on the chips and salsa that is free that comes out while you wait on the food. After tax and tip, we can leave with only spending around $10. Not bad at all.

What cheap dates do you all do? Do your Mexican restaurants have deals like this? I would love to hear from you!