Walking to Kentucky (with video)

I know, why, you may ask, would anyone really want to walk around Cincinnati. Well, I might reply, if you find yourself in Cincinnati, what are your other options?

Saturday evening I walked around downtown. The city has marked 1, 2 and 3 mile trails, with signs at each corner directing you along the route. I took the 2 mile trail and wound around through various parts of the area. I can't say it's the most impressive or pleasant downtown I've seen, but it has its moments. City Hall is quite striking, and there are a few other pleasant sights. For the most part, though, it's pretty run down, making it difficult to appreciate the decent architecture.

I had more success Sunday morning. My downtown walk had not included the waterfront, which is arguably the best feature of the city. Unlike Philadelphia, which has totally bungled its Delaware River waterfront, Cincinnati is at least trying to make it a nice place. The setting is not unlike Philadelphia's, with an interstate running below ground level to allow access to the river. But both the football and baseball stadia, as well as the large indoor arena, are right on the river's edge. It's open and pleasant. The area also features the Underground Railway Museum, which was unfortunately closed when I walked by. It's quite large and impressive looking.

The biggest reason I went down there, though, was because it occurred to me that I could possibly cross a bridge into Kentucky. I've never walked to Kentucky before, so it was something I couldn't pass up. As I approached the river, wondering how I would cross, I rounded the museum and saw what looked an awful lot like the Brooklyn Bridge spanning the Ohio. This was a great bonus, so off I went. I learned as I crossed that the bridge was built by John Roebling, father of Washington Roebling, who build the Brooklyn Bridge. It was considered to be the prototype, though the Brooklyn Bridge is significantly longer and the engineering challenges were much greater. It's a beautiful old suspension bridge, though, and having the opportunity to not only walk to Kentucky but do so on a 150 year-old suspension bridge was a treat.

Once in Kentucky, I looked around the nondescript area on the riverbank. Nicer than Camden, but not as interesting. I then realized that I had also never walked to Ohio, so back I went.