Anniversary fireworks. Celebrating with a bang: Happy 4th and 15th

by Jamie Rhein on

Today is my 15th anniversary, but we had the fireworks last night. Wow! A bit racy.

Actually, Columbus’s big fireworks display “Red, White and Boom” is on July 3, although there are other fireworks happenings tonight in other locations.

Last night we went down to Goodale Park where we would be able to see the display, but not be overwhelmed by the huge crowds, although Goodale was plenty hopping.

My husband does joke that the reason we got married on the 4th of July was because he wants fireworks on our anniversary. I try to oblige by figuring out where we should go. Here are six highlights for where we’ve seen fireworks that have made sweet memories.

  • Standing on 1st Avenue in Manhattan looking down towards Washington Square Park. The fireworks were framed beautifully by the buildings. I loved the communal feel and hearing the voices of people watching from the roofs of apartment buildings.
  • Sitting on the roof of a friend of ours apartment building in West Hollywood, California looking out over the city with our bird’s eye view.
  • Driving up to the cemetery Philipsburg, Montana to watch people set off their own fireworks. The cemetery is at one of the highest points above town. My son, who was three said, “This is like a fireworks festival.”
  • Twice we’ve gone to Crew Stadium in Columbus to watch on the enormous screen while the show is broadcast. You can also see the fireworks in the distance. Crew Stadium is where the professional soccer team plays. We’ve always had a gang of friends along.
  • While visiting my in-laws we’ve gone to the middle school field in Berea, Ohio to see fireworks there. This year, the fireworks are part of The Grindstone Festival that is happening this weekend.
  • The backyard of friends of my best friend from college who lives in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. The one I called from my traffic hell and who I talked into the Superman Ride of Steel roller coaster at Six Flags New England last summer. Her friends set off fireworks and we all had sparklers.

Where have you seen your best fireworks? Keep it clean. I mean the fireworks display kind.

How not to get car-jacked

by Jamie Rhein on

Here is a startling story that has me feeling jumpy. On last night’s news there was a report about a man who left Berea, Ohio for Cleveland Friday night to visit a sick relative and never made it. Instead, he left a note at a highway rest stop off I-71 near the exit that goes to Wooster. The note, found at 10 am by a rest stop cleaner, said that he was car jacked, was in trouble, and to please let his wife know.

Why this caught my attention, more than other car jack stories, is that:

  • #1. My husband is from Berea, Ohio and just two weeks ago we drove from Berea to Cleveland. I know the route well. Berea is just minutes from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
  • #2. We have stopped at the rest stop mentioned in the report.
  • #3. Just over a month ago, I interviewed a man who is an expert in self defense for a magazine article. He gave me tips on how to avoid a car jacking, among other things.

One of the main tips he told me that I had not heard of before is that when you are stopped at an intersection, you should be able to see the entire back tires of the car in front of you. This will leave you enough room so that if someone is trying to get in your car, you can pull out and get away. If you’re too close to the car in front of you, you’re stuck.

Here’s a list of other tips to keep in mind to ensure that when you head out in your car–or a rental you’re traveling safely. Personally, I’m not one of those people who worry a lot. I tend to see the world as a safe place, but when stories come up about places I’ve traveled to my mind puts me there. This time I remembered the create a gap tip and wanted to pass it on.

Watch the trains at Folsom Funnel, but when crossing tracks, put cell phone down

by Jamie Rhein on

The Midwest is one of the best places for train watching in the U.S. according to railway shop that has a video series, Trains Across the Midwest. When I saw an article about a man in Berkely, California who was killed while waiting to cross a train track because he was distracted by talking on his cell phone, I thought about the people who show up in Berea, Ohio to watch the trains pass through town.

Thinking about these people got me thinking about other places to watch trains in the U.S. Here’s another spot where train watching is a bonified tourist attraction. The Folkston Funnel, in Folkston, Georgia is a place where up to 60 trains pass in a 24-hour day. The variety of trains that pass by make Folkson notable. Amtrak passenger trains and freight trains with a variety of goods offer the excitment. There’s even a covered train viewing platform and a train scanner where people can hear the train engineers talk as the train passes. If you have a laptop, the platform is Wi Fi accessible.

There’s also barbeque grills and picnic tables and restrooms to make a longer stay enjoyable. If you want to really make train watching a bigger event, stay at the Folkston Inn. Next time you’re heading to Florida, take a detour here. This might be as memorable as Walt Disney World.

My husband would certainly think so. He grew up in Berea and likes to walk along the train tracks there. Luckily, he does not have a cell phone. He likes them as much as he likes Disney.