Thoughts and Quotes: Can't be that big. Whoa! Giraffe Dad
Told you, Dad. You just gotta think bigger. Giraffe Junior
And what a trip we had, to see for ourselves. Niece Terri and I had a memorable five-day trip with Sunnyland to see the ark, and my reaction was the same as Giraffe Dad's. It's REALLY big.
Day 1, November 30, 2021: I was up at 4:00 a.m. to leave at 6:30 a.m. from the Oasis Hotel in North Springfield.
We had a long day of driving, and arrived at the Holiday Inn in Covington, Kentucky at 6:30 p.m. Deduct one hour for the time change and one hour for a lunch stop at Cracker Barrel; a couple of thirty-minute breaks and it was still a long day.
The Holiday Inn is bare bones with no Christmas tree. I think they might be short of help. They welcomed us with a fire in the fireplace and cookies with punch. That was nice.
Though the hotel is small, we were still listed on the events poster. That was sweet.
Over the coffee station was a spot for the employees to show their gratitude with an autumn leaf. I loved reading them.
Dinner was a pizza party; so nice we didn't have to get back on the bus and go out for dinner.
Something new to me - a hotel room with a doorbell. It's for hearing impaired, but I still don't understand how it works.
And the best shower in the world; really big, great door. I had to take a picture. I couldn't really get a good shot, except of the shower head.
Day 2, December 1, 2021
We were up early for breakfast, a buffet of expected hotel food. The breakfast menu is posted, and lucky me, we had grits twice while I was here.
I forgot to take a photo of my breakfast, so I used Linda's plate. We spent lots of time with Linda S, Linda P, and Nan - The Merry Widows. And merry they were, lots of fun and we'll meet for more fun after the tour.
The first stop was Rookwood Pottery. I wasn't excited, but after we got there, I was super thrilled. I skipped the tour to see how things were made, because I wanted to see all the goodies. So many beautiful things. I was expecting terra cotta, and I got things like this.
Rookwood also makes beautiful tiles for your home - fireplace facings, walls, floors, etc. They have two bathrooms decorated with their products.
The showrooms were decorated for Christmas, including an upside-down tree, suspended from the ceiling.
They make wall decor.
My favorites; all the beautiful table items - napkin rings, spreaders, decor.
Take a look at the price - $114 for four
They sell books.
All the table items and the pottery and tile are handmade and hand painted.
There are lots of things for the kitchen, including food. Not at all what I expected. I saw flavored teas and coffees, jams, flavored sugar cubes, fruit pastes for charcuterie boards, rubs and spices, mixes for breads and cornbreads. There was even a picnic Christmas tree, with ornaments made of felt - salami, bread, cheese, grapes. Another tree was a kitchen Christmas tree with little mice climbing ladders, rolling pins with holly, aprons with an oven mitt attached and decorated with holly.
And here's our trusty coach, patiently waiting while we spend all our money.
Time to head to the river, where we boarded the converted yacht Destiny for a little cruise down the Ohio River, lunch, and live music - Christmas songs and oldies because the tour group is made up of mostly oldies.
The Ohio is a really wide river. The little yellow boat (owned by the same company) shuttles fans from Kentucky across to Cincinnati to attend baseball and football games. This way they avoid the traffic. Pretty smart. We could see the Cincinnati Reds stadium when we had our cruise.
The food was served buffet style: barbecued beef sliders, chicken salad sliders, macaroni and cheese, spicy pasta salad, cole slaw, fresh fruit salad, the crispiest homemade potato chips in the world, and brownie bites.
This is Linda S, showing that she's been working on her December bucket list by painting her nails Christmas red.
The music was very loud, so I made my way up to the next level, where I found a lovely lounge and bar.
Here's the proof that our cruise was smooth as silk - this bowl wasn't anchored in any way.
I was joined by a lady from the tour, then crew member Tim, who has a million stories. We sailed under several bridges and he told us a story about the one which was the inspiration for the Brooklyn Bridge and both engineered by the same man, who died before the New York bridge was complete, and later finished by his son.
It was a totally new design with cables for support and open spaces in the bottom of the bridge so it would be lighter. No one would walk across. As there are lots of Germans in the area, they put a couple of kegs of beer in the middle of the bridge, but no takers. An opportunity arose because the circus was in town. They borrowed two elephants and walked them across the bridge, which convinced the residents that it was safe.
Another tidbit was about a very old red brick church on a hillside by the river with a clock in the side of the steeple which faces the river. When Mark Twain worked the riverboats, he always set his watch by the clock and it's still working.
I asked if people fish from the shores in the summer, and Tim said that they line the shores, as well as using boats on the river, to catch one of the huge catfish which live here.
We had early morning rain and it was a little nippy, but I decided to brave the weather and go up top. The metal rails were wet and cold, but the views were compensation for cold hands.
There's the stadium.
As we were headed back to shore, I saw there were some chips left on the buffet table, so I grabbed a handful. The lady in charge of the food, asked if we'd like to take some with us, because one bowl wasn't even touched. I said, "Sure, if it's okay with Dawn, our tour escort."
And there they were, waiting on the counter.
And now here they are, sitting on my breakfast table. There was never an opportunity to share them, so when we arrived back home, Dawn gave them to me.
Better photos HERE. Use the arrows at the bottom of the big photo. The boat is only available for charter. If you're ever in Cincinnati and want to host a private party, contact Shelly Lemker at 1-859-292-8687 or sales@queencityriverboats.com. This is not a paid advertisement, but maybe they'll send me another bowl of potato chips.
Our expert driver, Rory, took us for a short tour of the city, which I really enjoyed, seeing the business, as well as residential, areas. I loved the architecture of the old houses and older retail areas being brought back to life by brave and creative entrepreneurs. The houses were very close together and very boxlike. They were given different looks by using porches, fences, and unique plantings in the tiny yards. Large multi-dwelling buildings marched along the hillsides, some with balconies which added interest.
To be continued. . . . .
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