9 Bistro at Grey Hawk

Restaurants crowded in Oberlin? Do you want a place with a great atmosphere, excellent food, an expansive outdoor deck overlooking a golf course? Then we have a suggestion for you!

Joe and I had an early dinner today at 9 BISTRO at GREY HAWK in LaGrange, just 5 miles east of Oberlin. We chose to sit on the deck, placed our order and watched the golfers finish on the 18th hole. A couple of them got caught in the sand trap! I ordered the grilled salmon and it was cooked to perfection and served over risotto and grilled asparagus. Joe ordered the satay skewers - marinated steak, napa cabbage slaw and soba noodles tossed in a sesame oil vinaigrette. His ums told me it must be good!

The restaurant offers a variety of appetizers, interesting salads, sandwiches, soups, lobster bisque, entrees of seafood, pasta, flat breads, ribs, chicken dishes, and steaks and chops. There is a full bar with spirits, wines and beers. Check the link here for the complete menu.

And if you are a golfer this is the place to go! Play a round of 9 or 18 holes of golf and then enjoy dinner afterwards on the outside deck or in the dining room. We had a great time and I am sure that you will too! And don't forget that we are just a few miles away to make your overnight stay one to rememnber! Come to play, dine, and stay!

An International Cooper Violinist at Oberlin College

The 2015 International Cooper Violin competition at Oberlin College is over and we had to say goodbye to a super competitor and girl extraordinaire Maya Buchanan from Rapid City, South Dakota.

Maya is just 14 years old and has been playing the violin since the age of 3 and is now an Academy Fellow at the Music Institute of Chicago where she  goes every weekend for instruction. She is the youngest first prize winner in the history of the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra Young Musician  Concerto Competition. She is also the co-winner of the 2013 Walgreens National Concerto Junior Strings Competition, the second-place winner of the 2014 Music Teachers National Association Junior Performance Competition and the 2015 Junior Strings National Finalist. She has also been featured on NPR's From the Top.

At the Cooper competition here in Oberlin Maya placed 6th out of 21 contestants but she is number one with the guests here at Hallauer House. The video that I shot of Maya's Cooper performance would not upload to this Blog so I've placed a link to the YouTube video of Maya's 2014 performance at the Waxman Carmen Fantasie with Ottawa Chamber Symphony. Enjoy!

As we say goodbye to Maya we wish her well as she continues her studies and goes forth to perform outstanding music on the violin. In 2017 she hopes to return to Oberlin to complete in the next International Cooper Violin competition and we do hope that she comes back to Hallauer House.

International Cooper Violin Competition at Oberlin College, 2015

 
                                        We wish you well, Maya! Hope to see you in 2 years!

Fiftieth Anniversary on Motorcycles!

Saturday morning we said goodbye to two most interesting couples who have stayed with us here at Hallauer House, Clyde and Susie Houser and Tom and Sandy Young from New York state. They roared in on their Harley motorcycles, Clyde and Susie's an apple green and Tom and Sandy's a midnight blue. After about 6 hours on the road they were glad to plant feet on the ground and to take a walk through the gardens.

We then invited them to the pool deck where we presented them with a bottle of champagne to toast the 50th anniversary of both couples! That's right 50th anniversary and their gift to themselves is a cross country motorbike tour from their home in New York state to Arizona with many stops in states and landmarks along the way. We were the first stop on that long and amazing journey.

Both couples were friends in their younger days having lived in the same town. Then as children arrived and Clyde and Susie moved to another town a few miles away they sort of drifted apart but remained acquaintances. Then a few years ago they ran into each other and in their catching up they found that each of them had just bought a motorcycle! A Harley at that! And so the relationship is now sealed in a "Hog" friendship!

Saturday morning was perfect for breakfast on the pool deck so we sent them off with a menu of mango and cherries topped with Greek vanilla yogurt, Hallauer House muffins, Egg Roulade stuffed with peppers and onion and served on organic spinach and topped with a creamy cheese sauce, roasted rosemary potatoes, and crispy bacon. The morning went too quickly and soon the Harleys were brought out of the shed and packed up with bags that would fit into all the luggage spots. When you ride a motorcycle you ride light!

After a group hug and jackets, helmets, and glasses were donned we sent our 50th anniversary guests off to continue their special journey. And by the way Joe figured that 50 years together adds up to 36,362 days!!!! Good luck Clyde and Susie and Tom and Sandy! Stay safe and Happy Trails!

The Zip Line Canopy Tour

It's only March and already the  Common Ground Canopy Tour is up and open for business! They are open 7 days a week with tours leaving at 10:00 and 2:00 and they are offering a reduced rate through March for $57.00 per person on weekdays and $67.00 per person on weekends Friday to Sunday. What are you waiting for?

Mother Nature is starting to warm us up and we are seeing some sunshine so why not make some plans to come out to Common Ground, only 9 miles from us, and zip your way into spring! No need to go away on spring break when there are so many great things to do right here in Lorain County! There's adventure at the zip line and bike path, history at the Heritage Center, art at the AMAM, great food at our restaurants, shopping at our quaint shops, movies at the Apollo and excellent overnight accommodations at Hallauer House. 

And one last note - our pool will be opening in 6 weeks!!! We're on a count down!

 Enjoy the zip line pictures!

 We heard that the oldest 'zipper' so fat at Common Ground was 84 years old! So what are you waiting for!

 FUN! FUN! FUN!