A Weekend Filled with Family Fun

Cincinnati and Wyoming, OH
August 21-24

We catch up with our Cincinnati Glover family on Friday night, just in time to take the family to Graeters for ice cream, a great Cincinnati tradition that we try to uphold every time we are in town.  

On Saturday we meet daughter Jean and her husband Rod for lunch at a favorite Indian Restaurant.

 

A few hours later, we watch granddaughter Meredith’s first high school soccer game of the season (she is co-captain of the team).  It is an exciting nail biter, and the Wyoming Cowboys (we don’t think they call them Cowgirls, even though they aren’t boys) pull out a win with less than five minutes left in the game.

Afterward, we celebrate the win over dinner on the deck back at the Glovers’.  

Sunday morning we enjoy another one of our favorite traditions of our visits to Cincinnati--brunch at the Grand Finale with Dick’s daughter Megan. 

 

 

After brunch, the rest of the Glovers take us downtown to introduce us to the many urban improvements that have been implemented since we last ventured there--over ten years ago.  Over the Rhine, which was pretty much a slum, is on an uptick, anchored by a massive renovation to Washington Park, which we remember as a place where homeless people and drug dealers hung out right in front of historic Music Hall. 

Now children play in a big water feature, a steel drum band plays in a gazebo, while a woman doing hoola hoop tricks encourages bystanders to pick up a hoop and give it a try.  There is a man making six foot diameter bubbles right around the corner.   It is a festive fun place to be, but we have lots more to see.

 

We walk down to the riverfront--a spot that was not much more than parking lots for the stadiums when we moved away.  Now the riverfront is a big park with activities for families to do together. 

 

 

 

Since we had been walking around in the hot sun for over an hour by now, we really enjoyed taking a break on the swings overlooking the river.  

 

The Reds stadium is surrounded by a legacy park, including a rose garden, which we think is all about Pete Rose, but it is a stealth message.

 

We stop to cool off with frozen yogurt, then walk a mile to a gourmet popsicle shop in Over the Rhine.  By the time we get back home and everyone checks their fitness apps and fit bits, we find that we have walked over five miles in classic Cincinnati heat and humidity, and we had a wonderful time doing it! 

After a morning bike ride on Monday, we pick up Skyline Chili (something we must have at least once whenever we visit), and head over to the Glovers to do our laundry while we enjoy the gastronomic delight of a five way and a cheese coney. 

 

Then it is time to go to see granddaughter Molly run in her very first cross country meet.  There are over 100 girls from at least eight different schools participating.  The mass start is exciting to see.  Even more exciting is seeing Molly round the turn into the final segment of the race and sprint to the finish line.  She runs a great race, and we are very proud of her accomplishment. 

While we are here, granddaughter Natalie does not have any athletic events or performances for us to watch, but she did try out to perform in the Cincinnati Ballet performance of The Nutcracker.   We are very proud of her dedication and persistence in trying out, and hope that she wins a spot this year. 

After a brief stop back home after Molly’s race, we leave for Meredith’s second soccer game of the season.   We are impressed by her ability to place the ball strategically whenever she kicks it, and the way she directs play.    

 
As we leave the game on Monday night, it is time for good byes all round.  Tomorrow we leave Cincinnati to continue our adventures as we make our way east toward Rochester.