One of my fondest memories of childhood has recently translated into a good time in adulthood. As a lot of you know, I'm from the Midwest. When I was young, Cincinnati, Ohio was a destination filled with fun and good food. We spent weekends wandering Findlay Market, walking on the skywalk through downtown, riding rides at King's Island, and of course; hanging out on the waterfront.
Home of the best in local entertainment, the waterfront in Cincinnati is unmatched. Home of Reds Baseball, Bengals Football, and Cyclones Hockey; the waterfront is sports central. Along with all the sports, there are events, college sports and great food. There's a lively club scene there and even The Hard Rock Casino. If you can't find something to do or drink or eat or gamble on; then you aren't in the right place. The riverfront of Cincinnati is non stop fun.
Cincinnati's waterfront also has beautiful parks and places for outdoor performances right along the shore of the Ohio River. Some of the best views in town are right along the water.
But, there's more going on there than just the waterfront. There's the over the water as well. The Roebling Bridge is currently only for pedestrians. This landmark bridge is available for one of my favorite activities; bridge walking. It's great exercise, it's great views for photography, and it's just a great way to get away from it all.
Little known fact about the Ohio River between Cincinnati, Ohio and Newport, Kentucky is that the river belongs largely to Kentucky. You will notice when you cross a bridge, that the sign that says Welcome to Kentucky is at the entrance to that bridge on the Ohio side. Back in the day when I used to go with my parents, this wasn't as clear. Back in those days, there were riverboat casinos, riverboat restaurants and many other riverboat places, because there weren't a lot of laws covering the actual river. Gone are these things, and for the most part ownership has been decided. It belongs to Kentucky.
Therefore, when an old railroad bridge was converted into a pedestrian park, it belonged to Kentucky and they dubbed it the Purple People Bridge and painted it purple. The bridge has long been called the Purple People Eater Bridge by those who walk on it, just because it makes everyone smile.
The Purple People Bridge is unique, has great views of the river and many of the bridges up and down the river from it. You can only enter and exit from Newport. They do have a section of the bridge set up for locks of love and the bridge can be rented out for events. It's an interesting concept.
The Taylor-Southgate Bridge is another great walk. This is a motor vehicle bridge, but has a pedestrian way. It connects the Levee District of Newport to the event district of Cincinnati. It has amazing views of the entire area and is a great walk. You can enter and exit it from either end.
So, what if walking back and forth over the Ohio River isn't your thing? There are plenty of other options of things to do.
And then, there's the waterfront in Newport. The town has long since been on the downside of the river, and levees have been part of the program. There's been a massive levee system there for decades, because of the seasonal flooding of the mighty Ohio River. Newport, over the years, has turned into somewhat of a hangout spot. They have concerts, movies, restaurants, clubs and even an aquarium there. This is the relaxed side of the river and it is beautiful. It's hard to choose somewhere to eat in the neighborhood, because it's all so good. It's amazing how each side of the river has its own personality, and they complement each other very well.
Newport is also where you will find the remaining boats along the river in the area. The USS Nightmare is not the boat that we rode on. This leftover wreck of a boat is the area's premiere haunted ship. It's open every night of the week during the Halloween season and is a favorite of the locals.
BB Riverboats is the company that took us for a cruise on their Belle of Cincinnati up and down the river. They have a snack bar, gift shop and restaurant on board. They do all kinds of cruises and have more than one riverboat. We sat leisurely on the deck and watched the scenery go by while listening to our narrator and banjo music. It was a relaxing and wonderful way to get the best views of the area.
Cincinnati and Newport have been a hand in hand combo for many years. Whether it's the events and shopping of Cincinnati or the eateries and movies of Newport; there's something for everyone on one side of the river or the other. No matter what side of the river you spend your time on, there are great views and fabulous places to spend your time. If you're like me, you'll do a little of both and even take time to cruise the river for all the best views in either town.
It's great family fun, good food, fabulous views and lots of events to choose from. So take some time in the southern most part of Ohio and enjoy!
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https://thebankspublicpartnership.com/map-of-the-banks-cincinnati-riverfront/
https://cincinnatiusa.com/things-to-do/attractions/newport-levee
https://www.newportonthelevee.com/
https://www.newportaquarium.com/
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g39707-Newport_Kentucky.html
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https://promowestlive.com/our-venues/promowest-pavilion-at-ovation
https://ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/site/tourism
https://ohio.org/wps/portal/gov/tourism/home
https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/ohio
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