tink chronicles: An Ode to Northern Kentucky

*I don't know why this post is all messed up toward the bottom. Sorry!
Well, we've been here a year (technically, it will be a year in residence around August 1st, but close enough). We've had a lot of time to experience the highs and lows of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region. We thought we'd commemorate our first year as Kentuckians with an Ode to Northern Kentucky. Here's a list of some of our favorite things about the area (in no particular order):

1. Kentucky is a different kind of beautiful. Growing up in Wyoming, we were used to the wonderful mountains and the dreary plains, which served as a model for what beautiful was like. Kentucky is so beautiful, but in a much different way. Today Ezra and I marveled at the trees that never end, and the hills that permeate the landscape. The grass stays green most of the year, we found out more trees exist than pine trees (that's all there is in Wyoming!), and we get a good mix of nature and city life. We can drive a few minutes through the forest then we can drive along the Cincinnati skyline at night and get a taste of two types of beautiful.

...and did we mention Kentucky in the autumn? Beautiful! When the leaves change color and fall is the best three weeks of the year. No doubt.

2. Museum! The Cincinnati Museum Center, with the Children's Museum, Cincinnati History Museum, and Natural History Museum, is definitely one of the best things about the area. The kids (and us) love to explore the riverboat in the Cincinnati history museum, play in the miniature city in the children's museum, or explore the caves of the natural history museum. This is the place we take anyone who comes to visit (so far, just our parents!).

The Cincinnati History Museum usually has several people on staff who dress is period outfits and tell you about what Cincinnati was like during the time. Did you know that, for instance, for a long time in the early-to-mid nineteenth century Cincinnati was the foulest-smelling city in the United States? If you went to the Cincy History Museum, you'd know that because more pigs were slaughtered here than anywhere else, things got awfully smelly. They don't call Cincinnati "Porkopolis" for nothing!

3. One Fine Zoo. We've been to the Zoo at least 15 times since we moved here, and we still have not seen everything the zoo has to offer. It's that big! The habitats are incredibly well thought out--for instance, there is not one spot for "turtles." You see turtles throughout the zoo--alongside any other animal with which a turtle may live. The same thing goes for other animals. They are opening new exhibits all the time and the kids (obviously) can't get enough of it. It's one of the best zoos in the United States with good reason.

Of course, one of the best things about the zoo is the carousel, where all of the animals onboard are animals that they have at the zoo. The kids absolutely love this--if you have a zoo membership, you can ride the carousel as much as you want. The kids also love this aspect! oh- and it's 5 minutes from our house so that's awesome.

4. Nooks and Crannies. Cincinnati has so many fun things to do that we are constantly finding new things. There are wonderful parks everywhere--under the "Big Mac" bridge that connects Cincinnati to Newport, for instance, is 1000 hands park, a really phenomenal play park that also has a nice walking park alongside. We love to discover fun things to do and have had no shortage of things to try since we moved here.

5. Our Town. This year we moved to a cute little town a few miles from Cincinnati. It's an authentic community of old homes and plenty of space for walking (and most nights the entire town goes out for a walk!). We fell in love with the town when we made our first visit to the area and were determined to buy a place here. We're really glad we did--it is still close to work for Jonathan and has the best schools in the area.
6. Our House. Duh. Our house is awesome.