The Greater Columbus Area Tour

While Russ has been in the Columbus area many times when we are here visiting my parents, he had yet to go downtown. It also had been a REALLY long time since I had be in the booming metropolis myself! We decided to remedy that today with some sightseeing in the 614 (area code). We started the morning in German Village, a historic neighborhood just south of downtown Columbus. The area is mostly comprised of sturdy, red-brick homes along brick-paved streets with a large focus on saving its historic architecture. Mixed in are cute shops and great restaurants. We checked out the Franklin Art Glass Studio which was a place I remember visiting with my Mom & Dad as a kid. It brought back great memories of my dad’s stained glass projects. 

After fueling up on some coffee (thanks for the FREE pumpkin spice whip today, Starbucks), we wandered through The Book Loft. It is a 32-room bookstore that is a true maze of books filled floor to ceiling. One of the most unique bookstores ever and a great place to wonder in wander. We enjoyed a leisurely walk down the streets of German Village admiring its quaint architecture and historic charm.

We said “Auf Widersehen” (goodbye) to German Village and headed toward downtown. We parked near Columbus Commons which is a 9-acre park and green space located on the site of the former City Center mall - which was the place to be in my teen years! Now I definitely prefer a good park to a good mall. We enjoyed a tasty lunch outdoors at Tortilla Street Food soaking in the lovely October day. We walked a few blocks, enjoying the sites & sounds of the city, including the Ohio Statehouse & Ohio Theater. A quick stop at Planter’s Peanuts was a must after catching a whiff of the tantalizing smells of roasting nuts that they must have been pumping into the streets. 

Another stop that I felt Russ should experience was a trip to North Market, a place I frequented as a child. The North Market is the home of dozens of merchants offering produce, meats, baked goods, cheeses, flowers, gifts, and more. After traveling up and down the aisles being greeted with tasty sights and sweet smells, we found ourselves in front of Pistachia Vera, a hand-crafted pastry bakery. The fun colors of the macarons caught our attention and we couldn’t pass by within picking up a few to-go. They didn’t make it too long as we cracked the bag open to give them a try. The flavors were fun, unique, and tempting; we left with Buckeye, Toasted Coconut, Brown Sugar Cinnamon, and Pistachio. WOW were they good and I can tell you all four are long gone!

The last stop on our Columbus area tour was "THE" Ohio State University. As Russ has been persuaded to cheer for the Buckeyes, we felt he should at least see Ohio Stadium “The Shoe” in person. We grabbed a few photos and peered through the fence to spot the end zone. Mission accomplished. O-H-I-O

When we finished up our city tour, it was a little too early to do dinner. We decided to check out Inniswood Metro Gardens in Westerville. Inniswood Metro Garden is 121-acre Nature Preserve & Botanical Garden wrapped into one. The Metro Gardens boast streams and woodlands filled with wildflowers and over 2,000 species of plants. There are speciality collections such as the rose garden, herb garden, and fern garden and themed gardens, including the memorial garden and circle garden. It was a wonderfully landscaped backdrop for an afternoon walk. As my mom suggested, it would be a lovely place to spend a few hours with a good book!

Thanks Mom & Dad for joining us and playing tour guide on our trip to and through Columbus!