My Ireland Top 10 and a Bunch of Photos

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! 

Here's my Ireland Top 10 and a bunch of photos that will make you want to go ASAP. I am not including very many words, in case you’ve had one too many pints.

1. Irish people
2. Watching a Hurling Match at the Bridge Bar in Portmagee: hanging out in a small town pub watching Hurling with the entire town is the best time you can have in Ireland.
3. Skellig Michael: puffins, beehive huts & lots & lots of steps
4. Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin: Where many leaders of Irish rebellions were imprisoned and executed. This is not happy place. Very moving.
5. Black Taxi Tour of Belfast: see the murals & the wall, and get great stories along the way.
6. Oysters at The Crown Bar in Belfast: not only does this beautiful pub have loads of history, I am pretty sure these were the best oysters I have ever had.
7. Full Irish: Do not skimp on breakfast! You did not come to Ireland to lose weight.
8. Driving... well for me, riding in the passenger seat and being scared s*#!less the whole time. But, if you don't do it you won't have the chance to get lost... and ask directions.
9. Sheep
10. Pubs

Read: How the Irish Saved Civilization

Now for the photos...

View from Portmagee

Skellig Michael: Beehive Huts

Skellig Michael

Skellig Michael: Steps

Skellig Michael: Puffins!

Portmagee Port

Seanie our Capt.

Portmagee: The Bridge Bar

Valentia Island Homestead

Dingle Penn: Minard Castle

Lost!

Todd & the Skelligs

Valentia Island Sheep

Valentia Island Sheep sheared

Valentia Island Sheep stack!

Valentia Island Sheep

Dingle Pub

Ring of Kerry: Hurling practice at the beach

Ring of Kerry: 3,000 year old ring fort (Staigue Fort) and goat

Ring of Kerry

Guinness Truck

Kilmainham Goal: cell door

Kilmainham Goal: cell door

Kilmainham Goal: the "new" part

Kilmainham Goal: spot where leaders of the Easter Uprising were executed

Dublin: Guinness Storehouse

Dublin: view from Guinness Storehouse

Dublin: The Brazen Head Pub (Dublin's oldest?)

Dublin: General Post Office. HQ for leaders of the Easter Uprising. 

Gilroy's Guinness ad guy

Belfast: Black Taxi & Shankill Murals

Belfast: Shankill Mural of UDU UFF UDA

Belfast: Peace Wall

Belfast: Peace Wall and the back"yards" that are next to it

Belfast: Falls Road Mural of Bobby Sands

The Crown Bar: Entrance

The Crown Bar: View from our snug

Louisville: Bourbon, BBQ, Bats, Beef Tongue, Boxing & Beards

Painted Lady

Louisville is home to The Bats, The Derby and The Muhammad Ali Center. It is also home to lots of guys with beards. I am not positive, but I think you have to have a big burly beard to work in any of the hip spots along Louisville’s Main Street. And that is ok with me, as long as they keep giving me good food in great spaces.

We were in town last weekend for the Anthony Bourdain/Eric Ripert traveling show “Good vs. Evil.” It was pretty good. I liked the format, but have heard most of what Bourdain had to say & Ripert didn’t talk nearly as much as I would have liked. I still laughed and nodded my head in agreement a lot.

This was my Valentine’s Day gift to Todd, and to return the foodie favor he took me to 610 Magnolia before the show. Now that was something! If you don’t know, 610 Magnolia is a contemporary Southern restaurant run by Chef Edward Lee, who was recently ousted from Top Chef (unfairly if you ask me & the folks in Louisville). It's in a beautiful carriage house located in Old Louisville at… 610 Magnolia.  When we arrived, it seemed like they were still getting ready for dinner, which was not surprising since we showed up 15 minutes early for a 5:30 reservation. We ate early so we could get to the show on time, which almost didn’t happen. 

We were the only two in the place for a while, but one other couple did show up eventually. It was fun having the whole place practically to ourselves. The staff was very attentive and friendly and the food was just incredible. I had two things I had never had before, squab and beef tongue. As it turns out, I am not a huge fan of squab, but the beef tongue, with an amazing mustard ice cream (!), was the best thing I have eaten… maybe ever.  Ok, it probably wasn’t as good as the truffle gnocchi in Florence. But it was absolutely the best meal I have had in recent memory. I even invented my own tasty treat by combining the cheddar from my cheese plate with the bourbon jelly from Todd's chocolate cake. I hope the Chef approves.

We finished in plenty of time to get to the show, you would think, even though the dinner felt very leisurely. Unfortunately, we weren’t the only one’s trying to get a cab downtown, what with Mardis Gras, Good vs. Evil and Van Halen all conspiring against us. We were not going to make it. The staff even tried to make room for us. All of the running around earlier was prep for the VIP dinner after the show. They didn't have any room. Luckily, our dining room companions were also heading that way & (only in the South) offered us a ride!

So, we made it. We watched the show, met up with some friends and people watched after the Van Halen concert let out.

Bourbon board at Doc Crowe's

Backtracking a bit... we did a lot in our 24 hours in Louisville before the show! Friday night we ate oysters and BBQ at Doc Crowe’s. Remember those beards I mentioned. They have a bunch. They also have a great selection of beer and bourbon if you are so inclined. We had beer and saved the bourbon for our nightcap at the Old Seelbach Bar. We always stay at the Seelbach, for lots of reasons: it’s really nice, it has a turn of the century bar named one of the 50 best bars in London's ''The Independent'', it has a cool Rathskeller and the first time we tried to stay they were sold out... so they set us up at The Brown and gave us a free night’s stay that we used soon after.

Van Halen Tour bus

Hillbilly Tea

Saturday morning we spotted the Van Halen Tour Bus on the walk over to Hillbilly Tea, where we had a superb breakfast (scotch egg with greens & mushroom gravy!) and “remedy” tea, since I was nursing a cold. It was really good and reminded me of what I used to call “potions” when I was a kid: herbal tea with honey & a kick of cayenne. I had the Black Crowes stuck in my head for the remainder of the day. The staff was super friendly and at least two servers wore the requisite beards. The ladies behind us were very curious about the Louisville beard scene and even had their pictures taken with the bearded fellows. Apparently this happens a lot!

Feeling a little better, we headed over to The Muhammad Ali Center. I was especially excited, because I started taking boxing classes a few weeks ago.  How could we not go & see The Greatest of All Time? The first thing you do at the Center is watch an orientation movie. We almost skipped it, but I am really glad we didn’t. It was a good movie and set the tone for what was to come. The Center is about much more than boxing. It’s about Cassius Clay, the boy who became a boxer, and Muhammad Ali, the man who became Champion of the World and spokesperson for many people and movements.

Muhammad Ali Center

I have two favorite parts of the Center. The first is the way they put everything in the context of what was going on politically and culturally at any given time. Presenting Ali in this way shows what kind of man he was, warts and all, how he grew and why he was a hero to so many. My other favorite part is the hands-on room where you can shadow box, hold the heavy bag and get a quick lesson in the ring from Laila Ali (via video).

Before we headed home on Sunday, we had planned on having breakfast (because they don't have brunch) at Proof on Main. Unfortunately, our colds caught up with us so we ate muffins in our room and watched "Ali Rap" on ESPN. Then we drove home and started planning our next adventure: The Blue Ridge Parkway and Washington D.C.

Other things we like to do in Louisville:

Giant Louisville Slugger

Louisville Slugger Museum

 
Louisville Bats Game: The Bats are the farm team for the Cincinnati Reds and Slugger Field has been listed among the top 10 places in America to watch minor-league baseball.

J. Graham's at The Brown Hotel: Home of the Hot Brown

The Brown Hotel: If you don't stay, at least stop by J. Graham's for an original "Hot Brown."

Lynn’s Paradise Cafe: A great breakfast place. It's a little out of the way if you are staying downtown, but it's worth the drive

Waterfront Park: A great urban park with history, events and places to relax and play.

Kentucky Derby: If you can make it in May, go to the Derby at least once.

Falls of the Ohio State Park: We stumbled upon this park last year and really enjoyed it. You can see one of the largest fossil beds in the world, dating back 390-million-years. There is also a series of rapids on the Ohio River that kayakers were playing in the day we were there.

Mike Linnig's Fish House: They have been serving seafood here since 1925. I recommend visiting in the summer, because they have a huge outdoor seating area along the river (the river isn't visible, but it's there & you can walk down to it.).

21C Hotel

21C Museum Hotel: If you aren't the Grand Old Hotel type, skip the Seelbach & Brown and stay here. It's a boutique hotel with a contemporary art museum in the lobby. If you don't stay here, stop by and check out the exhibits, restaurant (Proof on Main) and bathrooms!


Proof on Main: Located in the 21C, it was named one of  Esquire magazine's "Best New Restaurants." If you don't eat here, at least have a drink at the bar and have a look around the hotel lobby/museum.






Walk around and look at public art, architecture and signs. Downtown Louisville has a lot of cool buildings and signs. Main Street is home to the "second largest concentration of cast iron buildings in the nation." I suggest just walking around and looking up.

Todd & Art

Cool old sign: This is what I call a one stop shop!

 

Wayfinder's Guide to Cincinnati: Part 3 Road Trips and why it would be great to have light rail.

I have been meaning to finish this post for weeks, but got super busy at my two jobs. A big chunk of my time has been spent searching for just the right images for a rebranding project I am working on. I love doing image searches. Friday I was looking for images of “business travel" that have nice depth of field and don’t look posed and aren’t of a specific place or type of place, and… well you get the idea.

Most of the images I found that I wanted to use were of business folks traveling by train… which we don’t have…  so I couldn’t use them.

Not only did I have to keep looking, I started to think about how great it would be if we had trains. Then I could go to all of my favorite Road Trip spots more often. Don’t get me wrong, I love Road Trips, driving to cool out of the way spots & finding things I didn’t even know exist, but sometimes I just want to go to Cleveland, have dinner at LOLA, stay one night and not make a big deal about it. I would do that a lot if I could jump on a train. In Ireland, we hopped a train from Dublin to Belfast for a Black Taxi Tour and dinner at The Crown and didn't feel rushed at all. I think people would come here more too….  Just my opinion I don’t have facts to back any of this up. I said I was busy!

Todd on the train from Dublin to Belfast.

So, here are a few of my favorite places to drive for the day or weekend from Cincinnati. Some will probably never have rail options (Red River Gorge), but hopefully I can zoom down to Louisville soon... it's closer than Belfast is to Dublin.

Bloomington, Indiana: Check out the The Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center, "the only Tibetan Cultural Center in the United States since 1979." It has a very big and cool Kalachakra Stupa. We saw HH the Dalai Lama there in 2007. T. Norbu, Dalai Lama’s Brother lived in Bloomington until his death in 2008. Eat some Tibetan food and go to The Farm for brunch or dinner, starring Chef Daniel Orr and the most amazing Bacon & Egg Pizza!

Bloomington Stupa: photo by pravin.premkum

Columbus, Indiana is the most unlikely architectural hotspot in the country, due to Cummins Diesel co-founder J. Irwin Miller's decision to have the company pay architect's fees for public buildings as long as they were chosen from Miller's list. The list included I.M. Pei, Richard Meier and Eero Saarinen. Stop in the visitor's center to see the Dale Chihuly sculpture and get a map for a walking or driving tour.

Valantino Rossi at the Indy GP

Indianapolis, Indiana: We go to Indy every year for MotoGP. We also drive through to go to visit family. We almost always stop at the Mug n' Bun, an old school Drive-In with homemade rootbeer and huge tenderloin sandwiches (an Indiana tradition) and great onion rings! If you have a lot of $$ burning a hole in your pocket go to St. Elmos and get a shrimp cocktail.

Lynn's Paradise Cfae

 We love Louisville, Kentucky. Great food and grand hotels, including a modern version with a contemporary art museum in the lobby. Eat at breakfast at Lynn's Paradise Cafe. Eat dinner at 610 Magnolia (I think. We are going in a couple weeks for the first time & Ed Lee, the chef, is currently doing very well on Top Chef, so I am guessing it's good.). Stay at the Seelbach & drink at it's famous bourbon bar, one of the best bars in the world! Stay at the Brown and have Hot Brown where it was invented. Stay at the 21C and eat at Proof on Main, walk through the museum and be sure to stop in the bathroom. Go to a Louisville Bats game and visit the Louisville Slugger Museum. Heck, go to the Derby if you can!

Lexington, Kentucky is the horse capital of the world. I spent a lot of time there when I was working for Joseph Beth and miss it now that my bookselling days are behind me. Go to Keeneland, the prettiest place to play the ponies ever! Grab a book at Morris Book Shop and a bite Ramsey's. There's lots more, but those are the things I miss most. Oh, and check out the Horse Park if you have time. I haven't been since I was a kid, but always meant to go back.

Bourbon Trail:  I have not actually done this, but I really really want to. Kentucky is Bourbon Country. It has been for a really long time. Explore six distilleries and find out everything you ever wanted to know about “America’s Official Native Spirit.” I have been to Bardstown, which is a great town to base yourself in. You can visit museums dedicated to the Civil War & railroads as well as "sample the spirits." I have also been on the Bourbon Train, which is fun but a little... weird.

The Red River Gorge is a canyon system on the Red River that features high sandstone cliffs, rock shelters, waterfalls, and natural bridges.. Beautiful spot for nature lovers & outdoorsy types. It's one of the best places to rock climb in the country. Go backpacking, camping, hiking & climbing. Or stay in a cabin, and check out the Natural Bridge & zipline tour.

Cleveland rocks. That's something I am not really supposed to say, being born & raised in Cincinnati and all. But I love Cleveland. They have great food, a big lake, great sports fans, RTA and the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame. I fell in love with Paprikash at Balaton and  Chicken & Waffles at  Phil the Fire . Right now, we are planning a trip to finally go to Lola and Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Yes, Ohio has a National Park! And I cannot believe I haven't been there.

Columbus: Full discloser: I haven't been to Columbus in years. And I have family there! But, I should. They have Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream, a happening Art Scene and THE Ohio State.

Toledo, Ohio, The Glass City, has a great museum. Go to the Toledo Museum and check out the Post-Modern Glass Pavilion. The Pavilion houses a world renowned glass collection. The building itself received Travel & Leisure's 2007 design awards for "Best Museum." Tony Packos  is really famous and really good. Have a Cheese Coney in Cincinnati and a Chili Hot Dog here. Which do you like best? Then catch a MudHens game. They have a great minor league baseball stadium... and they are called the MudHens!

Ft. Ancient was one of my favorite day trips as a kid. It features "18,000 feet of earthen walls built 2,000 years ago by American Indians."  How cool is that? You can check out exhibits and prehistoric mounds. Or you can check out the great views on the many hiking trails. There are also many canoe liveries in the Little Miami River valley. I like Morgan's, but am not opposed to any.

Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park

Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park is a 265 acre outdoor art museum. There is also an indoor Ancient Sculpture Museum.

The Loveland Bike Trail consits of over 70 Miles of paved bike trails that go through cute towns and historical sites. Loveland itself has coffee shops, ice cream shops and stuff like that. It's part of a larger Rails to Trails initiative.

Yellow Springs is a village in Green County. It was intended to be a utopia and isn't far off. It was one of the last stops on the Underground Railroad and was the smallest town to prohibit discrimination due to sexual orientation in 1979. I like to do a bit of shopping, look for Dave Chappelle and grab a bite to eat in town. Then I head out to Clifton Gorge for a hike and Young's Dairy for some ice cream and a look at the cow it came from. You can ride here on the Loveland Bike Trail if you want.

Hocking Hills, or "The Hot Tub Capital of the World", is a great place for a weekend getaway. You should definitely stay in a cabin... with a  hot tub! From there you can hike, explore caves, canoe, ride a horse and of course... zipline. 

Wayfinder's Guide to Cincinnati: Part 2

We're number 3!

Not usually reason for celebrating, but when Cincinnati ranks just after The Virgin Islands and Hudson River Valley, and before the Four Corners and Puerto Rico, in Lonely Planet's Top 10 US travel destinations for 2012 it's pretty exciting.

Since I am sure you will all be visiting the Queen City soon, or at least becoming a hometown tourist, I am posting some of my own favorite spots. This is Part Two:

Festivals, Food, Drinks & Theater

Festivals
Cincinnati likes its festivals! From Memorial Day's Taste of Cincinnati to Labor Day's Riverfest. From fish frys and church festivals in every neighborhood to North America's largest Oktoberfest. Here are some of my favorites:

The Panegyri Greek Festival : Authentic Greek cuisine, pastries, music, dancing, raffles, games and amusement rides.

Fish Frys: Cincinnati has a lot of Friday Night Fish Frys during Lent. It is our goal to try every one on this map.

Goetta Fest : What's Goetta? You obviously haven't been to Cincinnati. It's a delicious breakfast treat usually made with pork and pin oats. Yum!

Oktoberfest Zinzinnati : North America's largest Oktoberfest! Come out in September to eat, drink and do the Chicken Dance.

Bockfest Goat

Bockfest : Bockfest is a celebration of Cincinnati's historic Over-the-Rhine, its rich brewing heritage and bright future. It is usually the first weekend of March and begins with a parade... led by a goat...  pulling a keg of bock beer.

Midpoint Music Festival  : MPMF is a three day weekend event in downtown Cincinnati and Over-the-Rhine. In 2011 there were 18 stages featuring almost 200 bands.

Here's a link to some 2010 festival dates. It's old, but has links for more info!




Food: Markets
Findlay Market : Opened in 1855, Findlay Market is Ohio's oldest surviving municipal market. And we love it. I remember getting a huge pickle to eat (my sister liked cookies better) while I followed my mom through the market as a kid. I was only tall enough to look in the cases. Now Todd & I make regular trips to pick up pork products at Kroeger & Sons Meats, cheese at Krause's, spices from the Colonel De Gourmet, a bottle of wine, tea, Christmas tree, pastries, pho, gelato... the list goes on and is being added to.

Findlay Market

Jungle Jim's : Jungle Jim's is more than a grocery store. It's kind of like a theme park for foodies. It's a bit outside of the city, but well worth the 20+ minute drive! I mean, look at the store map.

 
Food: Restaurants
A Tavola : Great wood-fired pizza in OTR. The oven is gorgeous & super hot! Todd & I always split one Primi, one Bruschetta and one Pizza. This is currently my go to place for date night.

Adriatico's : If you need a pizza delivered and they deliver to where you are, order one now! In Clifton.

Boca : Italian In Oakley, a neighborhood kinda close to Downtown. Moving downtown in October 2012. Upscale. Fantastic food & service.

Cincinnati Chili (Skyline)

Camp Washington Chili : The best Cincinnati Chili, IMHO. Make the trip and you will not be sorry. If you can't get to Camp Washington, Skyline Chili is everywhere and are my #2, but I am sure someone will disagree with all of the above. What is Cincinnati Chili? A unique concoction with cinnamon, cloves, allspice and/or chocolate. Order it over a ht dog or spaghetti as a 2, 3, 4 or 5-way. I say go for the 5 way!  One thing's for sure, you will either love it or hate it.

Enoteca Emilia : Italian Wine Bar in Obryonville, a neighborhood kinda near downtown (and my house - lucky me!). Lots of small bites inspired by the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. We like to pretend like we're in Italy when we go: walk, order lots of small courses, drink wine, take our time... and they encourage it!

Gordo's : Good burgers & Beers in Norwood, a city inside the city of Cincinnati.

Jean-Robert's Table: Mural

Jean-Roberts Table : French Master Chef Jean-Robert De Cavel's latest Cincinnati creation in the heart of Downtown. Casual elegant deliciousness.

Keystone Bar & Grill : Mac n' Cheese, Potato Crisp & Bloody Mary. These are a few of my favorite things at Keystone. They recreated Inn The Wood's famous Potato Crisp!! It is a must order for anyone who misses crawling up to In The Wood after a late night on the town or just likes a good hearty breakfast/brunch! In Covington.

Knotty Pine on the Bayou : These guys are currently relocating, but I HAVE to list them. We had our wedding reception-type-thing here. The food is good & plentiful & Cajun/Creole! I would go on & on about the location, but it is changing.

Molly Malone's : Great spot to watch a game and have a pint. The food is pretty good too, especially the... pizza. In Covington.

Nada : By the folks who brought you Boca. Hip Mexican food Downtown. I have never had bad food or service here.

Nicola's : One of my favorites! Fancy Italian in Over-The- Rhine. Can afford more than once a year.

Pho Lang Tang : Pho. Really good Pho. At Findlay Market. They have other Vietnamese stuff too, but the Pho rules as far as I am concerned.

The Precinct : Part of Jeff Ruby's Cincinnati resteraunt empire, these types of places are usually too fancy smanchy for me, but I love the Precinct! The steaks are brilliant and the location just cool. It's in a 1901 Police Patrol House on Columbia Parkway (a parkway that leads out of downtown).

The Precinct

Rio Grande Mexican : Good (very very good), Cheap Mexican across the river in a strip mall in Newport. There is always a wait!

The Rookwood : More than a Bar & Grill in Mt. Adams, a great neighborhood up the hill from downtown. Located in the old Rookwood Pottery Building. Think Chicken Fried Bacon, Fig Burger, Pork Belly and Craft Drinks. YUM!

The Rookwood : Note the kiln behind the super cool bar.

Suzie Wong's : Great Asian eats in Walnut Hills, a neighborhood close to downtown & Cincinnati's first "suburb." I would eat here a lot, even if I couldn't walk. Everything is good, but I am particularly found of the Big Soup Bowls and Crispy Calamari

Terry's Turf Club : Classic burgers with gourmet toppings if you want them! Loads of neon! Extensive beer selection served out of Beverators! Long waits! Totally worth it. On the Eastside.

Terry's Turf Club : It looks cooler at night

Tom+Chee : They claim "It Will Change Your Life." I agree. I was a grilled cheese aficionado before it was cool. I used to mke up all kinds of combos when I was a vegetarian (long ago) . Where were they?? These guys will make grilled cheese and tomato soup anyway you like it, plus some ways you haven't thought of. Just be sure to try at least one with Grippos! Downtown & Newport.

Virgil's Cafe : Cozy Spot across the river in Bellevue. Kentucky Hot Brown? Ettouffee? Cheddar Cheese Grits? Yes ma'am!


Food: Sweets
Putz's Creamy Whip: My favorite place in the world when I was about 8 years old. I still like it a lot, but don't get funny faces on my cones anymore... as far as you know. On Montana Ave. on the Westside.

Graeters : Graeters has been making people smile since 1870, including Oprah! If you go to Graeters, be sure to get a flavor with chips. The ridiculously large and tasty chocolate chips are what keep me coming back. Everywhere.

Aglamesis : For sodas and icecream sans chips and funny faces, I prefer Aglemesis in Oakley. It wasn't founded until 20 years after Greater's, but it still located in the same turn-of-the century parlor and has nostalgia coming out of the woodwork.

Take the Cake : Bakery & Cafe in Northside. Order a specialty cake or stop in for a yummy lunch and sweet treat.

Bonbonerie : Beautiful, and tasty, cakes, cookies, cupcakes and more. All of the cake flavors are good, but why get anything other than the Opera Cream Torte?In Obryonville.

 
Drinks & such

With a strong brewing (and drinking) tradition, Cincinnati is not short on watering holes.  Be sure to try a local brew. Mt. Carmel Brewing Company and Rivertown Brewing Company are made here now & are very tasty. Hudepohl & Christian Moerlein started in Cincy, but haven't been brewed here in a while. Luckily they are moving back soon. Look for the Moerlein Lager House set to open in February, 2012.


Here are some of my favorite places to have a pint:
 
Blind Lemon : Best old place (Born in 1963). I love this bar! It's extremely cozy (I am always a little afraid I will knock something over) inside and they have a fire pit outside when the weather calls for it. In Mt Adams (near Eden Park), it's the perfect place for a coffee drink after seeing a play at the Playhouse (see below)

The Blind Lemon

City View Tavern

City View Tavern : Best place to have a drink with a view. I used to play pinball and eat BBQ sandwiches and pickles (yeah pickles) here when I was a kid, while the folks were "socializing." In Mt. Adams.

The Comet : Best dive for the cool kids with a super jukebox and tasty burritos. Come on Tuesday for Bike Night! In Northside.

Hap's Irish Pub : Best place to watch, rugby or soccer... er, football. In Hyde Park.

Japps since 1879 : Best new place (Born in 2011).  Ok, it says "since 1879", but it was closed for a while. They have fantastic classic and craft cocktails mixed up by Molly Wellmann (if you're lucky) with her homemade simple syrups, bitters, liquors and fresh juic. In OTR.




The Lackman : Best swanky rock joint in OTR. Housed in a turn-of-the-century building built by brewer Herman Lackman, they have a lot of great beers on tap & in bottles.


MOTR : Best place to hear live local music (and have a damn fine burger & fries). Their motto is " Know your Cincinnati rock 'n roll." In OTR

Mr. Pitifuls : Best place to hang out with (my) friends. In OTR.

Neon's Unplugged

Neon's Unplugged : Best place to drink outside and play Giant Jenga. It's unplugged because all of the neon went with Terry to the Turf Club. In OTR.

Northside Tavern : Best place for hipster karaoke. The crowd is hip & diverse and it's big... with pool tables, outdoor garden area & big backroom for shows. Karaoke is one Thursdays! In Northside. Duh.

Righteous Room : Best swanky rock joint in the Downtown Entertainment District.

Southgate House : These folks are currently relocating, but you should find them wherever they land, because it will be fun. Was in Newport.

Theater
Music Hall : Built in 1878 Music Hall ranks acoustically as one of the finest performance venues in the world.

Aronoff Center for the Arts : The Aronoff Center, the largest performing arts center in downtown Cincinnati, was designed by award winning Argentine architect César Pelli. (Oops, forgot to include it in Architecture. Dang.) It houses three performance halls that seat 150(Fifth Third Bank Theater) to 2,719 (Proctor and Gamble Hall). And the other one seats 437 (Jarson-Kaplan Theater).

Playhouse in the Park : The Playhouse is my favorite theater in Cincinnati. It is a regional theater located in Eden Park (again with the Eden Park! see Cincinnati Art Museum in Part 1 and more to come soon). In addition to producing at least one world premiere production each season, the Playhouse has been honored with two Tony Awards: in 2004 with the Regional Theater Tony Award ®, honoring one non-profit professional regional theater company a year, and in 2007 when Company was named that year’s Best Revival of a Musical.

Shakespeare in the Park : Cincinnati loves it's parks (more on that later) and it also has a thing for Shakespeare. The Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, started in1993 under the name Fahrenheit Theater Company, has presented a Shakespeare in the Park tour for the last five years. And it's FREE!

Wayfinder's Guide to Cincinnati: Part 1

We're number 3! Not usually reason for celebrating, but when Cincinnati ranks just after The Virgin Islands and Hudson River Valley, and before the Four Corners and Puerto Rico, in Lonely Planet's Top 10 US travel destinations for 2012 it's pretty exciting.

Since I am sure you will all be visiting the Queen City soon, or at least becoming a hometown tourist, I am posting some of my own favorite spots. This is Part One:

Architecture, Museums & History

Architecture
Union Terminal (Cincinnati Museum Center): The Union Terminal is one of my favorite buildings in Cincinnati. It was originally built as a train station in 1933 and is an Art Deco masterpiece.  You can read more about the history and architecture here. The building has gone through many incarnations and is now the Cincinnati Museum Center, home to The Cincinnati History Museum, The Museum of Natural History and Science, The Cincinnati History Library and Archives, The Children's Museum, The Omnimax Theater, The Edge of Appalachia Preserve and The Geier Collections and Research Center.  And, you can still catch a train at the Amtrak station!!

Union Terminal : Museum Center

Bridges: There are 9 bridges that cross the Ohio at Cincinnati. My two favorites are the Roebling Suspension Bridge and the Purple People Bridge. The Roebling Suspension Bridge was the model for Brooklyn Bridge (also designed by John Roebling). Completed in 1866, it was the longest suspension bridge at the time, until the Brooklyn Bridge surpassed it in 1883. The Purple People Bridge is a pedestrian only bridge connecting Cincinnati to Newport, making it easy to visit both riverfronts without getting in your car.


The Carew Tower: The Carew Tower is another Cincinnati Art Deco gem. It is one of the finest examples of French Art Deco in the world. Until recently it was the tallest building in the city. It's still the coolest. Built in 1930, it stands 49 stories tall. It is home to offices, retail and the Netherland Hotel, a beautiful place to stay, eat or have a cocktail. Be sure to take a trip to the 49th floor observation deck for great views of the city. You can even climb it in February! We did last year in The Fight For Air Climb.

CAC                         

Contemporary Arts Center: Architect Zaha Hadid won the competition for the new CAC in 1998, becoming the first woman to design a major museum in the United States. The lobby is described as "The urban carpet", serving as a kind of public square. The outside is brought in, by pulling the sidewalk into the building to become the back wall. The galleries are like a "jigsaw" floating over the lobby space, different sizes and shapes work to accommodate the range of exhibits inherent in contemporary art.

Music Hall: Built in 1878 Music Hall ranks acoustically as one of the finest performance venues in the world. I've seen everything from The Nutcracker (which is a big deal in Cincy) to Peter, Paul & Mary to Sam Kinison here. Sam's screams sounded amazing!

St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption : A beautiful example of Gothic Architecture, the minor basilica in Covington, KY was built between 1894 and 1915. The exterior is inspired by the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and the interior was modeled after St. Denis in France. The north transept window is said to be the world's largest church stained glass windows, measuring 67 ft (20 m) high by 24 ft (7.3 m) wide. Self-guided tour brochures are free and available in English, Spanish, French, German, Russian, and Japanese.

Architreks: Architectural Foundation of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Preservation Association's Guided Walking Tours. They are usually available May - October and include Mt. Adams, Northside, OTR, Walnut Hills, Clifton and Findlay Market.

History
Fountain Square: Founded in 1871 and renovated in 1971 and 2005, Fountain Square is the heart of Cincinnati. The Genius of Water (better known as the Tyler Davidson Fountain) symbolizes the uses of water, both natural and man-made. Today, the square hosts over 200 events including ice skating in the winter and live music in the summer.

OTR : In the mid-1800s the area to the north of the Miami & Erie Canal was primarily populated with German-Americans. Crossing the canal became referred to as "going over the Rhine," a tongue-in-cheek reference to Germany's Rhine River. The OTR neighborhood was full of saloons, beer gardens, restaurants, and theatres at a time when Cincinnati was known for it's pork, beer and "hard-drinking citizenry." Today "Over-the-Rhine is one of the largest, most intact urban historic districts in the United States." The architecture includes Art Deco, Greek Revival, Italianate and Queen Anne. And though a lot of it is in disrepair, a lot is being saved.    

Findlay Market: Opened in 1855, Findlay Market is Ohio's oldest surviving municipal market. And we love it. I remember getting a huge pickle to eat (my sister liked cookies better) while I followed my mom through the market as a kid. I was only tall enough to look in the cases. Now Todd & I make regular trips to pick up pork products at Kroeger & Sons Meats, cheese at Krause's, spices from the Colonel De Gourmet, a bottle of wine, tea, Christmas tree, pastries, pho, gelato... the list goes on and is being added to.

Findlay Market

Reds : Founded in 1866,  Cincinnati Reds (at the time The Red Stockings) became the oldest professional baseball team in 1869. And if you were alive in the 1970s you probably remember Sparky Anderson and The Big Red Machine (Bench, Rose, Morgan, Pérez, Concepción, Foster, Griffey, and Gerónimo). If you can, come for Opening Day. Historically, The Reds always hosted the first Opening Day game and Cincinnati just named Opening Day an official holiday, which is good because most of the city takes the day off anyway. If you can't make Opening Day, at least try to catch a game and visit the Hall of Fame & Museum. See more on the Museum below.


Tours
Brewery Tours: Otherwise known as "Prohibition Resistance Tour" "Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood is home to one of the largest collections of pre-Prohibition brewery architecture, in the middle of one of the largest historic districts in the country."

Heritage Tours: including the Union Terminal, Inclines & Overlooks and Hauntings of Greater Cincinnati.

American Legacy Tours include Haunted Tours, Civil War Cincinnati, Queen City Underground and Newport Gangster Tour.

Architreks: Architectural Foundation of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Preservation Association's Guided Walking Tours. They are usually available May - October and include Mt. Adams, Northside, OTR, Walnut Hills, Clifton and Findlay Market.

Museums
Cincinnati Museum Center: including The Cincinnati History Museum, The Museum of Natural History and Science, The Cincinnati History Library and Archives, The Children's Museum, The Omnimax Theater, The Edge of Appalachia Preserve and The Geier Collections and Research Center. It is housed in the Union Terminal. See Union Terminal description above, in "Architecture."

Art Museum: The Cincinnati Art Museum is open Tuesday-Sunday and is always free! It is located in one of the many city parks, Eden Park (read more on Eden Park in Part 3). It houses over 60,000 works spanning 6,000 years, in addition to many traveling exhibits each year.

Reflections in CAC Lobby
Mural by Shepard Fairey

Contemporary Arts Center : The CAC was one of the first U.S. museums to dedicate itself to Contemporary Art. It was founded in 1939 as the Modern Art Society and the first exhibit was in the basement of the Cincinnati Art Museum. The CAC is a non-collecting museum, helping it live up to the goal of only displaying "the art of the last five minutes." The museum moved downtown in 1964, eventually occupying 10,000 square feet in Mercantile Center, one of the largest spaces dedicated to Contemporary Art at the time. This is location is where the exhibition Robert Mapplethorpe: The Perfect Moment was displayed, after much highly publicized debate. In 2003, the CAC moved to its first free-standing home.  See more abt the new bldg above under "Architecture." The Museum is free on Mondays.

American Sign Museum : I ♡ Signs. That's what my button says from the America Sign Museum. And it is true. Especially old neon signs. And they have them here! Unfortunately it's closed, but only until Spring of 2012, because it is moving across town. I can't wait to see the new digs!

Reds Hall of Fame and Museum: Experience the history of the Reds....and they have bobbleheads! Big Red Machine Bobblehead Series is coming in 2012. You get a free one when you visit on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Yay! See more on the Reds above in "History."

Big Red Machine