This is why I LOVE Smale park, Cincinnati, Ohio

These photos speak all about Smale Riverfront Park. Carousel, splash pads, river walks, play areas for the entire family, rose garden, picnic areas, slides, rock climbing and lots of photo ops.

We started at carousel ride because my kids love it and one ride is never enough. Then we stopped at "sing the Queen city" mural for a quick photo session and took a long stroll on the suspension bridge.

Next stop splash pad.

And then walked down the stairs to the park.

These play areas are fantastic and they are spread throughout the park. I love the giant piano and the pig and the swings and the rose garden. Oh, I love almost everything about this park. 

Don't miss this park if you are visiting Cincinnati.

Small and cute Rose garden.

I love these picnic benches on train tracks. Do they move? I don't know. But I tried to move them :)

Thanks, Cincinnati. For not being a disappointment. Hope to visit again. 

Topiary Park, Columbus, Ohio

Columbus topiary garden made it to the list of '5 of the world's fascinating topiary gardens'. I remember seeing the original painting by George Seurat during my visit to Chicago Art Museum  and I was really exited to visit this garden. 

After reading a ton of positive reviews online, I decided to visit this garden as it was only a couple of miles detour on our way home. Boy was I disappointed!!! This should probably make into the list of places "not to visit in Columbus"

The concept of topiary garden of a painting is amazing. It was rather entertaining as my kids and I tried to compare original painting with the topiaries in the garden. The park itself is small and is located in the heart of Columbus downtown. Street parking is available and is free during weekends. There is a small trail that goes around the park and few picnic benches. There is not much shade in the park either.

The sad part is lack of maintenance. There is a small pond in the middle of the park and it is outright disgusting. Metal frame that is used to shape the topiaries is exposed. It bothers me to see such a great place completely out of shape. While the park attracts lot of visitors, I think it would be a good idea to charge a couple of dollars as entry fee if that helps with the park's maintenance. I bet no one would like to see such hard work going to waste.

Sunflower Field, Mason, Ohio

Want a beautiful pictures in sunflower field? Well, head to Natorp's Sunflower field in Mason, Ohio. Courtesy of Natorp's nursery, sunflower field is planted in the corner of Snider and Irwin-Simpson road opposite to Cottell park.  Almost every summer, this sunflower field is open to public.

No matter where in the world you go to, it cannot get prettier than this.

Kelley's Island, Ohio

Kelley's Island, located in Lake Erie is the most beautiful island around.With it's clear blue water, rental homes, private beaches and less crowd, this island attracts families with kids in summer.Kelleys island ferry boat  from Marblehead, Ohio is the easiest way to get to Kelleys Island. One way price is 10$ per adult. Note that there is extra 10$ for parking if you wish to park your car and ride the ferry. The ferry prices are bit steep compared to Put-in-Bay. But it is worth to rent a golf cart in the Island as it has beautiful views that can be better enjoyed in a golf cart ride.Make a quick stop at the Glacier Grooves state memorial. These 5000 year old glacier grooves carved in limestone bed by the advancing glaciers deserves a visit.

Take a quick drive through the road that runs around the island.  Make a quick stop at West Bay. Rocky shores and blue water makes an awesome view.

Spend an afternoon in the small sandy beach of Kelley's Island State Park. Other than kayaking, there are no other activities in this island. The downtown is cute and neat with local shops.

Put-in-Bay, Ohio

Put-in-Bay is a good summer weekend get away located in Lake Erie.  This island is smaller but busier compared to Kelly's island.

Miller's Ferry from Catawaba island  is the easiest way to reach Put-in-Bay.  It costs 7$ per adult one way or You can take a car for extra 16$ one way. Golf carts are available for renting on the island for around 80$ for a four seater / day. On a busy day, it is better to rent a golf cart since parking is much easier. Boardwalk has variety of restaurants and activities including parasailing. 

Perry's Victory & International Peace Monument:

A flight of steps take you to the elevator and the elevator goes till the top of the monument.

Monument is in a beautiful park surrounded by water with beautiful views.

Take the cart and go for a ride around the island .  A helicopter ride on a sunny day over the island is a good choice too. 

Perry's Cave family fun center has lot of activities. I would suggest skipping the cave tour all together as it felt more like a tourist trap.

Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, Cincinnati , Ohio

Located in downtown Cincinnati, Cincinnati Zoo is a feast for eyes in spring. The garden blooms in spring every year with around 100,000 Tulips and million other bulbs . This is by far the best place to spend  a day in April. Plan a visit on Thursday for free concert in April.

There are wide variety of exhibits to capture the interest of kids and adults equally. Watch gorillas in the gorilla world caring for the babies and grooming or let the monkeys in the small island can entertain kids . Touch the turtle shell and feed the turtles . Capture lots of pictures amid tulips and animal sculptures.

This Zoo houses wide variety of animals from around the world. The peacocks always love to put up a show for their visitors. While the wild cats relax a the eager visitors take pictures !!!! These white Tigers are by far my favorite.

Toledo Zoo and Aquarium, Toledo, Ohio

Free admission for mothers on Mothers day and free admission for fathers on Fathers day with your children of course. Definitely you can expect large crowds on these days. A perfect place for family outing on a summer day. Be prepared for long walks which can be bit strenuous for younger children. 

The zoo starts off with Arctic encounter where you can watch several animals like Penguins, Polar bear up close. A short walk away is Safari Railway, runs around the African safari where you can catch a glimpse of animals feeding or resting under a tree shade. Cross the bridge to get to more exhibits. Flamingos, Elephants, Lions, Camels, Apes, Reptiles and what not .This zoo houses vide variety of animals and it is a lot of ground to cover !!!

Zoo staff rolled out a big cart with a big snake on it. Kids gathered for a petting session while scared parents like me stood few feet away watching 😕

Make sure to visit the Aviary. It houses varied species of birds from all across the globe. Lot of gift shops and food stalls to pick up a souvenir or quench your thirst on a hot summer day. Make sure to bring extra water bottles and have fun.

Lake Isabella, Cincinnati, Ohio

Web site: http://www.greatparks.org/parks/lakeisabella.shtm
Address: 10174 Loveland-Madeira Rd. Loveland, OH 45140
Time taken : 2 hours min.
Admission Fee: 2$/day or 10$/year

I should say, it is very pleasant place away from all the traffic. For 2$ entry fee, its a good value for money. It has a small play area for kids and lots of benches and picnic tables next to the lake. I enjoyed watching people fish and the cool breeze.

The boat house has a good stock of fishing roads, baits and all the supplies required for fishing. Also fishing license can be purchased here.This Place is great for fishing tours for kids. It has 28-acre pay fishing lake.Row boats are available for rental.

How ever the area of park is very small and it does not have any walking trails.

From Lake Isabella, there is canoe access to Little Miami River. Even though I did not have a canoe, I just took a small walk in the woods .

Krohn Conservatory, Cincinnati, Ohio

Web site: Krohn Conservatory
Address: 1501 Eden Park Dr, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Time took: 2 Hours
Admission Fee: Free

Till I reach this place, I was not sure of what to expect. There are three botanical houses - Desert House, Palm House and Fern House in the conservatory. Desert house had a display of Bonsai and some desert plants. Also, there were many reptiles mainly snakes & tortoise on display. Good place for kids to touch and feel snake & tortoise. You can get a picture holding a snake for some fee.

Fall floral show is held from September through October and this showcases a pollinator garden. I enjoyed looking at so many flowers of different colors in one place.

Palm House is a replica of the tropical rain forest. They have the Banana tree, Coffee tree, Palm and many more. Also, a waterfall at the end of the palm house is refreshing.

The Fern house has pomegranate tree, papaya tree, tiny moss, moist rocks, ferns, lots of varieties of plants and a few fish in the pond.

Every spring Krohn conservatory hosts butterfly show and it is best to visit the show on weekdays as holidays tend to attract huge crowds. Beautiful butterflies are attracted to bright colors. Wear a bright shirt or accessorize with bright colors to attract butterflies.

Airshow 2010, Dayton, Ohio

Web site: Dayton Airshow 2010
Address: Dayton International Airport
Time took: 10AM-5PM
Admission Fee: 20$General Admission; discounts available if purchased at selected Kroger locations
Overall Rating:5/5

Airshow in Dayton Ohio was held on July 17th & 18th. In 2011 it will be held on 23rd & 24th of July. Make sure to block these dated in your calendar. It is a spectacular event. The airshow starts around 11AM. There was a huge display of static airplanes ranging from fighters, warbirds, private jets. Make sure to reach there early so that you can have a look at this display. Also, there were few RV and Automobiles on display.

Airshow started with an opening ceremony by skydiving team at around 11AM. It was followed by an amazing performance by professionals. AeroShell Acrobatic Team performance was the best in the first half of the show. An hour break is followed by demonstrations of Super Hornet, Fighting Falcon, and C-11. Performance by Kayal and Amanda Franklyn is worth mentioning. I really wonder how these pilots take all the +ve and -ve G's !!!!!!

And there was a school bus which topped a speed of around 350mph with its fighter jet engines. I would have never been late to my school if my school bus was this good :)

The last performance was by U.S Blue Angels which is breathtaking. This performance by an elite team of Navy, in their Hornets, is the show stopper. Lots and lots of food stalls were there. But if you have any special diet requirements (like vegan) better pack your own stuff. do not forget to take your chairs, umbrella, picnic bag, water, and sunblock. Lots of demo planes crafted out of wood and other merchandise was available in the gift shop.

Finally, if you have a chance to visit an airshow, never miss it.

The Historic Loveland Castle, Cincinnati, Ohio

Web site: http://www.lovelandcastle.com/
Address: Loveland Castle 12025 Shore Rd, Loveland OHIO 45140
Time took: 2 hours min.
Admission Fee: 3$

Not many people are aware of this castle. Very small castle but reasonably good. It is amazing to know that the castle is the brainchild of one man, Sir Harry Andrews. They have a collection of swords and armors. The Knight at the reception was kind enough to explain to me a few things about the castle. It is a good picnic spot. But be sure to pack all the food you need. There is only one vending machine in the castle.

I got to know that they have a Scary Knight Tour during Halloween. And yes, this sure is a place for Halloween:).During my visit, the garden in the castle was rented out for a wedding. It sure is a good place for small parties. But, considering the weather in summer, I don't know if this castle is a good pick for summer weddings. They rent out castle for private parties, weddings, receptions, scouts. All the info is available on their website. There is a small gift shop in the castle if you need a souvenir. I think I will visit this place this winter. I really want the pictures of the castle in the snow.