The Best Cincinnati Family Favorites from a Native

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, INC. and The Coca-Cola Company, all opinions are mine alone. #ChickenCoToGo #CollectiveBias

I lived in many cities in my adult life. From large cities like New Orleans to small towns like Warsaw – Indiana, not Poland – I’ve experienced my fair share of living across these great United States. But I am a midwestern girl at heart and Cincinnati will always be home. We now reside back in the Ohio Valley and I love sharing my hometown favorites with my own family.

Cincinnati Family Favorites – Places to Eat

There are two places I absolutely must stop locations when I cross the river; United Dairy Farmers for fresh scooped ice cream or a malted chocolate milkshake and Busken Bakery for tea cookies. There really are no words to describe it other than you have to try it for yourself.

You all know how much I like to have home cooked meals for my family that don’t take much to make or break the bank. So while we’re fitting on all the sites of my hometown, I stopped by The Chicken Co newly available at the Kroger Deli for a few $5 chicken meal boxes. It’s the chicken we’ve always loved paired with a biscuit and a side item. You can also add a fountain Coca-Cola drink. We picked ours up in Bellevue, KY on the way across the bridge. The Chicken Co chicken is fresh, hand-breaded daily and crispy.

My family loves that they can each choose their own drink the way they like it with the Coca-Cola Freestyle drink dispenser. Vanilla Flavored Sprite? Why not.

Cincinnati Family Favorites – Outdoor Attractions

As a seventh grader at Walnut Hills High School, my foreign language was Latin. In that class, I learned that Cincinnati was built on seven hills, just like Rome.  One of my favorite spots on those hills is the Eden Park Overlook in Mt. Adams.

Eden Park offers tons to do with your family. It sits in the heart of the Mt. Adams neighborhood. We tried to catch the total eclipse in the Reflecting Pool but it was empty that day. I was pretty bummed. Check out Krohn’s Conservatory, the Cincinnati Art Museum and the other parks Cincinnati has to offer at www.cincinnatiparks.com.

I love a good roller coaster, but my fondest memory of amusement parks is on the paddle boats at Coney Island. My mom’s company picnic was held there every year.

Coney Island is an awesome place to take your kiddos that don’t like major thrill rides. And at just over $20 per person, you can visit the park with a family of four for less than $100. It sits right on the Ohio River in the southeastern part of the city and is easily accessible from I-275.

The highlight of Coney Island is Sunlite Water Adventure. It is the largest recirculating pool in the world and offers five (5) water slides, segmented pool sections for depth, and three spring diving boards for swimmers to enjoy.

Whenever I tell people I’m from Cincinnati, they inevitably ask about WKRP. Admittedly, this doesn’t happen as often as it used to. But the iconic image of Fountain Square in the opening theme sequence is etched in the memories of those of us 40 and over.

Cincinnati Family Favorites – The Comforts of Home

I am terrified of crossing bridges, especially bridges that cross over water. I don’t know why and it’s totally irrational. But crossing the Brent Spence bridge and the other Ohio River bridges gives me a little comfort because my grandfather helped to build them. It only comforts me briefly, but it gives me comfort nonetheless. LOL

The best thing about visiting my hometown is the chance to see my family. I grew up with my siblings, cousins and extended family around daily.  Making sure my girls get to spend precious moments with their great-grandmother is very important to me.

These are moments we cherish each time we cross the river into my hometown.