A Weekend Excursion With My 78-Year-Old Parents

Stroll across history on the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge. This iconic bridge spans the Ohio River between Cincinnati and Covington, Ky., offering city skyline views for nearly a century-and-a-half.

A DELIGHTFUL, TASTY TRIP TO DOWNTOWN CINCINNATI/NEWPORT

My parents wanted to meet up with me and my friend for a fun weekend, so we settled on a weekend in Cincinnati. We planned it last minute so things were discovered more than organized, but we had a fun-filled weekend and some fantastic food. My mother has two bad knees so we did some walking, but we tried not to do too much. Every place we went, I made sure we parked close. Here are the highlights.

WHAT WE DID

We headed to an art fair in lovely Washington Park that hosts many events, including live music, exercise classes, and family-friendly events for people of all ages. Public restrooms in the park are now open. Artisans and food trucks were set up, along with live music. A water park is also there — it was a hot day so that was packed with everyone getting splashed as the water shot up from the pavement. washingtonpark.org

Across the street from the Elm Street side of Washington Park is the Cincinnati Music Hall — a beautiful, late 19th century, brick building that is home to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (the sixth-oldest symphony orchestra in the country), Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, the Cincinnati Opera (the nation’s second-oldest opera company), the Cincinnati Ballet, and the May Festival (the longestrunning choral festival in the Western hemisphere). Indoor and outdoor tours are offered. friendsofmusichall.org/musichall-tours/

After the park, we stopped by Findlay Market, Ohio’s oldest continuously operated public market. Everyone loves this place and it was packed. There are places where you can order food, beverages, flowers, and crafts. Be advised though, it was hard to navigate on a busy day. findlaymarket.org

We had lunch across the street from Findlay Market at the French Crust Bistro & Cafe. The menu is full of typical French fare, croissant sandwiches, a tuna salad baguette, and several quiche options. Virtually our entire table ordered different quiches. I’ve never had a quiche so good. frenchcrustcafe.com

While in town, we also visited IKEA. If you’ve never been to an IKEA, here are three things you should do while there: 1) Eat in the cafeteria-style restaurant and be sure to order some of their famous Swedish meatballs. 2) Visit their live plant section. 3) Visit the discount area located to the right of the registers. Also be sure to visit their market and cafe located in front of the registers. They have cinnamon rolls and frozen bags of their famous Swedish meatballs! Tip: Bring a cooler when making the trip to keep your frozen items cold.

We decided at the last minute to head to StoneBrook Winery for wine tastings. There are several wineries in and around Cincinnati, but we decided on one in the country — about 25 minutes southeast of Cincinnati on the Kentucky side (Camp Springs, Ky.). GPS is greatly needed! To me it was worth the trip to pay $5 to taste five different wines of your choice. The tasting room is in an 1890s farmhouse, and we sat outdoors under an open-sided structure overlooking the hillside and trees.

On our way to and from the winery, we drove through Fort Thomas, Kentucky. It’s a sweet little town with shops and cafes all along, what appears to be, a historic area of town. We ate at a Cambodian restaurant called Kampuchea Kitchen, a familyrun business. It was an excellent meal as evidenced by our devoured dishes. I got the red curry, my mother got the chicken salad, and my father got a pork dish. kampucheakitchen.square.site

For one celebratory evening meal, we ate at Chart House restaurant in Newport, Kentucky. What can I say…it was delicious! Pricey, so it's perfect for a special occasion. Every seat in the restaurant offers a view overlooking the river and into Cincinnati. I wanted to cry because the food was so good. chart-house.com

WHERE WE STAYED

We stayed at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Newport, Kentucky, which was fairly convenient and offers city view rooms for an additional charge. hilton.com

If boutique is more your style, The Lytle Park Hotel in the Lytle Park Historic District in Cincinnati offers luxurious rooms and suites, upscale amenities, and exquisite onsite dining. thelytleparkhotel.com

If you are looking for a truly local experience, consider booking through Airbnb. We looked at a lovely urban oasis downtown for $191 per night, complete with scenic views of downtown Cincinnati. airbnb.com

OTHER PLACES TO CONSIDER

Rookwood Pottery — Their flagship store is downtown and currently tours of the factory are only offered on Fridays, and reservations and tickets are needed in advance. Next time I’m in Cincinnati, I am going there. rookwood.com

Browse in the Valley Thrift and St. Vincent de Paul secondhand stores, which are my favorite thrift stores. Valley Thrift is conveniently located next door to St. Vincent de Paul on Reading Road heading north out of the city, and on the way to IKEA.

Check out The Mercantile Library on Walnut Street in the Mercantile Library Building. It was established in 1835 by a group of Cincinnati merchants and has over 80,000 volumes in its collection, including a book dating to 1614. The library is also one of the oldest public art collections in the city. (by Carrie Vittitoe)

Eden Park and Krohn Conservatory — We did not get to go to the conservatory because tickets were sold out. Eden Park sits high on a cliff overlooking the Ohio River. It’s a beautiful view. The park itself is small and open to the public with a small pond and statues gifted to the city.

If you enjoy a good walking tour, American Legacy Tours located on Vine Street in Over-the-Rhine offers several cool ones, including the Ultimate Queen City Underground Tour, which allows visitors a peek at some of the underground tunnels that 19th century brewing companies used in the making of their products. (by Carrie Vittitoe) Eden Park and Krohn Conservatory — We did not get to go to the conservatory because tickets were sold out. Eden Park sits high on a cliff overlooking the Ohio River. It’s a beautiful view. The park itself is small and open to the public with a small pond and statues gifted to the city.

TIP: PARKING IN CINCINNATI The city has an app called Cincy EZPark. When visiting areas downtown where street parking and small parking lots are available, I highly recommend downloading this app before going. If you don’t want to walk or park, the Cincinnati Bell Connector offers free streetcar rides throughout The Banks, Downtown, and Over-the-Rhine.

By Melissa Donald