Leaving Cincinnati

More vacation notes:

• I don't know that we've ever had more fun at a game than we did watching the Cincinnati Reds play the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday. The Great American Ballpark is underrated; you hear about other new parks rather more often, but it's a really enjoyable place to watch a game. And the Reds are about the most fan-friendly organization I've ever seen. The Twins ought to visit Cincinnati and take notes.
• I really can't say I enjoyed it, but the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati is definitely worth a visit. It's pretty sobering to see what people had to go through to gain freedom from slavery. Some of the artifacts they have on display are just chilling.
• When we went to the game, we parked across the Ohio River in Covington, Kentucky, and walked across the Roebling Bridge, which is a pretty cool experience. John Roebling, who built the bridge essentially as the Civil War was raging, later went on to design the Brooklyn Bridge, using many of the same design principles.
• Cincinnati cuisine is tasty but I wouldn't recommend it if you're on a diet. We sampled some of the local favorites, including Skyline Chili, Graeter's Ice Cream and LaRosa's pizza. All very good. Cincinnati-style chili is probably worth a separate post by itself, actually.
• The topography of Cincinnati is quite dramatic; the approach to the city from Kentucky on I-71/75 reminds me somewhat of the approach to Duluth on I-35. The bridges across the Ohio River, including the Roebling Bridge, are dramatic as well. Having said that, some of the poorer neighborhoods are pretty gruesome. We stayed in Florence, Kentucky, about 10 miles south of the Ohio River, which is about as suburban a milieu as you can find.
• We're starting our return this morning and will be back to regular programming soon. It doesn't look like I've missed much. Expect a more thorough recap of our trip from another correspondent soon.