Spring 2023 – Ohio: Day 15

Day 15: In and around Cincinnati 54km

• Little Miami Scenic Trail
• Ohio River Trail

Thursday, May 25

Sunny and cool with a gusty NE wind. 22C

Today we re-enacted riding into Cincinnati, but first, we had to ride out of the city. We took our breakfast with us on the road and ate at Riverside Park after crossing over the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge again. We found a nice bench beside a flying pig play structure. Cincinnati a.k.a Porkopolis, was once the biggest pork processing centre in the country. The flying pig is said to represent the angelic spirits of all the slaughtered swine.

The trail along the downtown waterfront is really nice. There are all sorts of parks, amusements and amenities along the way. We didn’t pay very close attention on the way out, knowing we’d be coming back the same way. It is actually a really good way to ride because you can make note of things you want to get a closet look at. A mile or two out of downtown the route diverts to a bike lane along Hwy 52. We rode past the impressive looking Cincinnati Water Works and a brightly painted Bengal’s Bar called Who Dey (think gonna beat our Bengals N-O-B-O-D-Y). Sights like these and keeping an eye on traffic, pass the time differently than riding on a trail through the woods. We did end up back on the trail, and in no time, we were at Clear Creek Park – our turn-around point on yesterday’s ride.

On the way back into downtown Cincinnati we had the wind at our backs and we were flying along. We stopped for a picnic lunch by the Schmidt Boat Launch before continuing on our ride. The section of on-road riding was even shorter on the way back. Because we paid a little more attention, we picked-up the Ohio River Trail for part of the ride where we had missed it on the way out.

Another thing we noticed on the way out and paid more attention to on the way back was this interesting mirrored sculpture in T.M. Berry International Friendship Park. The linear park, named after the city’s first African-American mayor, features public art and flora representing the 5 continents. We had a great time posing and peering in and around “Castle of I”, representing Europe.

We crossed back into Kentucky on the Purple People pedestrian bridge and spent some time biking around in Newport. There are a few short trails there including the Levy Walk, but the streets weren’t that busy so we made our way back to Covington by crossing the Licking River and riding along one of the main strips. There is a vibrant feel to the area. It has the buzz of a big city without the skyscrapers and mega-infrastructure.

We were back at the hotel by 4pm and had and early supper with our feet up. We prised ourselves out of bed by claiming we’d go for a short walk, but both of us knew that once we went out we’dbe glad that we did. We walked over to Cincinnati on the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge this time and explored a little more of the lower downtown. There were a lot of other people downtown too. There was a Cincinnati Red’s baseball game earlier so fans were out consoling themselves and we heard some live music coming from one of the amohitheatres by the waterfront. We completed the loop by crossing over on the Roebling Bridge and made our way back to the hotel on the river trail we discovered earlier. Cincinnati is much more interesting than either of us thought it would be. It is a big city, but the way that it’s nestled in the tree-covered river valley gives it an enclosed feeling that makes it seem more contained and cozy. We’ve only seen a glimpse in our time here, but we are intrigued.