June 8: Hiking at Delaware State Park

This week Dandrich and I went for a hike over at Delaware State Park. Even though it was hot, it was a great way to spend an afternoon. The best part is it lets you work out and exercise while doing something kind of different. It makes it seem more like an adventure than exercise!

If you stop at one of the little information stations you can get a map with all the trails marked on it which can be pretty helpful.  We took a trail that ran from the campground area to the marina. It seems like most of the trails at Delaware originate near the campground area.

At the marina there was another information station that also sold hot sandwiches so we got some hot dogs and onion rings to refuel for the return trip. The food there was better than I thought it would be. Near the marina there is also a frisbee-golf range that seemed pretty cool. The information/food stand also conveniently sells frisbees in case you don't have any with you.

Overall the trail was not too difficult. It was an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon. I will say it's probably a good idea to either wear jeans and long sleeves or soak yourself in bug spray first. We didn't do either and returned home covered in huge mosquito bites.

May 28: Columbus Asian Festival

Over Memorial Day weekend Columbus' Franklin Park Conservatory played host to the Asian Festival. I was quite excited to check out this festival as I was hoping to chow down on some traditional Asian food. In the end it was slightly disappointing.

First of all there were some positive aspects of the festival. Mainly they had a large performance stage presenting traditional dances and music etc. Before I get any further I suppose I should specify that the day we went was incredibly hot. Furthermore hundreds of people crowded into the little festival, making it seem even more hot. So I suppose this may account for most of negative impressions of the festival. For example these performances may have been interesting but the heat deterred us from watching for long.

As expected the festival included both a food court area as well as various stalls selling 'Asian stuff.' The biggest disappointment was that most of the food stalls were just your typical Americanized Asian food, the same stuff you can buy at Panda Express. We ate at a stand with Filipino food. The food was good but lacked the robust flavor of typical Asian foods. It was most likely watered down for American tastes.

The lines for all the food stalls were ridiculously long. What's more, after waiting in line for 20 - 30 minutes, when we placed our order at a different stand we found they were out of what we wanted. All in all, because of the extreme heat and ridiculous amount of people (especially teenagers) we did not stay long.

May 1, 2011: Good News Everyone!

When I woke up this morning I did not except it to be an interesting day by any means. And for the most part it wasn't. I went to work, came home around 10:30 pm, hurried over to Sonic's next door with Dandrich to get dinner, and came home to watch some TV before going to bed.

However, around 9:30 when I checked my phone for text messages there was a notification from the Huffington Post announcing that the President would be addressing the nation later that night. I didn't have much time to think about as we were preoccupied closing the store, but I assumed it had something to do with the bombings in Libya. As I headed to my car I checked the front page of the Huffington Post to see what President Obama had said. There was no further mention of it on the HP at 10:30 ish so I forgot about it.

When Dandrich and I returned home, I turned on the television and begin flipping through the channels to see what was on. As I passed over  CNN the headline "Osama bin Laden is dead" caught my attention. I called Dandrich over and we turned to MSNBC to watch the President's speech.

Watching the celebration of many outside the White House, I turned to Dandrich and asked, "Do you think people are doing anything here in Columbus?"

"Probably on campus," he replied. So we hurriedly pulled on shoes and rain jackets and headed over to Ohio State campus. As turned down Woodruff Avenue, we saw students in shorts and T-shirts, some in swimming attire, but all with towels, running across the street toward the middle of campus. This is actually a very common sight at Ohio State, but usually only on the Thursday night before the Ohio State - Michigan game. On that night hundreds of students brave the freezing cold to jump into the tiny yet scenic Mirror Lake by the South Oval.

Figuring that all these students must be headed to the same place, we made our way toward Mirror Lake.  This is what we found when we got there:

I guess the only thing Buckeyes hate more than Michigan is terrorists.

Columbus: The Biggest Small Town in America

"Life's a voyage that's homeward bound." - Herman Melville

I've been slammed with election/campaign stuff this week so I thought I would share some things about Columbus! Having lived here for about 4 1/2 years now I can share some of thoughts about the city. Columbus is a nice city. It's not the biggest (actually it's the 16th largest in the US) but it has some cool stuff worth seeing. Below are some highlights of the area.


Most Recognizable Landmark
Definitely Ohio Stadium, or as the locals call it, the Horseshoe. The Ohio State Buckeye Football team has been playing games here since 1922. With a capacity to hold 102,329 (and a record attendance of 106,033) it is the sixth largest non-racing stadium in the world. It's obviously best to visit during football games, but I would recommend going there regardless. Not only is it full of history, but the architecture is also pretty impressive. Plus, Buckeye football is basically the culture and religion of Columbus.

Ohio Stadium after the 2010 Spring Game 

Best Place to Eat
Okay, so this not strictly speaking in Columbus, but Der Dutchman Restaurant and Bakery is delicious. They serve Amish dishes and have a buffet that is a great deal if you're really hungry. Even though there are a lot of great restaurants in the city of Columbus but I suggest Der Dutchman because it's not  a widespread chain restaurant (although there are three other locations in Ohio) and it's not too expensive. The restaurant is only about 30 minutes from downtown Columbus. I love to pick something up from the bakery to take home!


Best Place to Shop
Columbus has two really great shopping malls, but overall I would recommend stopping by Easton Town Center. It's full of fashionable name brand stores like Coach and Burberry but also Macy's and mall staples like American Eagle and the Gap. It has a movie theater and other entertainment venues as well. Whether or want to window-shop or actually buy stuff, you'll find something interesting here. Even though it's mostly an outdoor mall, my favorite time to go is for Christmas Shopping. If you hate crowds though, it's probably best to skip Easton during Holiday season weekends. 

A fountain in the middle of Easton Town Center

Most Worthwhile Museum
COSI or the Center of Science and Industry is aimed at children but is great for people of all ages. The museum is full of hands-on exhibits to teach you science. It also has awesome visiting exhibits like one on the Titanic and another with Star Wars memorabilia. There's also an IMAX movie screen there that shows movies throughout the day. As a bonus, the museum is located downtown on the Scioto River so you get a great view of the downtown skyline.


Most Exciting Special Events
Buckeye Football - it's kind of a big deal around here. No matter what time of year you'll see OSU fans, but if it's a Saturday in the fall, expect to be inundated with scarlet and gray. Everywhere near the campus is completely crowded with students and tail-gaters. Even if you don't have tickets to the game there are more than enough things going on around the area to enjoy. Yes, crowded doesn't even begin to describe it, however, you get a special feeling of camaraderie spending the day with 100,000 + Buckeye fans. You might think you've experienced college football, but pretty much every other school (perhaps with the exception of Big Ten rivals Michigan and Penn State) pales in comparison. 

The Best Damn Band in the Land preforming before an OSU football game

Crowds around campus during a football game

Best Places for History Buffs
Columbus is the state capital for Ohio, and as such, is where the Statehouse is located. If you are interested in history, or architecture for that matter, the Ohio Statehouse should definitely be a stop. It's only a few blocks from COSI and the distance is easily walkable. The Statehouse gives tours of the building which include all kinds of trivia bits.


Best Place for a Concert
If you are looking for an intimate and exciting setting for a rock concert, than head over to the Newport Music Hall on High Street across the street from Ohio State. The hall is promoted as America's longest continually operating rock club though I have no idea if this is true. They have some fairly well-known rock, especially alternative rock bands. The Newport isn't very big and it's guaranteed that you will be packed tightly in between other concert-goers. However, the concerts here are great because the smaller size lets everyone feel close to the action. It might not look that impressive from the outside, but just wait until you get inside. 

Fratellis concert at the Newport Music Hall, summer 2007

Best Thing to do on a Warm Day - Columbus Zoo
Not only does the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium have a national reputation, but it's also undergone major renovations in the last couple years. Most recently they've added an arctic exhibit that's pretty cool. It's a great place to visit on a sunny day. Your first visit to the Columbus Zoo could probably last a good part of the day. Zoombezi Bay, a water park right next door, is an easy attraction to pair up with the zoo for a whole day adventure. I think you can even buy discounted tickets for admission to both. On side note, the Columbus Zoo decorates the grounds with thousands of Christmas lights from approximately Thanksgiving time to New Year's which are worth a trip on a chilly winter night. 

A polar bear at one of the zoo's newest exhibits

Wild Lights at the Columbus Zoo

My Favorite Place - The Oval
People watching, frisbee playing, protester ignoring, free food eating - all this and more can be done on The Ohio State University's Oval which is located near the middle of campus in front of the main library. When I was a student at OSU I loved to eat my lunch here in between classes or take a quick cat nap in the warm sunshine. No matter what time of year though, there is usually something going on at the Oval. 

A beautiful day on the Oval