Cincinnati

Known as the "Queen City," Cincinnati got its nickname when Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote that the city was "the Queen of the West." Nestled on the north shore of the Ohio River, Cincinnati was first platted in 1788 by three land speculators and named for the Society of Cincinnati, an organization of Revolutionary War officers. The river was the city's lifeblood and Cincinnati grew up from the riverfront with the downtown section in a basin surrounded by hills. As the chief port on the Ohio River, Cincinnati became famous as a meatpacking center, the nation's pork capital, often called Porkopolis. Today, look around Cincinnati for the ...

Known as the "Queen City," Cincinnati got its nickname when Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote that the city was "the Queen of the West." Nestled on the north shore of the Ohio River, Cincinnati was first platted in 1788 by three land speculators and named for the Society of Cincinnati, an organization of Revolutionary War officers. The river was the city's lifeblood and Cincinnati grew up from the riverfront with the downtown section in a basin surrounded by hills. As the chief port on the Ohio River, Cincinnati became famous as a meatpacking center, the nation's pork capital, often called Porkopolis. Today, look around Cincinnati for the famed "flying pig" statues, including some at Sawyer Point. The city's prosperity attracted many European immigrants, especially Germans. By the early 1900s, the population of Cincinnati was more than 60 percent German Americans. Affectionately called "Zinzinnati" by its German residents, the city still enjoys strong German influence - from its brick and stone Bavarian architecture and neighborhood names like Over the Rhine to its singing societies and beer gardens. Proud of its Cincinnati Reds baseball team, the city is home to the first regular professional team in the country, the Cincinnati Red Stockings, formally organized in 1869. The Great American Ball Park on the riverfront is a great place to enjoy a game on a warm summer night. Every three years, the city salutes its long riverboat heritage with the Tall Stacks Festival, drawing riverboats and visitors for a joyous blast from the past.

About the Expert

Jackie Sheckler Finch has written several guidebooks, including The Unofficial Guide to Campgrounds in the Great Lakes States, and four times she was named Travel Writer of the Year by Midwest Travel Writers Association.