#10 Cincinnati, Ohio April 21 - April 25,1993
Wednesday, April 21: An enticing agenda for the 10th mini-reunion was compiled by host Joe Green and his wife Jeanne aided by committee: Bo Nixon, Ben Lawrence, Jim Wallace Vaden Fitton, Jim Garvey and Dave Crafts. They provided a memorable experience in Cincinnati. The elegant Cincinnatian Hotel, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was headquarters. Its Second Empire Victorian architecture combined with contemporary elegance to provide an ambiance of gracious hospitality. A rollicking start was an early-bird cocktail party at the Contemporary Arts Center.
Thursday, April 22: The morning at leisure then buses took us to the Museum Center in the renovated art deco Union Terminal Station judged one of the top 20 attractions in the country. The Cincinnati Historical Society provided vivid and graphic historical background about this river town's heritage. Four large exhibit galleries displayed its "Cincinnati: From Settlement to 1860": 1-Founding and Settlement; 2-Regional Capital (the first four decades of the 1800s when the city became an important commercial center); 3-La Belle Riviere, named by French explorers; and 4-a replica of Queen of the West beside a public landing area. Afterward buses whisked us over the John A. Roebling (same engineer who designed the Brooklyn Bridge) suspension bridge to Ludlow, Kentucky, where we boarded the riverboat Barleycorn. Seafood jambalaya was the cuisine as we cruised up and down the beautiful Ohio River.
Friday, April 23: A city tour, which augmented yesterday's historical lore, ended at the 65-acre Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden where we had lunch at the Peacock Pavilion. An excellent speaker showed a film, explaining the zoo's innovative breeding program. One of the five top zoos in the country, the facility features a most attractively landscaped garden with more than a thousand species and varieties of ornamental plants. The Forest View Gardens was the locale for an enchanting evening of German fare and entertainment by singing servers.
Saturday, April 24: A short walk to the Fifth Third Center where we convened in the Banker's Club on the 30th floor for a continental breakfast. Speaker Ron Roberts presented an overview of the city's public school system. On to the Taft Museum which featured rooms of art treasures — European enamels, Oriental porcelain and paintings by Rembrandt, Gainsborough and Turner. The majestic two-story facility, opened in November 1932, was the former residence of William Howard Taft's half-brother, Charles. We dined at Peterloon, one of the grandest and most famous estates in the mid-west. Located on 1,200 rolling wooded acres in Indian Hill, Ohio, the Georgian-style edifice is the former home of John and Irene Emery who lavishly furnished it with historic pieces. Its paneled rooms include a handsome library which houses a fine collection of 18th-century French illustrated books and bindings.
Sunday, April 25: A wind-down brunch was at the Cincinnati Fire Museum where displays provided insight about the city's firefighting history. Cincinnati had the first paid department in the country. Quite a few attendees opted to visit Louisville's Lexington horse farm country which Bo had arranged.