BY DAVE ZUCHOWSKI NCLIVING@NCNEWSONLINE.COM

The Beach, a 35-acre fun spot 25 miles northeast of Cincinnati, is Ohio's largest waterpark. With 45 rides and other attractions, 150 live palm trees, 2,600 tons of white sand and a beautiful, flower-laden landscape, it's also got to be one of the prettiest -- not to mention one of the most exciting. While the waterpark alone doesn't merit the long, roughly 270-mile drive to southwestern Ohio, The Beach is a good place to visit in combination with an outing to neighboring Paramount Kings Island, Cincinnati's formidable answer to Cedar Point and Kennywood. "Now in our 22nd season, we're one of the only waterparks around that's still privately owned," said The Beach's marketing manager Tara Nahrup, obviously proud of the attraction's attendance figures that reach 350,000 a year and top out at 6,000 to 7,000 on a single day in mid-summer. I began my visit by getting my feet wet, so to speak. I splashed around in the refreshing waters of Kahuna Beach, a 750,000 gallon wave pool surrounded by the largest tropical beach in Ohio. While parents can relax in the shade of one of The Beach's palm trees, sipping their favorite beverage, children can frolic in the wave pool capable of generating 3-foot-tall breakers. My personal favorite ride is aptly named The Cliff, rated one of the best slides in the country. The 210-foot long, five-story high slide takes a bit of stair climbing to reach the top, but the ride down is more than worth it. The first 10 feet or so of the slide is only slightly sloped and blocks the view of the rest of the ride, which is so steep I felt like I was free falling for a moment or two instead of gliding along a precipice on a sheet of water. Volcanic Panic, the Beach's longest slide, is another personal favorite. There, riders careen high above the wooded terrain through a 360-degree spiral and a 180-degree horseshoe turn to end in a splashy finish at Kahuna Beach. For those who like a gentler experience, The Pearl is a spa-pool, heated to 85 degrees, with waterfalls and an assortment of stylish rock formations. Another easy-on-the-body experience, Lazy Miami River, is a tube ride over a 1,250-foot watercourse that meanders around the park in 5 mph currents. A more challenging tube ride, Snake River Rapids, starts off with a slide into a rapid river that snakes and winds its way through the wooded terrain, descending to a final plunge through a chilly waterfall. Some of the waterpark's adult flume rides are so demanding they require that children under 45-inches tall pass a swim test before attempting to ride. Those who fail have other fun water feature options that include Splash Mountain, with its miniature inner tube rapids; a water flume enclosed in a 30-foot mountain; a belly-flopping otter slide; and an oversized children's pool that features waterfalls and fountains. For land lovers, The Beach has basketball and volleyball courts and, from 9 p.m. to midnight each Tuesday, teen dance parties. Around 9 p.m. Saturdays, the waterpark stages Dive-In movies, shown on a large screen above Kahuna Beach and its massive pool. The park also stages country, reggae and steel drum concerts throughout the summer. The summer attractions close down Sept. 10, but the park reopens the day after Thanksgiving with Holiday Fest, featuring ice skating, toboggan rides, penguin paddle boat rides and thousands of twinkling lights and holiday displays. The winter season runs through Jan. 8. IF YOU'RE GOING: For admission fees, hours of operation, directions and more information about The Beach, call (800) 886-SWIM or log on to www.TheBeachWaterpark.com.

For information on other nearby attractions, call the Warren County CBV at (800) 433-1072 or log on to www.ohioslargestplayground.com.

Need a place to stay? Hey, why not try the Kirkwood Inn, 4027 Route 42, Mason, Ohio. 45040. While comfortable, attractive rooms with cable TV, refrigerators, outdoor pool,and high-speed Internet access are some of the inn's major amenities, there's alo the copious breakfasts in the inn's historic Kirkwood House, a recently restored colonial home built in 1799 for Judge Jacob D. Lowe. The inn is also only minutes away from The Beach and Paramount's Kings Island. Call (800) 732-4741 or www.kirkwoodinn.com.

For a place to dine, you could do a lot worse than the Golden Lamb, 27 S. Broadway, Lebanon, Ohio. Ohio's oldest inn was established in 1803 and hosted 11 American presidents, including George W. Bush, as well as Henry Clay, Charles Dickens and Mark Twain. Call (513) 932-5065.