<p>I am going to visit a friend in Columbus, Ohio for a few days in October. If anyone has some suggestions for a few afternoon sight seeing events/places to go or such it would be welcome. She is lovely but when I have visited in the past there does not seem to be much to do day by day. After this I will visit my 85 year old aunt just outside of Fort Wayne, Ind. where I grew up and she will keep me busy every day :).
Thoughts?</p>
<p>Short North [Short</a> North Arts District | Expressive. Edgy. Classic. Utterly unique. Simply cool!](<a href=“http://www.shortnorth.org/]Short”>http://www.shortnorth.org/)
North Market (near Short North) </p>
<p>If you like ice cream, be sure to visit Jeni’s : <a href=“http://www.jenis.com%5B/url%5D”>www.jenis.com</a></p>
<p>Central Ohio Metroparks [Metro</a> Parks - Central Ohio Park System - Homepage](<a href=“http://www.metroparks.net/]Metro”>http://www.metroparks.net/)</p>
<p>Victorian Village/German Village/Grandview (all old vintage neighborhoods with cute shops)</p>
<p>Easton (shopping/dining) - upscale outdoor shopping</p>
<p>Columbus Zoo (#1 in the country)</p>
<p>Columbus Museum of Art [Homepage</a> | Columbus Museum of Art](<a href=“http://www.columbusmuseum.org/]Homepage”>http://www.columbusmuseum.org/)</p>
<p>Hocking Hills - about an hour away <a href=“http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/hockinghills[/url]”>http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/hockinghills</a></p>
<p>Can suggest other things if I know what you like to do. :)</p>
<p>Also, check out: <a href=“http://www.experiencecolumbus.com/[/url]”>http://www.experiencecolumbus.com/</a></p>
<p>In German Village, be sure to visit the Book Loft. We can spend hours in there. </p>
<p>In Short North, for great Italian food visit Marcella’s on High Street. For a great breakfast, visit Tasi, on Pearl St. just off of High. YUM!</p>
<p>If you will be there the 18th - 20th, be sure to see BalletMet perform Swan Lake at the Ohio Theatre. They are fantastic.</p>
<p>Marcella’s - YUM - yes! The one on High Street “opens” the front of the store (full window that swings out) for alfresco dining when its nice outside. The Marcella’s in Polaris is also very, very good - might be heading back there for a b-day dinner soon!</p>
<p>Thanks! I like hiking and walking the most and eating (of course!). She is a Master Gardener and loves plants, as well as walking.
Great ideas!</p>
<p>Oh, and while you are in German Village, you must stop by Pistacia Vera for macaroons. Delicious!</p>
<p>Gardening? go to the Franklin Park Conservatory for a very nice walk–and Jeni’s ice cream is just the next neighborhood over, in Bexley. In Bexley, take a walk down the streets around Jeni’s --the mansions are beautiful.</p>
<p>If you like getting to know local history you can visit Ohio Village and the Ohio Historical Society. The Capital Building is impressive. And of course The Ohio State University.</p>
<p>I second the recommendations for the Franklin Park Conservatory, North Market, Zoo and German Village. You should see what’s going on at the Wexner Center while you’re there, too. Fall is a great time for hiking in the area. We lived there for quite a few years and never ran out of things to do. Hope you enjoy your trip!</p>
<p>Sabaray, didn’t know that you lived in Ohio! ( at one time anyway!). My oldest D is there - we do new things each time we visit - I’m jealous of Columbus!!!</p>
<p>I think we will need to do every bit of the hiking suggested to off set the food that has also been suggested!
I am glad I posted as now I am excited to visit.</p>
<p>Abasket, I grew up in southeastern Ohio, fled the state for college and returned at graduation. Met my future H in Columbus; that’s where we married and lived for several years (both with and without kids, but that’s another story). Tons of neat areas, that’s for sure.</p>
<p>Oregon, if you are truly from Oregon I have to say that I visited your state for the first time this summer and was AMAZED! Your outdoor scenery - we experienced the east side of the state, Portland and the coast - was so, so beautiful! </p>
<p>If you have the time and really enjoy hiking I strongly recommend the hourish drive to Hocking Hills - you won’t even feel like you are in Ohio there - so much different from much of the rest of the “flat” state!!!</p>
<p>There is a nice area called the North Market - good place for lunch - all kinds of ethnic restaurants, so many good places to try and there is a Jeni’s ice cream inside there. It is in downtown Columbus. German Village is interesting - cobblestone streets to explore - just outside of downtown. I second the Bookloft - I need to go back there. For hiking you really can’t beat Hocking Hills - especially in October. The fall leaves will be amazing.</p>
<p>I was going to tell you to visit the original Wendy’s, but sadly, it’s closed.
[Original</a> Wendy?s Location On East Broad Street | Capture Columbus - WOSU Public Media](<a href=“http://wosu.org/2012/capturecolumbus/original-wendys-location-on-east-broad-street/]Original”>http://wosu.org/2012/capturecolumbus/original-wendys-location-on-east-broad-street/)</p>
<p>I’ve never had time to visit the James Thurber house (have only been a couple of times on business) but I’d love to.
[Thurber</a> House | Home](<a href=“http://thurberhouse.org/]Thurber”>http://thurberhouse.org/)</p>
<p>Thanks everyone.
abasket–glad to know about Hocking Hills! Is it hilly or flat? Oregon is really a paradise. Except for the gray and rain–which we have today–looks like Nov. here. H and I hike avidly on very steep trails and when I have hiked in the Midwest it is more like taking a walk. All good though, love walking, and it will be delightful to see the leaves if they are changing as we only get pockets of that here.
mp–love to see the Thurber house and bet GF has never been. She has a science background and I am the opposite.
Such great ideas here and it will be fun to see what she thinks of them. The last time I visited it was late June and just too hot and humid (just for me! Humidity is not frequent in OR.) that it was pretty miserable to be outside.
German village, North market…all sounds fun.
What will the temperatures be like Oct. 23-27th?</p>
<p>October is often chilly in the mornings and hot in the afternoons. Layers!</p>
<p>The Hocking Hills in late October have the potential to be beautiful with the fall leaves. October is one of our less humid months and temps can be any where from below freezing to in the 70’s. The Hocking Hills are just that, hills with elevation changes of up to 700 ft. or so. They tend not to have a lot of switch backs so they can be steep. The Old Man’s Cave area always reminded me of walking into Rivendell if your a Lord of the Rings fan. No house of course. Ohio University in Athens has a beautiful campus nestled in the hills.</p>
<p>We went to the Thurber House! So great. The North Market and German Village. Both fun. Loved the architecture of German Village. Ate good sushi at Akai Hana and the best tandoori Shrimp I have ever had at Aab.
Thanks for all of the help. It made it so much easier to decide how to spend out time.
We had plans for Hocking Hills but it was far tooooo cold.</p>