
Recently major investments in the banks on both sides of the
river have revived the River City in a major way. Two new stadiums, a slew of
eateries, a magnificent park, and, what else, but a bike center for commuters.
You can see a lot of these attributes in this six minute video.
About ten miles west of the busy downtown area one can ride
through the sleepy community of Sayler
Park and board the historical Anderson Ferry. Founded in 1817, the ferry
has remained in continuous operation. For a mere $1.00 you can roll your bike
onto the ferry and cross the river to the banks of Kentucky. This was where
Velo Junkie and I were headed on this October afternoon.


The day was gorgeous and the Kentucky side held a trove of
treasures for the senses. The palette of orange, green, and gold trees dotted
with the occasional red barn gave way to marinas, a horse farm, a pumpkin
patch, and a country farm store. We made it a point to stop at McGlassen’s Produce
for some fresh-pressed apple cider.
Had I remembered how rolling the terrain on KY 8 was I may
have been a little more hesitant to embark. With grades upwards of 9% the
Reluctant Cyclist in me grumbled but forged on, lost in the autumn folly.

We reached the end of the rural route and stopped for a
quick snack and to rehydrate before heading back towards downtown Cincinnati.
The long downhill coast into Covington was a sweet reward for the long uphill
climb through Ludlow. The increase in traffic was inevitable the closer we got
to the metro areas of northern Kentucky.
There is something exhilarating about riding your bike
across a bridge and Greater Cincinnati offers many opportunities. We crossed
the Licking River into Newport via the 4th St. Bridge, then the
Taylor-Southgate Bridge carried us across the mighty Ohio.
OMG. We had scheduled our ride to avoid the race that was
taking place in the morning, and we did miss the race crowd. But we were not prepared
for what ensued at the end of the bridge. There were hordes of people trying to
locate their groups, roughly 25 tour buses, and lane closures for said buses.

“Over the river and through the woods…” We climbed back out
of the river valley passing Great American Ballpark, Paul Brown Stadium, the
Kroger manufacturing plant, and the defunct Lunkenheimer factory. And to think,
all of this adventure in 42 miles.
"Through the hills of Kentucky 'cross the Ohio river
The old man kept talking 'bout his life and his timesHe fell asleep with his head against the window
He said an honest man's pillow is his peace of mind"
Minutes to Memories, John Mellencamp
#rollinontheriver #cincinnatibybike #andersonferry #greatamericanballpark #paulbrownstadium #thebanks #taylorsouthgate #ohioriver
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