Music Hall

Saturday
We spent most of today in downtown Cincinnati, starting off with breakfast at Taste of Belgium in the area known as Over the Rhine. The neighborhood's distinctive name comes from its builders and early residents, German immigrants of the mid-19th century. Many walked to work across bridges over the Miami and Erie Canal, which separated the area from downtown Cincinnati. The canal was nicknamed "the Rhine" in reference to the Rhine River in Germany, and the newly settled area north of the canal as "Over the Rhine". From there, we were only a couple of blocks away from Music Hall, and the newly renovated Washington Park. Music Hall, completed in 1878, is Cincinnati's principal classical music performance hall. It serves as the home for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Opera, May Festival Chorus, and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. In January 1975, it was recognized as a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Washington Park, across the road, wasrecently totally dug up, an underground car-park installed, then the park was replaced, extended and up-dated, with a new children's playground, the fountain feature shown in the picture and an event lawn and stage for outdoor performances, but still incorporating the historic, refurbished bandstand. Then we went for a wander around Findlay Market - the oldest continuously operating farmers' market in Ohio. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. Next on the itinerary was riding the "Duck" from Newport on the Levee across the river in Kentucky. The Duck crosses one of the bridges, then enters the Ohio River at the Public Landing on the Cincinnati side, goes for about a 25-minute out and back trip on the river, passing downtown, including the Great American Ball Park, Serpentine Wall, the new Riverfront Park, National Underground Freedom Center, and passing under the Roebling Suspension Bridge. It then does a tour of the downtown area before returning across the river back to Newport. By this time it was high time for lunch, so we ate lunch at Claddagh's Irish Pub by the river. Finally we went up to Devou Park, which offers a wonderful view over Covington, the Ohio River and downtown Cincinnati. It was a very hot day, so we wrapped up the day by spending some time at the Pool to cool off.

One year ago: By the Riverside