We did it! The Kanyolo family finally stepped out of Michigan for the first time since the start of COVID and Winston’s birth. Annnnd we traveled to… Ohio… 🙂 Most of the adventures we take are affordable with the occasional splurge, so I wanted our two day getaway to Cincinnati to follow the same format. Also, keeping us free from COVID was an important factor in how we planned our trip.
Now, there was a big reason why we visited Cincinnati of all places. My husband’s cousin recently moved to Cincinnati with his wife and daughter, and his daughter turned one! Since we both interact in extremely small circles and the weather looked pleasant when we wanted to visit, we decided to meet up. To ensure we had enough daylight to hang out outdoors together, I planned for my family to visit 1 big attraction per day and a few small stops.
~ 2 Day Getaway to Cincinnati Map ~
~ 2 Day Getaway to Cincinnati Summary ~
When: The final weekend in October
Why: Tony’s cousin’s daughter turned one. After receiving our invitation to her small, intimate party, we decided a short getaway to Cincinnati could be done safely and carefully. Knowing we’re unlikely to travel soon, this brief trip was needed for our mental state.
Time Traveled (one way): 5.5 hours from Grand Rapids, 4 hours from Detroit, 4.75 hours from Kalamazoo, 4.5 hours from Lansing, 7.5 hours from Traverse City
Budget: Less than $500 – We booked an Airbnb in the Walnut Hills neighborhood for 3 nights. Then we prepaid for 2 different attractions. Finally besides gas, we relied on takeout and drive thru for food. I also carried breakfast foods with us in order to cut down on costs.
COVID Precautions We Took
- We chose an Airbnb with a self check in option to avoid contact.
- Since we drove, we recommend traveling during off peak hours to reduce the chances of getting stuck in traffic. And then, needing to stop to use the bathroom, refill gas, etc.
- Prebook attractions online, which is a great way to avoid contact when you arrive and allows you to see how many tickets are available (and potentially how busy it will be) before booking.
- We ordered takeout and delivery rather than dining in. This worked great since Winston is in his wiggly stage of development and restaurants overall aren’t fun for us right now.
- Carry hand sanitizer but also use it whenever you see it somewhere!
- Finally we visited mostly outdoor attractions such as the zoo, parks, overlook sites, and historic buildings with interesting architecture.
Day One Summary
After a wrench was thrown in our delivered brunch plans, we grabbed a quick bite to eat from a drive through. Then we spent most of our day at the Cincinnati Zoo! Following that, we ordered takeout and brought that back to our Airbnb. In the evening we visited Eden Park where we stopped at a few different overlooks to admire the view and checked out a couple historic and architecturally significant buildings.
Day Two Summary
We started day two of our getaway to Cincinnati at the American Sign Museum before spending the rest of the afternoon at Smale Park in downtown Cincinnati. Before headed out to visit our family, we crossed the Roebling bridge into Covington, Kentucky. In Kentucky we briefly paused at the riverfront to enjoy the city view of Cincinnati.
~ 2 Day Getaway to Cincinnati Details ~
Day 1: Cincinnati Zoo
Breakfast Plans?
Prior to heading to the zoo, we planned on enjoying a brunch delivered from Taste of Belgium at our Airbnb. However after a 15 minute delay then a second delay, we cancelled. So please note, it’s imperative to always have a plan B, especially when food is concerned! Even the most well planned itineraries can fall through, mine no exception. So our plan B was McDonald’s en route to the zoo.
COVID Procedures
Now that I got that disclaimer about food and back up plans off my chest, let’s move onto the first destination of our getaway to Cincinnati – the Cincinnati Zoo. While Michigan has some nice zoos, the Cincinnati Zoo is exceptional! The Zoo requires prebooked, timed tickets to limit the number of visitors and ensure social distancing. They also require masks in specific places and limit the number of people at certain viewing spots to prevent crowding. We saw most visitors wear their masks at all times, which was reassuring!
Overall Impression
The animal habitats and exhibits are large and spacious. Even with all the room to prowl, there are a couple different angles to look at the animals. And the animals were quite interactive! I don’t know if we had great timing or the animals in Cincinnati are unusually active, but there were only a handful of animals trying to avoid detection. I’ve never been to a zoo where so many big cat species walked around close to the visitors! The cheetah, tiger, and cougar were especially interested in checking us (aka tasty looking, unsuspecting Winston) out. Thank goodness for the thick glass separating us!
Our Favorites!
One of the biggest animal attractions at the Cincinnati Zoo is Fiona the hippo! Fiona was born in 2017, 6 weeks prematurely. Thanks to the special care by the zoo and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital she made it and is now a happy, healthy, over 1,000 lb hippo! Winston owns a hippo toy at home that he loves. When he got close to the hippo’s at the zoo, he became excited so I think he understood this animal matched his favorite toy.
Our other favorite animal exhibits included the giraffes, cheetah, gorillas (RIP Harambe), and cat house. Winston napped (finally!) while touring the cat house. I’m sure it’s because it is dark and warm in there. However, I also like to think he felt comfortable being around all the kitties.
Day 1: Lunch
After three hours at the zoo, we ordered some wings to go from a nearby chicken joint. We took them back to the Airbnb to allow Winston to play and wiggle before our next stop.
Day 1: Eden Park
Our next destination we visited before we met up with family was Eden Park. Beginning in 1859, the city of Cincinnati started acquiring land on Mount Adams to create Eden Park. Within this park, a reservoir and other cultural and artistic attractions were planned. Only Central Park in New York City preceded Eden Park in implementing a ‘people’s park’ concept – a natural haven for city residents to escape the hustle of city life.
Our Route within the park involved stopping at 4 points of interest. These include the Eden Park Overlook, Spencer Overlook, Station No. 7, and Elsinore Arch.
Eden Park Overlook
Stop one is the Eden Park Overlook. This is a great spot to relax at and take in the view of the Ohio River and Kentucky. There are several benches available all along the overlook.
From here there is a paved path around the ‘twin lakes’ – two small ponds with lots of trees and a bridge between the ponds. Within walking distance also stands the Vietnam War Memorial and Standpipe. The Standpipe is a 172 foot tall water tower built in 1894. Listed in the National Registrar of Historic Places in 1980, this structure is now a city communications tower. When it first opened, park visitors paid 10 cents to visit the top of the tower. Water from the Ohio River once pumped by nearby Station No. 7 into the Standpipe’s tank and supplied water to the nearby neighborhoods.
Spencer Overlook
We then drove to the Spencer Overlook. From the overlook parking, it’s possible to take the walking path back up to the Standpipe for a closer look or simply look out over the Ohio River and Kentucky from this location. We enjoyed this lookout as it is quieter, and there are a lot of beautiful flowers planted to admire.
At this lookout there’s also an obelisk to the right of all the seating. This obelisk commemorates the completion of the canalization of the Ohio River from Pittsburgh, PA to Cairo, IL in 1929. Dedicated by then President Herbert Hoover, there are plaques on each of the four sides. Two of the plaques are in honor of 2 individuals who played a big role in the navigational improvements of the Ohio River – John L. Vance and Albert Bettinger. Another plaque mentions the work of the Ohio Valley Improvement Association, while the fourth plaque focuses on the history and importance of the Ohio River.
Station No. 7
Stop three is Eden Park Station No 7. Completed in 1894 by prominent Cincinnati architect Samuel Hannaford, it originally was built to pump water from the Ohio River and transport it to the nearby Standpipe. It operated for a little more than a decade. Together with the Standpipe, the Station entered the National Registrar of Historic Places in 1980 due to its architectural significance. Hannaford was known to design buildings using a mix of architectural elements popular in the late 19th century such as Queen Anne, Neoclassical, and Romanesque Revival.
Today the Station sits abandoned. Throughout its history it served as a police dispatch center, and as recent as 2012 was supposed to become a brewery and taproom. (That would have been awesome!)
To get a closer look, there are a couple spaces to parallel park to the left of the building. There’s also what appears to be an interesting old bridge nearby to its left. Since visiting, I discovered it is actually part of the wall that once contained the reservoir. As we drove off, we noticed a couple people “rock climbing” the wall.
Elsinore Arch
Our final stop in the park is the Elsinore Arch. To get there we parked at the lot across from the Seasongood Pavilion. Once parked, we took the Cincinnati Steps down to the arch. Apparently, there are over 400 sets of Cincinnati Steps, and they are a tourist attraction on their own within the city. With the city built into several hills, steps are an important method of transportation.
Now back to the arch. It was built in 1883 by Charles Hannaford, son of Samuel Hannaford that designed Station No. 7. Back in 1883, Cincinnati hosted a Shakespearean Dramatic Festival. The Water Works Superintendent watched the production of Hamlet, and inspired by the Elsinore Castle set, asked Hannaford to design the new valve house in its image. At one point, the arch served as the entrance to Eden Park and the city’s art museum. But today, the arch remains owned by the water works, however it is now used for storage.
Other Attractions in Eden Park
There are several other attractions within Eden Park we didn’t have time to explore such as Mirror Lake, the Krohn Conservatory, and the Cincinnati Art Museum.
The art museum is open Tuesday through Sunday 11am – 5pm with special extended hours on Thursday from 11am – 8pm. General admission and parking are free!
The Krohn Conservatory opened in 1933 and offers different festive exhibits throughout the year. Admission is $10 for adults, $7 for kids and those under 4 are free.
Day 2: American Sign Museum
After a quick breakfast at the Airbnb, we headed out to the American Sign Museum. We booked our ticket online for 10am the day before. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for youths aged 13-18 and free for those under 13. Besides us, there was only one other couple touring the museum.
When we arrived, Winston started to get a little sleepy, but snapped out of it once he saw all the brightly lit signs! Some blinked, others spun in a circle and Winston was there for it all! The structure of the museum is simple to follow. The exhibit starts with the history of signs starting in the late 1800’s. Then as you move throughout the museum, you walk through the history of signs, and how businesses advertised themselves over the past century.
If you ever visited the Neon Museum in Vegas (I have), it is similar, but all the signs at the American Sign Museum light up. Not only that, but by each sign, there’s a brief written up containing what era the sign is from, business that used it and city/state it’s from.
We loved this museum! We highly recommend it if you have infants or kids. Though they may not get much out of the historical information provided, the lights alone are pretty cool!
Day 2: Smale Park
After our visit to the museum, Winston burned out. He slept throughout much of our visit to Smale Park, which is a large riverfront park in the heart of downtown Cincinnati. We parked at the Riverfront Garage for the reasonable rate of $3/hour. It’s close to the park as well – just cross the road and you’re there!
Smale Park offers a riverfront trail which appeared extremely popular on the Saturday morning of our visit. Within the park there are some awesome attractions for all ages. There’s a rose garden, labyrinth, historic markers, statues, and fountains (turned off when we visited). Also, there’s a cool playground built into the park to blend in with the rest of it. The playground looked popular among kids and adults alike! Finally there’s a Vibrantscape, which is a unique play area with instruments like a giant piano you can walk on, wind chimes, a flying pig with ropes to climb up into it and more!
The park is an excellent spot to view the historic Roebling Suspension Bridge, a bridge that crosses over into Kentucky that both motorists and pedestrians can use. At the time of completion in 1866, it became the world’s largest suspension bridge. I kinda think this bridge looks like the Tower Bridge in London.
Day 2: Kentucky Riverfront
Speaking of the Roebling Bridge, we crossed it after our time at Smale Park to check out the skyline from the Kentucky side.
In Kentucky, we didn’t stay long, just a quick hop near the George Rogers Clark Park to take in the view of Cincinnati and again, the bridge.
After our mini day trip during our second day in Cincinnati, we headed to the suburbs to spend time with family again! In total we spent about 3 hours exploring the museum, Smale Park and a quick stop in Kentucky.
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Again, please note that some of our time each day was spent outside of Cincinnati with family. If interested in using this itinerary as inspiration for planning your family’s getaway to Cincinnati, you can easily add 2-3 more attractions onto the second day. Personally, I’d love to return and visit the Underground Railroad Museum, Harriet Beecher Stowe House, and William H. Taft Historic Site. In a few years once Winston’s a bit older, those museum’s may be more appropriate to visit!
Have you spent any time traveling in Ohio? After COVID, I’d love to start exploring more of the Midwest during our weekends. Drop me a message, comment or connect with me on Instagram to let me know what your favorite places in Ohio are!
from Michigan with Love,
Jackie
