One way to access Spring Grove Cemetery is via this old tunnel. Isn’t it a grand view? I like finding different ways to frame a picture and new ways to look at my surroundings.
Have a terrific Tuesday, friends. Go look for a new way to view your world today.
Birdsong.
A slight breeze in the pines.
Two squirrels scurrying up a tree.
These are the things I noticed first. Then I realized I could actually hear some street noises but the sounds of nature were so distracting, the city traffic took a back seat.
I was at Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum, one of the nation’s most extraordinary final resting places in the nation.
It was mid October but the trees were still mostly green around Cincinnati. It was a cool morning that felt like fall and the occasional small pop of color helped to make it feel more authentically fall even if the color wasn’t that much.
We walked part of the cemetery’s historic section twice last week, admiring the scenery and scrambling from one extraordinary headstone to even more magnificent ones. We read names and dates and tried to decipher the meanings of the iconography. I was reminded of a book on cemetery iconography that I should have bought.
There’s so much to see here. Some of the mausoleums are getting much needed TLC including the Dexter. This one is the crown jewel of Spring Grove and was probably the Bentley of mausoleums when it was built.
Scaffolding and caution tape distract from nature’s gifts but warmed my cynical heart because construction means that someone is caring for this historic structure.
Sea captains, infants, politicians and women who are known mostly as the wife of some man, all receive equal treatment here. Death knows no bounds and no mercy to young or old. All are gone from this earth but each have something to remind everyone else that they once lived.
And in the end, isn’t that what we all want? We just want to make sure that we will be remembered for having lived and that those we care about won’t be forgotten either.
Spring Grove. If you’ve never been there, you won’t understand the magnitude and the significance of this incredible place. If you have been, you understand why I like to return and why I wish to see it in every season.
The only person to serve as both President of the United States and Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court was from here in Ohio. William Howard Taft was a lawyer who was friends with Teddy Roosevelt, served as Secretary of War and the 27th President. But the job he longed for and worked for throughout his career was that of Chief Justice, a position he held from 1921 – 1930.
If you enjoy historic homes and Presidential history, you’ll learn about these things and more at the William Howard Taft National Historic Site in Cincinnati. He was born in this Greek Revival house high atop Mt. Auburn overlooking the town.
Taft gets a bad wrap because a vicious rumor was spread that he once got stuck in a White House bath tub. While a bit portly, the story isn’t true. What is true is that he was a career public servant who the museum refers to as a “Gentle Giant.”
They tell the story of his life through the restored home that includes some museum space with signage, photos, artifacts and audio clips. I really want a desk like this!
Touring this home is free, it’s well done and absolutely worth a stop if you’re in the neighborhood. Go at Christmas to see it decorated for the holidays.!
Want to visit? Learn more here!!!
Being a self proclaimed country mouse, it is unheard of for me to stand in the heart of a city and not look up. At home, I look up to see the tall trees and the stars that reach to the heavens. In cities, I search the skyline for patterns and for things that stick out. I search for cats in windows and for wrought iron railings. I search for gargoyles and for unusual brick designs.
I search for the things others pass by without any notice at all. It seems people pass by an awful lot these days. I did some shopping after work last night and was surprised by the number of people standing around looking at their phones while they evidently waited for someone else.
Meanwhile, I tucked my phone in my bag and happily ignored it for most of the evening. It was lovely wandering around just looking at stuff and people watching.
It is my fondest hope that I will hold onto my curiosity about places and people and about how things are made. Life is richer when you look up to the top floor of a tall building and wonder what goes inside and why someone built it in the first place. It’s better when you wonder about the people who live and work there.
Life is better when you stop to consider how light and shadows play together to change the look of a place as the day progresses. It’s better when you pause to absorb the beauty of a blue sky day when you expected rain and have nowhere to be except where you are right now.
Incidentally, the beautiful building pictured here is the 1933 Cincinnati Times-Star building, a reported art deco masterpiece that looks like a must see for another trip to the city.
There’s always something new to see and appreciate!
When choosing a hotel, I have different preferences for different kinds of trips. If it’s a road trip where I’m rolling in late and out again early, cost, clean and convenient are the three C’s.
If it’s a longer trip and it’s possible to stay within walking distance of my activities, a downtown location is terrific. If looking for something quieter or will need the car a lot, I prefer to stay away from downtown city streets that can easily be congested and where parking costs add up quickly.
When we stayed in Cincinnati this last time, I wanted a convenient location in a quiet neighborhood with free parking. I have stayed in downtown a couple of times and that wasn’t the right setting this trip.
After a quick look at the area around Cincinnati proper, my eye wandered up the map to Blue Ash, a nice suburb with reasonable prices and convenient access to the highway. It was a 15 or 20 minute drive to our first destination each day but I didn’t mind since we had no reason to return to the room during the day and there were bookstores to visit on the way back both days.
We eventually chose to stay with Sonesta Suites. I don’t recall ever staying with this chain before but we couldn’t have been more pleased.
It’s set up like condos with a variety of room types. I had chosen a king suite so these two introverts could have a little space to stretch out. The suite was to have a living room and nice eat-in kitchen.
It was a full house when we checked in and we learned upon arrival that we had been upgraded to a deluxe suite. That meant we had a second bedroom and bathroom. Both were unneeded but it was fun to have!
It was all so light, airy and comfortably furnished, we hated to leave. Plus, we were able to park close so we could keep an eye on the car. Not that it mattered. The neighborhood seemed safe and it was so peaceful we awoke to the sound of chirping birds each day.
The eat-in kitchen has full sized appliances and is equipped well enough that I could have cooked a meal here. Of course, that didn’t happen but we did order food to enjoy here each evening.
You can tell they have taken some steps to cut costs and to reduce plastic waste. At breakfast they use big bowls of yogurt rather than disposable single serves. There are pitchers of cold drinks and a nice display of baked goods rather than prepackaged granola bars and bottled drinks. I liked that about them a lot. Plus, the hot food was decent too.
We won’t always have an upgraded room but I plan to make this hotel my go-to anytime I need a place to stay over there.
A quick look at their website confirmed that all Sonesta locations are not created equally but I will certainly consider them in future travels!
Skyline Chili has been a Cincinnati tradition since 1949 when Greek immigrant Nicholas Lambrinides opened his first diner location. His family continues to run the business that has grown into a successful chain, using their founder’s original recipes.
Before I proceed, it is fair to note that I don’t like the food all that well but lots of people do. So when we were in the market for a quick lunch between stops and there was a Skyline nearby, it seemed like a good opportunity to introduce my fella to this local tradition.
Neither of us are big meat eaters. He eats fish and some chicken. I identify somewhere between vegetarian and pescatarian but I’m rarely excited to eat seafood. Skyljne does have a few meatless options on their menu including a burrito and their traditional chili dishes made with beans rather than meat.
Skyline is famous for its Cincinnati chili which is chili served over spaghetti. Add cheese to make it a three way, beans or onions to make a four way, or all of those ingredients to have a five way.
You can also get a hot dog with chili, mustard, onions and a giant mound of chili. Since their chili is a combination of savory and sweet, it’s a little hard to describe other than to say it’s distinct. You know you’re eating Skyline.
Personally, I think the best thing they offer is their brand of oyster crackers and a I always want to ask if I can buy some for the road. Don’t ask. They’re simply better.
As an aside, Skyline has been in the news lately for a controversial decision. For 75 years, Skyline served Coca Cola products. They switched to Pepsi this year and people are losing their minds. I feel bad for their marketing department.
Skyline has about 160 locations around Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and, for some reason, Florida. If you come to Cincinnati, you’ll find plenty of it including at the pro sporting events. I’m not sure how you would define Skyline. Fast casual, I suppose because the food is made quickly like fast food but you seat yourself and wait for a server to take your order.
Visit their website to view their menu and to find a location!