Steps of Cincinnati-Columbia Tusculum

Due to a prior commitment, this hike will need to be moved to 1pm. I hope this is okay with everyone. The good news is that with a 1pm hike, we will have a easier time finding a place to eat after (possibly zips) since the dinner rush won't be in swing just yet.

To let everyone know I routed the entire hike and will be sending out a map and history of the area a day before the hike. The houses and park are beautiful. The best part is that each house in the historic district is marked with its date of origin so you can see when it was built. Cincy's longest standing, still inhabited house is quite a house. ( I was expecting something a little more pioneer like) There is a lot of great history along the way. I also learned when we leave Alms Park if we go the other way, it is a beautiful walk through what used to be the Longworth Vineyards over to Mt. Lookout so that can be scheduled perhaps later. Fair warning, Mt. Tusculum is well a mountain-urban perhaps but still quite a hike up. Fortunately, the many beautiful Victorians will give us reason to pause along the way without anyone knowing just how truly out of breath we really are. Okay, it's not Aspen Mountain, but it is a noteworthy ascent. All in all, it looks like this will be a spectacular hike and I'm just as happy to skip Eden Park to explore this lovely area.

I"ve decided to try a different venue to see if we get a better response. For those who still would like to see the Butterflies, we can head over after this hike or pick a different day to just go to Krohn for the exhibit.

For those that have been begging for more steps, let's try a new community!!! Come check out Cincinnati's first Hamilton County Settlement. Founded in 1788, Columbia Tusculum is located a few miles east of downtown. Columbia known as the "Bottoms" and Tusculum known as the "Heights" was and interesting mix of poor and rich residents that intermingled in a sorta Utopian kind of way. It is home to the oldest still occupied home built in Cincinnati as well as some of the city's oldest Victorians which have been said to rival San Francisco. The area boasts one of the city's most popular restaurants, The Precinct, originally Police Patrol House No 6, which once housed a paddy wagon and horses. (built by our favorite architect Sam Hannaford.) The Historic District has the date each home was built posted on the front door so you have a chance to really each this history of the area. Alms Park offers wooded nature trails, a pavillon for viewing, an amphitheatre, a medivial tower which is actually bathrooms and the entrance of what was once the Longworth Wine Cellar. This trek offers beautiful views of Cincinnati, Lunken Airport, and the Ohio River.