Cincinnati night skyline © www.visitcincinnatti.net

The city of Cincinnati sits on the banks of the Ohio River and is known for its pretty European architecture. Findlay Market, in the Over-the-Rhine (OTR) district, has streets lined with colourful Queen Anne buildings, filled with trendy cafes and eateries. Further to the north is the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens. The Cincinnati Museum Center is a popular history and science museum, housed in Union Terminal, an Art Deco train station. The Cincinnati Art Museum houses an encyclopedic art collection of more than 67000 works spanning 6000 years, while the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center features exhibits on the history of slavery and the abolitionist movement. The subject is also explored at the Harriet Beecher Stowe House, once home to the author of "Uncle Tom's Cabin". The Roebling Suspension Bridge links the city to Covington and Newport, Kentucky, which are now almost suburbs of Cincinnati. Covington's 19th Century MainStrasse quarter is filled with quirky shops, restaurants and cafes, and its Riverside Drive is a historic district with a restored paddleboat steamer and some notable Antebellum plantation mansions. Newport is known for Friars Walk, and enormous shopping and restaurant complex.