Cardinals Are the New Flamingos
I’ve kind of been obsessed with cardinals on this trip. Not the St. Louis baseball team, but the actual bird. They’re a dime a dozen in the eastern half of the U.S., but where we live, not so much. Eastern South Dakota looks to be the dividing line for the cardinal habitat. Figures!
I’m just in awe of their bright red color. That crest on the males is pretty badass, too. So, when we saw a couple flying around our hotel yesterday, I geeked out. I’ve been trying to get a picture, but they’re quick little buggers.
99%
Our weather luck ran out today. On the drive down to Cincinnati this morning, the heavens opened up and unleashed quite the deluge, complete with thunder and lightning. I’m just thankful there was no hail.
We lucked out though, because the rain was just letting up when we arrived in Cincinnati. At one point, we wondered out loud what the humidity was, so I looked it up on my phone.
99%.
Well…no wonder it’s so green here! But walking around the city for an hour was a hot and sweaty affair.
Big Red Machine
Cincinnati is by far the largest city we’ve been to on our trip so far. Yet despite its size, traffic was light and there was hardly anybody else walking around the riverfront.
My memories of Cincinnati center around baseball. We went to many games when we lived in Ohio and got to see some of the greatest Reds players, like Pete Rose and Johnny Bench, live in action. The baseball stadium has changed quite a bit, but it’s clear this town loves their local boys of summer.
I’m not really into baseball these days, and when I am, I usually root for the Red Sox. Right color, wrong city. But I couldn’t resist posing for this pic, since I do have fond memories of those baseball games in my youth.
Blogging Meet-Up
We didn’t have a lot of time to spend in Cincy because we had plans to meet up with a blogging friend named Sarah. She works in West Chester, about 30 minutes north of the city. We’d agreed to meet for lunch at a pub and grill out by her office.
Sarah is somebody I have been reading for about 15 years. It’s always a kick to come face-to-face with someone you have known for a long time through words only. Because we’ve all been fully vaccinated, we were even able to hug.
Good food, good conversation, good times! She’s awesome and even paid for our lunch. Thanks, Sarah!
(I was totally repping South Dakota btw.)
Chillaxin’
After lunch, we decided to check out Young’s Jersey Dairy on the recommendation of several people. It’s right down the road from us in Yellow Springs, so we really had no excuse not to go.
As soon as I got there, I remembered an elementary school field trip to this very farm.
One of the goats was getting a little frisky with my wife.
We’d heard they had really good handcrafted ice cream, so we indulged in a couple of cones. Let’s just say the rumors are true. We also picked up some cheese and bread.
And this is why we are headed to Target in a little bit to buy a sturdier cooler than the one we packed.
We’re also going to grab dinner at Skyline Chili. They’re a local chain that specializes in Cincinnati chili, which is—duh—unique to Ohio. I had it the last time I was out here visiting and fell in love. Cincinnati chili is made with a unique spice blend that includes cinnamon and is traditionally served over spaghetti. It may sound weird, but it’s really good.
The rest of the evening will be spent relaxing in the room. We’ve been on the go an awful lot these past five days and tomorrow we’re headed north to Cleveland. A less hectic evening is sorely needed.
I’m just thrilled that I won’t be up late blogging tonight. I might finally get to relax and crack open that book for the first time on this trip!
Mark Petruska 
Not a Pete Rose fan, but I love the line of giant baseballs. Chili with cinnamon, meeting a blogger and a little goat lovin’? That’s what I call a good day!
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Much like Skyline Chili, people either love or hate Pete Rose, it seems. I’d personally love to see MLB lift their ban and vote him into the Hall of Fame already!
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I’m totally putting cinnamon in my next pot of chili. As for Pete, no.
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Love Cardinals (birds) and a 5-Way.
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We were thinking a 4-Way (with onions) would have upped the Skyline game even more. But it was delicious!
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That’s the most detailed explanation of Cincinnati chili I’ve had yet. It sounds pretty good! Maybe this comment will go through, unlike all the other ones I’ve left so far. Fingers crossed!
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I really hope you get to try Cincinnati chili. It was Tara’s favorite meal on the trip…and that’s counting some decently nice restaurants!
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I’ve heard I can get it in Colorado. My blog buddy there says it’s very expensive but she buys it anyway because it’s so good. Chances are excellent that I’ll make it back to Colorado long before I make it back to Ohio, so that’s my goal.
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What fun! Loved this post.
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When it comes to Skyline 4-way with beans is my fave, but I’m telling you this a bit late, aren’t I? Glad you experienced Young’s Jersey Dairy, too. I thought of you yesterday as the rain poured down here, but you look like it didn’t stop you.
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It was more of a light drizzle by the time we hit Young’s Jersey Dairy. Thanks for the recommendation – the ice cream was SO good!
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Well, the cardinal is our state bird! Watch out for the deer as you drive north! Some of my husband’s family is from Cincy, so I’ve been to a Red’s game and it’s a great stadium.Drove over one of those bridges into KY a few months ago. It really is a great city. That must have been cool to remember being at Young’s on a field trip. Lost memories rescued! Hope Tara liked the chili. I skip the onions and beans and go straight for the cheddar!
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Spoiler alert: Tara LOVED the chili!
The last time I went to a Reds game, it was at Riverfront Stadium. Now it’s got some big fancy corporate name, but alas, that’s the way modern sports are, huh? Still a very nice ballpark.
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Hi Mark, I have been thoroughly enjoying the photos you share on Instagram. Interesting and breathtaking. I just now googled “cardinals” and a rare bird for British Columbia. A blogging meet up is always fun and fascinating. The goats with your wife made me smile. I have been off the grid recently because of some personal reasons. I enjoy getting back to reading and catching up favourite blogs.🙂
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Thank you for stopping by, E/E. I hope all is well with you. I’d be shocked if you ever saw a cardinal in British Columbia!
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I do not miss the humidity back East! But I do miss rain and the greenery. Thanks for sharing both.
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Fortunately, by the time we got to Cleveland, it was a lot colder and the humidity was nothing compared to what it had been like before.
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Driving in rain like that is stressful; glad all was well.
Birds, baseball, bloggers! Oh and goats. This is a fun trip for you and those who are tagging along vicariously.
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Especially when you’re not used to such torrential downpours! Glad you enjoyed the posts. I’m glad I found you through Ally’s blog!
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