Submitted by Jill Kuchle:

It's time to pack up the kids, the dogs, the flip flops and the picnic baskets and discover all that Northern Kentucky has to offer in the summer!!!

When your kids look up at you and tell you their bored for what seems like the hundredth time you can load them up in the car and head out to one of the many local pools in the area.  I for one, am a water baby and enjoy spending as much time soaking up the summer sun next to the swimming pool and recently I visited the Florence Aquatic Center.  WOW!!!  What a NICE place!!  Perfect for kids of ALL ages, it offers a lazy river, slides, and a pool that mimics a beach with a zero-depth-entry lagoon!!  (Just to name a few!!)  It's cheap and you don't have to drive to Kings Island or The Beach Waterpark for a day of water fun!! 

Northern Kentucky also offers fabulous city parks great for walking, biking, rollerblading, tennis, basketball and jungle gym climbing!!  Bring your picnic basket, a cooler and let the good times roll!! (Literally!!) 

And last but not least, my favorite, The Aquarium!!  Complete with just about every aquatic animal you can imagine the Newport Aquarium is loaded with everything from blind fish to SHARKS!!  Enjoy the early morning Penguin Parade and Sharkfest going on this summer.   Check your local Reach Magazine for special morning admission coupons to get the whole family in on a budget...