I lived in Cincinnati for seven years and still have a lot of friends there. In fact, my sister Angela still lives there. I first moved to Cincinnati when I was 19 and graduated from UC in 1988. I moved back when I was 23 and stayed five more years. I had a lot of fun growing up in Cincinnati as a young adult, and I love to be able to share that with Val. 

For me, the Cincinnati skyline is beautiful - the city is like a "mini-Chicago." There's a lot of community pride and the people are very friendly. Cincinnati has a lot of good little restaurants that have been around forever, and it gives the city a great neighborhood feel.

When we're in town for Val's speech with the SmartTalk Series at the Aronoff Center for the Arts, we will try to go to the Montgomery Inn - it's a really good rib joint. In fact, this family restaurant claims to have the World's Greatest Ribs, and one bit of their mouth-watering ribs makes it hard to argue.

We'll also stop by Graeter's Ice Cream - their raspberry chocolate chip is Oprah's favorite ice cream ever. It's phenomenal - but Val and I will make sure to split a scoop and exercise some portion control. Otherwise, we could get in trouble - fast. Cincinnati is also known for it's Skyline Chili - it's a fast-food staple in Ohio. You wouldn't want a steady diet of it, but it's fun to have as a visitor.

Don't think that we spend the whole time in Cincinnati eating. The city has a lot to offer families for vacations. The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens are world famous - it's a beautiful place to spend an afternoon. Right down on the riverfront is the US Bank Arena where Wolfie played when Van Halen was touring in 2008. For exercise, we'll probably run along the riverfront. They have a big, serpentine wall that fronts the Ohio River. It's a very pretty area with a lot of parks and it really shows off the city. 

So that's my Cincinnati - It's a great place to live and a wonderful place to visit.