Experience Cincinnati

A river's width from the South, Cincinnati resembles a southern city in many respects: Its summers are hot and humid, a result of being in a basin along the Ohio River, and its politics lean toward the conservative. This is just the first of several different identities, however. It's a river town, a sports town, a metropolis with architectural landmarks, and -- since the opening of the $110 million National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in 2004 -- a history town. There are also a multitude of museums and one of the best zoos in the country. The rolling bluegrass-covered hills of Kentucky are just over the river, and the rural plains of Indiana and the meadow-marked countryside of Ohio are about a 30-minute drive away. If you want to sample a little bit of everything, consider Cincinnati your buffet.