Hey Guys!
So, this post continues our time in Kentucky & Ohio visiting the Ark Encounter and the Cincinnati Zoo.
Read about our time at the Ark Encounter here & Read about our Day at the Cincinnati Zoo here
I had planned on making this post about the Zoo but after I started typing it, I realized that it would be too long since we spent half the day in Cincinnati before heading to the zoo.
So, I decided to make my next post about the Zoo.
Since our reservation for the zoo wasn’t until 2, we decided to check out some other things in Cincinnati.
This was our first time ever in Ohio so, I was glad we had some extra time to check out the city.
After doing some research of things to do, we decided to get up early and head to Findlay Market.
Driving through Cincinnati…so many historic, colorful buildings!
We arrived around 8:45 am and it was already very busy! I highly recommend you arrive early or you may not find a parking spot….especially on the weekends!
The first lot we came to was already full, so we headed to another lot where we found a spot. You do have to pay for parking so take a picture of your license plate so you can pay at the meter.
After parking, we headed to the market…the first thing we noticed was all the beautiful murals on the sides of the buildings….such incredible art work!
Click here to see the location of each mural
The market..
Findlay Market is the only surviving municipal market house of the nine public markets operating in Cincinnati in the 19th and early 20th century.
The market house is built on land donated to the City of Cincinnati by the estate of General James Findlay (1770 – 1835) and Jane Irwin Findlay (1769 – 1851). Findlay Market is Ohio’s oldest surviving municipal market house.
The market was built in 1852 but didn’t open until 1855.
Read about the history of the market here
Some of the historical plaques near the market..
Walking around the outside of the Market…
Ya’ll I could have spent all day here….I loved this place! It was so cool…it reminded me of a smaller version of the Quincy Market in Boston, MA.
Walking around the inside….
There are over 100 vendors here selling everything from fresh seafood, to chocolate, to fresh vegetables and everything in between!
Click here for a list of vendors at the market
As some of you know, I am gluten free & really everything in between free, but once I spotted these huge cinnamon rolls at Em’s Bakery, well, just say, I was no longer on a diet!
We purchased a pan of 6 mini rolls iced with creamy vanilla icing….so good!
I’m pretty good about avoiding any temptations with food but this day, I decided to throw caution to the wind and eat what I wanted!
More pics of the inside…
We walked back outside and checked out some the vendors and of course, I was snapping pics left and right!
The French Crust Bistro across the street from the market..
The Cafe serves French bistro-inspired dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Their menu changes with the seasons to celebrate the local and seasonal ingredients they find across the street at Findlay Market.
We decided to get coffee at the Urbana Cafe. I ordered a caramel latte and the hubby ordered a mocha ….I am picky about my coffee and this coffee was very good!
See their menu here
We walked back outside to enjoy our coffee and to continue our walk around the market checking out the many vendors.
Once my hubby spotted the Cincinnati Reds baseball mascot, he had to have his picture taken!
After walking around for a few mins more, we decided to head to a place I had picked out for lunch.
Driving through Cincinnati….we saw more murals, the Paul Brown Stadium (home of the Cincinnati Bengals), the Cincinnati Riverwalk and more.
Before heading to Cincinnati, I had read about the foods you just had to try if you visit. One of those foods was chili….I was very nervous about eating chili since I hadn’t eaten it in over 2 years!
I read that the best chili was at Skyline Chili...the first Skyline Chili opened in Cincinnati in 1949 by a family that immigrated to the US from Greece. There are now many locations in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Florida.
They serve chili dogs, burritos, wraps & more…but of course, they are known for their chili.
My hubby ordered a cheese coney with a side of fries and I ordered a chilto, which was chili and cheese wrapped in a tortilla. We also ordered a bowl of their chili.
It was very messy!
My hubby didn’t realize how small the cheese coney’s were haha!! They were only $2.39 each so what would you expect?!
I thought the food was just average and their chili wasn’t anything special but a lot of people love it.
Read reviews here
After lunch, we headed to the zoo!
Thanks for reading & stay tuned for my next post on the zoo!
Click here for 25 best and fun things to do in Cincinnati
Click here for 25 foods you should trying when visiting Cincinnati
Visit the nearby ruins of a ghost ship – the USS Sachem -It served as a backdrop in a Madonna video, shuttled Thomas Edison about while he conducted war experiments, and attended Ronald Reagan’s re-lighting of the Statue of Liberty’s torch.