Jane came up with the idea awhile ago that we would offer to take each of the grandchildren somewhere for their 10th birthday. Anna's first choice was the local SPCA. We may have suggested the Cincinnati Zoo, and she thought that would be fun too. :) It is such a nice zoo, and we had such a great time!! So, 6 months after she turned 10 (randomly to the day), we finally made it.
THE TRIP
We left last Friday afternoon and actually stopped in Anna, Ohio and got some fast food for supper. It took about 3 hours to get there. We headed back home Sunday around 10:30 am. It only took 2 hours 40 minutes to get home. It's actually a pretty easy trip to Cincinnati as there really isn't much traffic other than the Dayton to Cincinnati corridor, and even that isn't bad. Anna was pretty chatty (and excited) on the way there. She slept the entire way home. :)
THE HOTEL
We stayed at a Hampton Inn & Suites on Vine Street near the University of Cincinnati campus. It was only 1/2 mile from the zoo, which made for a nice downhill walk there. The uphill walk back to the hotel 7 hours later seemed a tad longer. ;)
It was a pretty nice hotel. The room was good (even if we only had a view of a brick wall out our window), there was a nice (though smallish) swimming pool which Anna used every day there, and they had a great (free!) breakfast. The staff were all friendly and I have no complaints whatsoever. The pool was a necessity, and highlight, for our girl.
The only possible drawback with the hotel was the location. Yes, it was an easy walk to the zoo, but when we headed down Vine Street to find a restaurant to eat supper... well... we turned around and decided to have a pizza delivered. There were plenty of places, they just didn't look real 'inviting,' and when we saw "Topless" we figured maybe this wasn't the neighborhood to take our granddaughter.
I would not be opposed to staying at this place again, though I'd also be tempted to stay somewhere north of town where there are more 'regular' restaurants. There is plenty of free parking at the zoo and it's a pretty easy in and out.
THE ZOO
As for the zoo itself, it is one of the best in the country for a reason. It's also the botanical garden, and the plentiful shade was certainly welcome on a sunny hot July day.
Like I said, we walked from our hotel and it took less than 10 minutes. We arrived as the doors opened at 10 am, and left when they were closing down at 5 pm. It was a full, yet fun, day!
The highlight for Anna was the "Kanga Kimb." It is new this year, and I was glad Jane went with her. I cannot do heights, and with the heat, I think it would have done me in. There were a couple of others who should not have done it, as they got sick and it's not easy to get off once you're on it. I was super proud of Jane for being a trooper. There were a couple times she wasn't sure she could go on. Anna, however, thought it was a whole lotta fun!
Oh, and we also saw animals!! I think Anna could have spent all day
just looking at the insects and reptiles, but she also liked the
elephants, hippos, rhinos, and petting the goats most of all (I think).
Anyway, overall, I couldn't have been happier with this trip. I have a super soft spot for Anna, as she will always be the first grandchild and only girl. I was so glad everything went well. And she was so super good the whole weekend!
I remember taking our kids to the Cincinnati Zoo
when they were younger, and if the boys end up not wanting to go there
for their 10th, I think it would be fun to take all three of them
sometime - just because.
So, it was a good weekend. I'm glad we did it, and I'm glad my lovely wife thinks of things like this. :)
Here are some pics...
***
Psalm 127:3
“Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.”
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