The Queen City: Day 1

Before we woke up on Friday morning, we had already decided to spend the day in museums and reserve our outdoor plans for Saturday.  This proved to be a smart move since the day dawned overcast and uncomfortably muggy.  Little did we know, however, what would be in store at the end of the day.

Our first destination was the Newport Aquarium.  I had heard rave reviews from several friends about this place, and we were all eager to see it.  The entrance fee was worth the money!  We had never been to an aquarium before, so seeing all the sea life up close was an incredible experience.  I stood amazed at God's creation - so intricate, delicate, and beautiful!  All different shapes, sizes, colors, and serving varied purposes in this world - and God just spoke it all into existence!

Since sea creatures are constantly on the move and I only had my point-and-shoot camera, taking pictures was a bit of a challenge, but I did manage to get a few.  You'll just have to go there one day and see it all for yourself. :)

Perhaps my favorite exhibit was the rainforest with the birds and otters.  The latter in particular are so cute, and it was fun to watch them being fed!

And don't forget the penguins!  Funny creatures...they seem to like to stand all in a row.

Toward the end of our tour, we rounded the corner of an exhibit and came face to face with an impressive mural along with this description:

The ironic part was that previously on Monday, we had our last Bible study meeting of the summer and completed the book of Acts where we had just looked at Paul's shipwreck on the island of Malta.  So as I was reading the above description, the word "Malta" immediately stood out to me, and I let out a squeal!  We had to, of course, snap a picture with our phone and send it to our Bible study leader (Kathy). :)

After a thrilling experience here, we headed to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in downtown Cincinnati.  Again, if you have never visited this museum, then you should put it on the top of your list for your next vacation!  We learned so much about the history of slavery, the underground railroad, the Civil War, and the unique role that the city of Cincinnati played in this part of history.  A wealth of information is contained here, and we had difficulty absorbing it all.  It reminded me of the day that Dad and I visited Ellis Island in New York City, only this time it was slaves rather than immigrants.  Seeing the faces, reading their words, re-living their experiences - it was all quite sobering.  We came away with a new sense of gratitude for those who gave so much to end the terrible practice of slavery in this country.

By the end of this day, we had enjoyed the beauty of God's handiwork in His creation and traced His hand through the course of history.  As if that wasn't enough, we had to finish the day with an authentic summer American experience - a baseball game!  Yes, the Reds happened to be playing in town that night, and though we had not originally planned on this, we found ourselves sitting in the Great American Ballpark.  This was Rachael's first time at a major league game, and she enjoyed it.  It was a gorgeous evening, and the game was an exciting one!    Not only did the Reds win, but the evening concluded with a spectacular fireworks show!

By the time 12:00 midnight rolled around, my heart was full of gratitude for God's abundant provision for us.  It had been a wonderful day with many special memories, and we looked forward with anticipation to what the next day held in store.