Newport, KY

So, yesterday and today I have the day off.  The husband and I decided to take a mini- (and I mean mini) vacation and decided on Newport, Kentucky.  As major Reds fans, we had always seen Newport from across the river in Cincy, but we finally decided to cross the river and take the time to explore Newport.  There are a ton of attractions there, lots of restaraunts/bars, shopping, etc.  Almost like an Easton but smaller.  If you are ever in the Ohio/Kentucky area and have a day to spend, you won't be disappointed if you take a trip to Newport.  I've included some of the highlights of our day:

Newport Aquarium... Awesomeness.  As a fish, mermaid, dolphin, anything water-lover, I have been to my fair share of aquariums, but so far, I'd rank this as a tie for first (Ripley's Aquarium in Gatlinburg, if you were wondering).  The Aquarium is right on the riverfront, and very easy to get to.  Like I mentioned, the area is like a smaller Easton, so maps all over, signs all over, easy to find.  There were tons of exhibits, and a wide diversity of species.  I didn't think ticket prices were too bad either, $22/adult (I've seen worse).  We spent about 2 hours there and aside from many children there because of summer break, I didn't find that we were rushed much.  We took as much time at each tank to read about the critters and look for them in their hiding places.  A few of my favorite things from the Newport Aquarium were the Small Clawed Asian Otters... adorable.  So, otters are my most favoritest animals ever.  When we got to the otter exhibit a trainer was feeding them icecubes.  Another awesome part of the facility is the Shark tank.  Basically just a tunnel that you walk over and under and are surrounded by sharks and rays on all sides.  Super fun!  The aquarium also just opened up a new exhibit called Peguine Palooza, they are so stinkin' cute :)

After the aquarium, we grabbed some Coldstone, nom nom nom.  As usual, I got way too much and felt way too guilty after eating it :)  I can't help it, if you have ever had sweetcream icecream, with oreos, marshmallows, and grahams, you would understand.

If we had more time, we would have eaten at one of the many nice restaraunts, Brio is there, one of my faves.  They also have a mall, an AMC movie theater, and a few bars.

All for now, if you can make it to Newport, it's worth your trip.  Lots of fun things to do and see, and all in one compact area!