When I heard that the Kenton County Public Library Foundation was installing book benches inspired well-known books in Covington, KY, I was intrigued. You remember “Cakeway to the West”…I love a public art project! When I found out that the one designed by illustrator Becca Stadtlander featured one of Bunny’s favorite books, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, I knew we’d have to stop on our way to Cincinnati and check it out!
I wish we could have seen all six benches that were unveiled in May (The Very Hungry Caterpillar would have been especially fun!), but I’m glad we got to check out a bit of this fun project!
If you look closely at the shirt I wore to Disneyland, it says “Chasing the Fun.” Turkey and Bunny said it should have read “Chasing the Characters,” because apparently that’s what I do best when we go to theme parks!
Here’s a round-up of the characters we met or saw up close at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure (plus Goofy’s Kitchen)….my personal highlights were meeting Donald Duck, and also getting to see Goofy in his snazzy green suit! Also, since I was wearing a birthday celebration pin, many of the characters either said “Happy Birthday!” to me (like Lightning McQueen), or pantomimed it in some way (like Minnie Mouse).
Not pictured, but also seen by us include Peter Pan and Wendy, Captain Hook, the other chipmunk, Mirabel, Pinocchio and Geppetto, Sadness and Joy, Snow White, the Evil Queen, Ant-Man, Thor, Merida, Mr. and Mrs. Incredible, the Dora Milaje, Mary and Bert, Chewbacca, Rey, Mulan, and Clarabelle Cow. I think that’s pretty impressive for just two days in the parks!
We were up extra early on the third day of our trip, because we were headed to Cincinnati!
On the way to the zoo, we stopped in Covington, KY, to see this new Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland-themed bench that is part of a project to bring literacy and artistic expression together by the Kenton County Public Library Foundation. I love a public art installation!
On to the Cincinatti Zoo!
One of the main reasons we wanted to visit the Cincinatti Zoo specifically is because they have little blue penguins (just like Roald from Animal Crossing!), and I have always wanted to see them!
The other main reason for our visit was to see as much of their hippo bloat as possible. Not only did we see all four hippos, Fritz put on quite a show, doing his best to harass his big sister, Fiona!
There’s even a special “Bloat Float,” featuring grape soda over vanilla soft-serve, available at the zoo this summer!
We also saw quite a few different kinds of pigeons, including the Victoria Crowned Pigeon:
It was a beautiful day to walk around the zoo!
On our way to Toledo, we stopped in Lima to eat at Kewpee Hamburgers, the second-oldest fast food chain in the country. The location that we stopped at dates back to 1928…what is the 20s version of mid-century marvelous?!? Moderne marvelous perhaps? It was a cool place, the food was good and also surprisingly cheap!
After we ate, we finally made our way to the main destination of our trip…Toledo, OH!
This year, I’m taking a look at something new and different…A RockLove Jewelry Mary Blair Alice in Wonderland spinner necklace:
True to its name, the medallion of the pendant actually spins in the Victorian style:
There are different enamel designs on each side…a flower in Mary Blair’s distinctive colors on one, and a quote from the movie (“Quiet, Bud”), on the reverse:
The boutique box is lovely, as well:
This y-chain necklace is a special and distinctive addition to my wardrobe, representing my favorite vintage Disney artist and my favorite modern jewelry company!
