Seeing the Queen City on a Jester's Wallet

Stop by Mutter Gottes Kirche or Mother of God Church in Covington. Rev. Dr. Ferdinand Kuhr founded this church in 1841 and the present Renaissance building dates from 1871. The towers are 200 feet tall and cupola 150 feet. After the recent and extensive renovation the 1890s rosary murals and stained glass windows glimmer as the woodwork from the same era shines.
Mother of God Church resides at 119 W. 6th Street, Covington. Hours: Mon-Sat 9am – 4:30pm. For more info visit their website here.

Quick Tips:

Now select your park:
Mt. Echo is an 84-acre park over-looking the river on Elberon Ave. It has a ballpark, play area, grills, shelter and a 1929 pavilion, which held dances in the 1930s and 40s.

Mt. Airy is Cincinnati’s largest park at 1,469 acres with a variety of trails, play areas, gardens, shelters, lodges, sports activities, and more.

Ault Park is a 223-acre park on Observatory Ave. in Hyde Park. This park’s claim to fame is the amazing (and expensive) flower show in the Spring. It offers a wonderful Italian-style pavilion and formal gardens throughout the year. For more info on the Cincinnati park system visit < a href="www.cinci-parks.org">their website here. Hours are 6:00am to 10:00pm in most cases.

Best Way To Get Around:

Several car rental options are available from there. If you can't afford to rent wheels you can find downtown shuttles also. (Call Airport Executive Shuttles 800-990-8841 for more info). A taxi ride to downtown can be expensive. (859-767-3260 for more info).

Cross over one of the many colored bridges (the latest is purple) to the downtown, where weekend and holiday fares on Cincinnati's vast Metro bus system start at 50 cents a ride. (Call 513-621-4455 for more info).

Located in a strip mall on a busy road amidst realty offices, fine hair salons and car dealerships, this tiny restaurant offers a variety of pancakes such as traditional buttermilk for $4.19 or Hawaiian with pineapple and tropical syrup for $5.19, fruit crepes filled with your choice of cherry, mandarin oranges, bananas or strawberries for $6.49.

There’s a nice selection of omelets including vegetarian or spinach, feta and sun-dried tomatoes for $8.19. Under murals of trees and ferns in stone urns you can chow on hearty bacon and eggs for $5.39 or several types of waffles; a large powdery Belgian will set you back $4.79.

You can stuff yourself with their specialty, Dutch baby, a German-inspired thin crust pastry filled with a thick and filling mix of eggs, lemon and powdered sugar for $6.79 in comfy booths with plaid tablecloths and white lace curtains. The little details like stenciling and flowers on the tables make this a homey restaurant.

Continue your quest for books at nearby Kaldi’s coffeehouse in Over the Rhine, a neighborhood on the edge of revitalization but still not completely safe at night.

Behind the hand-lettered sign on the front window lies a solid collection of books, extensive vegetarian menu and good coffee (they sell whole beans by the bag) under a tin ceiling.

There’s two sides to Kaldi’s: smoking and non-smoking or live music (from blues to rock) and reading area. Most dishes are $3-8.

Open Mon-Thurs 9AM to 1AM, Fridays 9AM to 2AM, Saturdays 10AM to 2AM, Sundays 10AM to 12AM. Cash & major credit cards. Street parking. For more info: Kaldis.

Here students, professors, yuppies, hippies and professionals find solace in large cups of java. There’s over 30 types plus a nice selection of sodas, wine and teas. Use that coffee to wash down salads, soups and a variety of sandwiches.

This place is casual enough that on Saturday mornings there are cartoons... with people in their PJs watching them.

Open Sun-Thurs 10AM to 1AM, Fri-Sat 10AM to 2AM. Major credit cards & cash. On street/meter parking. Some entertainment such as poetry readings but not at a set schedule.

Hours vary. Cash only.

Opening in 1940 this little chili parlor is has the "best chili in the country" says CBS Morning News and "best chili in town" by Delta airlines. Chili starts at $2.50. [Note on Cincinnati-style chili: it’s served over noodles and has a cinnamon base. This ain’t Texas!] Add some onions, cheese or beans for a bit more.

They also serve breakfast, double-deckers and coneys... chili on a weinie. Cash only. Take-out. Open 24 hours, except Sunday.

Zip’s is the annual best burger in Cincinnati winner, and rightfully so! These ain’t no stiff hockey pucks!

Sample their beer selection in the dark wooden surroundings as a toy train circles overhead. The walls are also adorned with sports memorabilia.

Or maybe it’s so darned charming due to the staff. While dining I saw a young boy scooped up by his server and taken behind the bar so that he could make the toy train whistle.

*Vegetarians can gobble up a black bean burger for $4.

Hours 10:30 – 10:30 Mon-Tues. 10:30 – 11:30 Wed-Sat. 11:00-10:30 Sun. Cash & major credit cards. Meter parking.

The food is fresh and hot, the servers are friendly... and all in a shiny metal box on a hill... just like Mom would hang out at to meet Dad for a soda! Burgers, salads, milkshakes and more... DO NOT miss the bread pudding drizzled in a sauce that will leave you licking the bowl!

800 Elm Street, Downtown(513-721-4241), 5098 B Glen Crossing Way, Western Hills (513-347-9699), 1198 Smiley Ave., Forest Park (513-825-3888), 612 Main Street (513-241-6246).

The library association has been in existence since 1874 with the current building dating to 1955. With the newest extension completed in 1997, the library is now over 542,000 square foot containing 12 departments and one million visitors annually.

Highlights include a large, tiered fountain with wading pool (open in the Summer to splash around in), timeline walk, a marker with all of the floods listed, a replica of the river which kids often run through and flying pigs. Yes, flying pigs.

Cincinnati was once known as Porkopolis due to the number of slaughterhouses in the area. The slaughterhouses are thankfully gone but the city has embraced it’s past by sponsoring pig statue painting contests and Flying Pig marathons for charity.

TIP: The park is free and if you have your own car, park on the public landing at no charge.

Located in Eden Park, you can continue strolling outdoors along hiking trails, gazebos and fountains.

At Christmas the bonus is the live nativity scene outside!

FREE! Open daily 10AM to 5PM. For more info visit http://www.cinci-parks.org/parks/text/eden.html or phone 513-352-4080.

CAM holds many events, lectures and programs for all ages. Also, there is a large library which can be browsed through (only members have borrowing privileges).

For more info visit www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org or call 513-721-ARTS. Close to Krohn Conservatory too!

Mt. Adams is brimming over with (expensive!) shops, galleries and cafes!

Briani & Miotto (1111 St. Gregory 513-381-8414) has art of the dangley, beaded type.

The Gilded Age (1120 St. Gregory 513-421-6122) has a mixture of art and antiques.

Mushroom Wine Shop (942 Hatch St. 513-731-0016) has tastings every Friday and Saturday at 7:30PM.

The Raven (1053 St. Gregory 513-333-0577) and Studio 23 (1057 St. Gregory 513-241-2802) also offer art.

For more info visit: ".

For a calendar of events visit: www.ccm.uc.edu.

Directly across the Licking River from Columbia 11 families set up camp (Losantiville) and the John Cleves Symmes family settled a little further down stream at what became known as "North Bend". Ft. Washington would be established in 1789 and a year later when General Arthur St. Clair, the first governor of the new Northwest Territory, arrived at the fort for inspection he renamed the area Cincinnati after an organization of Revolutionary War officers. By 1820 the area had 70,000 residents or one-quarter the population of the state and began referring to themselves as "the Queen of the West", which became the "Queen City".

Pioneer Cemetery is located directly across from Lunken Airport on Wilmer Ave. in Tusculum-Columbia. Hours 6AM to 10PM. There’s a gravel parking lot.

Kid's will love the singing animals, outdoor nature exhibit.

And Mr. Jim is expanding AGAIN!

GREAT FOR PICNIC MAKINGS!

Easily accessible from I-275. Open 8AM – 10PM daily. For more info: Jungle Jim's or 513-674-6000.

Of the mausoleums, one is a registered historical landmark. The Dexter Mausoleum (section 20) belongs to a whiskey baron who had the funerary monument built in 1869 in the Gothic Revival design.

The list of those interred here is like a history book with a Cincinnati chapter: Longworth, Burnet, Alms, Erkenbrecker, West, Chase, Procter, Gamble and 37 Civil War generals and families of Presidents Grant, Harrison and Taft. Besides politicians Spring Grove has some creative souls: song writer Johnny Black and writer Alexander H. Mc Guffey. Some inventors like Charles L. Fleischmann (yeast king). Heroes like Levi Coffin. Sports personalities such as Waite Hoyt. The list is endless and hours could be spent here.

A twist of bizarre interest: The McCooks are buried in Spring Grove. Daniel McCook was the father of the "Tribe of Dan", 10 sons who became military officers and figures. On July 21st, 1863 father Daniel McCook Sr. and sons Charles and Daniel Jr. all died from wounds sustained in battle.