The story is here
By Rich Warren, special to Tribune Newspapers
October 10, 2010
Trivia question: In which Midwestern state capital did Fidel Castro's mother and sister hide out during the Cuban Revolution. Surprise! It's Columbus, Ohio, a city once so exceedingly average that product manufacturers routinely used it as a test market. And, obviously, Senora and Senorita Castro thought it was so blandly ordinary that no one would look for them there.
Bland no more, in the last two decades, Columbus has been quietly growing into a dynamic, vibrant metropolis, replacing Cleveland as the Buckeye State's largest city and becoming an artsy, edgy destination.
And on this Columbus Day weekend, it's a great time to lift the lid and have a look around.
First, if you're a fan of Big 10 football, head to the Ohio State University campus (osu.edu), where the Buckeyes regularly host Midwestern neighbors from the conference. On any other day, you might want to take in a cutting-edge exhibit at the hip Wexner Center for the Arts, visit the magnificently restored Thompson Library or even poke through your favorite childhood comics at the Cartoon Library and Museum.
On football Saturdays, even if you have trouble scoring a ticket, there are plenty of ways to join in the spirit. Head to St. John Arena, adjacent to the famous horseshoe stadium, for the "Skull Session," a combination concert/pep rally by the OSU marching band. Coach Jim Tressel and the team — in suits and ties — pass through during their jubilant parade through campus en route to the 'shoe.
For old-fashioned Midwesttailgating, take a gander at the elaborate setups in parking lots next to the stadium in spots reserved for eons by Buckeye diehards. Or start an impromptu party in a campus parking garage or remote lot.
At game time, head to the brand new — and enormous — Ohio Union to watch the grid action on big-screen televisions in Woody's Tavern, named for the beloved Woody Hayes, or in Sloopy's Diner. Don't forget to get your photo taken with Brutus Buckeye. If the live mascot has left for the game, sit next to the one cemented into a seat in the cavernous Great Hall.
Not a football fan? Slip down High Street, Columbus' main north-south thoroughfare, to the Short North, so-called because it's just short of downtown. Once an urban war zone, the Short North (614-299-8050, shortnorth.org) has become one of Columbus' glittering gems, filled with art galleries, funky boutiques and fine restaurants. This is a stroller's paradise, with shops selling everything from gourmet dog treats to retro home furnishings and fashions — even the B-52s have stopped by.
Festive murals such as "Mona Lisa" tilted on her ear and a reconfigured "American Gothic" add to the atmosphere, as do 17 illuminated metal arches spanning the street. An absolute must: Stop at Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams (614-488-3224, jenisicecreams.com) to sample distinctive flavors such as Salty Caramel or Poached Pear and Riesling. Jeni's has a shop on High Street and a booth inside the nearby North Market.
This area bisects two colorful neighborhoods. To the west lies Victorian Village, with brick mansions on sycamore-lined Neil Avenue or alongside Goodale Park, where Civil War soldiers once trained and where weekend concerts now happen in the gazebo. East of High Street is Italian Village, where on Columbus Day weekend, the Italian Festival takes place. Festgoers can lunch on lasagna, play bocce or compete to be the next Dean Martin or Annette Funicello in the American-Italian Idol contest.
Let the nearby skyscrapers beckon you downtown. On Capitol Square sits Ohio's Statehouse, a dignified Greek Revival structure whose unusual dome might be mistaken for a giant thermostat. Downtown entertainment includes the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, which performs at the opulent Spanish-Baroque Ohio Theatre. (614-228-8600, columbussymphony.com)
Across the Scioto River sits the Center of Science and Industry, with 300 interactive exhibits and a seven-story Extreme Screen (888-819-2674, http://www.cosi.org), and on Broad Street at the Columbus Museum of Art, the exhibit "The Bible Illuminated" runs through Jan. 16 (614-221-6801, columbusmuseum.org).
Hidden gems downtown include the Santa Maria, which makes it appear that Columbus sailed up the Mississippi, Ohio and Scioto rivers (he didn't; it's a replica); the Topiary Garden on Town Street, with hedges cut to resemble the figures in "Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte"; and the Thurber House, boyhood home of humorist James Thurber, now a literary center, where the same ghost that awoke the Thurber family that famous night still reportedly stomps up the back stairway (614-464-1032, thurberhouse.org).
Another must-see in Columbus is German Village, just south of downtown. (614-221-8888, germanvillage.com). With its brick streets, wrought-iron fences and distinctive architecture, it resembles a piece of Old Europe. Once the enclave of German immigrants, the now-upscale neighborhood has been painstakingly restored. A booklet with proposed walking tours is available at the German Village Society at 588 S. 3rd St., but you also can just wend your own way, finding unique shops sprinkled among residences.
Restaurants range from German fare at Schmidt's Restaurant and Sausage Haus (614-444-6808, schmidthaus.com), with its signature Bahama Mama sausages and grapefruit-size creampuffs, to the tapas-style Barcelona (614-443-3699, barcelonacolumbus.com). See neighbors running their dogs in leafy Schiller Park or in the lovely resident-created-and-operated Frank Fetch Park. Get lost in the 32-room Book Loft of German Village, though this labyrinthine locale is not the place to be during a power failure (614) 464-1774, bookloft.com).
See all this at your own pace or join a tour around town. SegAway Tours travel through downtown and the Short North on Segways, (614-222-3005, segawaytoursofcolumbus), and Columbus Discovery Tours offer history with a "fun facts" focus — you'll pass the former hotel where the Castro ladies stayed (614-224-0822, columbushistory.org). Sample the city's varied cuisine with Columbus Food Adventures and its excursions through the Short North and taco trucks in the city's "barrio" (614-440-3177, columbusfoodadventures.com).
Can't fit all this into one weekend? Return for the many activities at the beloved Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, (800-MONKEYS, colszoo.org) or the Arnold Sports Festival and Fitness Weekend in March and Red, White and Boom, one of the largest July Fourth fireworks displays in the country. Ohio's capital merits several voyages of discovery.
If you go
Columbus is about six hours from Chicago by car via Interstate Highway 65 to Indianapolis, then east on Interstate Highway 70. Daily direct flights are made by American, US Airways and United.
For more information, visit experiencecolumbus.com or call 866-EXP-COLS.
First, if you're a fan of Big 10 football, head to the Ohio State University campus (osu.edu), where the Buckeyes regularly host Midwestern neighbors from the conference. On any other day, you might want to take in a cutting-edge exhibit at the hip Wexner Center for the Arts, visit the magnificently restored Thompson Library or even poke through your favorite childhood comics at the Cartoon Library and Museum.
On football Saturdays, even if you have trouble scoring a ticket, there are plenty of ways to join in the spirit. Head to St. John Arena, adjacent to the famous horseshoe stadium, for the "Skull Session," a combination concert/pep rally by the OSU marching band. Coach Jim Tressel and the team — in suits and ties — pass through during their jubilant parade through campus en route to the 'shoe.
For old-fashioned Midwesttailgating, take a gander at the elaborate setups in parking lots next to the stadium in spots reserved for eons by Buckeye diehards. Or start an impromptu party in a campus parking garage or remote lot.
At game time, head to the brand new — and enormous — Ohio Union to watch the grid action on big-screen televisions in Woody's Tavern, named for the beloved Woody Hayes, or in Sloopy's Diner. Don't forget to get your photo taken with Brutus Buckeye. If the live mascot has left for the game, sit next to the one cemented into a seat in the cavernous Great Hall.
Not a football fan? Slip down High Street, Columbus' main north-south thoroughfare, to the Short North, so-called because it's just short of downtown. Once an urban war zone, the Short North (614-299-8050, shortnorth.org) has become one of Columbus' glittering gems, filled with art galleries, funky boutiques and fine restaurants. This is a stroller's paradise, with shops selling everything from gourmet dog treats to retro home furnishings and fashions — even the B-52s have stopped by.
Festive murals such as "Mona Lisa" tilted on her ear and a reconfigured "American Gothic" add to the atmosphere, as do 17 illuminated metal arches spanning the street. An absolute must: Stop at Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams (614-488-3224, jenisicecreams.com) to sample distinctive flavors such as Salty Caramel or Poached Pear and Riesling. Jeni's has a shop on High Street and a booth inside the nearby North Market.
This area bisects two colorful neighborhoods. To the west lies Victorian Village, with brick mansions on sycamore-lined Neil Avenue or alongside Goodale Park, where Civil War soldiers once trained and where weekend concerts now happen in the gazebo. East of High Street is Italian Village, where on Columbus Day weekend, the Italian Festival takes place. Festgoers can lunch on lasagna, play bocce or compete to be the next Dean Martin or Annette Funicello in the American-Italian Idol contest.
Let the nearby skyscrapers beckon you downtown. On Capitol Square sits Ohio's Statehouse, a dignified Greek Revival structure whose unusual dome might be mistaken for a giant thermostat. Downtown entertainment includes the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, which performs at the opulent Spanish-Baroque Ohio Theatre. (614-228-8600, columbussymphony.com)
Across the Scioto River sits the Center of Science and Industry, with 300 interactive exhibits and a seven-story Extreme Screen (888-819-2674, http://www.cosi.org), and on Broad Street at the Columbus Museum of Art, the exhibit "The Bible Illuminated" runs through Jan. 16 (614-221-6801, columbusmuseum.org).
Hidden gems downtown include the Santa Maria, which makes it appear that Columbus sailed up the Mississippi, Ohio and Scioto rivers (he didn't; it's a replica); the Topiary Garden on Town Street, with hedges cut to resemble the figures in "Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte"; and the Thurber House, boyhood home of humorist James Thurber, now a literary center, where the same ghost that awoke the Thurber family that famous night still reportedly stomps up the back stairway (614-464-1032, thurberhouse.org).
Another must-see in Columbus is German Village, just south of downtown. (614-221-8888, germanvillage.com). With its brick streets, wrought-iron fences and distinctive architecture, it resembles a piece of Old Europe. Once the enclave of German immigrants, the now-upscale neighborhood has been painstakingly restored. A booklet with proposed walking tours is available at the German Village Society at 588 S. 3rd St., but you also can just wend your own way, finding unique shops sprinkled among residences.
Restaurants range from German fare at Schmidt's Restaurant and Sausage Haus (614-444-6808, schmidthaus.com), with its signature Bahama Mama sausages and grapefruit-size creampuffs, to the tapas-style Barcelona (614-443-3699, barcelonacolumbus.com). See neighbors running their dogs in leafy Schiller Park or in the lovely resident-created-and-operated Frank Fetch Park. Get lost in the 32-room Book Loft of German Village, though this labyrinthine locale is not the place to be during a power failure (614) 464-1774, bookloft.com).
See all this at your own pace or join a tour around town. SegAway Tours travel through downtown and the Short North on Segways, (614-222-3005, segawaytoursofcolumbus), and Columbus Discovery Tours offer history with a "fun facts" focus — you'll pass the former hotel where the Castro ladies stayed (614-224-0822, columbushistory.org). Sample the city's varied cuisine with Columbus Food Adventures and its excursions through the Short North and taco trucks in the city's "barrio" (614-440-3177, columbusfoodadventures.com).
Can't fit all this into one weekend? Return for the many activities at the beloved Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, (800-MONKEYS, colszoo.org) or the Arnold Sports Festival and Fitness Weekend in March and Red, White and Boom, one of the largest July Fourth fireworks displays in the country. Ohio's capital merits several voyages of discovery.
If you go
Columbus is about six hours from Chicago by car via Interstate Highway 65 to Indianapolis, then east on Interstate Highway 70. Daily direct flights are made by American, US Airways and United.
For more information, visit experiencecolumbus.com or call 866-EXP-COLS.
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