December 12th - Cincinatti, then on to Nashville

December 12th - Cincinatti, then on to Nashville

While in Cincinatti, we wanted to take a look at the river front walk which follows the Ohio river for about 5 miles. We didn't have time to cover the whole length of it, as we also wanted to visit the National Underground Railroad Freedom Centre.


Impressed by what they had done to the riverfront area, with its life sized chess set and checkers board, its bench swings, and numerous activities for children, we spent some time taking it in, noticing the personal touches along the way. At a balmy 18 degrees, we couldn't believe how warm it was - even the breeze had an early Fall feel to it. Although it was overcast, it felt great to be outside in short sleeves again!

We loved the sentiment on this sign among the paving stones

We strolled along to the suspension bridge and crossed over the river into Covington, Kentucky. The John Roebling Suspension Bridge, linking the two cities, was the first one to be built over the Ohio River.


On the way over, a woman, who was in the middle of her morning run, told us about a picturesque historical area on the banks of the Kentucky side of the river, so we decided to pay it a quick visit as it was so easily accessible. The area was reminiscent of our time in Savanna, a couple of years ago.The buildings were beautifully preserved by the current inhabitants, and the tasteful decorations added to the ambiance of this historic district.

   
   


 It was also good to see some colour in the leaves as we thought we'd seen the last of the Fall just a few weeks ago! 

 

As well, it afforded us some really good views of Cincinnati from the other side.
 

We were pleasantly surprised to see a connection between Covington and John James Audubon - especially as we have made use of many of the publications under his name in our exploration of nature. 

 

Making our way back to the Ohio side of the river, we arrived at the museum just before it opened. The familiar story of slavery in early U.S. history was presented with the emphasis placed upon the perseverance and bravery of those individuals who escaped, or helped the escapees on their journey to freedom.

 

Slave Pen - used to keep slaves until their auction

Manacle used for keeping slaves chained

It was a little disconcerting to be reminded of how our inhumanity towards others still raises its head albeit in different guises, as the exhibits about modern day human trafficking portrayed. When we see evidence of people who are out of alignment with whom they really are, it serves to remind us of the importance of spreading as much compassion and love as we can in our small way. We spent about 3 hours in the museum, and realized that we could have spent all day there.

Some modern workers for freedom

Although it's true that Canada has had its problems, we felt proud of the part our country had played in the Underground Railroad movement. 

                               

Just outside of the museum, there was a memorial to the Berlin Wall, with part of the wall on display. 

Cincinatti - Nashville

Leaving Cincinatti, with the promise-to-self to return one day to see more of this picturesque city, we made our way over to Kentucky, which struck us as a state that would be awesome to visit in the summer when the leaves are still on the trees. The terrain is quite hilly and there was an abundance of farms and small ranches to take in. 

Feeling fortunate to have missed most of the road works of which we had been warned, we enjoyed the four hours it took to reach Nashville, Tennessee, and we're looking forward to exploring this city over the next two days. 

Afternote...

When we arrived at the hotel, we were informed that the boiler had burst and that they had arranged for us to stay in another hotel (in the same chain) near to the airport, 6 miles away. It's not the best hotel, but it is a place to lay our head, the linen is clean, and the bed comfortable, so we drifted off to sleep with a feeling of appreciation for those comforts, knowing that there are so many out there who lack even those basic needs!