Cincinnati, O-hi-o!
Have you seen those travel memes, the ones about having a soul for traveling and always needing to plan where to go next? That’s me. It’s the end of the year, and my family and I just completed the last trip on our radar for 2023—to Cincinnati, Ohio.
I know, to some it may not be the most exciting of destinations. Part of the Rust Belt, fallen on hard times, chili on spaghetti. None of these things are glamorous. But hear me out—if you have the right spirit, anywhere can be an adventure. A street in your town you’ve never been? New sights to see! A popular attraction in your urban hub you’ve never bothered to check out? Spend a day being a tourist. You can go across the globe, or out your front door. It’s all in what you make of it.
I love planning my travels as much as the actual traveling. The research extends the fun on the front end. On the other side, after the trip is over, I look forward to making photo albums and writing about my experiences. That’s what I’m doing right now!
It’s a five-hour drive from the suburbs of Chicago to Cincinnati. We planned the trip to coincide with Thanksgiving because my parents live about an hour and a half away, so we could visit them for the holiday but still explore somewhere new over the school break. The drive was pleasant, mostly flat through much of Indiana. The weather was warm for late November. As we got about an hour away from Ohio, the topography got hillier, the roads going from straight and level to curvy and steep. The temperatures climbed about ten degrees, and the trees retained their leaves and autumn colors more than the bare branches in the north.
As we approached Cincinnati proper, we saw evidence of abandoned, unkempt buildings along a sparking Ohio river. We came to a downtown filled with 19th-century brick buildings as well as modern glass skyscrapers. As a Chicago suburbanite, I’m always surprised by how much smaller other cities seem in comparison. You can easily get to the major Cincinnati sites in under ten minutes. Not the case in Chicago! Similarly, I always notice how many fewer people seem to be out on the streets than in Chicago. Other towns and cities always seem to have less overall foot traffic, making them feel less occupied than the Second City.
On our first day in “Cincy” or “The ’Nati” (as my friend Katey, whose hometown it is, referred to it), after checking in at our stunning historic row house on the West End (an area that has faced many changes over the years), we went immediately to Skyline Chili in the now-popular, trendy Over-the-Rhine area just minutes from our AirBnB. I’ll be the first to admit I’m a sucker for regional dishes. My husband and I got the four-way chili (with onions on the side for him). It was good! Cheesy, noodle-y, with that signature cinnamon-flavored ground beef chili. It was mid-afternoon and there weren’t too many diners, but the waitress was friendly.
In fact, everyone on our trip was friendly. I don’t believe we encountered anyone rude or gruff. Our next stop was the Cincinnati Art Museum, a place I had wanted to visit after reading about a van Gogh exhibition there a few years back. I try to visit art museums on all my travels, but this one was a must-see. The young front desk staff warmly welcomed us—after we rejoiced in the fact that the museum has free parking on its splendid Eden Park campus and free admission! We explored almost every room of the monumental building with its marble floors and sweeping ceilings. There were too many highlights to name, between the contemporary art and the centuries of European works. Anthony was thrilled to see “Two Sisters” by Kehinde Wiley, whom he studied in school. I just loved everything, really.
My favorite moment happened in the Charles White: A Little Higher temporary exhibit. “One of the most important and influential African American artists of the twentieth century,” according to Cincinnati Art Museum’s website, the exhibit paired the powerful art with poetry written by the museum’s staff and the greater community. As we entered the first room, we noticed a man with a broom talking with another employee. We drifted around, and then the employee got to chatting with me. She told me that the man with the broom wrote a poem for one of the artworks. I found his poem “Labor Worthy” paired with the piece “The Black Worker” and read it with pleasure, especially the keen and layered use of rhyme to emphasize the dignity of the piece. I loved how the museum blended art forms for a richer experience, and I am inspired to do more like that with the artists here in St. Charles. The best part was, as we were leaving, I saw the poet, Damon Di’ke Nelson, and told him how much I appreciated his poem. We introduced ourselves, shook hands, and I admitted that I was a poet, too. We both beamed during our brief conversation about writing.
Now that embraces the true spirit of travel right there.
In our few days in Cincinnati, we visited a couple cool breweries including Taft’s Ale House, which, sadly, we were told was closing its impressive renovated-cathedral location at the end of the week. We went to the opening night of Moerlein Lager House’s Christkindlmarkt, only in its second year, and drank glühwein while gazing at the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge, designed by the same engineer who devised the Brooklyn Bridge.
Besides chili, the kids delighted in the famous Graeter’s ice cream. We ate delicious pierogis and a nacho bowl at the bustling Findlay Market. We tasted sweet and savory waffles at the Taste of Belgium, but I will be back for those frites, some of the best I’ve ever had outside of Belgium itself.
The kids and I stepped solemnly through the National Underground Railroad Museum Freedom Center, where we learned not only about the history of slavery, but women’s and Native American history in this country. We marveled at the stately brick Betts-Longworth Historic District buildings and the oldest Jewish cemetery west of the Allegheny mountains near our AirBnB.
On our last day, we took a family selfie in front of the Instagram-worthy “Sing the Queen City” outdoor sculpture in Freedom Park. I just learned that phrase is based on a poem, which brings everything together for me. Travel, art, poetry—each seeks to discover the world. And the more I discover, the more I want to keep discovering, keep singing.
Time to start planning the next trip.