All About Akron

Last Sunday's newspaper included a special section of local favorites. Being new to the area, Niels and I were happy for the recommendations. For those planning a summer trip to our neck of the woods, here are some of our picks:

DINING:

• Best Ice Cream or Custard: Stricklands (Sadly, we are deprived of Culvers here)
• Best Sauerkraut Balls: Anthe's, 4315 Manchester Road, New Franklin. (Nope, we haven't tried Akron's official food either!)
• Best Chinese Food: House of Hunan
• Best Indian Food: Raj Mahal
• Best Thai Food: Pad Thai
• Best Coffee: Nervous Dog (This is for you, DK!)
  

Other Recommended Eats:

• 356th Fighter Club
• Carousel Dinner Theatre
• Rockne's

BEST MUSEUMS FOR KIDS:

• Inventors Hall of Fame
• Great Lakes Science Center
• Museum of Natural History
• McKinley Museum
• Cleveland Children's Museum
• Akron Art Museum
• Akron Zoo
• Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
• Hale Farm & Village

MORE AKRON/CANTON ATTRACTIONS:

• Classic Car Museum
• Cuyahoga Riverboat Trips
• Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad
• Five Oaks Historic Home
• Fort Laurens State Memorial
• Glamorgan Castle
• Hower House
• MAPS Air Museum
• National First Ladies Library
• Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Schnoenbrunn Villiage
• Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens
• Water Works
• Zoar Village

BOOKSTORES:

• Berean
• Blue Heron Book Store
• The Bookseller
• Borders
• Learned Owl

AKRON FUN FACTS:

• Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in Akron in 1935
• Akron is home to the Firestone Country Club, at which the PGA TOUR's Bridgestone Invitational is annually played
• In 1869, B.F. Goodrich began the first rubber company to settle in Akron. (Goodyear is still based in Akron)
• For a time in 1920s, Akron was the fastest-growing city in the country. Among the factory workers in the early 1920s was a young Clark Gable.
• Famous Akronians

AKRON FIRSTS:

• First balloon tire
• First automobile tires made in the United States
• First rubber-wound golf ball
• First breakfast cereal
• First artificial fish bait
• First cotton-covered rubber fire hose
• First U.S. toy company
• First synthetic rubber tire
• First commercial tubeless tire
• First graded school system in U.S.
• First automobile police patrol wagon
• First long distance electric railway in world
• First U.S. space suits
• First trans-active science museum (National Inventors Hall of Fame)
• First meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous.
• First Champion of the NFL - 1920 (Akron Professionals)
• First zepplin built in the United States

More to do in Akron

Aisle File: Invite Edition (05.18.07 )

-- if you haven't received this post as an email, we do not have your (correct) email address on file. just let us know if you want to be added, or just check back here on a regular basis :-) --

Dear friends and family,

We are so excited to share our big day with you. Our invitations are on their way and we've been thrilled to hear back from some of you already.

We've created a profile on TheKnot.com to help us manage some of the details of our wedding. You can see our web page at: www.theknot.com/ourwedding/JenAbbas&NielsDeJong

The site also lets us send out handy dandy newsletters like this one, which is great for us because our guests are coming from literally around the world!

A few details we want to share with you:

1. If you are planning to book a hotel, please do so quickly. Our wedding is the day before the big Hall of Fame induction week festivities so rooms are already booking up fast. We do have a block of rooms at two local hotels, but due to the timing, they will only be held until JUNE 29. You can find links to the hotels on our regular blog: www.becomingdejong.blogspot.com.
   
   
2. You will notice on the response card that we are asking your transportation method. With so many from out of town, this will give us a handle on transportation needs for those flying in.
   
   
3. As you plan your travels, we hope you stop by our open house on Saturday, July 28. We'd love to show you our beautiful new home, let guests mix and mingle, and host our first international Catanarama. We estimate that of the 150 invited guests, at least 110 have played, if not share our addiction. We have two English editions (including 1 Cities & Knights), one German, and one Dutch. We plan on having games set up throughout the house. Is there a better way to make new friends? :-) If you have a game, please bring it. The more the merrier. Of course, if Catan isn't really your thing, feel free to bring another game, just join us anyway. We're planning to start around noon, or whenever we're back from rehearsal. Stay tuned. At 8pm, we'll wind things down with a time of worship before we head off for a good night's sleep. Musicians, please bring your instruments!
   
   
4. We've having an iPod reception. Our MCs will be setting up the mix for the evening. If you have a musical request, just let us know. We're especially interested in adding your special songs (spiritual or romantic), as we celebrate love and the God who is Love.
   
   
5. Something to think about...In China, there is a tradition when a baby is born, of creating a "hundred wish quilt." Friends and family write their wish for the child on a piece of fabric, and the paternal grandmother makes a quilt. In honor of our international wedding, we are modifying this tradition to make a "hundred blessing/wise counsel scrapbook." (Still working on a cool name). At the wedding, we'll have notecards for each guest to write a short thought, blessing, memory, or bit of wisdom.

That's it for now,
Tot de volgende keer (... for those who speak Dutch...),

Love,
Jen & Niels

Info For Our Guests

Tentative Schedule

Saturday, May 26: Minnesota Reception

Saturday, June 16: Michigan Shower (afternoon) and Reception (evening)

Tuesday, July 2: Ohio Blessing & Couples Shower

Saturday, July 28:

• morning TBD: rehearsal for the wedding party and family
• noon - 8p: open house at the de Jongs...stop by to meet other guests, participate in our international Catanarama (we have the Dutch, German and English editions), maybe play a little bocce ball, and eat! Bring your favorite game!
• 8p: bonfire and worship. Musicians, bring your instruments!

Sunday, July 29:

• 1p - seating of guests
• 1:30p - ceremony begins!!
• after ceremony: Jen & Niels enjoy their first fifteen minutes as Mr. & Mrs. de Jong; our house church will led guests in singings and gathering everyone for a group picture
• after group picture: optional Sunday worship, wedding party pictures, carriage rides available, and lots to look at in the air-conditioned reception area
• 3:30ish - reception begins
• 7ish - Mr & Mrs. de Jong leave for their honeymoon!
• 9ish - reception ends

Directions

• For those who would like to attend the Open House / Catanarama / Bonfire on the eve of the wedding (July 28), here are the directions to the house
  
  For those who are driving to the wedding location, here are the directions to the location
  

Canton Area Attractions and Hotels

This part was originally supposed to be part of the invitation, but we kind of forgot... so here is the enclosure with helpful information such as the hotels with rooms blocked, things to do in the area, etc...

And finally, for those who like a bigger selection of hotels, here are some more hotels... (actually double the hotels, since the same info is on the page twice ... ;-)

If you need some more information, just give us a shout via email. We can't wait to celebrate with you!

Invitations are on their way!

Happy Mother's Day

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