Things to Do in Wilmington

For three generations, the Morgan family has equipped adventurers with the accouterments they need to conquer the great outdoors. The outfitters supply canoes, kayaks, and rafts for excursions at both their Fort Ancient location on the Little Miami River and Brookville location on the Whitewater River. Adventurers choose from a range of downstream floats, with river jaunts stretching from 3 miles up to 18 miles. The company also operates campgrounds with cabins and tent space on the banks of both rivers, allowing guests to stop overnight to rest their muscles or practice non-native birdcalls while everyone else sleeps.

Colonial Pines Golf Club’s 18-hole course blankets 127 acres of tranquil Ohio Valley farmland for 5,966 yards of rolling hills and imposing hardwoods. Golfers traverse the par 70 layout on the backs of motorized carts or caddies hoping to improve their piggyback-ride form, steering balls away from a menagerie of hazards, including mounds topped with swaying heathers, woodsy thickets, and six lakes spanning 11 acres. The first tee shot aptly foreshadows a round in which avoiding water hazards and ingratiating oneself to ball-stealing fish will be critical, as drives must cross a pond that runs from the tee box to the beginning of the fairway.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 70 course
• Length of 5,966 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 68.3 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 117 from the farthest tees
• Three tee options
• Link to scorecard

For James Michael Kahle, the molten material he uses to craft his sculptures and vessels is a living thing, an element that must be cooperated with in order to achieve the desired response. Since beginning his career at the Toledo Museum of Art in 1990, the artisan has come to master a number of methods for creating stunning visual effects, from melding metal and alloys into the glass to encasing air bubbles. James channels his skill into crafting pieces—such as installation pieces, prismatic sinks, and even memorial sculptures forged around the ashes of a departed loved one—for display and use around the home. The glassworker also invites groups into his studio for classes, vigilant as his students work their own pieces in lava-powered ovens reaching more than 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Westcott House Foundation celebrates its charge’s history through continuing preservation efforts, safeguarding the house as both a museum and shrine to Frank Lloyd Wright’s vision for Prairie-style homes. One of 260 of Wright’s remaining houses in the world, the pristinely restored structure entices visitors from far and wide with its architectural allure and unparalleled hide-and-seek spots. The grounds embody Wright’s love of melding a building with its site, boasting a terrace, a pool, and period-inspired gardens. An intricately latticed pergola connects the carriage house to the main building, a rare and interesting gem among Wright’s normally trellis-free Prairie homes.