Brett and I spent the weekend visiting our friends Steve and Shannon in Cincinnati. It was a wonderful trip. Brett and originally met in Cincinnati 17 years ago while I was there on an 18 month consulting assignment. It was our first trip back in years. Shannon and Steve really showed us a good time. We stayed in Blue Ash near where we lived years ago. It’s always fascinating to see how much things have changed and stayed the same at the same time.

On Friday night we ventured downtown and ate at Union Station, a “family” business. We had wonderful meals. After some downtown sightseeing, we ventured to Covington, Newport and Newport on the Levee. We were amazed how these two towns have been transformed into entertainment complexes with upscale urban housing. Newly built, beautiful row houses and condos resembled historic homes in Cincinnati’s past. We finished the night at On Broadway and Shooters night clubs.

On Saturday, we began the day at Summerfair. This was my belated birthday trip. I had asked Brett to delay this trip a month so that I could attend one of my favorite Cincinnati events. Summerfair is one of the country’s premier juried arts and crafts festival. It is held on the river at the old Coney Island. I behaved and kept my spending down. Oh..So many nice things!

In the afternoon, we went to Jungle Jim’s in Fairfield. I had heard of this foodie’s paradise from others and read about it in many magazines. What an adventure! We loved it. Imagine a 4 acre store carrying goods of all nationalities. I recommend a trip to Jungle Jim’s. The evening had us visiting both Brett’s and my favorite restaurant, The Montgomery Inn. I burned my diet and had the ribs..So good as usual. However, I must admit that some of the KC rib places beat them over all. It is still my favorite place in Cincy.

A quick after dinner trip to Clifton and Graeters for ice cream (Buckeye Smash for me) was the perfect dessert. The evening finished with a night at the Adonis Night Club. We saw a great show with some special “girls” and had a good time. We rolled into the hotel at 2:00 am. Well past our normal bedtime.

We said goodbye to Steve and Shannon Sunday morning after a yummy breakfast at Firstwatch near Tri-County Mall. The guys are great hosts and friends . We look forward to a visit sooner than 10 years this next time!