Showing posts with label JohnM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label JohnM. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 09, 2026

Cincinnati


Just typing that title I found myself singing the word and adding "WKRP" after it.  Yep, I am that old.

Alright, silliness aside, let's look at Cincinnati.  We spent that afternoon there, stopping for lunch, shopping, and sightseeing in one spot, then coming back for dinner and a walk in the evening.  We also came back into the city after checking out of the hotel the next morning, heading for a museum and lunch before making our way to the airport.  Not much time in Cincinnati - we saw even less of it than we did of Nashville - but I feel as though our appetites for more were whetted by comparison to Nashville earlier in the trip.

Speaking of appetites, we started off with lunch up in the Mount Adams neighbourhood. Cincinnati is the United States' version of a city built on seven hills.  It's a charming little part of the city, one that felt like a real little neighbourhood with its own community.  We headed for lunch right away, having sandwiches at Mt. Adams Bar and Grill,



before wandering around a small handful of blocks, taking in the top of the hill and what it had to offer. 






A few interesting pieces of real estate up there as well, but no, we are not intending to retire to Cincinnati.

From there it was on to Rookwood Pottery,





a place that one of Conrad's colleagues had recommended.  They had lovely pieces there, and I could well imagine having a tile fireplace or something like that as crafted by them.  Yes, we bought a few small things.  How could we not?  From there, it was downtown and a little jaunt through the Hilton to admire at least some of the fine interior of the Carew Tower.








John and Drew met us at the hotel early that evening for drinks before we all crossed back into downtown Cincinnati for dinner.  I still can't believe I got to meet John.  What an amazing man he is.  And Drew was an utter delight - I loved hearing his many stories. 


Dinner was at Yard House, and it was fine enough, but what was even better was taking advantage of a pleasant evening and all of us strolling across the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge to Kentucky and then back again, walking a little after that in the riverfront park in Cincinnati.  What a gorgeous bridge!  That walk gave me and John time to have some private conversation and share some personal things, too, and I valued that greatly.  But ah, the views of the cities, the river, and the bridge itself.  So wonderful.








John and Drew dropped us back off at the hotel after that, and Conrad and I had a nightcap.  A fine day done, and a little time the next day to get to see more.

The next morning we were back at Point Perk, but we also stopped at North South Baking, a lovely bakery nearby, for some excellent pastries to bring back to the room. 


A rhubarb cruffin?  Yes, please!  We packed, checked out, and headed across the river to the Cincinnati Art Museum.  We had enough time there to browse a bit (free admission, so the price was right) and have lunch in the museum cafe. 




It was off to the airport after that,

two flights to go, and a little stowaway joining us. 

The end of a truly excellent vacation with oh so many highlights to remember fondly.

Saturday, May 30, 2026

John. Ah, John.

I was thinking about this over the last weekend.  How many friends have I made and met thanks to social media?  And by that I mean Instagram but also Facebook, Flickr, and other platforms.

If I really sat down and counted?  Over 30 and possible (probably) over 40.  People think it weird to make connections over social media, but I think it lovely to make connections, simple as that.

So, here is John.  And me.

 

I adore John.  What a beautiful man, inside and out.  We have been friends on social media for years - the initial connection was through Kate Bush - but I finally got to meet him.  I'll blog more about it, but my gosh.  The utter and absolute highlight of the recent trip.  So many hugs shared and yet, I wanted to hug him more.  May it not be YEARS before we meet again,