Huge barges navigate big loops of the Ohio River where Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio join. Interstates 75, 71 and 74 cross through town.
Site of one of the first forts in the “Western colonies,” Cincinnati is the city of “seven hills,” many of them still wooded despite a population making it one of the largest metro areas in the nation.
Saks, galleries and all the usual city shopping opportunities can be found downtown, as well as the Aronoff which is home to the Broadway Series and other big venue entertainment.
The Cincinnati Reds and Bengals stadiums line the riverfront. Further east, the Freedom Center sits beside the Reds Baseball museum, home to a recently discovered “slave pen” as well as other historical artifacts. The William Taft Museum offers a view into the president’s home and art collection on the east end of downtown.
North of downtown, the Cincinnati Zoo, the “sexiest” zoo in the nation for its success in breeding exotic animals, is also a botanical garden with a fun holiday light show.
Music Hall offers a charming historic home for the world-renown Cincinnati Symphony and Pops. The old train station with its unique mosaic murals is now the Museum Center housing the fabulous Children’s Museum and history museums. Tiny biplanes fly over a diorama of Cincinnati in the 1920s.
Eden Park with its Mirror Lake is high above the Ohio River. At the highest peak in the park is the Art Museum packed with antiquities as well as modern art. The Conservatory with dessert and rainforest wings is on the park’s far east edge. Changing exhibits include holiday displays, the annual butterfly show and spring flowers. Don’t miss the bonsai and orchid rooms too. The tiny park just past the Conservatory offers an amazing view of the Ohio River from heights you wouldn’t expect in Ohio.
Across the river on the south side is Newport, with its levee entertainment area and one of the top aquariums in the nation, featuring an unusual shark-ray. Walk the Purple People Bridge and stand over the Ohio watching boat and barge traffic or listening to music during one of many events there.
One of the top 20 biggest cities in the nation, “Porkopolis” feels like a small town as soon as you’re away from downtown.
Just 20 minutes from downtown, via interstates for all but the last two miles, you can arrive at First Farm Inn, Kentucky’s bed and breakfast for people and horses. This historic 1870s-vintage farmhouse has been updated with all the modern conveniences, including wireless internet and private baths, while offering old fashioned privacy, comfort and home cooked breakfasts.
Friendly horses, cats and dog offer noses to pet as you relax hiking around the yard, visiting the barn or playing in the boats on the pond. Spend a morning or afternoon learning about horses and how to relate to them as you tour the farm on horseback. Then relax in the outdoor hot tub with a bottle of wine after enjoying dinner at a variety of family-owned restaurants nearby.
