Cincinnati, Ohio - May 26 & 27, 2006

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I booked a room at the Terrace Hotel through Expedia.com. Upon check-in, it was obvious that the hotel has separate floors for discount bookings, and nicer ones for the people who drove the expensive cars I saw in the valet area. (They got wine & cheese baskets at check-in.)

The valets kept cars in the curbside spots reserved for loading and unloading by self-parkers in order to discourage people from not using the valet parking, and the desk clerk tried to tell me that their valet parking was the cheapest parking in the area at $19 per night. I found parking two blocks away in the Cinergy Center garage for $8 per 24 hours.

My room was barely tolerable, not worth the $100 plus tax and surcharges. The upholstery on the armchair was torn, the TV remote was broken, and the coffee maker was broken. In the hall outside, the soft-drink vending machine was broken as was the ice machine. There was some kind of softball tournament going on and several teams were staying in the hotel. They congregated outside the elevators at 2 a.m. for long periods, with lots of loud talk and raucous laughter. Once as I was leaving my room, I saw a couple having sex in the corridor two doors down.

The hotel was the only negative aspect to my weekend in Cincinnati. I had a good time and met a great group of people. Overall I found Cincinnatians to be friendly and hospitable.

The Cincinnatian Hotel, across the street, looked pretty nice. I heard that it used to be a transient hotel.

Views from my hotel room window.

Friday afternoon rush hour at 5th and Main.

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Please excuse me while I obsess over the 1867 Roebling Suspension Bridge, prototype for the Brooklyn Bridge.

A look back at Cincinnati across the Ohio River, and then on to Covington, Kentucky.

New Construction, The Ascent at Roebling's Bridge

1865 Masonic Temple. Why borrow money here ...

... when you can scavenge aluminum cans and get enough for a bottle of cheap wine?

1815 Carneal House looks to be in desperate need of roof, gutter and soffit work.

The light was fading and so was I, so I headed back across the river for a bite to eat and some sleep.

The masonry at the base of the PNC Tower looks massive and strong.

I stopped by Carew Tower to scope out the starting point for the meet.

Art Deco on a grand scale.

I planned to catch a #1 bus to the home where we were to gather before the meet, but got distracted gawking at this building and missed it by just a few seconds. On the map, the meeting point didn't look terribly far away, so I thought I'd just walk it instead of waiting 20 minutes for the next bus.

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Waterworks in Eden Park. I had to pass up some interesting photo subjects because I was running a little tight for time.

My map gave no indication of the vertical component of my walk. I still had a ways to go when I took this photo.

We went to breakfast, and then gathered at Carew Tower and ascended to the 49th floor observation deck. The weather was perfect for photography.

2006 Nominee for Best Forum Special Event.

I've loved fire trucks since I was a little boy. They're loaded with gadgets and colorful and shiny.

The Bay Horse Cafe used up its quota of murders and had to close.

Cincinnati is not a one-horse town, no matter what you may have heard. I saw another horse pulling a carriage, so there are at least two.

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Before commercial electric power was widely available on the scale needed by factories, most factories were powered by steam engines similar to this one or larger. The steam engines drove an shaft overhead or beneath the floor, called a line shaft. Individual factory machines were powered from the line shaft with flat leather belts. Old factory buildings converted into residential use often have a lot of character.

Another attractive condominium conversion of a commercial building.

Some rooftop views.

A stop at Hyde Park Square for Graeter's Ice Cream. Best Ever!

Aimless wandering on Sunday morning.

I visited the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center for a couple of hours, barely enough to scratch the surface of what is there. An imposing facility, it tells a powerful story. After a weekend of walking the hills, steps, and streets of Cincinnati, I lacked the energy to do the museum justice. Isaw a lot in Cincinnati that calls for a return visit.

I close with a view of Mr. Roebling's suspension bridge. I will be back.

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