Kendal at Oberlin Blog

In a diverse, engaged city like Oberlin, volunteerism is an integral part of life for lots of residents and employees.

As Valentine’s Day approaches, many couples like to find a restaurant with dim lights, candle-lit tables, a vase of fresh roses, maybe a fireplace and other warm touches.

When it comes to romantic dining, a few restaurants in Northeast Ohio top the list year-round. Other restaurants amp up the romantic quotient this time of year.  In other words, lots of choices for couples who want to eat out on Feb. 14, a Thursday this year, or the weekend before or after.

We start the new year with a new date, but often with an old resolution – eat better or exercise more or a variation of the two. Something is obviously awry. Yes, change is not easy.

One of the many perks I’m looking forward to when my husband and I retire is traveling when we want, not at the whim of workplace calendars. Years ago, my husband was a photographer for a TV station and could not get time off during the rating “sweeps” periods. (OK, they did make an exception for the birth of our May baby.) Now he’s a teacher, and travel is limited to school breaks and the two months in the summer when the rest of the country is also on the move.

I am a native Buckeye and have lived in Ohio almost my entire life. Yet, I still find new places to explore and old favorites worth a second or — in the case of Lake Erie — 100th visit.  

Grab a friend or a friendly group and head to Cleveland, a lakefront city rocking and rolling with lots to do day and night. It doesn’t matter if you and your friends are foodies or cultural enthusiasts, nature lovers or sports fans, this North Coast city will more than satisfy your hunger.

Ed and Anne Wardwell’s marriage began in 1970, and so did their affection for canoeing.

For years they explored the Cuyahoga River and other waterways near their home in Shaker Heights. Now residents of Kendal at Oberlin, the couple heads south to Findley State Park in Wellington or north to their favorite spot, Old Woman Creek in Huron.

Northern Ohio residents can get away for a day and feel like they’ve been gone a week. We have a Great Lake in our backyard or we can step back in time, explore a big city and escape into nature.

Sheila Eckstein has sketched and painted her way through Oberlin and the Southwest states. Two very different landscapes for sure, but using watercolors and mixed media sketches she finds colors and patterns to illuminate their special features.

Kendal at Oberlin is home to many creative men and women, and the diverse, artistic talents of 40 residents are being showcased this summer in Kendal’s three galleries.