A Scenic Mile
San Antonio has its famous River Walk. Las Vegas boasts a dancing fountain. But our city of Columbus features both in a one-mile stretch. After three years of construction and eager anticipation, the first phase of the Scioto Mile riverfront park project has become a rejuvenating getaway in the heart of downtown Columbus.

The green corridor — which stretches from the Arena District to the Whittier Peninsula — officially opened to the public in July. The revitalization project was coordinated and completed by the city and the Columbus Downtown Development Corp.

Favorite focal points include a 15,000-square-foot water fountain, which is transformed into a cascading rainbow of colors in the evening; Milestone 229, a casual restaurant accommodating 200 diners; and a glass-enclosed pavilion overlooking the downtown skyline, designed to host a variety of special events. There are also plenty of picture-perfect spots from which to admire the view of the Scioto River, as well as paths just right for strolling and biking along the scenic waterway.

“Obviously,” says Terri Leist, assistant director of Columbus Recreation and Parks, “[the area] has been a popular attraction for families and will be a huge, huge success for the city.”
— Sandie Young

For more information, visit sciotomile.com.

Worlds to Explore
One day you’re a stay-at-home mom, carpooling and meeting friends for lunch. The next day you’re flying through the air on a circus trapeze.

How does this happen?

For entrepreneur Michele Rapp of Upper Arlington, running away to join the circus (at least for one afternoon) is symbolic.

Although happily married and the proud mother of two young sons, Rapp sought a respite from predictability and conformity. So, beginning with five friends, she founded the Ladies Explorer Club in 2010. Now, with more than 100 members and a new chapter starting in Cleveland, Rapp provides women with a chance to “feel empowered.”

Over the past year, the Ladies Explorer Club has gone skeet shooting and rock climbing, fenced, made wine, dressed fish, tried their hand at glassblowing and gotten up-close-and-personal with a tiger. In the future, they’re planning on giving auto racing and skydiving a whirl.

“Some women are able to get out of their comfort zones. But the majority need friends to help break barriers,” Rapp explains. “In our circle of friends, there is always a risk taker who says, ‘Lets do this.’ I am finding like-minded women who appreciate opportunities.”

For now, there are no dues or membership fees. Participants pay for selected events, which are generally priced in the $30 to $80 range. Rapp also likes
the positive economic aspects of the club. In fact, she envisions helping other women launch chapters across the country and introducing participants to a few businesses which normally don’t attract many females.

“The majority of members are in their 40s, 50s and 60s,” Rapp says. “These aren’t single women who go to Happy Hour to search for somebody.

“We are,” she explains, “searching for remnants of ourselves.”

Rapp admits that she won’t get a call from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey anytime soon, because she “didn’t get that trapeze thing quite right.” But maybe her mom will: Sondra Slone executed two perfect trapeze maneuvers. — Jill Sell

For more information about the Ladies Explorer Club, visit ladiesexplorerclub.com or call 614/516-3325.

A Royal Roll
Forget shuffling. Roll your way to a royal flush with Square Shooters, the latest offering from Lakewood-based games manufacturer Heartland Consumer Products LLC. The company — known for its Vegas brand of playing cards — also developed the DrizzleStik umbrella, which attaches to golf bags to protect clubs from the elements.

Square Shooters, explains company CEO Tom Donelan, redesigns the century-old concept of playing cards: Nine six-sided dice are embossed with the images that traditionally appear on a deck of cards. The object of the game: Match a hand with three rolls or less. The player who accumulates the most chips wins. The dice also come with instructions for seven additional games, including Twenty-One, Rummy, Blackjack and Poker. Each is designed to be family friendly.

“Parents have discovered that it can bring generations together,” Donelan says. “It can be a matching game for children and a game of chance for adults. Square Shooters inventor Carmelyn Calvert created it to ensure that countless game combinations would be possible.”

He adds that, to date, the game has received “great reviews from everybody from mommy bloggers to toy and game enthusiasts, to hardcore strategic gamers.” —Sandie Young

Visit squareshooters.com or call 216/712-4100.