A Quick End-of-Summer Getaway

As much as we are enjoying being home all Summer we can only take so much of staring at each other 24/7 in these confining four walls. So one restless evening we took a vote on what to do for a quick getaway.  The options boiled down to either going camping or visiting Cincinnati. The majority voted for Cincinnati (my vote went to camping). I wanted to commune with nature, not with the urban jungle.  Despite my protestations I did see the beauty in packing only overnight bags instead of all our camping gear. After all if this was going to be a restful getaway we can't be spending so much time loading (two) cars and coming home to do the whole kit and caboodle of unpacking.  It would be counter-intuitive to the idea of a QUICK (and restful) getaway.  

With destination settled, I hastily set about the task of risking my small budget to bid on hotels via Priceline.  We've always had good luck with that service so I expected nothing less this time.  Although I do admit that when you require two rooms with certain amenities (a pool), last minute with a miniscule budget,  it gets very stressful quickly. 

When my bid finally got accepted we starting drawing up a list of places to visit and people to see.  We used to live in Cincinnati, we got married and had our two oldest children born there. That familiarity made it easier to plan where to go.  It was a fun three-day vacation visiting old haunts, old friends and marveling at new places. On our way home the kids wondered why we ever moved.  The oldest was particularly nostalgic, he lovingly refers to Cincinnati as "my hometown".  

Here are some photos to share:

our first stop - Rock Bottom Brewery on Fountain Square- I just had to have a good brew...

and good pizza

the middle child helping the baby get ready for our day out

this child!

finding a geocache

at Eden Park overlooking Mt. Adams

the funny child behind me

O-H-I-O at the river overlook

river vista at Eden Park

I never did find out what this structure is

walking up Mt. Adams to visit the Church of the Immaculata

 Tomorrow I will post more pictures from Immaculata, Fountain Square, Great American Ballpark, Mt. Adams, Aglamesis, St. Cecilia (our old parish) Ikea, etc.  There's just too many pictures to share for one post.