June 5, 2008 - At exactly 4:22 AM Ellie and I started the Pontiac Vibe and began our near 1000 mile journey north to Cincinnati. After making great time through Atlanta, I called an audible and changed course to Rock City in Chattanooga, TN. We stopped there and did some hiking in the cool hills, which made for a nice break from all the driving. I last visited Rock City when I was a child, on one of the many summer vacations to Florida with my mom, dad, and sister. Probably 20 years had passed, and Ellie had never been there, so it was the perfect stop. We hiked all the way up to Lovers Leap, but I couldn't get Ellie to jump, so we got back in the car and continued to Cincinnati, getting into town around 8:30 PM. We met up with Jake and Mike at Cadillac Ranch downtown. This is a new bar since the last time I had been in town. I was surprised to see so many people on the streets and in the bars on a Thursday. Is Cincinnati really revitalizing? It sure seems so. After a few drinks we all carpooled down to Covington to check out the swing dance that Mike goes to. They do a different breed of swing dancing than what Ellie and I are used to. Mike did a lot of shag, and Lindy is definitely in play here. I only know East Coast Swing, so on the few songs they played that fit it, I danced with Ellie to that. Jake headed to his place in Clifton and the rest of us continued to Mike's house in Deer Park, where we'll be staying for the weekend.