Follow Cincinnati on the road
By Betsy Ross
Got the itch to pack your bags, whether it’s for spring break or a long weekend? Lucky for us, there are several destinations with a Cincinnati connection that you can book, starting in just a few weeks with the Cincinnati Reds and spring training games in the Cactus League.
Head west to Arizona where you’ll find 10 stadiums, 15 MLB teams and warm sunshine. While the Florida Grapefruit League is scattered from the Gulf Coast to Atlantic and I-4 in between, you’ll find teams in Arizona are pretty much compacted into the Phoenix metro area.
Of course, while you’re there, take in great dining, shopping and golf, along with incredible sightseeing that only the western states have to offer. Get the Reds’ spring training schedule and check out places to stay and things to do at visitarizona.com/springtraining.
Nonstops out of CVG include a 6:45 a.m. Delta flight, 9:15 p.m. on Frontier or 4:46 p.m. with American and 7:40 a.m. on Allegiant. As flights are added and amended for spring training, check with your carrier to get the best time and price.
If you want to wait until the games count for real, the Reds play the Yankees at famed Yankee Stadium for a three-game weekend set April 17-19. Take in a ball game, then see a show on Broadway or just relax at one of the many famous restaurants in town. Want to travel to the game like a New Yawker? From Grand Central just off Times Square, take the #4 subway and follow the pinstripe-clad fans right to the Bronx and Yankee Stadium.
If the MLS is more your game, FC Cincinnati’s first month of its second big league season includes a trip to Toronto for a 3 p.m. match on Saturday, March 21. Toronto FC plays at BMO Field, located at Exhibition Place on Toronto's shoreline just off downtown. Watch superstar Jozy Altidore in action while you enjoy the cosmopolitan, European feel of Toronto.
Make it a sports doubleheader while you’re there and watch the Columbus Blue Jackets take on the Maple Leafs that night. Or, attend Toronto’s Comicon at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, going on all weekend. Delta looks to be the fastest connection to Toronto, through Detroit.
Speaking of Detroit, you can go there in June for the North American International Auto Show at the TCF Center, running June 7-20, and stay for the van Gogh exhibit at the Detroit Institute of Arts, from Sunday, June 21, through Sunday, September 27.
The Detroit Institute of Arts was the first public museum in the U.S. to purchase a painting by van Gogh—Self-Portrait, 1887, which it acquired in 1922. To celebrate, the museum is organizing the first exhibition dedicated to the introduction and early reception of the iconic artist’s work in America.
The exhibition includes “Undergrowth with two Figures,” part of the Cincinnati Art Museum’s permanent collection since 1967.
Featuring approximately 65 of Van Gogh’s paintings and works on paper from collections around the world, “the exhibition will explore the considerable efforts made by early promoters of modernism in the United States—including dealers, collectors, private art organizations, public institutions, and the artist’s family—to introduce the artist, his biography, and his artistic production into the American consciousness” according to the museum’s website. Learn more about the exhibit and tickets at https://www.dia.org/vangoghinamerica.
Get ready for July’s Cincinnati Music Festival by taking a trip to New Orleans for the Jazz & Heritage Festival, eight days of music, food and fun from April 23 through May 3. The schedule isn’t out yet, but you can be sure it’ll be impressive. Find out more at https://www.nojazzfest.com/home/.
Save some room in your schedule for the Ryder Cup September 22-27 at Whistling Straits, Kohler, Wisconsin, a great opportunity to see this international faceoff at a venue within driving distance. The best of the U.S. in golf, led by captain Steve Stricker, faces the European team and its captain, Padraig Harrington in this biennial golf competition. The official ticket drawing has closed for the event, but check secondary markets for packages. PrimeSport is the official secondary market provider--visit their site for availability.
Whether you’re into sports, culture or just a weekend getaway, there are several opportunities this year to take a break and explore!