Wow! Twelve Inches of Snow!

It's snowing in Oberlin! Our first big storm of the winter! The weather forecasters began 2 days ago telling us that we would be getting about 12 inches of snow beginning Saturday at noon and lasting until Sunday afternoon. You know what? They were right on the mark! The snow began here at 12:15 and it is now 3:30 and we have about 1 1/2 inches already! So we have buttoned down the hatches, hauled in the wood for the fireplaces, stocked up the cupboards, pulled out the extra blankets, turned on all of the Christmas lights, put on the soft music, grabbed a good book, and thanked our lucky stars that we had no travel plans for the weekend.

With the snow finally arriving, I'm sure there are some of you out there who just love the snow so much because of all those outdoor activities that go along with it! So let me tell you a little secret! Lorain County Metro Parks have great cross country skiing and two fabulouse sledding hills! But don't tell anyone! It's a secret! Since I know you can keep that secret, I can tell you that the sledding hills are located at Carlisle Reservation Equestrian Center and the other at Vermilion River Reservation Bacon Woods. I'm afraid that I can't give a first hand account of the downhill excitement but our grandkids all say that the sledding is great!

If crosscountry skiing is your forte, you will find that every trail in the 16 park Metro Park system ( http://www.loraincountymetroparks.com/) will be left ungroomed with a special invitation for you to put on the skiis and go out and have some fun! Oops! That was a secret! These parks and trails are so great that we really don't want people to know about them! But I can trust you. You won't tell anyone, will you? And besides, since you're reading our Blog that means that you're our friends! And friends are always welcome! So come on over to Lorain County, have some fun in the snow and then come on over to Hallauer House for some hot chocolate before you retire to your warm and cozy room! Come on! You know you want to!

A Gift of Memories

Twenty years ago, we were in a quandry as to what to get my parents for a Christmas gift. What do you get for a couple who has been married for 40 years and has everything they need or want? Then browsing through a bookstore, I came across a book called the Complete Guide to Bed & Breakfasts, Inns, and Guesthouses by Pamela Lanier. And a light bulb went off in my head!
That's it! A gift certificate to a bed and breakfast! My parents love to travel and see new places and experience new things so this gift would be ideal. We didn't know much about bed and breakfasts at the time but read that they were the up and coming way to experience great accommodations.

Well, back in 1990 we were without the internet and Google, so we relied on the information in the book and selected a bed and breakfast in Pittsburgh, PA that we thought they would enjoy. Christmas Day came and we presented them with the gift certificate and the book.
They were thrilled, made reservations for a spring trip, journeyed to Pittsburgh, had a great time, and brought back many memories to share with us about their trip.

So if you need a unique gift for someone special may we suggest that you consider a gift certificate to a bed and breakfast! The internet will make your selection so much easier than it was 20 years ago! And then instead of just handing the recipients an envelope with the certificate inside, why not get creative in your presentation. It will just add to the memories! Here are some of our-off the top of our heads-suggestions!

• Place the card in a piece of luggage
• Attach it to a bottle of wine
• Put it in a gift basket full of brochures about the destination city or place
• Hide it in a book about travel, B & B's, or the destination city
• Enlist the grandkids or children in the family to put on a little play and present the Gift Certificate
• Get in a group and prent it as a singing telegram that you write special for them
• If you buy a Gift Certificate package like our Antique Treausre Hunt package, present the gift certificate with an antique and a canvas bag to use to collect the treasures
• Hide the gift certificate somewhere, perhaps the car, and then leave clues that will take the recipient from one clue to the next until they reach the hiding place
• Put it on the tray as you serve them 'breakfast in bed'

And now, add your own ideas! Email us and let us know of other creative ways to present a Bed & Breakfast Gift Certificate. We'll add them to this post.

As a special for the holidays, we are offering a 10% discount on any of our
Packages when you buy one as a gift certificate. Offer is good until Dec. 24, 2007. Package details can be viewed on our website http://www.hallauerhousebnb.com/. You must mention this Blog in order to receive the discount. And remember, gift certificates for any amount can be purchased for 1 or more nights stay here at Hallauer House. So give it some thought. Shopping will be quick and easy and you'll create memories that will last a lifetime.

Your Weekend Choice is a World Famous Quartet or William Shakespeare!

My gosh! I don't know about you, but I can't believe that Thanksgiving was over a week ago! Yikes! Where did the time go!? Here we have been busy with Christmas decorating and point and click Christmas shopping. That way early worms get packages delivered in timely manner! Oh I love the internet and shopping from a chair! But with all of that, I neglected posting about Oberlin and Lorain County happenings. And a lot is going on!





When you visit Oberlin this Friday, Dec. 7, you will have to choose between two superb engagements. One is the world renowned Takacs Quartet, (see an earlier post) which will perform in Finney Chapel as part of the Oberlin College Artist Recital Series. The quartet, in it's 31st season, is known for it's intense, engaging music that can leave the audience emotionally spent. They are critically acclaimed and have produced many multi-award winning recordings. Friday's program will feature two striing quartets - Haydn's "C Major, Op. 74" and Bartok's "Quartet No. 5" - plus Mozart's "Clarinet Quintet in A Major. The guest artist will be Franklin Cohen of the Cleveland Orchestra. For complete details check out the following link: http://www.oberlin.edu/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/events/calendar.pl?display=college&which=&s=&_e=18415.


Your other choice is the theater and dance performance at Hall Auditorium. This production - "Measure for Measure" by William Shakespeare, is his darkest comedy, examining contemporary issues of society. The public's ticket price is $8.00 for early purchase or $11.00 at the door. More details can be found at http://www.oberlin.edu/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/events/calendar.pl?display=college&which=&s=0&_e=17548.

There will also be many student and faculty recitals for you to enjoy as well as a quaint down town where you can shop for one of a kind Christmas gifts. We may be a small town in Ohio but we are a class act town! Come out and visit! You know you want to! You'll be glad you did!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Enjoy your Thanksgiving Day!!!

It's time for "A Christmas Story"!

That's right, and the Parker's house is right here in Northeast Ohio! In case you were not aware, the Tremont section of Cleveland is home to the house that was used as the family home in the 1983 holiday film classic, "A Christmas Story." The film was set in Dec. 1940 and follows 9 year old Ralphie Parker who desperately wants a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. But poor Ralphie encounters nothing but naysayers in his quest with everyone giving him the ominous warning that "You'll shoot your eye out!" The Santa scene with the big slide and mean elf was also filmed in Cleveland, at the now deceased Higbee's department store. In case you haven't seen the film, you'll be able to catch it many times on TBS which will be showing a 24-hour Christmas day marathon. Check out Cleveland's connection to the house and the department store. It is definitely a treat for the entire family.

In 2004, San Diego native Brian Jones purchased the 110-year old house and restored the former duplex to it's "movie splendor" both inside and out. It is now a museum and gift shop and is open for tours year round Thursdays through Sat. from 10:00 to 5:00 and Sundays from 12:00 to 5:00. We attempted to go on the tour last year on a weekend in Dec. but we were met with very long lines and very little parking plus it was almost time to close. So we're hoping to go this year. It is recommended that you park downtown and travel by Trolley out to the house. Price is $7.00 for adults, $5.00 for children 7 to 12 and FREE for children under 6.
While you're in Tremont, be sure to wander around and visit the shops and restaurants in the area. You will definitely find a big collection of Leg Lamps for sale!


If you're in the area this Thanksgiving weekend, you might want to check out the "Christmas Story Convention". For complete details on that check out the website at http://www.achristmasstoryhouse.com/.

Now you have one more thing to add to your List of Things To Do in Northeast Ohio! And Hallauer House B & B is only a short 30 minute drive to "A Christmas Story House and Museum" . So come for a visit! You'll be glad you did!

A Crowd Pleasing Breakfast Menu with Recipe!

With Thanksgiving less than a week away, you may be wondering what to serve the crowd for breakfast or brunch before the big turkey dinner. Let us make a suggestion!
Our Thanksgiving breakfast for six guests will consist of the following bountiful feast foods:

Mini Loaves of Spicey Pumpkin Bread with Creamy Cinnamon Cream Cheese Spread
Frothy Cranbery-Raspberry Soup topped with Dollop of Frozen Vanilla Yogurt and Raspberries
Apple-Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast highlighted with Confectioners' Sugar and Toasted Almonds and topped with Warm Maple Syrup
Herb Encrusted Sausage Patties
Freshly Brewed Coffee
Tea Assortment
Chocolately Hot Chocolate

On a previous post, I shared my experience making the Pumpkin Bread recipe, so now I'll take you through the process of making the Apple-Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast. It has been voted a winner among guests who have enjoyed it at breakfast here at the B & B.

Apple-Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast

Ingredients:
20 slices freshly baked bread
8 eggs
2 cups half and half
2 cups milk
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Filling:
16 ounces cream cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
21 ounce can apple pie filling

1. Mix the first four Filling ingredients together until well combined. Fold in the apple pie filling.
2. Spread cream cheese mixture over 10 slices of the bread and top with the other 10 slices, forming a sandwich.
3. Place bread sandwiches in a large baking pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.
4. Combine the eggs, half and half, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Beat until well mixed.
5. Slowly pour the egg mixture over the top of the sandwiches until all the bread is soaked.
6. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
7. Bake at 350 degrees covered for approximately 40 minutes.
8. Then uncover and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
9. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
10. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and toasted almonds. Serve with warm maple syrup. (We use Ohio Maple since it's the best!)

As you can see, this recipe can be made the night before so it' preparation won't interfer with the turkey prep! So gather the ingredients and prepare for a great breakfast. You won't be disappointed!

Become Our Friend On MySpace!

1830 Hallauer House Bed & Breakfast wants to meet other Bed & Breakfasts and so she has created her own blog on MYSPACE! Visit Hallauer House on MYSPACE at http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=278097312! Come and join our friends list! Come as a stranger, leave as a friend!

Me in the 1960's!

A Web Article About Us!

For all you historical buffs out there, just wanted to let you know about the Historical Inns in Ohio that were recently highlighted in an on-line article at Trans World News. (For full article go to the website at http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=26505&cat=7. And 1830 Hallauer House Bed & Breakfast had the lead at the top of the article! We are proud and excited to have had this article written about us and to share with you our attempt to keep alive the part of history that Ohio played in the Civil War and the Underground Railroad.

Five years ago when we were deciding on a theme for our new bed and breakfast, we realized it was a no-brainer! With all the Civil War books, swords and memorabilia we owned, plus Oberlin's history we most certainly should be a Civil War themed B & B. So we set about to create the two rooms across from each other into the Union and Confederate rooms.

The Confederate
Room and the 10th South Carolina Confederate Uniform








We loaded each room up with the proper books, magazines, artifacts, swords, and decorating schemes but it was not until some very dear guests donated the authentic reproduction Union and Confederate uniforms that the entire rooms came together. For this we thank again, Bob and Ann Jones. You guys are terrific!







The Union Room and 55th New York Irish Brigade Union Uniform


Then when we opened the suite a few years later, a local resident came up with the name Mason/Dixon Suite
since it overlooks the northern and southern sides of the house and has a little more modern feel than the front two rooms.





The connection to the Underground Railroad was discovered quite by accident one day a couple of years ago. We'd wondered for some time what role this house played during the 1850's and 60's since the basement has a section behind one wall that is elevated, has a dirt floor, and was open to the dry cistern that we discovered during excavation for an addition. Then one day while we were sitting in the center room, we noticed a hole in the floor that had not been there before. On closer examination, we discovered that the hole in the center of the floor board had contained a round plug that had fallen out.


The hole in the center of the floor.



When Joe reached into the hole, he discovered a rectangular device that can be removed and replaced quite easily. It is still in tact, made with square nails, fits right in the middle of the original floor board and it is this area of the room that sits on top of the hidden room in the basement.








The floor peg as it sits up out of the floor.





I guess our next step is to find one or more artifacts in the dirt basement underneath this area of the upstairs room. Sounds like a job for a 10 year, curious boy. I wonder if our 10 year old grandson is up to the challenge? Oh Ethan!!

So when you're planning a trip, keep us in mind. Check out the History Buff Package on our website or just come for a weekend visit. We'll be glad to share with you the stories of Oberlin's history and give you a glimpse of the Civil War. Think about it. You know you want to come! You definitely will not be disappointed!

Don't Put Off What There is to do in Your Own Home Town!

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You know how it is when you have a great tourist place in your own home town but you just never seem to take the time or have the time to go and visit it? If you're like me, you say, "We've got to go there next Saturday!" But then Saturday comes and something else comes up and you just never make it. Well that's how it's been for me with one of Oberlin's most famous treasures - the Weltzheimer/Johnson House built by the famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. We have lived here for 15 years. Joe has visited this famous house several times with school elementary classes but I have only driven past the outside, always wondering what it was like on the inside. Well, today is the first Sunday of the month, the normal open house time, and I decided that I'd put this visit on the back burner long enough! We could visit the house and then go for a walk in the woods nearby. So off we went!

The Usonian House sits on 3 acres right in Oberlin and is one of the few Wright built homes open to the public. It was designed for the Weltzheimer family of Wellington in 1948 and completed in 1950. My impression of this house was "WOW! This is really unique!" The walls and ceiling are all wood - no need to paint! The floor is concrete - no need for carpeting! The heat consisted of hot water pipes running through the concrete floor so it was warm on your feet. (Unfortunately, we were told that the pipes are too rusty to use now.) The windows are doors that open to the outside. No need for drapes or curtains! The kitchen is not quite original, but is uniquely located off the great room and separated by brick columns so if you're working in the kitchen you can still converse with guests in the other room.

After listening to the tour docent, we set out to explore the rest of the house, which consisted of 5 bedrooms all located next to each other and all with 2 doors that opened to the outside. The long hallway that connected these rooms had book shelves the entire length of it opposite the bedrooms! Would you have enough books and nick knacks to fill this up?! The master bath had a corner tub with toilet and bidet (The bidet is the one thing that the elementary students really loved and remembered!). The beds and furniture in the house are very simple and utilitarian. The house seemed a little dark since it is all wood and the doors and windows are on one side and it made it difficult to get good pictures even with a flash but I could live there! . Life would be so simple! That's what this house conveyed to me - simplicity and freedom from 'stuff.'
This is a view from a bedroom to the Great Room. The house is in the shape of an L. The short side is the Great Room and the long side is the bedroom side.
View from Great Room to the outside. Notice the sky lights in the porch roof.

For more information go to the Oberlin Allen Art Museum website at http://www.oberlin.edu/amam/flwright.html. And WHEN you come to Oberlin ( notice I said WHEN, not if, you come to Oberlin), be sure to put the Frank Lloyd Wright House on your itineray. You will not be disappointed. Come and visit Oberlin. You know you want to!

An Opera at Oberlin

Do you enjoy college theatrical productions? Do you like Shakespear? Do you like opera? Are you craving some live entertainment for mid November? If you answered yes to any or all of the above, then we invite you to come to Oberlin and take in the Oberlin College production of A Midsummer Nights Dream which opens on Wednesday, Nov. 14 and runs through Sunday, Nov. 18. The play, of course, was written by William Shakespeare as a comedy of errors about falling in and out of love with the wrong people because of meddling and trickery. Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears adapted the play in 1960 as a magnificent opera production that will be sung in English on the Oberlin stage. The opera, with music provided by the Oberlin Chamber Orchestra and local children performing as fairies in the magical woods, is in three acts with two intermissions.

Performances are at Hall Auditoruim at 8 PM on Wednesday, Nov. 14, and Friday and Saturday, Nov. 16 and 17. Sunday's performance is at 2 PM, Nov. 18. All seats are reserved with ticket prices $3.00 more at the door. Early tickets can be purchased by calling the Cenral Ticket Service at 440-774-8169 or 800-371-0178 or visiting the box office in Hall Auditorium between 12 and 5 PM, Monday-Friday. Early general public tickets are $12.00 and $8.00 for Seniors. For complete details go to the Oberlin College website - http://www.oberlin.edu/newserv/07oct/midsummernight.html

So if you decide to come and be a part of this great production, why not come and spend the weekend at Hallauer House B & B. Take in some of the other sites of Oberlin, do a little early Christmas shopping at some of our really super, local, downtown stores and enjoy lunch and dinner at our fantastic local restaurants. We'll cover your breakfast needs here at Hallauer House with one or more of our famous and fabulous gourmet breakfasts.

So give it some thought and then give us a call. You know you want too! See you soon!

New Pumpking Bread Recipe

In honor of Fall I decided yesterday that I would make a Pumpkin Bread recipe for this weekends guests. And wouldn't you know that last week I cut out from the Sunday paper just such a recipe! So, as all good ex-Home Ec. teachers do, I assembled the ingredients, preheated the oven, and began preparation. But this recipe used only 1 cup of pumpkin and I had a 30 oz. can. So instead of putting the leftover pumpkin in the refrigerator where it would probably be forgotten until it was ready for the compost, I decided to go ahead and adjust the recipe to accommodate the entire can. Thus, this required increasing the recipe times 4. No problem! My trusty math brained husband was close by so he shouted out the necessary increases for each ingredient and I diligently made the changes on paper.

Well increasing the pumpkin was easy - 8 ozs. changed to 32 oz. The spices went from 1/2 tsp. to 2 tsps. The water from 3/4 cup to 3 cups. Okay so far. But then I began wondering about the accurracy of this entire recipe! I needed to increase the brown sugar from 1 3/4 cup to 7 cups! Now, I've never made a recipe with 7 cups of brown sugar in it! Needless to say, I now am out of brown sugar! Had just enough! Then I added the increased amount of vegetable oil which amounted to 2 cups. By this time the mixture resembled a very dark bowl of spicey smelling liquidly goop! And I'm beginning to think that this is going to be a very expensive mistake! Then instead of the 2 eggs called for in the original recipe, I needed to add 8 eggs for the quadruple. Ok, now it really looks like dark brown, spicey, liquidy soup! Well, in for a penny, in for a pound! Might as well keep going and see what happens!

Next up was to add 7 cups of flour mixed with 4 tsp. of baking soda and 3 tsp. of salt. After mixing the dry ingredients just until blended, I found I still had a rather soupy mess! Well, I decided that I would just have to go ahead and fill the pans, bake the 'bread' and see what would happen and how it would taste. I had a muffin mix waiting in the wings that I would make for the guests just in case this recipe really flopped! Since we like to serve a mini loaf of bread to share between 2 guests, I decided to go ahead and bake this liquid batter in my mini loaf pans. And believe me, it was a liquid batter! Well, the original recipe said it would make 3 mini loaves so with the quadruple I figured I'd get 12 mini loaves (3 X 4 = 12, right?). I ended up with 20 mini loaves! Instead of a bread batter, I had more of a liquidly cake batter! Oh well. I had too much invested to deep six the entire mess, so I went ahead and baked all the loaves, expecting the worst and figuring that I would have a really messy oven to clean up once these things all overflowed! The baking time was supposed to be 50 minutes but I adjusted that to 40 min. and then if not done, I could continue baking.

They were done after the 40 min. and lo and behold, they did not over flow! They actually looked and smelled great! Well, the test is in the taste! Sliced one open. Smelled great! Sliced more like cake than bread but at least it didn't crumble apart! Joe took a bite. I took a bite. Great taste! Great texture! Great aroma! Can you believe! I almost threw the entire mess away! Now I have 15 loaves of cake/bread in the freezer. We used 5 already! The five guests this morning did not leave any leftovers and gave their stamp of approval. So, goes to show - don't jump to conclusions. Follow through, keep going, and see what happens!


So here is the ORIGINAL RECIPE! Give it a try and let me know what the batter looked like, how it baked up, and how it tasted. If you have another Pumpking Bread recipe you'd like to share, email and let me know.

PUMPKIN SPICE BREAD

8 oz. minus 2 T. pure pumpkin
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 cup water
1 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large leggs, lightly beaten
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Heat pumpkin, and spices in a small pan over medium heat until steamy, stirring continuously. Cook until pumpkin is stiff and starts to stick to the pan bottom, about 3 minutes.
3. Transfer pumpkin to a bowl and stir in 3/4 cup water, then brown sugar, then oil, then eggs and blend until smooth.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together remaining dry ingredients, then fold into the pumpkin mixture until just combined.
5. Scrape batter into 3 greased mini loaf pans or 1 9-inch loaf pan.
6. Bake until firm and golden brown, about 50 minutes for mini loaves and about 70 minutes for large loaf.
7. Let bread stand for a few minutes. Turn onto a wire rack and cool to room temperature.
Recipe freezes well.

An Oberlin Weekend

Summer vacations have come and gone, school is in full swing, fall is definitely here, there's a nip in the air and you're probably asking yourself, "Okay, what is there to do now? Where can I go for my Fall break?" Our answer to your question is "Come to Ohio!" Okay, so the Indians didn't make it to the World Series. But there WILL be next year, so plan to come to Ohio between April and Oct and take in a game!

But right now we want you to come to Oberlin, a little town of only about 8500 people, but what we lack in population we make up for in lots of top notch entertainment. I'll be making frequent postings on all the happenings here in Oberlin over the course of the next couple of months, so check back frequently.

Taking place next weekend is the inauguration of the new college president, Marvin Krislov and in his honor, the College is hosting a weekend of symposia, concerts, and ceremonies with FREE community events on Saturday which are open to the public!

The opening event on Thurs. Nov 2 is the Preservation Hall Jazz Band which is part of the Artist Recital Series. For information check a previous Blog post describing the entire series, link, cost, (there is a cost for this event) and ticket information.



The first big event on tap happens on Friday, Nov. 3. The inaugural concert begins at 8:30 PM in Finney Chapel with feature performances by current students and alumni. Performers include Jennifer Koh (OC '97)with pianist with pianist Shai Wosner, who will perform Maurice Ravel’s Violin Sonata in G Major. Pianist Spencer Myer (OC ’00) will perform J.S. Bach’s aria Sheep May Safely Graze, from his Hunting Cantata, BWV 208; two préludes by Claude Debussy—Les tierces alternées and Feux d’artifice—from Book II of his Préludes; and Igor Stravinsky’s Four Études, Op. 7. The songs performed by baritone Robert Sims (OC ’88) and pianist Cliff Jackson (OC ’77) will include Lena McLin’s Great Day, Aaron Copland’s Ching a-Ring Chaw, Jerome Kern’s Ol’ Man River, and Sims’ arrangement of Vera Hall and Dock Reed’s I’m Goin’ Home on the Mornin’ Train. The Prima Trio—clarinetist Boris Allakhverdyan (OC ’08), pianist Anastasia Dedik (OC ’06), and violinist Farhad Hudiyev (OC ’08)—will perform Peter Schickele’s Serenade for Three and Fleeting Miniatures, an original composition by Mr. Hudiyev. Finney Chapel is located at 90 North Professor Street, across from Tappan Square, on the Oberlin College campus. It is wheelchair accessible, and free parking is available throughout the campus. For more information about the inaugural concert, please call 440-775-6933, or visit www.oberlin.edu.

Saturday, November 3 is the day for enjoying community activities with a fun day of family events for kids of all ages. All events are free, open to the public, and are suitable for school-age children and beyond. Visit five or more events for eligibility in the raffle of great Oberlin prizes. Cards will be available at each location.

Activities begin at noon with the Community + College Tailgate Picnic.
Come and enjoy some tailgate food, fun, and live music featuring Oberlin Steel, jazz by The Sauce, and Oberlin High School Marching Band.

At 1:00 p.m. cheer on the Oberlin College Yoemen as they take on Kenyon College in the Sat. football game at Savage Stadium.



If football isn't your thing then try your hand on the climbing wall
at Jesse Philips Physical Education Center (lobby). From 1:00 to 3:00 you can try to make it to the top! Or go to Hales Gym where you'll find six lanes for open bowling.




Take a tour of the Adam Joseph Lewis Center which was built in 2000, and is a state-of-the-art facility which generates its own energy, purifies all wastewater for re-use on site, uses environmentally responsible materials, and maintains an organic garden and wetland. Talk about recycling—this place represents the "Three Rs" at their best.

From 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. there will be Planetarium/Observatory Tours in Peters Hall. Here you can explore new heights with a trip to the top. Take a look in a giant telescope, learn more about what is "up there," or just enjoy a new view of Oberlin.

During this same time frame you can participate in "The More You Look, The More You See" at the Weltzheimer-Johnson House. Most people are unaware that there is a house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in Oberlin! (See a future post about the house!) Come for a tour, practice your drawing skills, and have your artwork certified as an official Weltzheimer-Johnson House image!

From 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. the Oberlin Heritage Center is offering a journey back in time with tours of the Little Red Schoolhouse with school lessons and stories, and tours of the other historic buildings. Refreshments will be served on the porch of the Jewett House.

Looking and Learning Tours at Allen Memorial Art Museum will be available in the afternoon. You can try and determine "What's that hanging on the wall?" Take a short tour of the Allen Memorial Art Museum and tell them what you see. Tours are specially geared to school-age children and will be led by Oberlin College students.

From 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. play "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" at the Science Center where there are exciting physics experiments, demonstrations, and magic tricks.

But if you really need a break and are missing the feel of nice pool water, then go for a swim at Carr Pool from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.


For complete information on parking, locations, and specific times visit the college website at http://cms.oberlin.edu/inauguration/community_college.dot

So if you have some time and you need to get away, come to Oberlin. You won't be disappointed! We are small but we have mighty things to do!

Country Autumn 'Bag Lady' Tour 2007

Autumn Leaves
This is a "DRIVE YOURSELF ADVENTURE" that takes you into six small towns and townships in Lorain and Medina counties. Your adventure can begin at any of the 12 participating businesses where you can pick up a flyer and map. Get your flyer stamped at every location and then turn it in at your last stop. A grand prize winner will be selected from the flyers with stamps from all locations and a consolation prize winner from all incomplete flyers. The BASKET OF BOUNTY GRAND PRIZE includes gifts from every store and has a value of over $120.00. Also this year is a CHOCOLATE TASTING ADVENTURE!

Now the great thing about this adventure is that you can do it over a number of days! The first weekend runs Fri. Oct. 19 and Sat. Oct. 20 from 10 am to 5 pm and Sun. Oct. 21 from 12 pm to 5 pm. The second weekend runs from Fri. Oct. 26 and Sat. Oct. 27 from 10 am to 5 pm and Sun. Oct. 28 from 12 pm to 5 pm. The participating businesses are:

In Wellington: Bread-N-Brew; Black River Antiques; All Ohio Train, Toys, Bears & Collectables; Always in Bloom; Depot Street Designs.
In Rochester TWP: Bonnie Brae Farm Tours, Ltd.
In Hommerville: The Pumpkin Factory; Eichel's Christmas Tree Farm & Shop
In Penfield: Days of Yore Herb & Flower Farm
In Spencer: Spencer Feed & Supply; Amish House & Queen Right Colonies
In West Salem: C&L Shoes

We suggest that you schedule a FALL BREAK (the college kids get one!) and come and stay at Hallauer House Bed & Breakfast while you do the Bag Lady Tour! Check in early on the Friday of your choice and make a few shop visits before 5:00, come back, relax, and then go out for a fabulous dinner in town. After a fantastic breakfast, head out to visit more shops, get more stamps, have another fantastic dinner, maybe take in the movie at the Apollo. Sunday will be another fabulous breakfast and then finish up your tour before you head home, all refreshed and re-energized with the chance of winning the GRAND PRIZE! What better way to spend an autumn weekend. If you mention this Blog post when you make reservations, you will receive a 10% discount on your room!. And the added bonus is your chance to see all the beautiful fall colors of nature as your drive the country roads. Even if you don't have the time to stay with us, do come to Lorain County and follow the country tour. You know you want to! Plan for it!

For more information about the tour and Wellington merchants call 440-647-9424 and visit the Historic Wellington Merchants Association website at http://www.hwma.org/


Our warm autumn display!

Saddest Day of the Year!

Well that saddest day of the year is finally here - the closing of the swimming pool! But this year, we're draining the pool and installing a new liner, well Joe and I aren't the installers but The Great Escape install crew is doing it for us! Thanks to Andy, Mark, Joel, and Scott for all their hard work. Excellent job guys! Can't believe they completed the job in less than half a day! Thanks a million! Thursday they came to transfer the water to two portable pools and then yesterday they returned to finish the job. We will still loose about a third of the water but we needed to lower the water level anyway for the winter.
So today, Friday, the pool is officially closed with the new winter cover in place and wouldn't you know the temperature today was 85 degrees!!! And tomorrow and Sunday we will see the same weather, possibly pushing 90 degrees! It is so warm, calm, and humid that the pool would have been a great place to be right now at 7PM. But the Cleveland Indians are playing the New York Yankees in the play-offs so I guess it's best to be glued in front of the TV watching the game or sitting at the computer with the game just an earshot away. Go Tribe!!


Check out the pictures to see the pool go from old to new. And be sure to check us out next spring. Pool opens last week in April and will be warmed up and ready about 3 days later.

Explore Our Back Roads and Beaches

Calling all cycling and outdoor enthusiasts! The Lorain County Visitors Bureau in Northeast Ohio has put together a fantastic new eco tourism venture called "Back Roads and Beaches." As the name implies, the tour route takes you down little traveled country roads, through townships, past corn fields and cow pastures, into small towns and little traveled city streets, and along the Lake Erie beaches. If you go the distance, you will travel about 60 miles and maybe more if you take a few off shoots to listed sites along the route. Plan your trip so you can take your time to enjoy the sites, sounds, and smells along the way. Stop and smell the roses at Lakeview Beach. Sit,relax, stretch awhile, and listen to the sound of the waves of Lake Erie as they come ashore on the rocks.

Along the route you can explore the many museums of Lorain County from the Maritime Museum in Vermilion to the Heritage Center in Oberlin. Learn about the Great Lakes, Ohio's role in the Underground Railroad, and read information about our small towns and cities. Stop and try your hand at kayaking or canoeing on Lake Erie or at the lake at Findley State Park. Visit the Lorain County wineries for a tour and some refreshments. Come in the fall for the changing of the leaves. There is shopping and bike repair along the way, great places to eat, and super B & B's to spend a night or two. And of course when you arrive in Oberlin, plan to stay a day or 2 here at Hallauer House Bed & Breakfast where you can recharge, take a sauna, relax in the Jacuzzi whirlpool, sleep on a fabulous mattress, and eat a fantastic breakfast! Unfortunately, the pool will be closed next week for the winter but will reopen in April. So plan a spring trip now!

The route is laid out so you can take your time. Spend a few days going from beginning of the route to the end. Start at Findley State Park and end in Avon Lake or start in Avon Lake and end at Findley. Or if your time is short, just do one segment at a time. So come and visit! See what Lorain County has to offer. You won't be disappointed!

Dog's Day Out!

This is Duke, our resident 10 year old rescued dog. He's a sweetie!

So here is another fun happening in Oberlin, in Northeast Lorain County, Ohio! Come on over on Saturday Sept. 22 for the third annual Doggie Doo & Pooch Parade! It is sponsored by the Oberlin Chamber of Commerce and the proceeds go to benefit the local Lorain County animal shelters. Events begin at 11 AM and go til 4 PM in Tappan Square and will be held rain or shine. (And the weather people are saying it will be a 'shine' day with lots of sun and around 80 degrees!)

Events for the day will include dog contests with the most popular event being one for the best dressed dog! There will be training demonstrations as well as a demonstration by the Sheriff's attack dogs. Pets from shelters and rescue centers will be available for adoption to loving and permanent homes. The activities conclude with the ever popular Pooch Parade! For complete information visit the Chamber's website at http://www.oberlin.org/doggiedoo/. Duke, in the picture above, is planning to go to Doggie Doo but he says no way will he dress up! We'll see about that! And we'll see YOU at the Doggie Doo too! There is never a dull moment in Oberlin! You know you want to come and see for yourself!

"Artist in Residence at the Inn"

Today, the 25th annual "Harvest of the Arts" took place in Wellington, just 7 miles south of Oberlin. It was a beautiful day with lots of sun and the feeling of autumn in the air. There were over 100 artists and crafters from Ohio and adjoining states presenting their creations for sale and the multitude of festival goers were eager to buy! We were very happy and excited to have had as a guest here at Hallauer House Sowmya Parigi, artist and owner of SVA "One's Own" Creations, Inc. out of Hebron, KY. She and her husband came on Saturday, the day before the festival, so that they could relax and be ready to set up for the show the next day. I really found her eco-friendly art to be in keeping with our personal philosophy of recycling and using natural fabrics and products. At her studio, Sowmya creates one of a kind fabric, water color, & custom art.

As Joe and I perused her art for sale at the festival, we had a hard time making a decision as to which to buy. There were custom painted T-shirts, hand bags, totes, and wine caddies, all with original art and hand painted by the artist. We finally settled on the wine caddie with plans to include this item when we get our winery tour package up and going with Single Tree Winery and other wineries in Lorain County. The picture you see on the right is now 'My' wine caddie, but you can select one for yourself or any other of Sowmya's art work by simply visiting her website at www.sva-creations.com where you can see her products and then order on line. You will not be disappointed!

And be sure to keep in mind and perhaps attend the 26th annual 'Harvest of the Arts' in Wellington, OH this time next year. It keeps getting bigger and bigger! And it benefits Herrick Memorial Library. And once again, there is always lots to do in Lorain County, Ohio! So come for a visit! You know you want to!

Oberlin College Tailgate Parties!

Here ye all you tail gate fans! The John W. Heisman Club at Oberlin College has announced two remaining tailgate weekends this fall. The first one will be on Sat. Sept. 29 when Oberlin takes on Hiram and this also just happens to be Homecoming weekend! I'd offer a special deal for all you Oberlin Alums for that weekend but we are full with guests attending a local wedding. Sorry about that. The second tailgate is on Sat. Nov. 3 for the game against Kenyon College. The other remaining home games are Oct. 13 with visiting Earlhan College and the last game on Nov. 10 which is Parent's Weekend. So if you like college football, come on over to Oberlin and join in the fun. Kick-off time for home games is at 1 pm and they're all on Saturdays.

New Fruit Recipe

It's Sunday and the Cleveland Browns are losing to the Pittsburg Steelers! It's raining outside and the bugs are absolutely terrible. So while the game drags on and the bugs will eat me if I go outside, I thought I would share a new recipe that we served to our guests yesterday. It was completely devoured by all, so we deemed it a keeper. It's based on a Blueberry-Kiwi Fool recipe but I changed it to fit the ingredients that I had on hand. We now need a new name for it. Anyone have a suggestion?

Blueberry-Kiwi _____________________

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup frozen vanilla yogurt
1 T. sugar (optional)
3-4 kiwi, peeled and cut up (about 1 cup)

1. In a bowl, mash 1 cup of blueberries or puree in a blender.
2. Stir cinnamon into blueberries
3. Fold the frozen yogurt into pureed blueberries
4. In parfait glasses or other serving bowls (about 6-7 ounces), layer
yogurt-blueberry mixture, remaining blueberries, and kiwi.
5. Top with a small scope of frogen yogurt and one blueberry.
6. Garnish with a sprig of lemon mint
7. Serve immediately
Makes 4-6 servings

One thing about this recipe - looks best if served on a white plate. We started with a red service and the colors clashed! Enjoy!

What a way to spend a Friday afternoon!

Ohio wine is alive and well and being made right here in Lorain County! Oh how lucky we are!

Joe and I, and our 24 year old daughter Emily, just returned from a visit to Single Tree Winery at 12488 Baumhart Rd in South Amherst, Ohio just 7 miles and 9 minutes from Hallauer House B & B. Single Tree has been selling wine since Dec. 2004 and I'm wondering why we took so long to visit them! They are open Tues - Thurs. from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Fri. and Sat. from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. with wine tasting daily. The driveway winds through the trees and opens up onto the drive in front of the winery.

We arrived about 2 p.m. and after tasting Apple Wine, a semi sweet fruity wine, Black Label Blend, a blend of their labruscas, and Cabernet Sauvignon, a red, oak aged wine that is rich in complexity and depth with bold flavor and taste, we chose to purchase a bottle of the Cab. We decided, since we skipped lunch, to get a cheese plate to go with our wine. Then out to the outdoor patio we marched to enjoy our bounty. Today is a hot, humid, windy day but we enjoyed sitting in the open air and sipping a super tasting bottle of vino. We may have to make room in our schedule to return tomorrow as the winery is having a special end of summeer bash with hamburgers, hotdogs, and corn on the cob at very affordable prices! Normally, they don't sell food, but you are allowed to take in your own food and you can even use their grills to cook it on! And while the food is cooking, sip some wine! And while you're eating the food, sip some more wine! But be sure you have your 24 year old daughter, who only likes Coke, there to drive you home!

So I now know that Joe and I will become regular visitors. And to think that what they call their 'Happy Days' are Tues., Wed., and Thurs., from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., where all glasses of wine are only $1.99! Why did we wait so long to visit!?

Our next idea is to put together a 'Winery and Bed & Breakfast Package' for our guests to enjoy. Stay tuned and come back to the Blog or visit our website to see the final details. If you have any ideas on what a good package would be, go ahead and email us. Let us know! We'd love to hear from you!

In the meantime - think Ohio Wine. You know you want a glass or a bottle! Visit the Single Tree Winery website at www.singletreewine.com or check them out on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/singletreewine

Artist Recital Series for 2007-08

Oberlin College Conservatory has just released the 2007-08 schedule for the Artist Recital Series and it looks like it will be an absolutely fantastic year of incredible entertainment. So mark your calendars with the following dates and plan to attend one or all of the 10 performances. All performances will be at 8pm in Finney Chappel at Oberlin College.

Wednesday Oct. 3 begins the series as Chanticleer, the Grammy award-winning men's chorus takes the stage. The group is made up of 12 men who sing everything from Gregorian Chants, to jazz, to gospel, to pop. Their sound has been reviewed as "Precise, pure, and deeply felt singing." Check out their website at www.chanticleer.org/Tour.cfm.

Next up on Thurs. Nov. 1 is one of the great's from New Orleans, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and, in accordance with the jazz tradition, there is only open seating so it's first come, first served! Get there early! Some of the bands members have been playing since the early 20th century. Will definitely be standing room only for this performance!

The Imani Winds quintet takes the stage on Tues. Nov. 6. This Grammy-nominated group performs works by African, latin, & American composers and combines percussion & folk influences to the wind quartet sound. A real fusion of urban & classical music will make the sound really exciting!

Two weeks later on Tues. Nov 20, one of the top 10 orchestras in the world returns for their 206th performace in the Series. And that would be our own fabulous Cleveland Orchestra! Jayce Ogren will be conducting a program that will include Mozart's Symphony No. 34 & Brahms Synphony No. 1. This is a great treat and another 'Can't Wait' performance!

The Takacs Quartet will be performing on Fri. Dec. 7. The quartet,now in it's 31st season, brings the sounds of clarinet, violins, viola, and cello together to play Haydn, Bartok, and Mozart. What a great way to get ready for the holidays!

The series winds down a bit after Dec. but gets back in full swing on Tues April 1st when Edgar Meye, playing double bass, and Amy Dorfman on piano, take the stage. The actural program has yet to be announced but it should be very innovative and will appeal to all age groups. Stay tuned!

Angela Hewitt will perfom twice with each concert ticketed separately. One performance will be on Fri. April 4th, the other on Sun. April 6 and both will feature the music of J. S. Bach.

Appearing together on Thurs. April 10 will be classical violinist Hilary Hahn and singer/songwriter Josh Ritter. In 2001, at the age of 21, Hahn was named "America's Best Young Classical Musician" by Time magazine. Now she is one of the most popular artists on the concert circuit. Josh Ritter is an Oberlin grad, class of '99 and has been compared to a young Springsteen or Leonard Cohen. They will be exciting to hear!

The seasons last performance will take place on Wed. April 23 when award winning mezzo-soprano, Anne Sofie von Otter appears on the Finney Chapel stage. She has been called one of the finest performers around, having appeared in opera houses around the world.

Buy a subscription package to all 10 concers by Sept 14 and save lots of money!
Previous subscribers: Buy 1 subscription-get 1 at half price
New subscribers: Buy 1 subscription-get 1 FREE
Oberlin Students: $53.00 a person
Oberlin Family: $129.00 per person
Seniors over 55 $129.00 per person
General Public $159.00 per person
Single tickets available after Sept. 16.
(Check out the Oberlin College artist recital webpage, www.oberlin.edu/arseries/, for the complete details.)

So there you have it! Some great ways to spend some quality weekday evenings! Who said there is nothing in Ohio! Just come to Oberlin and attend all, some, or even one of these fabulous concerts! Come early! Have a fabulous dinner in one of our fabulous restaurants! Take a walk through our fabulous town! And why go home immediately after the concert? You know you don't want to drive home late! So come and stay at Hallauer House Bed & Breakfast. Come in late. Sleep in a fabulous bed and then have a fabulous breakfast in the morning before driving home. We'd love to have you! We might even see you at the concert! Visit our website! www.hallauerhousebnb.com.

The Best Night of the Year!

For most people, their idea of a great way to spend an evening is to get dressed up to the nines, drop some money at a very upscale restaurant and then maybe go dancing or off to the theatre. Or maybe its just go for a casual meal and then to a movie or local community play.

For Joe and me, it was last night. At 9pm here in Oberlin, Ohio it was still 80 degrees with lots of humidity in the air. Too hot for a chiminea fire on the beach or a pit fire on the hill at the Pavillion but just right for a relaxing float in the pool. So we donned our swim suits, grabbed a beach towel, lit the poolside candles, turned on the floating pool lights and lowered ourselves into the warm 88 degree waters of our swimming pool just in time to see the surrounding garden landscape lights and the mini white lights come on automatically to twinkle in the long line of evergreen boxwoods.

There is absolutely no better way to spend an evening than to lie back in a warm pool, enveloped by the darkness. With a 'noodle' under your head and one under your legs, you can float for hours while you look up at the stars and listen to the chirping of the night crickets and the outstanding music of the Cleveland Orchestra. It is THE most relaxing, theraputic, stress relieving acitivity you can possibly engage in. But with 365 days in a year, there are only a handful of days here in Ohio when you will be able to experience this incredible sensation.

Now it's time to put yourself into our pool. See yourself floating under the stars, surrounded by soft lights, soft music, and the soft sounds of the night while you sip a glass of fine wine or a cup of herbal tea. You're at Hallauer House Bed & Breakfast. You are a guest and you won't be disappointed!

But unfortunately, there aren't many of these nights left. So think about it! Reserve a room at Hallauer House Bed & Breakfast before the end of September and enjoy the last days of summer in warm water under the stars! You know you want to! Come as a stranger, but leave as a friend!

Great Sunday Brunch!

There's just 2 weeks left before Oberlin comes alive again with some college students coming for the first time and others returning for the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th year. The International students arrive around Aug. 25th and by Tues. the 28th the First Year students arrive with all their gear followed by the upper classmen on Labor Day weekend. Just a word of advise to new college parents - if your son or daughter will be attending college at a small school, be sure to check out the area accommodations, plan your yearly visits, and make reservations very early! A very limited number of rooms are available at B & B's and small hotels in college towns so the early birds get the best rooms, especially for Parent's Weekends and graduation.

Yesterday was a beautiful Sunday here, very quiet after the guests checked out and before the new guests checked in, so we decided to go out for a late lunch. After much thought about where to go, it suddenly dawned on us that we hadn't been to The Feve in Oberlin for quite some time. So the decision was made and off we went to town. And lucky for us, we made it just in time before the Sunday Brunch hours ended! We sat at the curvatious downstairs bar where we were greeted with quick service and absolutely fantastic food! Almost as good as the Hallauer House breakfasts! Joe had the shrimp wrap with these amazing tater tots and I had a noodle dish with lots of herbs and veggies and a spinach salad with a lite vinegrette dressing. Scumptiously delicious! The brunch menu changes each week and as they say on their website "this keeps the cooks excited about the menu and keeps you from getting bored!" They also have a regular menu, lunch and dinner, as well as a full service bar with wine and at least a half dozen or more imported draft beers on tap.

So parents and visitors, when you come to Oberlin, be sure to visit The Feve. The students know all about it-it's a great college hangout so I'm sure they will guide their parents there, but if you're visiting or just passing through Oberlin, this is a great place to get some great food at some great prices. And be sure to visit their website at http://www.thefeve.com/ to get the complete picture and see the menu.