Cincinnati, OH

Model Railroad Show in Cincinnati March 10-11 2012

Whether you just want to bring back some childhood memories, introduce your kids to the hobby or you're already a hardcore model railroad hobbyist, you're going to want to make the World's Greatest Hobby Train Show this weekend! With 100,000 square feet of exhibit space at Cincinnati's Duke Energy Center (525 Elm St), you're not going to have a shortage of trains to enjoy!

200 booths and all the major model train manufacturers will be there! 50,000 square feet of operating model railroads! Over 100 trains for kids to play with! Even some set-ups for the "big kids" to run too! Mix in demonstrations, seminars and new products displays and what more could you ask for? Well how about a FREE Thomas the Train operating track for the kids to ride? (check the video below).

Open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., admission is $10 for adults (CASH only!!!) and FREE for kids! And that ticket is good for BOTH days! Visit the World's Greatest Hobby on Tour website for more details on this event!



We hope you have a great time!

Serving Warren County's residential real estate needs,
Liz and Bill aka BLiz

P.S. Thinking about buying or selling a Warren County home and need someone to "conduct" your journey? Just give The Liz Spear Team of RE/MAX Elite a call!

Cincinnati Art Museum: A Nearly Free Day of Entertainment!

One of the many perks of living in Warren County is the easy access to Cincinnati and Dayton, and all that comes with that! And thanks to the generosity of some donors with seriously deep pockets, the Cincinnati Art Museum is free admission, all the time! The most you'll pay is $4 for parking, and if you spend $10 at the Museum Cafe or $15 in the Museum Gift Shop or purchase an annual membership, they'll waive the parking fee.

Insider's tip: If you want to park for free, then try the parking lot at the entrance for a short walk up the hill, but don't count on any empty spots!

Now the Cincinnati Art Museum is huge, and you could easily spend days browsing their full range of items. Art of all sorts: paintings, sculpture, ancient artifacts (even an Egyptian mummy), each with a written history of the artist and the subject.

And if the standing collections aren't enough, there are always some dazzling temporary exhibits. Yesterday when we visited, they had a dozen Monet paintings from the waterlily period, and quite a few Picasso prints too! The Monets and Picassos will be on display through May 13, 2012. And those two are just a small selection of the special exhibits now in place. Visit www.CincinnatiArtMuseum.org for a full listing of all exhibits.

Now just a heads up, taking photos is limited to permanent collections of the museum, so that's why there are no Monet or Picasso snapshots included with this blog post!

So when can you visit the Cincinnati Art Museum?
They're open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. They are closed some major holidays, so check their website. FYI, Saturday afternoons? A little busy, it took two rounds of the parking lot to finally get a spot!

Where? 953 Eden Park Drive, Cincinnati OH 45202. Located in Eden Park and on the edge of Mt. Adams!

Phone: 1-877-472-4226

They're also active on Facebook, so find them as "Cincinnati Art Museum".

So if you're looking for some culture and sneaking in some education in a way that the kids won't even know it, head on down to the Cincinnati Art Museum!

Serving Warren County's residential real estate needs,
Liz and Bill aka BLiz

P.S. Thinking about buying or selling a Warren County home? We'd be happy to be your guides to the art of real estate! Just call The Liz Spear Team of RE/MAX Elite!

Legomaniac Alert: LEGO® KidsFest coming To Cincinnati March 23-25 2012!

LEGOs have come a LOOOOONG way from when I was a kid. Basic rectangles, maybe a roof edge slope and a few with axle capabilities. Yeah...THAT'S a tank if you use your imagination!

NOW??? WOW they've come a long way! We play with our nephew and some of his LEGO kits and the detail is just amazing! Planes that look like planes, boats that look like boats, little figures and Luke Skywalker and Harry Potter worlds exist!

So if you've got a kid (or a little kid trapped in a big kid body) who's a Lego fan, you're going to be thrilled to know that Cincinnati's Duke Energy Convention Center (525 Elm Street) is one of six stops on the 2012 U.S LEGO KidsFest Tour!

LEGO KidsFest will visit March 23-25, with sessions Friday March 23 4-8:30 pm, and on Saturday and Sunday two sessions each day, 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Each session offers the same activities and exhibits.

So what are some of these activities and exhibits?

Lifesize and miniature models made entirely out of LEGO bricks! You're going to be amazed at the detail!

LEGO Master Builder Academy: Some of the best ever teach the kids some of the tricks of the trade!

LEGO Activity Area: Master Builders, trivia, games and audience participation IS expected!!

LEGO Challenge Zone: Get your inner competitor out and participate in group contests! How quick can you build that tower?

Creation Nation: They start with a map outline of the U.S., then let visitors build their own LEGO creation and place them on the map! Each day the map fills even further!

Big Brick Pile: Maybe not literally a TON of LEGOs, but maybe it is? Turn the kids loose for fun!

Okay, we could keep going, because there's LOTS more to offer, but for those details just visit www.LegoKidsFest.com!

So what is this fun going to cost? You're purchasing for a SESSION, not for the entire day or event. Adult tickets cost $20, kids 3-17 and old kids 65+ cost $18. There's a .50 service charge per ticket. Just visit www.LegoKidsFest.com to purchase your tickets online!

Serving Warren County's residential real estate needs,
Liz and Bill aka BLiz

P.S. Need to build your own home? We work with New Construction builders, but they'll work with wood and brick rather than LEGOs! Just give The Liz Spear Team of RE/MAX Elite a call and we'll go to work for you!

Attention Cincinnati Foodies: 1 Night 12 Kitchens Returns April 29 2012

If superior food prepared by the region's best chefs is your thing, then this event might already be on your calendar! The annual 1 Night 12 Kitchens fundraiser to benefit Cincinnati State Midwest Culinary Institute scholarships is returning for an evening of fantastic food and drink!

WHEN: April 29th from 6-9 p.m.

WHERE: Cincinnati State Midwest Culinary Institute 3520 Central Parkway Cincinnati OH 45223

WHAT: 1 Night 12 Kitchens is a collection of some of the BEST chefs Cincinnati has to offer, the celebrity chefs WILL be there! Jean-Robert de Cavel of Jean-Robert's Table, Todd Cook of Orchids at Palm Court, Owen Maass of Cumin and lots more. There's actually more than 12 kitchens involved in this affair, more in the range of 20+. Our apologies for what this does to your waistline!

COST: Keeping in mind this is a fundraiser AND some of the best chefs around, you know this is going to not be cheap! There are two tiers of tickets:

General Admission: $100 per person and that covers the food and wine sampling and Kitchen Tours

VIP: $165 per person and covers a Summit Restaurant hors d'oeurves reception with the chefs, food and wine sampling, kitchen tours, a souvenir apron and valet parking.

So if you're interested in attending, you can purchase tickets by visiting www.midwestculinary.com or calling 513.569.4222. Of course they take all major credit cards!

We hope you enjoy!

Serving Warren County's residential real estate needs,
Liz and Bill aka BLiz

P.S. Need help setting the table for a successful home purchase or sale? Just give The Liz Spear Team of RE/MAX Elite a call. From appetizer to dessert, we've got you covered!

Ballet Toybox by Cincinnati Ballet Offers a Great Ballet Introduction February 18 2012

Ready to break the kiddies away from the video games, TV and internet and expose them to a little culture? You may not find a better opportunity than Cincinnati Ballet's Ballet Toybox this Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Aronoff Center for the Arts! We attended the premiere of The New Nutcracker back in December and it was a joy to watch with amazing talent from all over the world. And the sets, WOW!!!

Included in the Ballet Toybox is an excerpt from The New Nutcracker, and a host of other family friendly selections: Peter and the Wolf, Princess and the Pea, and The Steadfast Tin Soldier! Cost is $25 and the program lasts 50 minutes....just right to not lose the attention of the little ones!

So if you haven't been downtown to the Aronoff Center for the Arts, punch 650 Walnut Street Cincinnati OH 45202 into your GPS. It's VERY easy to get to from anywhere in the area.

Parking? 6000 spots within a two block radius, or if you're feeling like a splurge, valet parking available (of course parking ISN'T free, so add that to your budget for the evening!).

Check the map (courtesy of Downtown Cincinnati Inc.) for more details on parking locations. And of course, you may want to enjoy some Cincinnati dining before or after the performance, you'll find no shortage of area choices!

We hope you enjoy Ballet Toybox! To purchase tickets click Cincinnati Ballet's Ballet Toybox!

Serving Warren County's residential real estate needs,
Liz and Bill aka BLiz

P.S. Need to buy or sell a Warren County area home? We won't make you wear a tutu and stand on your tiptoes to get a great deal! Just call The Liz Spear Team of RE/MAX Elite!