Before I returned to school for a gruesome fall semester (it’s only been a week, and I’m already ready for May 2021; I’m a sophomore with a bad case of senioritis), I went to Cincinnati with one of my favorite humans ever– Maria.

I had the time of my life, and I can’t wait for the next road trip we take together. For now, I’ll reminisce on the time we went to Cincinnati, Ohio for less than forty-eight hours.

I’m not going to go in order of everywhere we went, but I’ll tell you everywhere we went (make sense? If you can’t tell, I’m kind of bad at wording stuff). To start off, we slept in an art gallery (not illegally). Our choice of overnight sleep was Pique, which is an art gallery that doubles as an Airbnb. Not only was the art gallery really cool (I really appreciated that it was by someone local), but I had one of the best nights of sleep of my life there. Also, the owners were incredibly hospitable, which is always a bonus; I especially loved the snacks they provided and how they provided several pamphlets for exploring and eating in Cincinnati.

1. Cincinnati Art Museum

   On the way there, I was recovering from a semi-traumatic occurrence, so I looked a hot mess walking in; I kept going to the bathroom to put myself back together. My inner excitement wasn’t shown on the outside if that makes sense. However, I was super excited about the museum, even though the size of it was kind of overwhelming; I was not expecting it to be that big. There were tons of galleries with art pieces from different historical eras.

2. John A. Roebling Bridge

   In hindsight, I should have done more research about the places we went. I just Googled pictures and kept going, but I know to do better next time. Anyway, my friend did her research and told me who exactly John A. Roebling was. He is the guy responsible for the design of the Brooklyn Bridge, so the John A. Roebling Bridge is just a prototype for the Brooklyn Bridge. We walked along the side of it, and I was scared out of my mind; I honestly just wanted to sit on the ground and accept my fate. The ground shook every time a car went by, and I wasn’t having it. It was still cool though, and I definitely didn’t hate it. Initially, I was just scared.

3. National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

   We decided to go two hours before closing, so we definitely had to watch the time; however, it didn’t take away from the enjoyment of the museum. It was really nice; it reminded me of the Civil Rights Museum in Alabama (I think that’s the name of it). The only thing I wasn’t really a fan of was paying an extra five dollars for something that lasted thirty seconds.

4. Carew Tower

   There’s not much to say about the Carew Tower. It provided a stunning view of the city (and beyond). I felt an immediate liking to the city once we arrived, but I fell in love with it when I got a breathtaking view of the city.

   

5. Smale Riverfront Park

   A park that encompassed more beauty. There were beautiful gardens that consisted of several different breathtaking flowers. The park was right by the river, so it provided a great view of the river and the city across from it. There were unique activities for people to take part in, such as exercise machines that consisted of arches and different semi-circles. The entire park provided such a sense of peace, even with the energetic little kids running around. At this point, my liking to the city became stronger.

6. Contemporary Arts Center

   Going here made me realize I definitely prefer contemporary art over historical art (but I still appreciate historical art). I loved everything about this museum. It was super fun and interactive, which boosted the funness of it (is funness even a word? Probably not). The below video is some sort of music making thing. You shine a light on the triangles, and it produces music.

   

   

   [wpvideo ThWgGfu3]

7. International Friendship Park

   This is where I continued to practice riding a bike; I literally broke a sweat within the first five minutes. Right quick, I just wanted to show my appreciation for Maria; she was incredibly patient while I struggled (and got kind of frustrated) with riding a bike. Her patience meant a lot, especially since I tend to have a guilty conscious when I feel like I’m holding someone back. While we were going along the path at the park, we ran into some really nice people. A couple of them offered to help out, and a set of friends stopped to take our picture. The kindness they displayed was reassuring my feelings for Cincinnati.

   

   

8. 21c Museum Hotel Cincinnati

   I loved the art they were displaying; I left feeling super empowered and inspired. There was an exhibit that beautifully showcased African Americans, and I was just in there like “YEEESS!” They also had an exhibit titled “The Future is Female,” and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There need to be more empowering exhibits at museums because I loved every moment of it.

9. IKEA

   I was so excited about going to Ikea, even though it probably didn’t show on my face. Of course, it was extremely overwhelming, but it was overwhelming in a great way. Being an interior architecture major, my little interior designer heart was ecstatic. I loved the showroom; it definitely provided inspiration for future projects and designs.

Now I get to write about all the food I ate, which is just going to increase my wish of going back. I ventured and ate foods I’ve never had before, which I highly encourage everyone to do. It’s important to try new things.

1. Taste of Belgium

   I ate a crepe for the first time, and even though I didn’t finish it, I really enjoyed it. My order was a speculoos & cookie butter crepe with a side of mixed berry fruit.

   

2. Boomtown Biscuits and Whiskey

   I’m pretty sure they’re known for their biscuits, but I didn’t get a biscuit. I ordered shrimp and grits, which was sooooo good. I pulled the tail off shrimp for the first time, which was definitely an experience. Also, I was wearing my Macklemore merch, which says “Gemini,” and I had a brief conversation with my waiter about our birthdays (he was born a couple of days before me on June 15th).

   

3. Holtman’s Doughnuts

   Getting here was a journey (and not one I want to go on again). I bought two bacon donuts and two chocolate (?) donuts; I don’t know if the chocolate donuts were actually chocolate donuts (I didn’t eat any).

   

4. Skyline Chili

   My favorite thing about this restaurant was they provided bibs. Me being me, I definitely got one; I’m for sure clumsy, so a bib was necessary. My order was a 3-way, which was spaghetti noodles topped with chili topped with a mountain of shredded cheese. Because I wanted to kill my stomach, even more, I ordered a slice of cheesecake, which looked kind of disgusting but tasted amazing.

   

5. Frida 602

   I appreciated the culture and environment this restaurant provided. The staff, the décor, the menu. Everything was phenomenal. Maria and I got queso as an appetizer. I am a huge queso person, but it was my first time having queso with corn and peppers and tomatoes; I don’t think I can eat any other queso after experiencing Frida’s amazingness. If I could, I would eat it every day. Enough about my queso love, I also ordered a chicken quesadilla (which was my first time ordering chicken anything; it’s a big deal), and it was super delicious.

   

After spending less than 48 hours in a completely different (but in a good way) environment, I for sure can’t wait for the next trip. I also decided that I wouldn’t mind living in Cincinnati, even if it’s just for a couple of months. A requirement for my major is getting an internship, and Cincinnati is the first place I’m going to look.

I fell in love with The Queen City.

Next stop, Atlanta.