Five Ways to See the City with Fresh Eyes

Photograph courtesy of Paddlefest

Every once in a while it’s nice to get a different perspective. So get out of your car and start exploring! Not sure where to start? Try one of these five ways to see the city with fresh eyes.

Paddlefest
It wouldn’t be the largest paddling festival in the nation (above) without a camp-out the night before, a 9-mile race or meander (depending on those summer workouts you said you’d do), and some 2,200 fellow paddlers taking in views of the city from the river, instead of the other way ’round. Proceeds fund outdoor activities for 22 local high schools and provide adaptive bicycles for those with disabilities. Did we mention dogs are allowed?
Aug 3, put in at Schmidt Boat Ramp

Streetcar
Connecting a majority of downtown attractions, from The Banks to Rhinegeist, the streetcar is a useful way to get off your feet while you explore downtown. It’s also convenient that Reds tickets double as same-day free rides.
602 Main St., Suite 1100, downtown, (513)-632-7575

Segway
Riding a Segway is kind of like standing for two hours straight, but you’re having a really good time. You also end up covering a surprising amount of ground with a top speed of 11 mph. Enjoy the Eden Park tour if you’re a history buff, and check out the newer Art of Cincinnati tour for a deeper dive into the murals of downtown.
1150 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 225-1583

Underground Tour
What happens when you mix a forgotten brewery, a beer-loving entrepreneur, and a jackhammer? You get the discovery of one surprisingly vast beer cellar under Vine Street. Plunge into the literal underbelly of Cincinnati (and learn about our beer history) through these pre-prohibition tunnels. You’ll also visit the crypts of our city’s first citizens under St. Francis Church. Bring a jacket—it’s colder than the lagers those brewers enjoyed.
1332 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (859) 951-8560

Red Bikes
Since its 2014 launch, the bike-sharing system (now with electric options) has 22 ports downtown and 12 in Kentucky, making Red Bikes a fairly enjoyable day-trip ride between states. Want a scenic cruise? Take a bike from International Friendship Park and coast through the gardens into Sawyer Point, sailing under a few bridges and looking out over the Ohio River from Smale Park.
Various downtown & Northern Kentucky locations, (513) 621-2453