One of mine and Ethan’s favorite things in this world to do is to travel to exciting and beautiful places near and far. We have made it our unofficial mission to cross as many places off of our to-visit lists as possible before our time ends - one of the many reasons we are such a great match.

We have visited nearly every major (and minor) city in our surrounding states, but one place I’d never been that I was just itching to see was Cincinnati, Ohio. My mom’s originally from Southern Ohio and she’s always raved about her time living in and around CinCin, so I just knew I had to see it for myself. Of course, Ethan obliged.

I was, as ever, excited to set foot in a new place. But unlike some of the places we travel to, this southern Ohioan metropolis did not disappoint.

When I was originally planning my post about our trip, I intended to just simply publish some of the gorgeous shots I got while down there, but per the request of another reader, I'll go a little bit deeper than that for you all. You're welcome. 😉

Jumping right into the fun… one of the first things that Ethan and I ended up doing was actually his idea - a lunch cruise down the Ohio River - complete with live entertainment.

The boat trip itself was short and quirky, which was nice, but it provided us the most lovely way to view the city.

Even the murky water can’t detract from how pretty the skyline was in the sunshine.

It was very hot and humid down there, so we tried to be as low-key as possible, but we did manage to sight-see some incredible neighborhoods, architecture, and art. CinCin is definitely a photographer’s friend.

I wonder how much it's changed since my mom was there back in the day? I do know her favorite restaurant is still there because we stopped by for lunch! Thanks for the recommendation, Momma - we loved it!

We did a little more wandering and photo taking and then stopped by the absolutely fabulous MadTree Brewing Company for a couple drinks and some late night snacks. If you’re ever in town - I couldn’t recommend their pizza more!

Being that we are both big time nature and animal lovers, the very last thing we absolutely had to make sure we did the next day before our departure was see the famous Cincinnati Zoo. I love a good adorable animal moment.

I got some really great shots of the pretty flowers, lively plants, and delicate butterflies, too, which was a personal highlight. I love when I get to stretch my picture-taking legs a little bit.

Our weekend getaway was one to remember, down in CinCin. It's a thriving, beautiful city and I'm so glad I can now say that I've not only seen the place my mom's always told me about, but I see why she’s always loved it, too. I'd happily go back any day. Maybe we can even take her with us someday. What do you think, Mom, you in?

“Cincinnati is a beautiful city; cheerful, thriving, and animated. I have not often seen a place that commends itself so favourably and pleasantly to a stranger at the first glance as this does.”

— Charles Dickens