Top Reasons to Visit Columbus, Ohio

SUSAN R. POLLACK PHOTO. Beautiful murals define the Short North arts district of Columbus, Ohio.

As a University of Michigan graduate with maize and blue in my blood, I’ve long harbored a natural aversion to anything Buckeye.

All that changed on a recent weekend foray into enemy territory: Columbus, where the legendary football rivalry between the Ohio State University Buckeyes and my beloved Michigan Wolverines plays out every two years.

To my surprise, the central Ohio capital proved to be a treasure trove of first-rate attractions and unexpected delights, starting with the hand-crafted sweet corn and black raspberry ice cream I chanced upon in the city’s colorful North Market downtown (www.northmarket.com).

I mean, what’s not to like about ice cream for breakfast?

I was so enamored with Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams that I went on to sample more of her artisanal flavors — salty caramel, goat cheese with roasted red Michigan cherries, pistachio honey and Riesling poached pear sorbet — at various other locations around town. www.jenisicecreams.com

Here are some of the other gems I discovered in Columbus:

Topiary Garden: Frolic amid the yews and other evergreens in this larger-than-life, garden re-creation of Georges Seurat’s famed post-Impressionist painting, “Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grand Jatte.” Sculpted in topiary and set against a pond, they’re all here — the lady with the umbrella, the man with the monkey and dozens of other figures from the painting. This “landscape of a painting of a landscape” is a free and fetching photo opportunity in Old Deaf School Park at Washington Boulevard and E. Town Street downtown. www.topiarygarden.org

Franklin Park Conservatory: Few settings are more romantic than the grounds of the John F. Wolfe Palm House, which is bathed in rainbow colors every night, starting at dusk. Known formally as “Light Raiment II,” the LED installation by acclaimed light artist James Turrell brings a colorful glow to the historic, 1895 Victorian glass house. Visitors may return by day to inspect a collection of Dale Chihuly glass creations set amid the palms, plants and other botanicals. www.fpconservatory.org

Short North arts district: On High Street, between the OSU campus and downtown, this artsy urban neighborhood of galleries, boutiques, cafes and clubs is great for people-watching and, naturally, shopping. (Don’t miss Collier West, www.collierwest.com, for creative displays and “home chic home” needs, vintage and modern). Your camera will work overtime capturing Short North’s famed murals, including Mona Lisa on her ear at 742 N. Pearl; and a whimsical take on Grant Woods’ classic American Gothic at 714 N. High. Admire the 17, color-changing lighted arches spanning the avenue by night, and pause to relax, any time, in a pocket park, such as the one with a life-size sofa made of limestone. If your visit coincides with the first Friday of the month, you’ll be swept up in the lively swirl of a “Gallery Hop.” www.shortnorth.org

German Village: Stroll the cobblestone streets and admire the historic architecture in this authentic and lovingly restored ethnic neighborhood, complete with Munich-style social gardens in Frank Fetch Park on Beck Street.

Get lost in The Book Loft, a 32-room shop spanning two German Village blocks and brimming with enough books, music, cards, posters and magazines to keep you busy for months. www.bookloft.com

Fill up on German beer and yummy food — including the legendary Bahama Mamas (variously spiced bratwurst) and grapefruit-sized cream puffs — at Schmidt’s Restaurant and Sausage Haus, 240 E. Kossuth St. www.schmidtshaus.com

And enjoy opening dozens of wooden drawers and peeking in at the jewelry at Helen Winnemore Craft, 150 E. Kossuth St., a German Village institution established in 1938. It’s said to be the nation’s oldest shop focusing on handcrafted works by American artists. www.helenwinnemores.com

Barcelona Restaurant & Bar: Also in German Village, at 263 E. Whittier St., this lively, upscale eatery boasts the city’s best patio, with flowers spilling from hanging baskets and cascading down a brick wall. The artfully prepared cuisine recalls a night in the restaurant’s namesake city, from fruity sangria, Marcona almonds, olives, tender calamari and jamon to authentic Spanish cheese and paella. www.barcelonacolumbus.com

Columbus Zoo: Greet new residents, including a baby Asian elephant named Beco, watch the amusing new “Animals on Safari Show” (how on earth did they train those house cats?), and check out the underwater manatee exhibit. You may even run into Jack Hanna, frequent late-night TV guest and everyone’s favorite zoo director. www.columbuszoo.org

Finally, here’s a piece of Buckeye trivia: Did you know that the double-decker, horseshoe-shaped Ohio Stadium is on the National Register of Historic Places? While you’re in “Buckeye Country,” talk like a scarlet-and gray-clad local by calling it “the ‘shoe.” You’ll find the renovated stadium at 411 Woody Hayes Drive. www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com

For more about tourism in Columbus: www.experiencecolumbus.com, 866-EXP-COLS.

Post by Susan R. Pollack of Detroit, MI

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