6.12.11 – Italianfest (Newport, Kentucky)

Another weekend, another festival (and there's more this weekend!). It seems people in this area can't drink and party without having a sanctioned festival where they're overcharged for food and drink. We attended Italianfest at Newport on the Levee last weekend. Luckily it was not as packed as Taste of Cincinnati (I wisely chose not to film that event. To say it was too packed would be an understatement). There were far less people and vendors at this event. Going upstairs to the Starbucks in Barnes & Noble provided cheaper beverages and a better vantage point to the activities. Still, the fried raspberry cheesecake was worth the trip.

5.29.11 – Krohn Conservatory (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Big Bone Lick State Park (Union, Kentucky)

Over the Memorial Day weekend Kent and I took in a few local attractions. First we visited the butterfly show at the Krohn Conservatory. After getting over my automatic freak-out response to creatures flying at me, I was able to appreciate their beauty and then drove myself crazy trying to capture them on video. The owl butterfly looks quite beautiful when its wings are open, but it was way too quick to see well when it was flying.

After stopping at a friend's house to pick up a bicycle (yes, I'm going to attempt to learn at this late age), we attempted a trip to Big Bone Lick State Park, but due to intense heat and what appears to be dehydration, I spent more time in the air conditioned gift shop/museum. I did drag myself over to the replicas of the mammoths, and was able to fully understand how they could die there.