Truly enjoyed the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, its upward trend and diversity. Quite a few good…read morerestaurants, activities and social spaces. The best restaurant hands down is Five on Vine.

In my opinion this is the best part of the city. Murals…read moregalore, historic buildings, small shops, great neighborhood. Small intimate restaurants with excellent menus. Locally owned gems all bunched together in this small part of town. And beer, let's not forget you can get beer around here. Take a walk around here and discover all there is to see.

While I understand that Braxton Brewery is the one sponsoring this event, and the Mainstrauss…read moresociety association has shut its doors, I feel like this festival fell flat. It was only on one street really and in the park. Growing up I remember there being rides, games, more vendors, and more German Beer. Where was the German Beer??? The whole reason why I come to these events is for the delicious beer like Hefweizen, Weiss Beer, and Dunkels. It was all lame Braxton beers and a handful of overpriced cocktail vendors. They also had country music playing which REALLY didn't make it feel German at all. Cmon Braxton! Get it together, you call this a German Festival?? It felt rushed, and Hodgepodge. Also, why is it only on one street! Mainstrauss is huge and used to have vendors and shops and food all the way down to the fountain. I give it 2 stars. Maybe it'll grow, but this should be a way bigger event with rides and more games and activities for families and kids, like it used to be in the 90s and 2000s. I recommend expanding into more than just a few shops selling the same candle, jewelry, and incense merch as well.

Kicking off the Greater Cincinnati's festival season, Covington's Maifest celebrates the area's…read moreGermanic tradition of heralding the arrival of spring wines. However, I think Maifest is little more about beer and brats, but fun nonetheless. The 2008 event kicks off Friday, May 16th and runs until Sunday, May 18th. If the weather is nice, Maifest will be packed as tightly as Northern German sardines. Good luck trying to navigate with a stroller or wheelchair. Yet, given Cincinnati's unpredictable spring weather, chances are pretty good that there will at least be scattered showers, scaring away half of the crowd to a number that's manageable. Drinkers, your best bet is to purchase a collectors mug, which can be refilled at vendors' booths for a discount over individual beer price. And you're making Mother Nature proud. The beer selection is mostly domestic (unfortunately), but Warsteiner's there to keep things semi-authentic. For families, there are tons of food booths and artisans selling their wares, even "gypsies" reading your palms or tarot cards. Kiddies will love the carnival rides and games set up in the 5th street parking lot. Oompa bands and men in Lederhosen rock the crowd Bavarian style, but if that's not your style you can pop into any of the MainStrasse bars for more contemporary jams. There will invariably be someone who can't hold their liquor and will embarrass themselves terribly in front of a crowd of 150,000. But you'll walk away with a renewed sense of Schadenfreude. Prost!

Taking time to explore my new area, yesterday it was Bellevue's turn. It's like going back 50 years…read morein time when "downtown" was the place to be...you know, when you're alone is life is making you lonely... Very walkable and plenty of parking. Lots of cute little restaurants and bars. But Monday isn't the best time to go because many little places were closed. I'll go back on First Friday, which is supposed to be a blast. I walked all the way to Dayton...Kentucky that is. That's a story for another day. People are friendly in this town - at least in the stores that are open on Monday. I did kinda laugh when I saw the sign for the Beach Park. Just the thought of a beach on this river. Don't get me wrong...I love the river and the river traffic. But I wouldn't put my little toe in that water. Next time I head down think I'll take the levy...love walking on the levy. At least the Newport levy. I'll report back on Bellevue levy.

FACT: Bellevue is super underrated. There are so many great charming NKY neighborhoods and Bellevue…read moreis definitely towards the top of that list. There are so many small businesses that make this part of town such a great place to visit. Among the coffee shops and restaurants, visiting Bellevue Beach park is also a great time to be had. It's peaceful and serene with lots of great river views. If you're looking for a spot to grab coffee or lunch, make it a point to start checking out some of these businesses. Besides, who can pass up a chance to stop by The Party Source (enormous booze outlet) while you're in this neck of the woods. If you haven't taken the time to visit and explore Bellevue, make sure you do - it's such a charming part of greater Cincy.

It wasn't a huge area but the exhibit was nice. We didn't feel rushed. Aample amount of butterflies…read moreand chance for photos

The Krohn's Conservatory Butterfly Show today didn't disappoint!! I expected to see a few…read morebutterflies around, maybe in the bushes. But I didn't expect to be immersed in the midst of so many varieties of butterflies: feeding together on oranges, fluttering by me, perched on the floor, clustered on leaves of plants, perching on my own clothes (interestingly, I felt them land and knew the moment they left). I was ushered in to this protected enclosed space with a group for a 45-minute experience, with a few instructions: don't touch the butterflies, except with the provided paper perch, don't bring any drinks in besides bottled water, etc., all provided to keep the butterflies safe. Also unexpected was how friendly an experience it was. Yes, the best way to meet everyone was to have a butterfly perched on your back, so that each person walked up to tell you that. But as we all experienced this together, we laughed and enjoyed the experience together!!

Just a few blocks from my AirBnB- I managed to get over there twice during my stay. First time, was…read moreabout 30 minutes before close- but I got my Babushka's perogies! I also snagged an apple crumb mini pie, cookies and found a chocolate shop with marvelous St Patrick's Truffles! The public art surrounding the market is vibrant and playful. When I returned on my last day, my first stop was for coffee and I enjoyed (even though it was bitterly cold) the outdoor market. The flower shop was delightful and I found myself in several shops buying various items like an apron, teas, honey and more! I even snagged quiche at a small bakery. I am so happy I made time to explore and I highly recommend. Locals must love all the meat markets, delis, produce and eateries!

Love the market. Great food, shopping, people watching & great gathering spot with friends. Would…read morehave given it a 5 but their music (not the entertainment) is WAY TOO LOUD!!! Almost impossible to have a conversation.

This mural is located on the Newport flood wall. It is the work of Gina Erardi who completed it in…read more2020 as part of a series of 9 such murals celebrating Newport's 225th anniversary. It was inspired by the old Southgate Street School, the city's only African American school during the time of segregation, and Newport's historic commitment to educate all its residents even during segregation. In preparation for making this mural Erardi interviewed former students of the school and even had a former student, Virinda Garland Doddy, assist with the murals design The mural is in great shape and depicts a teacher helping a little girl write on a chalkboard and a man and a woman in a cap and gown. The background is a wave of color. The mural was funded by a $13,000 grant from the Horizon Fund of Northern Kentucky. Parking here to get a closer look is kind if tricky. It is located off of a pretty busy street with no parking. There is a lot of parking garages within a reasonable walking distance. Anyway, as with most murals that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. You may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other murals in the area or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip. I just did a mural tour between Newport and Cincinnati. Fun fact: The Southgate Street School is still standing today and serves now as the Newport History Museum.

Took a chance on getting into Sotto tonight. Drove down there and put ourselves on the waitlist for…read morethe bar. Love walking down those steps, waiting for your eyes to adjust, while knowing you're somewhere special. Luckily, after not too long of a wait we were seated!! We had the most amazing bartenders, Trevor was fantastic! They all were. We had another absolutely out of this world meal. Love their oil packed tuna, their bistecca fiorentina and the pappardelle al cinghiale!! Unfortunately, we had no room for dessert so we're going to have to go back again to eat more. Haha Oh and we actually tried their Blue Oven bread for the first time and it was incredible. What a fabulous restaurant! So lucky to have it here in Cincinnati! We don't even miss La Normandie anymore!

First time in Cincinnati -- dined at Sotto the evening after the Flying Pig Half…read more I went solo and sat at the bar. The ambiance is intimate and very dim, mostly candlelit. It's a nice vibe, though definitely on the darker side. I ordered the black kale salad, cappellacci (short rib, shallot, thyme), and the branzino. * The kale salad was solid, but a bit heavy on the pecorino. * The cappellacci was decent, though the accompanying elements didn't quite work for me. * The branzino was cooked well, but overall the dish didn't stand out in flavor. In general, the food felt underwhelming for the price. My bill was around $100, and I didn't feel the quality or flavor justified it. Some dishes came across a bit muted -- not sure if that's the intended style, but it didn't land for me. Parking in the area was also a bit inconvenient. Overall: great ambiance, but the food didn't meet expectations for the cost. I probably wouldn't return.

Such a pretty view both from the bottom of the steps and from the top! I really enjoyed getting…read moresome exercise with my dog by walking the steps. They were really neat and unique to look at which made the walk even more fun. The area was very clean and well-shaded, too. It's quite a sight and a fun activity if you like some physical exertion.

If you're visiting the art museum, take some time to use The Art Climb. It leads right to the…read moremuseum, and ar the bottom goes to the park across the street. It looks really nice, especially at night. On the way, there are a few art pieces to look at. I will say, it's also a very nice workout.