Summer in the 'Nati: Movies, Museums, Music & MainStrasse

You've heard me say it before. I love summer in Cincinnati, and there's just no way to be bored.
Sheila here to share a few fun things I've been doing.
Monday, I took my kids and my mother out to lunch at Otto's in Covington. I adore MainStrasse Village, and what a great way to celebrate this week's break from the heat. We ate cold soup, tomato pie, and sweet potato fries at a table on the little sidewalk café. Delicious, charming, and relaxing! My husband Ric and I love a little restaurant and bar hopping in MainStrasse on weekend evenings too. All of the businesses have outdoor seating, so you can get a little something at each place and make a night of it. Take a little tour here: http://www.mainstrasse.org/

Need some family entertainment? Head to the Cincinnati Museum Center. We fought the heat by heading indoors to the Cavern and the Glacier in the Natural History Museum, and we took in the Omnimax movie, To the Artic. It's a sweet story about a family of polar bears and a good reminder of how we all need to take care of our planet. It was fun to look at snow and ice while it was 100 degrees outside. http://www.cincymuseum.org/

If you're into Disney, don't miss Brave. My 18-year-old daughter liked it as much as my 5-year-old son! Fantastic family movie.

Another must-do for summer - a Cincinnati Pops concert at Riverbend. There's nothing better than listening to the orchestra under the stars. I loved, loved, loved Ohio native Michael Feinstein's take on Sinatra hits last Saturday night. There's only one more Pops show at Riverbend, but the orchestra is also making some summer appearances at local parks. http://www.cincinnatipops.org/Home.php

And I love to read at any time of year, but summertime is ripe for good books at the Cincinnati Public Library. You still have time to sign up for the Summer Reading program and win some prizes, you can log on for suggestions on hot summer reads, books and even music downloads for your vacation, and more. Bet you didn't know you can get music for FREE from the library, and unlike books, you don't have to return the songs! You can find it all at: www.cincinnatilibrary.org