In the Land of Jason

Cousin Christmas-Check out my December newsletter or watch the video below to see what this is about. The following organizations are the best in presentation and in quality of work that I've seen. If you find others that are of equal quality let me know. There are other organizations that do similar things but are very expensive, small, or aren't kid friendly.

       www.harvestofhope.org- My favorite cousin christmas organization. Blesses people via local churches instead of via the Great American White Missionary. Prices are very reasonable.

       www.worldvision.org- Clever mission organization-Very big, very smart (endless mailings though)

       www.samaritanspurse.org -  Another great group tied to the Graham ministry.   

Cincinnati-In no particular order

    http://www.etastart.com/eta/home/index.php - Enjoy the Arts- designed to develop appreciation of the arts in young people 18-30 (25 for students or 40 for non-students). It gets you:  Over $500 in free tickets to arts events and museums in the Cincinnati area. -Two $12 tickets (or lowest advertised student rate) to many dance, music, and theatre events, as often as you'd like. Get two $10 tickets to most -20/20 Festival events (some discounts vary). -Free and discounted tickets are good for both the member and a guest. -Discounted movie tickets (purchased directly from us). Discounted Cincinnati Zoo and Newport Aquarium tickets.

       http://www.go-metro.com/ucprogram.html - Free bus rides anywhere in Cincinnati if your a UC student. A similar program is availible in Kentucky for NKU students (www.tank.com)

      http://www.junglejims.com/ - Jungle Jims is an international market but is the size of a Meyers. You can find just about any fruit, cheese, or weird snack you've had out somewhere else. The store is divided into continents and then subdivided into country. The Asian section is really weird but fun. There are a lot of organic and odd ball health foods availible for those with allergies or finicky palets.

       http://www.findlaymarket.org/index.htm - Year round farmers market. Great place to buy meat and fresh vegetable. Cheaper than just about anyone else plus the quality can't be beat.

         Fries Brothers- No website but awesome place none the less. They sell wholesale fruits and vegetables to supermarkets (and even Jungle Jims). They open early though around 4 Am and close at 11AM. You can buy in bulk or individual pieces. Eitehr way super cheap way to buy your fruits and vegetables. 513-621-6978/ 1455 Dalton Ave Cincinnati,

      http://www.cincyzoo.org  and http://www.newportaquarium.com -Both cool places to visit. If you from out of down they both honor memberships in select other zoos. They don't advertise it so check with your zoo before going. They belong to different zoological organizations so you can't buy membership in one and get the other free. The Zoo also has a winter light festival which though it sounds really hokey is a great date or something to take the kids. The indoor exhibits are open even during the winter.

     www.ccuniversity.edu/ Great college, qualified professors who think it through, (ignore the students)

     www.cincinnati.com -obvious choice-The Enquirer, WKRC, and misc news sorces

     www.cincyusa.com- Cincinnati Visitors Burea

      Riverfest-Always held on Labor day. huge fireworks display second only to Columbus Red, white, adn Boom. The fireworks are done in triplicate on the three of the bridges spanning the Ohio river. My favorite part is the fireworks waterfall. Get there early for seats. Free

      www.tallstacks.com- Celebration of the riverboat and musical heritage. Riverboats come into Cincinnati and pack the shoreline. Lots of Blues (why I like it), bluegrass, and gospel. Features outdoor dramas and characters in costumes. There are also themed riverboat cruises.

       http://www.midwestbfrc.com/overview.html - Midwest Black Family Reunion- Obviously geared to African Americans but lots of interesting music and worship opportunities.

      http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/parks/ - Cincinnati has a ton of awesome parks. A three dollar pass buys you entrance for a season. Lots of learning programs for kids, lots of trails. Plus they have free water parks for the kids in a number of the larger parks. My favorite are Miami Whitewater and nearby Devou Park in Northern KY. Big Bone Lick state park is just a 25 minute drive into KY and worth. Great trails that have lots of raspberrys, bison, and mastodon musuem. http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/lewisandclark/bbo.htm

       http://www.mainstrasse.org/ - Old world German village. Lots of festivals and the worlds longest garage sale.

Museums

         http://www.freedomcenter.org/ - Amazing museum. They talk not just about the underground railroad but current slavery and human rights as well. Love this place. They do good stuff.

         http://www.cincymuseum.org/- Located in the old railroad terminal, this place rocks. They have the Cincinnati Historical Museum, Natural History Museum, The Omnimax theatre, and Cincinnati Children's museum. Lots of fun

         http://www.huc.edu/museums/index.shtml - hebrew union-Skirball museum- Hidden little museum that is really worth a trip. Plus its free. Interesting archeological pieces dating back to Daniel. Also has history of jewish immigration and a famous "guess who" section. Really moving exhibit on the Holocaust. One of my favorite museum hands down.

        http://www.taftmuseum.org/ - Free on Wednesday. Small art museum but some really interesting pieces.

         http://www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org/ - recently became free all the time. Rotating exhibits aren't. A very diverse collection. They have stuff from Egypt, Rome, Persia (Darius-So cool), the middle east, China (several dynasties). I like to go more for the history than the art. Avoid on Saturdays afternoons. The art students pack the place when they awake from their stupor around 1pm. The park is located in beautiful Eden park, home to Krohn's conservartory (http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/cityparks/pages/-3452-/).

         http://www.creationmuseum.org/ - Fun and controversial museum. Lots of dinosaurs. Go during the week if possible, since they tend to be really crowded on the weekends.