Newport

View Replicas of Columbus’ Ships in Newport, KY

September 12, 2015 By Nedra McDaniel 4 Comments

If you have ever wondered what early exploration was like, you will want to check out the Columbus Ships in Newport, Kentucky. There are two replica ships on display for a limited time.

The Nina is believed to be the most historically accurate replica of a Columbus Ship ever built and the Pinta, which is the newest addition that was built in Brazil out of Brazilian hardwoods by 8th generation shipbuilders.

For a limited time you have the opportunity to get up close to these replicas and learn about what exploration was like during Christopher Columbus’ lifetime.

Make sure that you talk to the volunteers on board because they are a wealth of knowledge and they also have really interesting stories about their adventures while traveling with the replicas.

If you have a sense of adventure you will want to check out the volunteer opportunities where you can travel with the crew to various ports.

The Columbus Ships will be in Newport, Kentucky at Riverboat Row

Thursday, September 10 – Sunday, September 20th

Hours

The ships are open every day from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Admission

$8.00 for Adults

$7.00 for seniors and $6.00 for students aged 5 – 16.

Children aged 4 and under are free.

*Groups of 15 or more can schedule a 30 minutes guided tour. Contact (787) 672- 2152 or email columfnd1492@gmail.com.

You can find out more from the Columbus Ships website.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary admission for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

World’s first and only Shark Bridge at Newport Aquarium

April 29, 2015 By Nedra McDaniel 1 Comment

The newest addition at the Newport Aquarium is an adventure waiting for you at the very end of your visit. Guests now have the option to walk across the world’s first and only Shark Bridge.

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Ride The Ducks in Newport/ Cincinnati Tour

October 16, 2014 By Nedra McDaniel 3 Comments

I’ve been wanting to check out the Newport Ducks Tours for quite a while. My husband and I went on one several years ago in the Atlanta area and we knew that our boys would love it. We enjoy learning about other cities but also like to take advantage of tours in our own backyard.

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Summer Camps at the Newport Aquarium

May 16, 2014 By Nedra McDaniel Leave a Comment

My boys and I got to go on a behind the scenes tour at the Newport Aquarium to take in a new perspective.

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Learn about the city that was Vegas before Vegas on the Newport Gangster Tour

October 21, 2013 By Nedra McDaniel 1 Comment

I grew up in Northern Kentucky but I had no idea that the city of Newport had a lot of gangster activity back in the day. The Newport Gangster Tour has been on my list for quite a while and I was really excited to learn more about Newport’s shady past.

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Ice Balls at Schneider’s Sweet Shop

July 18, 2013 By Nedra McDaniel 3 Comments

Have you heard of an ice ball before?

An ice ball is a combination of a snow cone and ice cream that’s a great warm-weather treat.

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My 1st Tap n’ Run

June 18, 2013 By Nedra McDaniel 1 Comment

If you are looking for a unique fun run experience, Tap n’ Run is for you.

You don’t even have to run. I do think having fun could be a requirement. Costumes are recommended and the people watching is absolutely fascinating because of them.

Our registration was located at the first authentic Hofbrauhaus in America located in Newport, KY. Our race started at 2pm, which let some of the participants get started with the race prep early.

We traveled across the pedistrian bridge to get to the start line which was techinically in Ohio.

Race participants run/walk/crawl a 4k. There were even some runners who opted for the timed chip but I would say the majority was not that serious about this race … at all.

My husband and I borrowed our superhero theme from our kids’ costume box a few hours prior. We were put to shame in the creativity department.

Our race bibs had four tabs that we gave at each stop for our beer stations along the course.

This is where my confession comes in. I don’t like the taste of beer. I took a taste of my sample and trashed the rest.

Drinking is optional and the race begins with everyone drinking to start the race. Our course took us through downtown Cincinnati and allowed for lots of great people watching.

The beer station stops also did supply water which I took full advantage of.

The creative costumes were so intersting to see along the course.

I’m happy to say I tapped into my inner superhero and slogged across the finish line without walking. It wasn’t fast but I was determined to run the whole race.

When we finished our race, we received a medal that doubles as a bottle opener, a larger cup of beer and a sandwich from Jimmy John’s.

Our race finished at The Banks in Cincinnati which offers a lot of great resturants and bars. A lot of runners continued on their afternoon at a few more venues and enjoyed a celebratory picture by the photo area.

This race has a bunch of extremes. Some people were still in it to win it and others would be lucky if they found and crossed the finish line. I really enjoyed an excuse to dress silly and people watch. A local charity also will benefit from the race too.

You can find out more about Tap n’ Run from their website.

Disclosure: I was given complimentary entries for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

It’s a Wonderful Life – Radio Style

December 9, 2012 By Nedra McDaniel Leave a Comment

I recently watched a radio style twist on the classic “It’s A Wonderful Life” at Falcon Theatre. I honestly have never watched the movie in it’s entirety. I’ve seen enough clips over the years to get the just of the movie. I was really interested when I found out the play would be presented as a radio show. The concept took me back to watching the movie “Annie” as a child when they show the “behind the scenes” while making a radio announcement to try to find Annie’s birth parents.

The theatre is located in the heart of downtown Newport,KY and it’s walls boast the plays that have been presented there.

We opted for the front row to get an upclose view of the foley artists.

The play really gave you the feeling of being a live audience with the “applause” and “on air” signs that cued us when to participate.

The actors immediately kept my attention by all of their voice impressions. The cast of 7 filled was able to transform their voices into range of ages that they could transition to within moments.

Their voices as children always made the audience smile.

The foley artists also kept me super intrigued. It was really interesting to see how they would create the sounds by what looked like a kitchen experiment.

Crunching a bag of cornstarch for footprints in the snow, slamming doors, splashing water; they achieved every sound with such creativity.

I really enjoyed seeing something different vs. the usual Christmas play. It was nice to take in a different perspective of a familiar story.

You can still catch a performance at the Falcon Theatre December 13-15. Check out their website for details.

Family Circus Class with Cincinnati Circus Company

April 17, 2012 By Nedra McDaniel 4 Comments

I think watching the 80’s/90’s tv show “Circus of the Stars” planted the seed in my mind that anyone could try being a circus star. So I tried trapeze with friends…..

………and then we tried trapeze as a family.

So then the logic was that if your family is a circus already …might as well learn a few skills to impress the neighbors.

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