Offthe Beaten PATH

Big Events

GUINNESS CINCINNATI CELTIC FESTIVAL

East Freedom Way, Cincinnati cincycelticfest.com

July 14 from 5 - 11 p.m.; July 15 from 12 - 11 p.m.; July 16 from 12 - 7 p.m.

Celebrate Cincinnati’s Celtic heritage with food and drink, games, tastings, the Highland Dance Competition, live entertainment and more.

FESTIVAL OF SYCAMORE

Bechtold Park

4312 Sycamore Road, Sycamore Township sycamoretownship. org

July 14 & 15 Festival of Sycamore is a two-day, family-friendly music festival with food and drink vendors, games, live music and rides.

THE OHIO CHALLENGE

2301 Wedekind Drive, Middletown ohiochallenge.com

July 21 and 22 from 50:30 p.m

A festival that features carnival rides, a car show, a fireworks show, hot air balloons, a plane show and rides. Admission is $5.

Family Outings

LOVELAND CASTLE

12075 Shore Drive, Loveland lovelandcastle.com

A real castle and museum with English, French, and German architecture. Take self-guided tours and see artifacts including period swords and weaponry. Admission is $5 for ages 5 and older. Picnic on the grounds.

MAINSTRASSE VILLAGE

Covington, KY facebook.com/MainStrasseVillage

A historic German village with international eateries. Eat Japanese food at Nagomi; Italian pizza at Goodfellas Pizza; Mexican dishes at Frida 602; English fare at Cock & Bull and more.

SCREAMING EAGLE AT THE ARK ENCOUNTER

1 Ark Encounter Drive, Williamstown arkencounterzip.com

Aerial challenges starting at $39; free fall starting at $17.95; and zip line starting at $59.

SCREAMING RAPTOR ZIP LINES

2800 Bullittsburg Church Road, Petersburg screamingraptorziplines.co

Located at the Creation Museum, take aerial challenges starting at $29 for kids and $49 for adults; free fall starting at $17.95 and zip line courses starting at $49.

Where To Cool Off

AQUA ADVENTURES WATERPARK

8762 Thomas Road, Middletown landofillusion.com/aqua

The park has an inflatable floating obstacle course that features 65 pieces (launch pads, cliffhangers halfpipes and action towers). Tickets cost $14.99 from Monday through Thursday and $19.99 from Friday through Sunday for kids ages 3 - 7 and seniors ages 62 and older. Tickets cost $18.99 Monday through Thursday, and $23.99 Friday through Sunday for ages 8 to 61.

GREAT WOLF LODGE WATER PARK

2501 Great Wolf Drive, Mason, greatwolf.com/mason

A hotel and indoor water park which features swimming pools, water slides, an interactive fourstory water fort, a lazy river and more. Half-day passes to the water park start at $40; day passes start at $50. Room rates vary, but generally start at $299.99 per night and include water park admission.

Kings Island Soak

6300 Kings Island Drive, Mason visitkingsisland.com/ soak-city Soak City Water Park offers more than 50 water activities, including 36 water slides. Admission to Soak City is included with a Kings Island ticket or pass. Daily tickets start at $49.99.

WAKE NATION

WATER PARK

201 Joe Nuxhall Way, Fairfield wakenation.com

Wake Nation has a giant, floating, inflatable water park. It has a mild section for kids ages 6 and older, and two larger, more thrilling sections. Ticket prices start at $29.

Morgan’s Canoe & Outdoor Adventures

MORGAN’S CANOE & OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

5701 OH-350, Oregonia morganscanoe.com

Morgan’s Canoe rents rafts plus canoes and kayaks from three different locations. The Brookville, Indiana location offers tubing. They offer eight-person, non–capsizable rafts. They require reservations – three days in advance for individuals and one week in advance for group sizes of six or more rafters.

Charles Infosino is a freelance writer from Fort Thomas and the author of The Unofficial Guidebook to Paramount’s Kings Island; Pina Panda: Adventures in Pandacornlandia; and Ultra Bunny: To the Rescue.

CONEY ISLAND PARK

6201 Kellogg Ave., Cincinnati coneyislandpark. com

Sunlite Water Adventure, Sunlite Pool, a Floating Obstacle Course, water slides, Typhoon Tower and more. Monday through Thursday tickets cost $15 for ages 2 - 7, $18 for ages 62 and older, and $23 for ages 8 to 61. Friday through Sunday tickets cost $17 for ages 2 - 7, $20 for ages 62 and older, and $24.50 for ages 8 - 61.

Water Rafting

LITTLE MIAMI CANOE RENTAL

225 Corwin Road, Oregonia littlemiamicanoe. com

Rafts, canoes, kayaks and tubes. Advanced reservations are mandatory. Rafting prices start at $30 per person for a six-mile trip. There is a five-paddler minimum.