Pictures coming soon... Bye, Frozen Tundra!
In typical Laine fashion I took the 6am flight out of Logan. I got an Uber and the driver kind of got lost on the way because there were road closures, and I was worried with security during the holidays that I’d be cutting it close. For once TSA did something right. They had a dog sniffing everyone in the security line so we were able to leave on shoes, belts, etc. I walked right up to my flight while it was boarding and slept my way to Cincinnati.
My Dad picked me up at the airport and we went home to hang out for a bit. Mom and Phoebe were excited! We relaxed, had some food, caught up, etc. Then we ended up driving back toward the airport to the Gap Factory Outlet, which I usually do every time I’m home. The outlet has Gap, Banana Republic, Athleta, Old Navy, etc. and it’s a big warehouse full of stuff that didn’t sell, returns, damaged stuff… You have to really look at things before you buy it and there are no returns. I usually go revamp my wardrobe there because stuff is cheap! I picked out a bunch of stuff that ended up totaling to $103.80. I had a $100 gift card from dog sitting – woo! Total win.
On the drive back we went to 50 West Brewery, which is one of the many awesome new breweries in Cincinnati. I had a sampler and Mom and I split a really delicious lamb burger. Dad had a portobello Ruben, which sounds weird but he said was really good. The beers were all good, but Nutella Coffee Please Nitro Stout was especially delicious!
Present Wrapping We went home and it was time for me to get to present wrapping. Dad joined me for a bit and we had a glass of wine. The basement is also a wine cellar where my dad makes his wine, which is actually really good. My mom loves making Pizzelles during the holidays, so I observed and chatted more than helped since it’s kind of a one person job with the Pizzelle iron. They turned out great!
The next day my folks took me to Washington Platform, which is an old restaurant downtown across from Washington Park. For you non-Cincinnati peeps, Washington Park used to be dangerous and now it’s hipster-haven and “revitalized.” Dad and I split a dozen oysters. These suckers were HUGE and delicious! I had the black bean burger which was spicy and really tasty. Black bean burgers can go either way, so I always think it’s a risk to order one out but theirs really delivered. This place was inexpensive, funky and had great food. Love it.
American Sign Museum Next we went to another new-to-me place, the American Sign Museum. It sounds bizarre, but it was really fun. A lot of them were local iconic signs but there were so many from all over.
We even got to watch a little demo of how to make neon signs. OSHA would not be pleased with this workshop.
This iconic, beautiful sign is apparently made of plywood and was homemade by one of the maintenance workers!
This used car spinning world sign is from Compton, CA and has a bullet hole in it.
Some were still in the boxes!
Next we checked out Cincinnati’s latest attempt at public transit: the Streetcar. It’s $1 for 2 hours or $2 all day and nobody checked our tickets (we paid). It’s a very expensive train to nowhere, or, as my mom calls it, the “Drug Dealer Express.” It does go a few useful places and has potential, but right now it has limited use other than novelty. It is clean and nice, though!
We got off the streetcar at the Brewery District stop in front of one of my favorite Cincinnati breweries: Rhinegeist! Dad and I had the Ink Stout which was amazing (and 10% ABV!). They wanted $50 for a sweatshirt, at which I went “psssh” to the dude working there. He asked me, “What does THAT mean?” To which I replied, “That means no, thank you.” It reminded me of that “Thrift Shop” song where the line is “psssh $50 for a t-shirt.”
We stopped at this little Gastropub to grab a bite and listen to some live music. These guys were actually pretty talented!
The next morning I met my friend Phil at Awakening’s Coffee Shop. It was nice to see him and catch up for a bit. Unfortunately I didn’t have enough time on this trip to see everyone.
Jungle Jim's!
Mom, Dad and I went to Jungle Jim’s to stock up for the family tradition we started of Italian cold cuts on Christmas Day. I. Love. Jungle Jim’s! Check out all those OHIO beers!
We tried this chick pea pasta, which was expensive but actually tasty.
How many kinds of jerky do you want?
You can walk around and shop with a beer or glass of wine… so of course, we did. My friend Lauren’s mom stopped over for a short visit. Unfortunately Lauren and my visits home didn’t overlap that much so we didn’t get to see each other. Hopefully soon!
My brother, Grant, finally arrived home late. He made the drive from VA after working a half day. He did not bring his dog, Harper, which disappointed me! I wanted him to try on his Christmas presents. I got Harper a new collar from Night Shift Brewery in Boston and a hiking backpack.
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve we hit up 50 West again for a snack before dinner. Mom and Dad made reservations at Bella Luna, which is this cute little Italian place we love that was closing on New Year’s Day! The owner is retiring and moving to Florida. This place will be missed. They had a Feast of the Seven Fishes, and we all overate. Big time. Plus, they had cannolis and Italian cookies for dessert!
Here’s Phoebe modeling her new coat and opening her NylaBones.
We go a little nuts at Christmas…
Here are some of the spoils from our Jungle Jim’s trip for the Christmas Day Italian cold cuts tradition.
My mom’s table always looks pretty! The next morning I had a ridiculously early wake up. My trip was WAY too short. TSA singled me out to be searched and go through my bag. Yay. I hate them. My Global Entry appointment is early January and I can hardly wait! The flight back to Boston was uneventful, but my trip was far too short. See you next time, Cincinnati!
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