For a lack of any other plans (and to help out our friend Stephanie), we decided to drive to Ohio for the 4th of July 2002. After one day in Columbus, we decided to go back home. :)
Seriously, Columbus is a surprisingly compact big city with a pleasant feel. But it appears to be - with the exception of the North Point area (heavily populated by people practicing alternative lifestyles) - a singularly boring sort of place. We drove down Main Street at 9:30 pm on the Fourth and literally went blocks without seeing anyone. Even their bar area - the Brewery District - was quiet.
Nicole says there are only five things to see in Columbus. Here are pictures of some of them.
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For some reason unbeknownst to us, Columbus has a replica of the Santa Maria berthed in a park on one of their rivers. I must have been absent the day they taught about Christopher Columbus discovering Ohio. (Yes, yes, I know the city has his name - it's still not very credible.) |
| Something we didn't see in any guidebook but was actually quite memorable and visually striking (and much less cheesy than the Santa Maria that it was next to) was this memorial for city firemen who have died in the line of duty. |  |
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To the east of downtown, there is a park with topiaries shaped so one section resembles the Seurat painting A Sunday Afternoon in the Park. While whoever designed it did a good job, I'm still not sure exactly why it was done. |
 |  | These are pictures of the North Market, some renovated warehouses that have been turned into a fish market/deli/shopping area. |
 |  | Nicole feels this was actually the best part of the entire trip - our lunch at a place called Quaker Steak and Lube. The burgers are fantastic, as is their decor (heavy on the racing vehicles). But their claim to fame is chicken wings and their "Atomic" sauce, so hot (300,000 SCUs!!) that you have to sign a waiver before eating them. While we were there, some sort of car group showed up. At least, we guess that's what they were, because they lined up their custom Prowlers in front of the restaurant. |
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