Ripley, Ohio

So this post is a little different. This trip wasn't a typical vacation for me as I've been to Ripley a lot, but what is different this time is that I was here because I was purchasing a house to turn into an AirBnB! The trip also took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, so I was working while on vacation for this one. I still managed to have a lot of fun, and there's a lot to see in this area. Hopefully, you'll consider taking this trip as well!

Ripley is a small Ohio river village in Brown County. Historically it's important because it was an early stop on the Underground Railroad. You can still visit the Rankin House, a national historic landmark where Presbyterian Minister, John Rankin, helped enslaved people escape slavery. It's also where Colonel Charles Young lived, who was the first black man to achieve the rank of Colonel in the U.S. Army. In short, it's got some cool history.

Right along the Ohio River, Ripley is a lovely village in Brown County, OH.

The unassuming Rankin House sits atop Liberty Hill in Ripley. Be sure not to miss it!

There's a small downtown that's pretty charming and comes with some great antiquing. There's also a good diner, pizza place, and some other dining options to check out. Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays also feature a flea market that's pretty fun to visit.

Great antiquing here!

Lots of historic homes along the main drag on the water.

The downtown is really pretty.

Another nice little shop to stop in.

My favorite bar down here, Snapper's Saloon.

It comes with great outdoor seating and a great view of the river, so you can be safe from COVID while enjoying the view!

Tons of stuff to rummage through! We got some records and games for the house.

Definitely the best pizza in town - Giovani's Pizza.

Twins Diner is really good too. Nothing fancy, just good diner food. I recommend the Philly Cheesesteak!

Cohearts Riverhouse is probably the nicest restaurant in town. They were doing carryout while we were there because of COVID-19.

Check out these delicious ribs!

Another cool part about the village is that it's very close to a great stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, the Old Pogue Distillery, which has been around since the 1800s.

Old Pogue is only 15 minutes away!

Definitely a good bottle of bourbon. Be sure to schedule a tour ahead of time!

Where all the magic happens...

You can also visit a couple of wineries nearby, the Meranda-Nixon Winery (about 15 minutes North) and the Kinkead Ridge Winery right downtown.

The vinyard at Meranda-Nixon.

Stop in for a tasting and get a bottle to enjoy with a cheese and meat tray!

Speaking of the downtown, one of our favorite things to do is walk along the river near sunset. There are some beautiful historic homes along the way and lots of them have historical signs outside that talk about their histories.

Beautiful sunset the evening I went for a walk!

Also some beautiful historic homes to check out along the walk.

Charles Young, the first black Colonel in the U.S. Army, had a home here for many years as well.

You'll also see a lot of Purple Martin houses (and Purple Martins) along the walk!

The best part of the trip, however, is spending time at the house my grandparents have (which my brother and I are turning into an AirBnB!) The house and the 23 acres that it sits on have been in the family my whole life, and my brother and I have really fond memories of visiting. I love hunting and hiking through the woods there. It's really a beautiful spot with a great view of the river. Check it out!

The best feature of the house is the view of the Ohio River!

The cabin itself is two bedrooms with a sleeper in the living room, so it sleeps six.

Great views from the inside as well!

There's a great wrap-around porch to enjoy the views from as well.

The living room comes with the views too, along with some great seating for lounging with family and friends.

One of my favorite ways to relax and enjoy the view is the hammock on the hill.

The best part of the property, though, is the woods. As previously mentioned, there are 23 acres attached to the property and trails throughout. It's full of wildlife as well.

Beautiful wooded hill right behind the property.

There are trails throughout the property both along the creek and going up to the top of the hill.

Beautiful waterfall.

There's a creek that runs along the West side of the property.

I almost stepped on this little guy, thankfully his bright colors stand out!

I saw deer all over the place on the property and love hunting there, but this is definitely the youngest fawn (probably less than a week old?!) that I have ever seen! Mom did come back to get it, don't worry!

 

The most exciting thing about this trip, of course, is that you can take it anytime you want! The AirBnB will be available to rent starting July 1, 2020. You can find the listing on AirBnB here. Book your next trip soon! You won't regret it.

Edit: We had the property for a while but sold it, so I wish you could stay there still, but alas it is no more...

Spain - Barcelona

After spending time in Madrid and Toledo, the third city up was Barcelona. It was roughly a three-hour train ride on their high-speed train, but the time passed quickly and the views were great. Once I got there, I headed straight for the first item on my to-do list: La Sagrada Familia.

Gaudí's creation, the Sagrada Familia, has been under construction since 1882.

The outside leaves you understanding what people mean when they say something is gaudy.

Inside is a different story.

Gaudí wanted to reflect nature on the inside, so there are very few religious artifacts that you'd normally find in a cathedral like this one.

There are beautiful stained glass windows, with the Eastern ones resembling the morning blue haze.

The ones on the Western side reflect the setting sun's orange glow. Also, the columns are built to resemble trees.

I paid a quick visit to the Arc de Triumf next to check it out.

After that I checked out La Rambla, the long street featuring lots of shopping and dining, which is largely overpriced.

Finally, I took the bus home. I'll mention too that I got a three-day travel pass for the bus and trains. It was definitely worth it, as Barcelona is a lot less walkable than Madrid seemed to be.

 

The next day I decided to take a day trip to Montserrat, which means "serrated mountain," and which is home to a monastery on the hill. First, I got some breakfast though.

Brunch and Cake's "Mangolicious" cocktail was definitely delicious.

 

The best way to get to Montserrat that I found was taking the train to the cable car station and taking that up to the top.

Looking up from the cable car station.

Getting loaded up.

Looking down.

And further down...

 

Once at the top, there's a lot to do. I got something to eat first as the train ride took about an hour, then I went and checked out the basilica.

The heart of Catalan Catholicism: Montserrat Basilica.

Probably my favorite piece of artwork, this head was outside the atrium.

 

Next, I checked out the museum, which featured some really great artists.

A Carravagio.

An early Picasso... who knew he was a realistic artist first? I had forgotten that if I knew it...

After Montserrat, I visited another of Gaudí's works: the Park Guell. This park was designed by him and was supposed to be a planned community, although it never quite made it that far. Now it's a cool park that you can visit.

Full disclosure: I was too lazy to figure out exactly where the tickets were being sold (after being told multiple times that they were sold around the corner), so this is the only view I have of the real Gaudíí-inspired stuff. It was close enough for me though, and you can also theoretically buy tickets online.

This is the home where Gaudí lived for about 20 years and which was also the model home for the community he hoped would be here.

It's a lovely park on top of all of the Gaudí stuff, so I'd still recommend checking it out even if you don't go down to the other part.

After all of the travel, I was hungry, so it was time to eat. Got a light dinner in the hopes of doing some more tapas later on that evening.

Just a sandwich and some cheese and wine for now...

 

Up next, I went back into town to check out the Gothic Quarter, an older part of the city that features some interesting architecture and feels more like an old city than the other parts of Barcelona. I got some dessert, although along the way ran into a protest.

I'm not sure exactly what they were protesting, but they were pretty upset about it.

Typical street in the Gothic Quarter.

View of the restaurant.

There were a lot of cool shops in this area, like this one featuring cool artwork.

Had some time to kill, so went to a hookah bar for some shisha and tea.

Just a cool restaurant's picture I took.

 

The highlight of the night though was going to a jazz club and seeing an amazing band. 

The Jamboree is definitely a live music venue I'd recommend.

This band was amazing, and the woman was one of the best jazz singers I've ever heard. Amazing voice and she plays trombone to boot.

 

The next day I woke up with precious few plans, so I did a lot of googling ideas of things I wanted to see and came up with some ideas.

 

 

The next thing I did wanted was visit the Picasso Museum, which I have to admit was pretty neat. 

After that, I decided to visit the beach.

Obviously a little cold for a swim, although a few brave souls were trying.

Still, beautiful views though.

Up next, I visisted the St. Joseph's Market, La Bouqueria, which is like 2nd Street Market but on steroids. Tons of great food in here. I got some cubed steak, ham, and empanadas for lunch. 

Fresh game!

Obviously, ham.

Seafood too.

After this, I wanted some dessert, so I stopped in what is probably the only craft beer place in Spain. The beer really left something to be desired most places for me, but this place was awesome. 

Check out Beer'linale if you're ever in Barcelona!

This imperial stout was excellent. And Catalunyan.

The dessert was also not too shabby.

After dessert I checked out the Casa Mila, another Gaudí work that's actually being used!

I am not sure but this seemed like a Gaudí as well.

 

So next, I kind of ran out of ideas, so I started googling and discovered there's such a thing as an ice bar (Ice Barcelona) there with a bar made completely out of ice! Is it a gimmick? Yes. Will you make fun of me for wanting to go? Of course. 

Even the glasses are made of ice!!! I had a Rocketman.

Looks, it's that scary clown!

Other sucker tourists.

Even Indiana Jones!

After having way too much fun there, I went back to the bnb for a bit. Then I went out for one more nice dinner. 

This was delicious, I don't even remember what it was though.

Some scallops, which were great as well.

The main dish was the steak, which was excellent.

Finally some Catalan cream wrapped up dessert... it's like a lighter, fluffier creme brulee for me. Delicious.

Finally took one last stroll through the Gothic Quarter, then it was time to get to bed so I could get up at 4:30am for my early flight.

 

Spain was awesome, and I definitely can't wait to go back. The blending of cultures there and the history is everywhere, and it's one of the only non-English speaking places where I actually have been that I somewhat know the language (at least a tiny bit). Really glad I got to do this trip, and can't wait for the next one!