Ohio

Jurassic Quest at Coney Island Amusement Park

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August 17, 2020 By Jennifer Lambert 1 Comment

Our dinosaurs are ready and raring to return from extinction. After sold out weekends in San Antonio, Dallas, OKC, and Detroit, we will now be migrating to Cincinnati, OH, August 21 – August 30, with our FIRST EVER JURASSIC DRIVE-THRU!

The nation’s best touring dinosaur exhibit has been transformed into an interactive drive-thru experience, featuring over 70 moving and life-like dinosaurs, as well as our 50 foot-long Megalodon! The drive-thru experience has seen over 100,000 cars and 400,000 people in attendance since launching the national tour in mid-July. Although the drive-thru experience means guests will stay safe inside their vehicle, you’ll still need to watch out for the swinging tail of our 80 foot-long Spinosaurus!

The Jurassic Quest Drive Thru is the only place to encounter some of the largest dinosaurs to ever roam the earth, and some of the eeriest marine creatures to ever lurk the ocean’s depths, from the safety of your family vehicle. Cincinnati guests will be among the first in the nation to go on a quest with our online audio tour that will lead them throughout the thrilling dinosaur safari.

Currently touring as a Drive-Thru only. The largest and most realistic dinosaur exhibition in North America. Now with new animatronic water dwellers, Jurassic Quest is the only dinosaur event that has up to 100, true to life-sized dinosaur replicas from the very small, to the gigantic, to those found under the sea. Guests will witness their favorite dinosaurs move, roar and roam and have the chance to interact with baby dinosaurs and adolescent dinosaurs, including the T. Rex, Spinosaurus, Triceratops and many others. With the addition of Ancient Oceans, guests will also be able to “swim” with our 50 foot long, prehistoric Megalodon!

For $49 per vehicle (9 people or fewer), your dino crew can time-travel and enjoy about an hour-long ride back in time.

Happening at the spacious Coney Island Amusement Park, Jurassic Quest worked in collaboration with leading paleontologists to ensure each dinosaur was painstakingly replicated in every detail. Guests will have the chance to drive through realistic scenes, without leaving their own vehicles, depicting how we understand dinosaurs looked and moved!

In addition to the life-like dinosaur exhibits, there will be opportunities to visit with our one-of-a-kind baby dinosaurs and our team of dino trainers as well as the chance to capture the moment with a safari-style photo of your vehicle and family transported back in time via a Jurassic setting complete with a dinosaur backdrop.

All attendees will leave with the same bragging rights, “We Survived Jurassic Quest 2020!” One photo per family is FREE and included in ticket purchase.

We will continue to take extra precautionary measures to provide a clean and safe event. Guests are to remain in vehicles and to wear masks in the event they exit the vehicle in allowed areas, including complimentary restrooms and the Dino Store.

Social distancing rules will be requested of all guests and maintained by Jurassic Quest crew. We will be sanitizing equipment, dinosaurs, and workstations more frequently and thoroughly throughout the entirety of the event. Our employees will be applying hand sanitizer and washing their hands regularly throughout each day, in addition to wearing masks. Guest safety and enjoyment is our top priority.

Those willing to take the challenge and join our Cincinnati Drive Thru Quest will need to buy tickets in advance online at www.jurassicquest.com. Tickets are $49 per vehicle. Guests must travel through the drive-thru in the comfort of their own vehicle – no rentals or golf carts will be provided and walkers are not allowed. To ensure participant safety, all guests must ride inside their vehicles (yes, pets inside vehicles are allowed), no riders in truck beds, however. Trailers are also not allowed – we’re worried they might tempt the hungry dinos too much! Oversized vehicles and vehicles with more than 9 riders are allowed but will need to contact Customer Service, customerservice@jurassicquest.com, for pricing and scheduling. A full list of Frequently Asked Questions can be found online, https://www.jurassicquest.com/drive-thru-faqs. For more information and to buy tickets visit www.JurassicQuest.com. Whether they are big or small, young or old, guests of Jurassic Quest have a dino-mite time!

Event: Jurassic Quest

Place: Coney Island Amusement Park

Date: August 21 – August 30, 2020, Timeslots and hours will vary by day (Closed Monday & Tuesday, August 24 -25)

Hours: 11 am – 8 pm opening day, August 21; 9 am – 8 pm daily

Admission: Tickets available online: https://www.jurassicquest.com/events/drive-thru-cincinnati

Cost for entry: $49 per vehicle.

Our Review

We attended Jurassic Quest as a family on the morning of Friday, August 21, 2020.

I will say I was a little apprehensive going with my kids who are older – ages 10, 13, and 14. I was concerned they would be too old and find it silly, but I needn’t have worried! We all loved it!

We found the entrance easily with our GPS app.

We thought the audio tour was wonderful. Great information, storytelling, and fun asides about William Shakespeare and Pluto. We laughed so hard we almost had to rewind it.

I do recommend best viewing out the driver’s side but the path zig zags through so everyone gets a good look.

We were impressed with the animatronic dinosaurs in their displays. We drove through and never felt rushed. I don’t think there was anyone behind us at all.

There were sounds for many dinosaurs, even though we can only speculate what they could have sounded like based on current animals that may have similar features.

We loved seeing all the different dinosaurs sorted into their various geological periods.

There are carnivores and herbivores, feathered, furred, flying, and swimming dinosaurs.

We were thrilled to see a life-size megalodon.

Oh no! This T Rex got hungry for Triceratops!

Thankfully, the companion Triceratops is ready to defend!

Watch out for the runaway T Rex!

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SunWatch Indian Village/Archaeological Park

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January 5, 2020 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

The Mission of SunWatch Indian Village/Archaeological Park is to protect, preserve and research the cultural remains of the SunWatch National Historic Landmark archaeological site and to serve as a visitor and educational center for archaeology, Native American culture, and heritage stewardship as they relate to the site.

Our Boonshoft membership is reciprocal with Sunwatch and Fort Ancient.

SunWatch has an historical video about how the site was found and the work they’re doing here.

There’s a nice little museum and shop, and then, of course, the recreated village.

Village model:

There are artifacts, bones, and reenacted displays:

The village is still an archaeological site:

Visit SunWatch:

Adults $7.00
Seniors (60+) $6.00
Students (6-17) $6.00

April–November
Tuesday-Saturday
9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Sunday: noon-5:00 p.m.
Closed on Mondays

December–March
Closed except for special events or by appointment. Call 937.268.8199 to book your group visit or field trip!

Closed: New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Easter

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Cincinnati Art Museum

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August 27, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

There’s a pretty good selection of various art from around the world and across the ages.

We like the Islamic Art wing.

We visited the Albrecht Dürer exhibit in February 2018.

Dürer made six prints of Jerome, one of the most popular saints of the German Renaissance.

We visited the Terracotta Warriors in August 2018.

I never really expected to view these and we jumped at the chance to go see them. It was almost at the last minute because this was a busy time for us. They only had 5 tickets left that day and we nabbed them!

Also, the Art of Robert McCloskey was another exhibit at this time. It was cute.

Visit Cincinnati Art Museum.

Special Exhibition Ticket Pricing

General public	Seniors
(ages 18 and up) $12	(ages 65+) $6
Children	Children 5
(ages 6-17) $6	and under FREE
College students	Thursday
(with valid ID) $6	5–8 p.m. FREE

General Admission is always FREE!

Parking is FREE in Museum lots.

Tuesday–Sunday 11 a.m.–5 p.m.

Thursdays 11 a.m.–8 p.m.

Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day

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National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

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August 26, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert 1 Comment

This museum is too big to do all in one day!

The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force galleries present military aviation history, boasting more than 360 aerospace vehicles and missiles on display in 12+ galleries.

We first went in September 2017.

We returned in August 2018 to see the Memphis Belle.

Tori did space camp this summer and there are lots of family events throughout the year.

For our first visit, we focused on WWI and WWII.

Eighty silver goblets commemorating each man who flew in the Doolittle Raid over Japan in April 1942.

In December 1946, Gen. James “Jimmy” Doolittle and his fellow Raiders gathered to celebrate his birthday, and that event turned into an annual reunion.

At every reunion, the surviving Raiders meet privately to conduct their solemn “Goblet Ceremony.” After toasting the Raiders who died since their last meeting, they turn the deceased men’s goblets upside down. Each goblet has the Raider’s name engraved twice — so that it can be read if the goblet is right side up or upside down. When there are only two Raiders left, these two men will drink one final toast to their departed comrades.

Retired Lt. Col. Richard “Dick” Cole, the last of the 80 Doolittle Tokyo Raiders, died on April 9, 2018. He was 103.

We viewed the Memphis Belle and everything else on our 2nd visit.

Visit National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.

The museum is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. The museum is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Some museum exhibits have special hours.

Admission to the museum is FREE.

There is a charge for the Air Force Museum Theatre and flight simulators.

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National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

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August 19, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert 3 Comments

We had an incredible visit to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. I highly recommend it for all.

The 8,000-square-foot exhibit From Slavery to Freedom provides historical context about 300+ years of slavery from the Middle Passage up to the Civil War. Artifacts include the rope from which abolitionist John Brown was hanged to Frederick Douglass’ hat and trousers to first-edition copies of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

Three pavilions celebrate courage, cooperation, and perseverance.

This humongous exhibit was very intense, full of lots of reading and historical artifacts.

It was so educational for me, who grew up in the South and had very skewed American history, even from Black teachers.

I love learning along with my children. This is very, very important history and I want the truth. Even if, especially if, it makes me uncomfortable.

In this age of information, there is no excuse to be ignorant.

We were literally exhausted and overwhelmed by the end of this exhibit. It was just so much to process. It was really hard.

Escape! Freedom Seekers and the Underground Railroad allows children and adults to play a game that gives them the perspective of a fugitive slave.

We’ve read lots of books about this, but seeing where escaped slaves could hide and how they traveled and were cared for was eye-opening.

It made us confront ourselves and the question of what would we have done?

Freedom’s flame continues to light the way, no matter the weather.

Muhammad Ali and first lady Laura Bush jointly lit the eternal flame of freedom when ground was broken for the center in 2002.

Poignant with a gorgeous view of Cincinnati and the Ohio River.

People knew once they crossed that river, they were mostly safe from slavery, but new laws kept cropping up that made it legal for them to be captured back into slavery.

The Hall of Everyday Heroes pays tribute to ordinary people who resist tyranny. Important history everywhere.

Again, what would we do?

What are we doing in the face of tyranny?

The Struggle Today examines the legacy of the Underground Railroad and contemporary freedom movements.

We actually did not do much more than peek inside this one. We were emotionally, physically, and mentally exhausted at this point. We will have to gear ourselves up to return.

There are often new exhibits and we could barely process it all.

“Journeys I and II” is an ongoing piece created by artist Aminah Brenda Lynn.

The Slave Pen, the principal artifact at the Freedom Center, is a 21 by 30-foot, two-story log slave pen built in 1830. Originally owned by Captain John Anderson, it is “the only known surviving rural slave jail,” previously used to house slaves prior to their being shipped to auction. The structure was moved from a farm in Mason County, Kentucky, where a tobacco barn had been built around it.

This was especially horrific, with manacles still inside. It smelled evil.

Upwards of 27 million people are currently enslaved around the world, more than at any other time in human history.

Americans still won’t admit what our history did and is doing to our citizens.

Visit the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

Tickets – Buy online.

Adults: $15
Seniors 60+: $13
Children ages 3-12: $10.50
Children under 3: FREE

Hours

Tuesday-Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday-Monday Noon to 5:00 p.m.
Tickets sold until 4:00 p.m.

Outside the museum, is a piece of the Berlin Wall.

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Ohio Caverns

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August 12, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

We visited Ohio Caverns in May 2019. We chose the Natural Wonder Tour.

I recommend wearing raincoats and boots. The guides do provide ponchos.

We loved the rock formations and colors from the minerals.

Lots of water down there. There were water lines from past floods.

Visit Ohio Caverns.

Natural Wonder Tour Info

Historic Tour Info

Ohio Caverns is Open All Year. We only close on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Hours

Summer Session (May 1 – September 30) : 9 am to 5 pm (Last tour starts at 5 pm)
Winter Session (January 1 – April 30; October 1 – December 31) : 10 am to 4 pm (Last tour starts at 4 pm)

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Johnston Farm and Indian Agency

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July 30, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

One of our favorite field trips this year was Johnston Farm. We enjoyed the museum and canal boat ride.

Johnston Farm Museum

Exhibits trace the story of the Eastern Woodland Indians of Ohio and the Pickawillany village site.

We loved learning about the Native Americans of the area.

The exhibits were very respectful of and educational about how Europeans exploited the Natives.

There were several sections about Indian stereotypes throughout history and how we still exploit them today in sports and advertising. It’s so infuriating.

We learned all about Ohio canals. Then we got to ride in one!

General Harrison Canal Boat

A replica 70-foot-long canal boat used for transportation of passengers and cargo in the 19th century.

Adena Indian Mound and Earthwork

Other Sites

Farmhouse – 1815
Double Pen Barn – 1808
Springhouse – 1815
Cider House – 1828

Visit Johnston Farm and Indian Agency.

Hours of Operation

April, May and September, October: 9 AM to 2 PM — Monday – Friday
June, July, and August: 10 AM to 5 PM — Thursday and Friday
and Noon to 5 PM — Saturday and Sunday
Closed Holidays and November through March

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Serpent Mound Historical Site

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July 22, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

The Great Serpent Mound is a 1,348-foot-long, three-foot-high prehistoric effigy mound on a plateau of the Serpent Mound crater along Ohio Brush Creek in Adams County, Ohio.

Researchers have at different times attributed construction of the mound to two different prehistoric indigenous cultures. Originally thought to be Adena in origin, scholars now believe the mound was built by members of the Fort Ancient culture around 1070 CE. More recent research places the mound’s construction at around 300 BCE, once again suggesting Adena construction. Serpent Mound is the largest serpent effigy in the world.

There’s a great little museum about the Indigenous culture and Mound artifacts and history.

View from observation tower of the serpent coils:

There’s a lovely little woods path near the river and then we found the end of the serpent’s tail:

There are several burial mounds nearby:

There are Homeschool Days throughout the year.

Visit the Serpent Mound.

Hours

Serpent Mound is open daily, year round, from 9:00 am to dusk.
Winter Warning: Park roads are not plowed. During snowy or icy conditions, the park is open to pedestrian traffic only and parking fee is waived.

Museum Hours

Jan-Feb: Closed
March: Open weekends only 10am-4pm
April: Open daily 10am-4pm
May-Oct: Mon-Thurs 10am-4pm; Fri-Sat 9am-6pm Sun 9am-5pm
Nov- the weekend before Christmas: Open weekends only 10-4pm

Parking Fees

$8/Vehicle
$4/Motorcycle
$15 Annual Parking Pass
Fees waived for Arc of Appalachia Members & Ohio History Connection Members

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Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

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July 15, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is a great field trip!

We sang Barbara Manatee:

Lioness does the blep:

We were all so tickled watching the baby rhino romp and frolic.

I bet the poor polar bear was awful hot.

I wonder what she’s thinking about?

The viewing area for Baby Fiona was madness, but I snapped a photo!

Visit the Cincinnati Zoo.

Price Ranges

Adults: $15-22 Child: $9-16 Senior: $9-16

Buy tickets online before you go.

Parking is $10.00 and is purchased at the Zoo.

Military discount for all military personnel and their families. This discount is for $3 off adults and $2 off children. Military ID is required to receive discount and may only be obtained at the Cincinnati Zoo ticketing windows and is NOT available online.

Hours

The Zoo is open January 1st – December 31st at 10am. The Zoo is closed on December 25 only.

January 2 – March 8: 10am-5pm
March 9 – May 24: 10am-5pm
May 25 – September 2: 10am-6pm
September 3 – October 31: 10am-5pm
November 1 – November 15: 10am-5pm
November 16 – January 4: PNC Festival of Lights – 10am-9pm (Sundays-Thursdays)/ 10am-10pm (Fridays-Saturdays)

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Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

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July 8, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

We went to Columbus zoo for their FREE military day over the July 4th holiday weekend.

We arrived at 9 AM opening and went straight for the aquarium and Australia part in the back, took an ice cream break, then worked our way around the front part – North America, Africa, and Asia. We finished by about 2 PM.