Author: Steven Locke

A Passport to Hoppiness with Butler County Beer Circuit

Steven Locke
Butler County Beer Circuit Passport to Hoppiness

What happens when you have a designated driver and want to check out the Butler County Beer Circuit in Butler, PA? You hit as many as you can – in 24 hours, of course. Here’s my take on why you need to check out the BCBC including brew standouts and what sets each brew pub apart from the others.  When you head out on a beer circuit or brew trail, it’s always fun to let someone else choose the brews. So, keeping that in mind, I asked both the barkeeps…

Ohio’s Route 33 Brew Trail: A Road Trip of the Craft Brew Kind

Steven Locke
Route 33 Brew Trail Loose Rail Brewery

The latest brew trail to ping our radar is the Route 33 Brew Trail in Central Ohio. With six breweries to start, and plenty of craft brews to choose from, we visited as many as possible in one day. The kicker? We asked the staff to choose the beer flights for us. Here’s why you need to take a trip on the Trail. When you visit five craft breweries in one day and want to experience the menu highlights, a beer flight is the way to go. And who better…

You Keg, I Keg, We All Keg for uKeg? A uKeg Review of the Craft Brew Kind

Steven Locke
uKeg by Growlerwerks review: Worth the cash or a pass?

When it comes to craft brews, my husband is a connoisseur to put it mildly. On our road trips, he was always concerned about how to bring home craft brews on tap without them spilling or going flat. Enter the uKeg. It’s the first of its kind that keeps brew bubbles exactly how they need to be. And who better to explain his newfound love than Mr. Locke himself. Here’s the scoop and a uKeg review and how it’s making his craft brew drinking all for the better. – Karyn…

Pittsburgh Holiday Guide | 2017

Steven Locke
Pittsburgh Holiday Guide

Families all bundled up whirling their way around a giant Christmas tree surrounded by the clippity-clop of horse hooves. Kids staring at the sky, mouths gaped open in awe of the tens of thousands of Christmas lights. A German Market and fireworks lighting up the night. Can you picture it? Every holiday season, Pittsburgh goes all out and sets this picturesque scene for its visitors and residents. Beginning November 17th and spanning from Point State Park to Kennywood Park, Pittsburgh holiday events are not to be missed! Check out our 11…

10,000 Reasons Why you Need to Visit this Ohio Leaf Peeping Spot this Fall

Steven Locke
Rose Lake in Hocking Hills, Ohio. Photo Credit: Amy Weirick

If you’re looking for reasons to visit Ohio this autumn, leaf peeping should be at the top of your list. And, when it comes to Ohio leaf peeping, it’s an hour south of Columbus to an outdoor-lover’s dream location. From cavernous hikes to inspiring views, Hocking Hills is the place to be for autumn leaf peeping. 10,000 Reasons to Visit Hocking Hills in Fall When it comes to unbroken forest, Hocking Hills, Ohio has 10,000 acres of it! There’s cool lodging options including sleeping in a restored caboose near Ash…

10 Classic Rides at Kennywood Park You Must Ride at Least Once

Steven Locke
Kennywood Park Entrance Arch

If you live near Pittsburgh, there’s a good chance you’ve probably visited Kennywood Park a time or two – or 12. The theme park in West Mifflin is filled with old-school rides that true park enthusiasts adore and kids love compliments of the fun factor. But, if you really want a classic experience, these ones are must-dos. Here’s 10 classic rides at Kennywood Park that you must ride at least once – and a bonus! 1. Turtle Even if you ride Turtle for the view alone, it’s absolutely worth it.…

Ohio Chinese Lantern Festival: Traditional Beauty & Culture in Columbus

Steven Locke
Ohio Chinese Lantern Festival

If  there’s one thing I know is true regarding Chinese lanterns it’s this: I’ve always been fascinated with the mystery and beauty of them. As a child, I remember watching lantern festivals on the tele and thinking that I’d love to be apart of a festival one day. What started out as practicality (using paper lanterns to keep flames from going out) turned into tradition. That tradition evolved into both paper and silk forms in homes and on the streets for lighting and eventually made its way over to North…

Columbus Holiday Guide | 2016

Steven Locke
Easton Town Centre holiday

There’s a reason that Ohio’s capitol sits almost perfectly in the center of the state: so all of its residents have easy access! If you’ve never visited Columbus, Ohio, you really need to start planning a trip. If you’ve never visited during the holidays? You’re really missing out on the merriment!  Beginning on November 18, 2016 Columbus holiday events are not to be missed! Check out our 9 favorite reasons to head into the city for the holiday fun this year for this year’s Columbus Holiday Guide. Franklin Park Conservatory From November 19 through…

This is not Cedar Falls

Steven Locke
...it is Cedar Falls's neighbor

If you have ever talked to anyone who has been to the great big national parks in the western U.S., they will have undoubtedly told you that the pictures that you are now looking at, that they were somehow unnaturally compelled to show you, though dumbfoundingly beautiful, no, downright stunning, are not a fair representation of the the subject at hand. No, as glorious as the images are they simple have no sense of justice. To be perfectly truthful, the sheer cheek, the irrefutable sense of impropriety of these pictures…