Brief notes on the trip, state by state, with sights, places, and photographs.
Ohio
After Wisconsin, on a bright, sunny day, we drove the state highways and camped at Potato Creek State Park in Indiana for a few days. Our last destination was Columbus, Ohio to visit our fellow PiP writer, Maria. We didn’t know what to expect from Columbus, but we ended up having a great time and enjoying the city. Vinny and I took our own running tour of a few neighborhoods. Since it’s faster than walking and safer than sight seeing while driving, running is the best way to see a new place.
With Maria we explored the German Village, which is a beautiful neighborhood full of mid 19th century houses with slate roofs. Schiller Park in the center of the neighborhood is perfect for strolling and taking pictures. There is a stage for Shakespeare in the Park, a pond, a playground, and it is overall a pleasant place to spend an afternoon.
A view from the park.
More of the houses that overlook the park.
In Schiller Park.
One of the best parts of the day was exploring the 32 rooms of books in The Book Loft, an independently owned bookstore in German Village. The bookstore is like a maze and each room has different sections of books. Sometimes we forget from where we came and had to follow the exit signs! The books are endless. There are also calendars, magnets, bookmarks, and posters, among other things.
The Book Loft in German Village.
Pathway to the Book Loft.
Our favorite part about Columbus was being able to walk to many of the neighborhoods. We walked to get coffee, dinner, and ice cream. Ice cream in the Short North neighborhood at Jeni’s Ice Cream tasted beyond delicious. It may be a bit expensive, but the ice cream was from an organic, grass fed dairy farm in Ohio. It was definitely worth the one time price ($5 for an ice cream sandwich). We strolled through the streets lined with impressive, historic homes. Maria said that she showed us only the good parts of Columbus so we’d be sure to return, and she planned effectively as we really liked visiting Columbus. It was a relaxing last stop to have, as I find that I prefer visiting cities where friends live.
Preservation in Pink 