Who’s ready for Cincinnati?!?!
No one?
WELL, YOU SHOULD BE!!!!!!!!!
When I was daydreaming destinations, Cincinnati came to mind, but why? Let me tell you, after a quick google search I found myself diving deep into this Ohio metropolis and looking at plane tickets to get there as soon as possible. There’s a reason the New York Times ranked them in the top ten of their “52 Best Places to Visit in 2018.” Regardless of the season, Cincinnati poses a great trip. Sitting in the heart of Winter, I am dreaming about the Autumn days with blazing leaves and firepits and pumpkin and everything that makes Fall so wonderful! Yet, we dont have much Fall down here in the Sunshine State. Hell, I cant even drink a Pumpkin Spice Latte without sweating! I could use a brisk walk around flaming orange leaves right about now. So, I decided to live vicariously through an imaginary trip to Cincinnati. Parallel universe Jonathan is living it up in a coat and jeans in this Ohio metropolis, and there’s no reason you shouldn’t be! WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I present Cincinnati.
Friday
Our itinerary has you arriving late afternoon, around 5. If you wanna get here earlier, that’s on you. PLAN AWAY! Work a half day of work before making your way to the airport. Depending on where you are coming from, Cincinnati is in the Eastern Time Zone (ie New York and Washington DC.)
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) is the main gateway to the city with over 50 destinations both in the US and Internationally. The airport is located in Northern Kentucky about 15 miles outside the city.
After landing, be sure to take note of the art deco murals on display around the airport. These were originally created for the Union Terminal train station for the city, and transported to where they currently stand. Hail your $20 uber and take the 20 minute ride through Kentucky’s grassy hills and rocky cliffs towards downtown. Once you round the bend and spot the skyline, brace for darkness as your maneuver through the tunnel crossing into Ohio.
THE Hotel
A good room can make or break a trip, so of course you’ll be staying at 21c Museum and Hotel!
609 Walnut St. (513) 578-6600 21cmuseumhotels.com $300adr
This IS The Next Adventure, and you should know how much we adore these properties. This 4.5 star property offers spacious rooms AND an art museum both in your room and throughout the grounds. Each room features bath amenities by Main+Goetz, a custom tile crafted by Rockwood Pottery Company (A Cincinnati based pottery company) and an original art piece by Laura Lee Brown. Request a higher room, the views of the city are stunning!
21C Museum Hotels are renowned for their art collections around the property, and their Cincinnati location definitely delivers! Located in the historic Metrople hotel, conveniently listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it has been completely converted into a “contemporary art museum, boutique hotel, restaurant, and bar.”
Each 21C property has site specific commissioned art, so soak in the exclusively Cincinnati pieces! Their rooftop Cocktail Terrace has stunning skyline views as well! More on that later!
Drop your stuff off and catch a ride to Ault Park. This beautiful park sits a top a hill and has a beautiful pavilion that looks right out of Athens.
The park offers about 7 miles of trails, so pick your favorite and go for a walk! Heekin Overlook is a beautiful spot to watch the sunset, as you pull your coat tighter around your shoulders and smell the raging orange leaves.
When the weather gets a bit too crisp, head over to the Big Bull Burger Bar. This restaurant is known by locals around Cincinnati as THE place to get a burger. All of their sandwiches creations can be made with either beef, turkey, salmon, or veggie burgers, or grilled chicken breasts.
Be sure to take note of their burger of the month. Don’t ignore their drinks, with concoctions as creative as their burgers! With the crisp autumn air outside, Mia would recommend ‘Uncle’s Old Fashioned’, a combination of Whiskey, Caramel, and Apple. This signature cocktail will be sure to equally warm you up and provide you with all the fall vibes. Other recommendations are the Bull and Bacon Bloody Mary and Vanilla Whiskey Ginger Ale.
Before continuing, let me explain TNA’s love of the stars. Shayley being the most obsessed, we have all been known to sit on a grassy patch and just stare at the sky. The Cincinnati Observatory hosts weekly events adequately named “Astronomy Fridays.” For $10 you get a tour of the observatory and a glimpse at the sky above. This observatory tour was the highlight of our trip, and should be a priority for you. Be sure to reserve your spot well in advance. At present, each group is limited to 30 people. If you can’t grab a ticket to astronomy Fridays, daytime tours of the property offered on Sundays at noon, 1pm, and 2pm.
It just so happens Cincinnati has the perfect Halloween event! Flying Pig Tours offers their iconic “Buried Secrets” tour during Halloween. Visit some of Cincinnati’s most iconic haunted sites such as Washington Park and Music Hall. Keep a keen eye out for supernatural activities, many people see them!
The twenty-nine dollar tour lasts about two hours and travels a little over a mile around the city.
Saturday
Take advantage of the autumn chill with a bike ride (or walk [or run]) along the Ohio River! The Red Bike Stations found around town have a station around both these parks. There is a riverside trail that runs along the river throughout downtown.
If you want some coffee before you start your journey, Caffe Vivace is both good and fairly close to the park, but Coffee Emporium, a hip vegan roaster is worth the trek.
Want to rent a bike? Cincinnati’s Red Bikes are Cincy’s take on city-wide rentals. For $10, you can get unlimited rides on a Red Bike throughout the day – just be sure to check the bike in every two hours to avoid an accrual of fees, $5 for every hour. The system works SO MUCH BETTER than any other similar service I have found, it’s definitely worth it for a ride around town.
Begin your journey at the Thomas Friendship Park. The Ohio River Trail winds around the river down to the John A Roebling Suspension Bridge. It’s about two miles one way, which I’m pretty sure is four round trip so plan your one way accordingly!
Be sure to wander into Eden Park nearby. The park has a pretty lake and a conservatory. It has a jaw-dropping river overlook as well, if you’re feeling up to the challenge of biking up the literal MOUNTAIN (just kidding; only a little…)
The Cincinnati Art Museum is also in Eden Park. Home to a collection of 67,000 pieces of art from 6,000 years, the museum has a number of permanent exhibitions exhibiting them, from Asian and Islamic Art, Modern Art, and European Art! The museum opens at 11 on Saturdays and is worth a stop if you enjoy art.
Hail an uber, and catch a ride the Camp Washington Chili. Admire the Camp Washington neighborhood a bit after arriving! In 2002, Cincinnati Freedom (a cow) leaped over a six foot fence, escaping a slaughterhouse. She eluded capture for almost two weeks, roaming around the neighborhood. After being gifted a key to the city, she went on to live the rest of her life in upstate New York!
To immerse yourself in the Midwestern culture, a Cincinnati delicacy is in store. Spaghetti-topped chili anyone? I know the thought sounds REPULSIVE, but this IS arguably the cities’ most famous dish. As Mia would say, you gotta try it… right? Not brave enough to try the spaghetti? This restaurant also has chili dogs. Regardless of what medium you decide to use for the chili, just make sure you try some!
The American Sign Museum is another museum worthy of your time. The “largest public museum dedicated to signs in the United States,” this museum is as weird as it sounds; in the best way!
A mess of neon and bulb lined words, the museum celebrates the history and art of commercial signs! To me, this concept sounds thrilling, but apparently my thrills aren’t unanimously shared. Trust me when I say this museum is well worth your time! It holds an energy unmatched by anything other than Chuck*E*Cheese, but with less screaming children and more history!
On your way back towards downtown, grab dinner at Findlay Market. This combo Public Market/Food Hall has consistently been ranked as one of the best in the country, beating even Pike’s Place over in Seattle!
As a self-certified “Food Hall Expert” I can attest to these claims. Findlay is one of the best both in options available and quality of products sold. Take a stroll around the market before deciding what you want to eat. You may be surprised by some of the options! If you’re still having difficulty choosing, to which I don’t blame you, I can assure you that none of the options will be a mistake.
Nightlife in Cincinnati is not disappointing! Take advantage of the weekend by hitting a few bars close to your hotel. The Blind Lemon is a bit away, but is my personal favorite bar in the city! With tons of old memorabilia from a plethora of sources, live music, and innovative cocktails, this is a great place to kill a few hours. Other options I enjoyed were Ghost Baby, Queen Radio City and Lost & Found OTR.
Sunday
RISE AND SHINE! It’s your last day in “Porkopolis!” 😦 Don’t get too sad, as you’re eating breakfast at Sleepy Bee Cafe [8 East 4th (513) 381-2339 Main: ~$13]. This quaint restaurant sits in an industrial-chic building, is right downtown, and has some of the best breakfast options in Cincinnati. The specialty pancakes are what caught my eye! From “boring” (chocolate chip batter with peanut butter and banana) to flat out INSANELY AWESOME (BACON in batter with whipped cream and pecans), these pancakes will be sure to fill you up before your last day in the city. Other options include Egg Scrambles, yogurt parfait creations, and Egg sandwiches, all with Bee Pun names. What more could you want?!
If you’d rather not eat a large breakfast, instead hop down the road to Brown Bear Bakery [116 E 13th St. (513) 975-2142 Pastry: ~ $4]; THE BEST bakery in Cincinnati. It’s a small batch bakery, meaning they don’t mass produce any pastries, so if this is a priority (as it is for me), I would skip Sleepy Bee and come here instead. Be sure to mobile order, its a much faster process. The menu changes quite frequently, so grab anything you want to try!
After breakfast, take your time exploring Downtown before making your way to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center [50 E Freedom Way (513) 333-7500 $15/adults]. This museum tackles the history and impact of the underground railroad, as Cincinnati was a crucial stop. With Kentucky being a slave state, and Ohio being free, this was the first taste of freedom many former slaves felt.
With exhibits on slavery throughout history and into modern day, multiple immersive films, and many themed galleries, plan to spend a few hours at this sobering museum. Visit the website to see what special exhibition will be on display during your visit, they’re pretty cool!
After, take a stroll downtown, admiring the boutique shops and art galleries. The Ohio Bookstore is a great used bookstore, with over five floors and 300,000 books in its stock.
Ideally, you will have an evening flight home, so make your way towards the airport. If you have an earlier flight, pick through the schedule above and choose your favorite. While we recommend visiting everything, you can’t go wrong with any of the choices
Alas, your journey has come to an end. Be sure to allow an hour travel time to the airport, just to be safe! Say goodbye to Ohio as you cross back into Northern Kentucky (maybe we should do a trip here next…!)
If you’re like me and enjoy airports, arrive early to explore CVG a bit! Heres my bucket list/scavenger hunt for this airport:
Grab Some Bourbon at Hop and Cask, you ARE in Kentucky!
See how many planes you can spot; Delta used to have a crew base here, and still operates quite a few flights.
As you take off, try to see a last glimpse of the skyline. Depending on the direction, you may get a great view of the city you just spent the past few days exploring!
Turquoise Skies 