After spending a week in Texas on a business trip it was good to be home.  I didn’t make it in time for the Over-the-Rhine 5K run on Saturday but my buddy was able to capture a great photo of my daughter with Mayor Mark Mallory.   She was very proud that she ran the entire race.

Last year I was on a trip while the Over-the-Rhine home tour was going on so it was nice to be able to check it out this year.  The lofts and condos on the tour were fantastic.  Vine Street is coming along nicely and the businesses that are opening up are really unique.  I was able to visit and talk to the people in Park+Vine, MetroNation & City Roots.  These businesses are located on Vine just north of Central Parkway and are worth checking out.  The condos themselves were well designed with very unique layouts.  My favorites were the Bremen Lofts and the Duveneck Flats.  Both of these condos are worth a look for those that are curious out there.  I had my camera with me on the tour, expecting some great views from rooftop decks and interior windows and I wasn’t let down.  The $10 price of the tour was worth it for the views alone and it was a nice surprise to see many of the developers and real estate agents handing out water, wine and cheese.  Here is a link to the gallery of photos I took from the tour.  

This weekend I had some friends visit me from out of town with the request to visit the Reds Hall of Fame.  While I have been a Mets fan since I was old enough to have an allegiance to a professional sports team, I thought that it would be worth checking out the Hall of Fame to see what it was all about.  They currently have a Pete Rose exhibit on display that made me appreciate his accomplishments on the field.  He was a great ballplayer and I can tell from the video clips on display that Pete Rose was beloved by Cincinnatians.  With local ties and an incredible work ethic on the field, I can see why he was beloved but overall it did not change my opinion of his suspension from baseball.  While his accomplishments in this sport are of legendary status, betting on baseball and on the games he managed personally are enough for me to support his ban on baseball.  The Hall of Fame as a whole was enjoyable with great photos of Crosley Field, one with Carew Tower noticeable in the background.  There were many interactive exhibits, including one that let you pitch the ball from the pitchers mound with someone calling balls and strikes.  It even clocked your speed and I must admit that I was more interested in my speed than pitching a strike.  My top speed was 68 MPH and I can still feel it in my arm today.

After the visit to the Reds HOF, we walked to Taste of Cincinnati.  From our initial arrival on 5th street till we left, I thought the new location was a great improvement over the Central Parkway location.  I love the canyon feel that Fifth Street gives you and the dense view of heads as far as the eye can see.  It is one of the few times of the year that Cincinnati feels like a big city.  It reminds me of my trip to Seoul, Korea where you see an endless view of heads at the local markets.  The main entrée I had was the ribs from Montgomery Inn.  Taste of Cincinnati is probably the cheapest place you can buy these delicious ribs and there were just as good as they are at the Boathouse.  The square not being finished was the most disappointing part of the festival.  I feel like the construction has slowed to a snails pace.  I would have expected the 5/3rd cladding to be done by now and the crane to be removed.  Sadly I won a $5 bet from a friend of mine who thought it would be done by the time Taste of Cincinnati weekend came.  I would have personally loved to loose this bet.  While I had my camera with me throughout the day, I didn't take a lot of photos.  You can find the few photos of Taste of Cincinnati here and the Reds Hall of Fame here.