Fourth of July Trip

Ben spent his first 4th of July in Cincinnati, OH! We packed up late Friday morning and headed to the Ramada Inn in downtown Cincinnati. The hotel received only two stars from the Stinnett Family. The staff was very friendly and the free continental breakfast was impressive. However, it wasn't the cleanest or most comfortable hotel we've experienced for sure. As was the case in Indy, the weather in Cincinnati was a bit gloomy on the 4th. It rained off and on and it never got very warm. We decided this would be a good day to visit the Newport Aquarium just across the bridge in Newport Kentucky. Though we had to wait in a fairly long line, and it was very crowded once inside, we still managed to enjoy our visit. The sea turtle and jellyfish were favorites, as well as the Frog Bog where Sofia was able to play awhile. Meanwhile, Ben took the opportunity to nap. We were tired and hungry by the end of the day so we stopped for dinner and headed back to the hotel. We were able to catch some fireworks from the 11th floor banquet hall at the hotel, but it was wierd watching fireworks from inside.

The next day we headed for the Zoo! We spent nearly five hours trekking through the lovely Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens. Sofia enjoyed checking the zoo map after we saw each animal, but we just took our time wandering with no particular route in mind. The animals were really active that day, which made the visit that much more enjoyable. A baby gorilla caught our attention - so cute!! They also have a fairly new plant conservatory and giraffe viewing area. We saw nearly everything and had great weather. We also surprisingly ran into one of Sofia's classmates from school and her family. After watching a manatee munch for a bit we decided to call it a day and headed home. Enjoy our pictures from both spots!