Who’s up for some island hopping? Hawaii has long been a popular destination for folks seeking a tropical vacation without the need for a passport. With each island offering unique landscapes and experiences, there’s truly something for everyone in this palm tree studded, waterfall flowing, volcanic erupting wonderland!  Flights are currently pricing great for August-October and hotels are offering some amazing deals as well.

Another great way to experience Hawaii is by means of a floating hotel! Norwegian Cruise Lines offers an incredible seven day round trip Honolulu itinerary with overnights in both Maui & Kauai. This allows you to see four islands in seven days and only unpack once! Currently we can even offer an “all inclusive” experience when booking certain room categories which means you can have unlimited drinks, specialty dining credits, free wifi, shore excursion credit all included in your cruise fare!  (Keep in mind these offers are date specific).

So, if snorkeling, long walks on the beach, boating, swimming with dolphins, scenic drives with waterfalls, zip lining, hikes, bike riding, historical sites, cultural experiences and great food are all on your list of what makes vacations fun, then Hawaii is the destination for you! 

Text or call us at 513-275-8086 7 days a week for a customized quote! 

Debbie Boyd – Lead Travel Consultant in the Greater Cincinnati area.  

Website: Travelyhappyagency.com 

Email: Debbie@travelhappyagency.com 

On Monday, April 15, Nicola Pietoso celebrated the 23rd anniversary of his namesake restaurant, Nicola’s. To celebrate, he gave away over $2000 worth of their famous Bolognese to unsuspecting guests who often dine there on Mondays to enjoy their weekly neighborhood special.

In addition to their “Bolo Mondays,” Nicola’s is well known as an upscale fine dining staple in Cincinnati’s Over-The-Rhine neighborhood, featuring a highly acclaimed, contemporary Italian menu, an extensive wine list and one of the most unique dining spaces in the area.

Nicola’s is also the proud multi-year recipient of the AAA Four Diamond rating, as well as TripExpert’s “Expert’s Choice and “Best of Cincinnati” awards.

Matthieu Charbonneau, Manager of Nicola’s, has worked there for most of the past five years.When asked what really separates Nicola’s from other restaurants in OTR, he was quick to mention their level of customer service, “The service aspect is a staple in OTR, a constant that has been a focus of ours. We have a longstanding reputation for being warmly hospitable and accommodating.”

It is this service that founder Nicola Pietoso strives for every day. In fact, it’s the heart of his business. You can find Pietoso in the dining room almost every night, smiling and talking to customers. In the words of Charbonneau, “Guests love seeing him. He’s been around for 23 years and is an absolutely wonderful and amazing person who carries a unique presence with him everywhere he goes.”

Guests are also a focus in the kitchen, as Executive Chef Jack Hemmer spends his time creating innovative dishes each season for the guests to enjoy. Nicola’s just released their new Spring menu, featuring house favorites such as beef tenderloin, arctic char, rhubarb salad, frutti di mare squid ink pasta and tuna crudo. Having worked on and off for Nicola’s since his early 20’s, Hemmer embraces Nicola’s core values and strives for this commitment to customer service not just in the kitchen, but in the front of the house as well. In his words, “Our goal every day is to be better than the day before. We want people to consider us one of the best.”

In addition to the seasonal menu releases, Nicola’s often hosts wine dinners, pairing delicious wines with customized dinner selections from Chef Hemmer. The next wine dinner is scheduled for June 13 and will feature wines from Italo Cescon. The restaurant is also planning another wine dinner in July. Guests can reserve their seats for these exclusive dinners by calling the restaurant directly.

Nicola’s Restaurant offers a truly unique experience for its guests. With private and semi-private dining spaces, they are the perfect location for a corporate meeting, dinner celebration or to entertain friends while in town. Visit Nicola’s at 1420 Sycamore Street in downtown Cincinnati for amazing food, wine and atmosphere.

Art Beyond Boundaries Gallery invites you to attend our next exhibition, ‘Summertime: Hot & Bothered,’ on Final Friday, May 31, 2019 from 6 to 9 pm. This will showcase the work of both emerging and seasoned artists with disabilities in the historic Over-the-Rhine arts district.  The exhibition will run until July 15, 2019.

Join us opening night to experience the original art and meet the featured artists. The gallery will exhibit a variety of paintings, sculptures, photography, and other media by local and regional artists. Wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served.  Admission is free.

Art Beyond Boundaries provides a professional, fine arts exhibition venue for artists with disabilities, located at 1410 Main Street in the historic Over-the-Rhine arts district. With your support, we can continue providing a gallery, workshops, programs, and services for our artists with disabilities. For more information, “friend” or “follow” the gallery on Facebook , Twitter, Instagram, and/or contact the gallery.

 

If you haven’t had a chance to schedule your summer vacation, don’t fret! We still have space available on our nonstop charter flights to one of our favorite destinations on the Pacific Coast, the incredible Cabo San Lucas!

We have 6 night nonstop flights departing from CVG every Sunday through July 28, 2019. There are currently packages starting as low as $800 pp including flights, round trip transportation to and from the resort, the all inclusive resort experience as well as taxes & fees! Wow!

Whether you are looking for a family friendly resort or an exclusive romantic getaway for two, Cabo has something for everyone! Do you love the spa? Some of our resorts even include spa treatments in the all inclusive package. How about golf? Green fees are included at specific resorts! Want a private catamaran for you and your best pals? We can arrange that as well! 

Take advantage of these nonstop flights while they are still available! Give us a call and we’ll help you find just the right spot. We love making your getaways as fun and flawless as possible! Text or call us today! 

Debbie Boyd – Founder & Lead Travel Consultant, Travel Happy Agency  

Cell: 513-275-8086

Website: Travelyhappyagency.com 

Email: Debbie@travelhappyagency.com 

 

There’s nothing better than getting a good laugh and having a good time while supporting a great cause.  And it’s easy to do in Cincinnati because Window World has their 6th annual “Laughter is the Best Medicine” event coming up on Friday, June 7th.

Held at The Syndicate in Newport, Kentucky, this event raises money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which is Window World’s national philanthropy.  Window World’s local comedy show and dinner has raised over $200,000 for St. Jude!  Window World nationally has raised over $9 million.  The money raised will help defray the costs of treating patients at St. Jude’s, because no one ever receives a bill when they are a patient…..not for medical care, food, lodging, medications…everything is taken care of so families can focus on treatment and healing.

The evening begins at 7pm, and your ticket will get you appetizers, a buffet dinner and all you can drink until 11 pm.  A national comedian will entertain you during the evening.  The headlining act is Jeff Jena.  Your emcee for the night will be John Oslica, owner of Window World Cincinnati. A patient, or a patient’s family  will be on hand to discuss their experiences with St. Jude Hospital, as well as a representative of the hospital itself.  Don’t forget to drop by the silent auction, featuring items such as trip packages, jewelry, gift card raffles and a wine raffle, as well as participate in the live auction, all hosted by an auctioneer who specializes in “Laughter is the Best Medicine” events.

Want to buy tickets?  Just go to www.windowworldcincinnati.com and click on the link to purchase!  Tickets are $100 each, or $185 a couple; tables of ten are available for $1000.  

Come ready to laugh and have a great time, and help Window World support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. 

 

Taste of Cincinnati®, presented by Kroger and produced by the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, will feature 34 restaurants and 19 food trucks at the May 25-27 event. The event, which opens at 11 a.m. each day, will showcase close to 300 Cincinnati-made menu items along with a wide variety of beers and diverse entertainment. Taste of Cincinnati will be held on Fifth Street from Main to the ramps of I-71 and Columbia Parkway.

The nation’s longest running free culinary arts festival, is also adding the Eat & Run 5K to its menu, Sunday, May 26, 10 a.m. The start and finish line for the inaugural run and walk will be at Sentinel and Culvert Streets in downtown Cincinnati. Registration is now open at www.TasteofCincinnati.com. 

“As the Taste of Cincinnati festival continues to evolve and innovate through food, drinks and entertainment, we’re proud to add what we know will become a new Cincinnati tradition, the Eat & Run 5K. We may even cook up a few surprises along the route,” said Cynthia Oxley, director of Taste of Cincinnati.

Eat & Run 5K participants will receive a commemorative medal, t-shirt, and a complimentary beverage at Taste of Cincinnati. Prizes will be awarded to the first, second and third place finishers in the men’s and women’s categories.

Additionally, Taste of Findlay Market will return to Taste of Cincinnati. The specialty section will feature nearly two dozen rotating food vendors from Cincinnati’s Findlay Market and “foodpreneurs” from their food business incubator, Findlay Kitchen, will serve delicious fresh-prepared “bites.”

Born in 1979, Taste of Cincinnati enjoyed a record-tying crowd of 550,000 in 2018.