Today is Saturday. You have probably guessed what that means – lunch out. So, about noon, Katie, Michael, Rachel and I hopped in the van and drove to Frisch’s for lunch.
As we drove away the kids asked if we could take a little drive. So, I drove past the Newport Levee and through downtown Cincinnati. There seemed to be a lot of excitement in the air with the Labor Day fireworks on the river only one day away.
Today, I felt like we needed to do something a little different. I decided to pull into a parking lot next to the Ohio River that was lined with flags. I made the kids hop out and stretch their legs. I saw a sign that said Friendship Park. A park seemed like a nice change of pace for us. We walked over to the sign and noticed a walking trail. We followed the scenic trail as it meandered along the beautiful waters of the Ohio River.
All the sidewalks were laid out in an undulating fashion. This trail gradually revealed manicured gardens that were representative of the world’s continents. We walked through the “Land of Europe” first with plants, flowers and shrubbery that reminded you of European gardens.
Next was my favorite area, the “Land of Africa”. It had beautiful, tall, golden pampas grass all around the walk. I felt as if I were on a safari and that I might see a giraffe around the next turn.
Continuing our walk we crossed the “Land of Australia”. There were plants that reminded us of eucalyptus and bushes of bright blue flowers. We pretended that beyond the bushes perhaps a kangaroo might be hopping…
In the center of the park was the Plaza of the Sun. This was a circular clearing where we stopped to rest. We relaxed along the panoramic view of the Ohio River. Across the river you could see the peaceful green hills of Kentucky. Here, at the Plaza of the Sun, the kids noticed a Stonehenge type sculpture with seven pillars carved from old English Oak. Each pillar seemed to be burned on the bottom. It was quite interesting to look at as we agreed it appeared to be a form of a sundial.
All along our trek we noticed the concrete trail was textured with plants and animal prints that you might find on each continent. Moving on the footpath through the continents was the “Land of the Americas” with beautiful trees and plants representing the Americas.
Finally, as we strolled along to the end of this walk we reached the “Land of Asia”. We found many Evergreen trees and shrubs, along with Japanese Maples lining our path. The only thing missing was a footbridge and a temple.
As we turned around to retrace the trail that would lead us back to our van, the kids ran on top of the winding knee-high concrete wall that would lead its way back to the start of our walk. All along this beautifully landscaped serpentine trail you could look beyond the beautiful trees and see the blue river flowing with such grace.
Although we were only a few miles from home, and the entire path was perhaps a half of mile each way, we felt as if we journeyed through many continents.
And, with no passport required.
As we drove away the kids asked if we could take a little drive. So, I drove past the Newport Levee and through downtown Cincinnati. There seemed to be a lot of excitement in the air with the Labor Day fireworks on the river only one day away.
Today, I felt like we needed to do something a little different. I decided to pull into a parking lot next to the Ohio River that was lined with flags. I made the kids hop out and stretch their legs. I saw a sign that said Friendship Park. A park seemed like a nice change of pace for us. We walked over to the sign and noticed a walking trail. We followed the scenic trail as it meandered along the beautiful waters of the Ohio River.
All the sidewalks were laid out in an undulating fashion. This trail gradually revealed manicured gardens that were representative of the world’s continents. We walked through the “Land of Europe” first with plants, flowers and shrubbery that reminded you of European gardens.
Next was my favorite area, the “Land of Africa”. It had beautiful, tall, golden pampas grass all around the walk. I felt as if I were on a safari and that I might see a giraffe around the next turn.
Continuing our walk we crossed the “Land of Australia”. There were plants that reminded us of eucalyptus and bushes of bright blue flowers. We pretended that beyond the bushes perhaps a kangaroo might be hopping…
In the center of the park was the Plaza of the Sun. This was a circular clearing where we stopped to rest. We relaxed along the panoramic view of the Ohio River. Across the river you could see the peaceful green hills of Kentucky. Here, at the Plaza of the Sun, the kids noticed a Stonehenge type sculpture with seven pillars carved from old English Oak. Each pillar seemed to be burned on the bottom. It was quite interesting to look at as we agreed it appeared to be a form of a sundial.
All along our trek we noticed the concrete trail was textured with plants and animal prints that you might find on each continent. Moving on the footpath through the continents was the “Land of the Americas” with beautiful trees and plants representing the Americas.
Finally, as we strolled along to the end of this walk we reached the “Land of Asia”. We found many Evergreen trees and shrubs, along with Japanese Maples lining our path. The only thing missing was a footbridge and a temple.
As we turned around to retrace the trail that would lead us back to our van, the kids ran on top of the winding knee-high concrete wall that would lead its way back to the start of our walk. All along this beautifully landscaped serpentine trail you could look beyond the beautiful trees and see the blue river flowing with such grace.
Although we were only a few miles from home, and the entire path was perhaps a half of mile each way, we felt as if we journeyed through many continents.
And, with no passport required.
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